Chevonne Cheng is the editor of ZULA, the sister site of The Smart Local (TSL) that seeks to empower females through producing content relating to beauty, fashion, life advice, and inspiring stories. TMC speaks to Chevonne to see what it takes to become an editor of a website and YouTube channel that has over 300,000 unique visitors each month.
On starting ZULA:
Creating ZULA was more of an ‘accidental’ choice. When I left my job at Les Amis Group, a friend in TSL told me to join her in the creative team. But when I sent in my resume, Bryan (TSL’s founder) offered me an editorial role to spearhead a new female website.
Back then, I hesitated to write full-time because I lacked paper qualifications. However, when I discussed the concept of ZULA with Bryan, I believed in the mission to create a new site for Gen Y girls. So, I started from scratch just to see how far I could go.
On growing the brand:
As with all new businesses, there were bumps to iron out. I was the only full-timer in ZULA then with two fresh grad interns, and it was all about speed and quantity. Hence, I couldn’t uphold the quality I was looking for while running an entire site.
Also, I wanted to create a platform with less censorship than in most female magazines. So, I had to be thick-skinned and confident enough to know how far I could push the boundaries in relatively conservative Singapore.
The first story I published on ZULA in November 2016 was of a mother whose husband died in a car crash when she was pregnant. Bryan feared it wasn’t ‘safe’ enough, but I wrote it anyway, and its virality (over 13k FB shares) crashed our website on the first day.
So I think you have to trust your gut, have patience, help others understand your POV while understanding theirs, and never stop moving forward. No man is an island, so appreciate all the help you can get.
On challenges:
Finding good writers and interviewees who have the courage to tell their stories and not be ‘paiseh’, and people who have a knack for creativity and ideation. But as ZULA’s goal, environment, and community slowly grew, we were able to attract the right people.
The biggest struggle was finding the right content direction to attract advertising dollar without compromising our goals. Female websites had to run on fashion and beauty content to attract advertisers fast, and we took the harder route by covering a range of topics that were less sellable, but important to us.
On a typical work day:
I have coffee and two eggs for breakfast, get dressed within 10 minutes, and head straight out the door. Once I reach the office at 9.00am, I check my emails, news sites and publishing calendar–this helps me to sort my to-do list according to priority. Then, I’ll edit articles and images, approve HR matters, handle client matters, and of course, write. Occasionally, I have team ideation meetings, and filming for YouTube.
On role models:
The OG influencer in my life is my mother, a literature teacher for over two decades. However, everyone I’ve met has taught me something new.
I particularly admire those who risk their lives to help others (doctors without borders, etc.), and all artists (writers, filmmakers, actors, etc.) who create a sphere for viewers to dive through multiple layers of thought. For example, in the movie The Talented Mr. Ripley by Anthony Minghella, we find discomfort in how we start to like the perpetrator, because we realise no man turns evil without reason.
I think empathising with another’s thought process is a key tool to navigating through real life differences. And it’s certainly not easy to create a work of art that’s appealing to the masses while treading the line of an unpopular opinion.
On career advice:
Wherever you start, do your best, and take time to understand and appreciate people and problems around you. So when it’s time to lead a team, you’ll know how to handle whatever life throws at you.
Try not to indulge in drama because it’s mostly a waste of time; focus on solutions and baby steps which help you progress to become a better leader and happier person.
Be aware of what’s going on in different sectors, because there’s a lot you can learn from other industries and cultures outside your bubble. Learn to take constructive feedback with an open heart, yet be discerning with the advice received; just because someone else couldn’t do it doesn’t mean you can’t.
Pick your battles wisely–know when to let go of perfectionism while sustaining the business.
On getting a job at ZULA or TSL:
In Singapore’s digital publishing scene, you need to have both hard and soft skills. You need to have industry knowledge and data-driven calibration to make sound decisions, as well as grit, gut-instinct, self-awareness, adaptability, empathy, and discipline, to keep your passion alive. Not to mention, an acute sense of awareness for what’s going on in the world and knowing your USPs and what your brand stands for.
All in all, remember to set your artist’s ego aside and know that having an interest for writing or using social media is not sustainable on its own.
This interview has been edited and condensed for readability.
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