Dr. Gulara Vincent has generously invited me to give MiddleMe a voice and allow readers like yourself to understand the birth of MiddleMe, the growth and the goals of this website.
I am extremely honored because Dr. Gulara Vincent is a professional author and her book proposal was a winner in the 2014 Transformational Author Writing Contest organized by Christine Kloser in the US. That to me is an amazing feat!! Wow!
So when she extended this opportunity to me, how can I not be humbled and take it up with her generosity?
Welcome back to The Story Behind The Story. This is the final post in the series in 2015. In this post, Kally tells us about her big Why. The series will continue in 2016 with amazing stories from writers I admire. Please stay tuned. Meanwhile, give a warm welcome to Kally.
“Kally 姐, I have no idea what I can do in my career?”
This is a question people ask me on a regular basis. 姐 is an endearing term they use, translated as Sister Kally. In my line of work as a manager, I have encountered many young aspiring men and women, newly graduated from school, bursting with ambition and inspiration, but don’t know how to apply themselves. After two years or so, many of them start showing signs of weariness and become cynical and tired. This is mainly due to the obstacles they have to overcome in their jobs. While doing so, many have hurt themselves and their pride, causing many dreams to go down the drain and passion to go to waste.
I have been a young manager, often stumbling and recovering from my mistakes. Being a figure of authority at the age of 23 is no easy feat: people who doubt I can carry my duties well are as many as those who believe I can do it. My boss-turned-mentor is one of those who believed in me and gave me a chance to prove my capabilities. I am a dark horse, I don’t have a proper education, but I strive very hard to help those in need. He groomed me, educated me and allowed me to fall without actually hurting myself. Many of the first time managers do not have this advantage: when they encounter difficulties in their job, they often have no one to turn to.
As I slowly build my reputation as a good listener and someone who dished out advice willingly, people started to approach me to pour out their hearts. I was surprised to see that many of those people formed a distinct group: people who are around my age group or older than me, tired and overstretched beyond their limits, and lost vision as well as track of why they are in their current job in the first place.
When I left Singapore to pursue my career in Shanghai, those individuals continued seeking my advice. When I left Shanghai to pursue family life in Malaysia, the number of calls, messages and emails only increased. I left my career to focus on my personal life but quickly realised that I had so much to give to others. The second important learning was this: it would be more effective to share advice through a blog, rather than speak to one individual at a time.
This is how MiddleMe was born. I wanted a name to signify being stuck between situations like I am with different career moves, and sandwiched between my boss and my staff as a manager, whilst dealing with awkward work issues. When something difficult arises at work, people often feel reluctant to take a drastic step of seeking advice from HR or even a boss. With no one to turn to, they ask friends’ advice or do their own research on the internet. Whilst there is a wealth of advice on the Internet, I found that many articles are theoretical, not something you can easily digest over lunchtime or during your bus ride.
Hence, MiddleMe’s mission is to discuss those taboo uncomfortable work topics using real life examples and scenarios to make advice relatable to anyone who wants guidance but not interested in clever ratios and pie charts. It is almost like picking up a career lifestyle magazine filled with interesting tips from your local newspaper stand.
MiddleMe is my way of paying it forward for all the guidance I have received in the past from my mentors, all the support I have gained from my loved ones and the criticisms that made me stronger.
Kally is a full-time writer, career specialist and a freelancer. Her website ishttp://MiddleMe.net. She is contactable via
Email: kally@MiddleMe.net
Twitter: MiddleMe_net
Facebook: MiddleMe.net
MiddleMe 
Reblogged this on Lost Dudeist Astrology.
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Hello Kally, it’s me! I got a lot of loose ends and I am trying to find them out all at once! It’s not working but, I am learning & finding out many things that I had lost before. The best of the best is my new connection I made through your blog–awesome Leland!
We have been corresponding and enjoying each of our senior’s antics. The best was yesterday. I was kind stuck when I spotted his reply to my latest comment. That comment was about a misunderstanding of one of his expressions in my end.
He beautifully enlightened me then proceeded with the funniest reference to my comment that we are like the energizer battery never run out because we are running on the Master’s battery. Here is his remark which caused me to explode in laughter and forget about being ‘stuck’,
That energizer battery bunny will be sleeping by the path when thia licona and leland zip past, onward, out of sight, into the future……What was that power? Sure wasn’t Superman! Just the never ending power of the Master!!!
Tell you what? Dear Kally, it’ll be wise if you take some time to check on Leland & yours truly–we are two seniors on the way to Never Ending Bliss at the foot of our Master! Hahaha! HalleluYah!
Love u. Looking forward to your comment hoping that I have made you laugh along with me! Also, hoping to spread my joyful moments to somehow bring some relief to the working force seeking the kindness of your heart & wisdom from your being.
