Today’s plus insight features Vera Lynn, Halogen volunteer, mentor, and business coach. As the founder of a consulting firm (COO Centre), a mother, business coach, and a certified yoga instructor – she is a powerhouse, and yet still carves out time to give back.

In this interview, she shares what inspired her to volunteer, the impact of mentorship at Halogen, her strategies for effective mentoring, and why equipping every young person with the right tools matter.

What drew you to start volunteering, and what has kept you committed to supporting Halogen over the years?

I was looking for meaningful organisations to volunteer at. Halogen Singapore’s mission and vision really resonated with me. I think it’s important for young people nowadays to have role models to share their experiences and challenges with – and for all of them to receive the same opportunities, exposure, and toolkits they need to face the working world one day. There are a lot of things that school won’t teach you – like how it will feel transitioning between the school world and the working world. 

The way Halogen designs and runs their programmes really impresses me. They are very well-structured, thoughtfully planned, and the framework is amazingly designed.

It’s also a great way for me to keep a pulse on the young people of today. I run a business myself, and understanding the future workforce is very helpful. We need to know our leaders of tomorrow – they are the future. What makes them tick, what motivates them, what drives them?

“We need to know our leaders of tomorrow – they are the future.”

As a mentor in the ELEMENTS Mentoring programme, you guide young people throughout a period of over six months. Can you share some of the personal growth or transformations you’ve witnessed in the youth you’ve mentored?

For us volunteers – we’re only asking for an hour of your time (mentees) to share. If you have the heart to do it – anyone can make that time. During that one to two hours, there is a growth that happens. It’s always nice to see their thinking being challenged when I pose questions – and to see them arrive at their own conclusion.

For example, some of my mentees think that only certain options exist for them. They didn’t think they had what it took to apply for certain jobs. They box themselves in thinking, “My goal is A, but I’m stuck at B – so A is out of reach.”

I give them additional perspectives and sometimes suggest that they take up courses or online lessons to upgrade their skills, and suddenly – new doors open up for them. They realise they don’t have to fit into a specific mould, and they see the stepping stones that could help them reach their goal. 

It’s not easy to spot that – because you don’t know what you don’t know. It sometimes is clearer for me, because I’ve been through certain experiences that they haven’t, but I want them to discover that journey themselves. It’s amazing to see them do things that they didn’t know they could achieve. At the end of the day, it’s not one size fits all. It’s important to know what you want but also important to know what does or doesn’t fit you. The growth mindset lens is – you have to try it.

Looking back, is there a specific experience or interaction with a youth that’s left a lasting impact on you? What made that moment special or memorable?

I had a mentee from 2-3 years ago who was navigating a difficult job environment. What school doesn’t teach you, and social media doesn’t teach you, is the day-to-day human communications. I had to provide a lot of encouragement in helping her deal with that situation. She had a difficult manager whom she was trying to get a fair assessment from, and at the same time, she was looking for open positions in another department she was interested in. We had some interview roleplaying to help calm her nerves, where she also learned how to establish presence and confidence. 

In the end, she didn’t get the job in that department, but she managed to get a similar role in a new company. She was thrilled – before she left, she also managed to get a fair assessment from the challenging manager. It was great that I could use my experience to help her work through that, and when she told me she was comfortable enough to present herself for the interview, I was so happy. That was a moment where I felt like I really contributed in a meaningful way. 

Have you ever faced a moment where connecting with a student felt difficult? How did you overcome that?

There was an incident where when I read my mentee’s profile, and on paper, she’s very technically-well versed in what she does. So I was really looking forward to working with her. When I met her, she turned out to be very shy and also seemed to have a sense of low self-esteem. So instead of jumping right into mentoring right away, it took some time to pry her out of her shell and dig into the driving cause of why she felt that way. It turned out there was some bullying going on in school and she didn’t feel like she was good enough. So my sessions with her were mostly about empowering her and making her feel comfortable. By the end of the six months, thankfully I was able to break that barrier and we built a comfortable enough rapport that she would actually text me if she encountered any challenges. 

There was a lot of pushing from my side, and I prepped her beforehand that I would be doing that, and that it came from a place of good intentions. With every session, slowly I managed to chip away at the ice each time we met. It was worth it – you could really see how much she had grown. 

How has volunteering enriched your own life, and what unexpected rewards have you gained that you think others might also experience?

From a technical standpoint – when some of my mentees are studying in areas like marketing and UI/UX, it’s something I don’t have much experience in. So I’m very curious to know what people are looking out for. I’m learning these technical skills that are outside my core knowledge, so that’s very beneficial. From a soft skills perspective, it’s very humbling for me to always remind myself to listen. And I’m still reminding myself to do that. It’s very easy, especially as a mum, to tell you, “this is exactly what you should do, it’s so clear!” 

But the important thing is actually to listen properly before you pass any comments or feedback. Nobody likes to hear what they should be doing. Everyone is different and they may need to experience it themselves – it’s better for them to try it themselves and then know whether it’s for them or not. As a mentor, my job is not to dictate – it’s to facilitate, inspire, and share experiences. I always have to remind myself of that, and it definitely works better – even at home with my 10 year old! 

“As a mentor, my job is not to dictate – it’s to facilitate, inspire, and share experiences.”

How do you balance commitments in your personal and professional life?

Most of my training came from my time in investment banking. I was working to the point of near burnout – and I decided to take up a yoga licence. So I ended up teaching yoga while still working in investment banking. 

I believe that in every stage of your life, you need a priority list. You’ll have a must-do list, a nice-to-have list, and a “I’ll look at it when I have time” list. I’m not a fan of having it all. So at different stages of your life, you need to review your priority list. It’s about being very honest with yourself. It’s good to do 10 minutes in the morning to set good intentions – and 10 minutes at night to reflect on the day. It will do your body a whole lot of good. It’s one of the things that many successful CEOs do daily as well. 

What would you say to someone who is considering volunteering with Halogen but may feel they don’t have enough time or the right skills to make a difference?

I think for someone with a certain level of experience, if you come into mentoring with active listening, with humility and generally an open mindset – a non-judgemental, open mindset, then I trust that Halogen will be able to match you with a mentee that’s compatible. It’s an hour of your time per month – it’s like having an extra hour of lunch meeting. 

That one hour of your time is an exponential benefit – it doesn’t just equal an hour, your mentee will gain so much more. Just really commit to the process, commit to the person – and you will definitely benefit from it as well. It’s a two-way relationship that’s a win-win situation.

Before we wrap up, we’d love to know – everyone has that one song or playlist that gets them in the right headspace. Do you have a go-to motivational song or playlist before heading into a coaching or mentoring session?

There’s this Korean pop artist called G-dragon, and I feel he really makes the best music to dance to – one of my favourite songs from him right now is called ‘Home Sweet Home’.