Keep up the good work and on the boot, get a hold of that ‘never ending power of the Master!!!’ so you can to zip past forward just like Leland & yours truly. 🙂
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I’ll never get to catch up you and Leland.. You both are too far ahead!!! But I’ll try.. No harm trying.. Never say never!
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Ah! Don’t lose hope! We’ll wait for you! 🙂
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Just don’t go too far off without me *smile*
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Right now, I wish you were right next to me telling me, “Ah! you forgot to close the <. No, that's too big. You save it in the wrong folder! Quit beating on a dead horse! To which I would answer, "Maybe if I keep beating that horse it will somehow revive!" And on I go until I can't beat that dead horse no more.
Then? I head for the comments and see if someone can tell me how to do the impossible! Why can I not just settle for the ordinary template and be done with it? Beats me! All and all messing with those ….tricky lil makes me like an html scholar! Hahaha! HalleluYah!
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Meant to write …lil . if you forget the match, either No HTML MAGIC. Bother of bothers! Trip to the …mysterious code! 🙂
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Hahaha! The lil things don’t even show–they be that mysterious? I think they are called? Ah! I got it ! Let see if it will print. Maybe somebody can use this info.
They are type of brackets, and although they are sometimes called brackets in America, the ‘ [ ‘ and ‘ ] ‘ symbols are normally called square brackets. There are another two types of brackets that are used. ‘ ‘ are called angle brackets and ‘ { ‘ and ‘ } ‘ are normally called curly brackets. With all types of brackets, the first bracket is called ‘open’ and the second bracket is called ‘close’. So, for example, ‘ < ' is called 'open angle bracket' and ' ] ' is called 'close square bracket'. Does that make sense?
Later! 🙂
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I love the term ‘middle me’… a much nicer way of describing being between a rock and a hard place…
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Exactly!! You read my mind!
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Reblogged this on Anita Dawes & Jaye Marie.
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Thanks for sharing this out!
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What lovely comments, Kally, your community clearly loves you! Thank you for writing this inspiring story for my blog. Many blessings to you and all your readers!
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Thanks, Gulara!! I love collaborating with you. I enjoyed myself tremendously!
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Kally,you and Middle Me do a great work reaching out and helping people. You have the ability to put words together to reach people, to lift them up and help them over the rough spots. Please don’t change what you are doing or how you go about it. You operate from the heart as much as the head, that is why the people love you.
Keep up the good work. You have been blessed.
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It’s 9am here now my time. And what a great way to wake up seeing such positive message in the morning! Thank you very much, Leland for giving me a great start of the day! I try my best with MiddleMe and I do hope that it reaches out to more people so that folks could plan their career successfully and not stuck in a job that they hate. Isn’t it painful just to go back every day to something you hate and do it for 8 hours? It’s like wasting a portion of your life away.
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Go get em girl! You got lots going for young, pretty, smart, persistent, fearless.
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I’m a fairly new reader of yours, but I gotta say keep up the great work! I think you’re absolutely right, the posts on, for instance, LinkedIn only help you out so much, since they are kind of general and sometimes also published for the author’s sole purpose of getting attention.
If you ever come to Bangkok, holler!
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I will definitely reach out to you if I ever come to Bangkok! I missed the fantastic Pad Thai and the shopping in Platinum! Haven’t been there for a year. Thank you for your kind words and encouragements, this will only makes me work harder. 🙂
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wonderfull
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Thank you!!
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Wishing you continued success in 2016, Kally. It’s great to offer support and encouragement for the office. In my experience, going to HR always ended very badly. Plus it’s always good to pay it forward.
Happy holiday hugs!
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Thank you so much, Teagan!! I wish you happiness and success and joy and peace to you and your loved ones!!
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Dear Kelly, I have to admit that I’ve never heard of MiddleMe but I’m sure that you will listen well to people in need. I wish you much success.:) Best regards
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Thank you so much for your kind and generous wishes. I’m working on making MiddleMe more reachable to others because people who hates going to work everyday, make their lives miserable everyday.
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Reblogged this on KCJones.
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Hola my Kally,
Know why I say my Kally? ‘Cause I have adopted you in my heart. The comments in your posts are so encouraging. And my brother Leland? He does not miss a line without encouraging you. O what a wonder this blogging is in the hands of the Master. The power of love from on high is descending on us all big time! And MiddleMe? Is right there to spread it also big time! Hahaha! HalleluYah! In my heart there rings a melody of true love for you and for all! 🙂
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Oh, Thia, Thia. You’re always so endearing and sweet. I can see you write your hardest and spend a lot of time and effort in your blog. Keep on writing and keep up with inspiring people!
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Hi, Kally! I’m glad I read this post and heard about how your personal being applies to functioning in the corporate world. Great article. I also totally loved your 10 interview responses for the Sisterhood award. What a riot! Have a great day! Better yet, have a great life!
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Haha!! What a great comment! Thank you and you made my Sunday!
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