Lucy - Women in Business, self-introduction

Greetings. I am Lucy Cheung, founder of Belink Translation, the simultaneous interpretation provider for the Women in Business Forum held by the British Chamber of Commerce. I am also a person who once struggled in ICU following a stroke which resulted in right-side hemiplegia and aphasia. Now, I am a student studying on a successive postgraduate and doctoral program in a Spanish university.

 
In 2000, at the age of 25, I wanted to see the outside world. I quit my job in a stable public service institution and came to Guangzhou alone. Me, a young girl, not even five feet tall, alone in a sprawling metropolis, working in the female-dominated foreign language industry, how could I survive?
 
I recall a particular when I happened to listen upon the 2nd Women in Business Forum - Shaping the Future - organised by the British Chamber of Commerce. I suddenly saw the light and found my future direction. After attending that forum, I realised that women can be leaders, not just followers. As a woman, if I tried hard, I could overcome any difficulty, create my own opportunities, and start my own business. Not everyone is born with a heart of steal and endowed with natural talent; but in the face of a large number of competitors, what I could do is be the queen of my own life. I could be in charge of my choices. In charge of my future. Therefore, I registered my own company and on boarded a single employee - Me. My own company, my own boss, my own future in my own hands. Sure enough, hard work paid off any the company expanded; like myself, my colleagues are all young girls born to ordinary families who came to Guangzhou for study. In a metropolis such as Guangzhou, people like us need to work hard to win our station. I managed to make it, I want to help my girls make it too.
 

(Old Picture - 2nd Forum, the place I had my Aha moment)
 
I bravely introduced myself to the British Chamber of Commerce and convinced them to engage me as the simultaneous interpretation provider for the conference. I told them that this was not only the start of a business, but also the beginning of a woman's dream of creating her own future, a dream that was inspired by a forum they organised. As a beneficiary following this philosophy, I feel it is my duty to pass it on. The British Chamber of Commerce agreed to my request, and with their help my dream took off.
 
2014: Your Choice, Your Vision of Success. I have hired 100+ full-time and part-time interpreters and translators.
2015: Coming of Age: The Continuing Evolution of Today`s Career Women. I have hired 250+ full-time and part-time interpreters and translators.
Through steady growth and determination, I will contribute to the development of a reliable, dedicated, professional, niche, and sophisticated business led by women.
......
As of 2021, Belink has hired 2500+ interpreters and translators around the globe, and provided multilingual translations for the Chinese government, enterprises and institutions, organisations under the United Nations, as well as governments, schools, enterprises, and research institutes of the United Kingdom, United States, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, and France.
 
Life, as the immortal words of Depesh Mode go, are Unpredictable like the sun and the rainfall: in 2019 I suffered sudden brain haemorrhage. Following 15 days of lying in a coma, I further suffered the sequelae of aphasia and right-sided hemiplegia. In the immediate aftermath, I even forgot the names of my beloved ones, and could not speak English or my home dialect. I was unable to take care of myself. Was I about to have a full mental breakdown? What was the point of me living in the world like this? How would this impact my colleagues? What about my parents? My husband? My two-year old twin boys? Who would look after my family?
 
I did not break down. Over the past eight years, I have been fortunate enough to meet so many excellent friends. I know that women can only win in adversity if they treat things rationally. In the end, I spent only one day thinking things over and figuring out my solutions: Simply listen to the doctor and keep doing rehabilitation training. Recognise this was going to be a long process. Make sure I took it easy and kept my confidence. My young assistant was steadfast in the face of challenges; this 26-year-old girl immediately stepped up to help take over the managing of the company and led the whole team in continuing their hard work. I will never forget the words she spoke to me: in the past you covered our back, and now it was our turn to cover yours.
 
This was what I was after since listening to that forum organised by the British Chamber of Commerce all those years ago. My recovery is a long one. It will take time. I spent eight months in the hospital concentrating on treating the disease. Eventually, I was able to stand up. After a year, I felt that my body could bear it, so I registered myself on a successive postgraduate and doctoral program - Master of Health Sciences and Doctor of Psychology. I am a woman; I am a businesswoman; I am the founder of a successful company and mentor to a host of girls to whom I can relate. The women’s forums of the past eight years have taught me that when a severe disease falls on a family, when a business founder suffers a serious illness, the following concepts are paramount: take precautions (insurance), inherit ideas (career), challenge yourself (self-improvement), and enjoy ordinary happiness (self-love).
 
Women can be soft; women can be tough. As a woman I face challenges head-on and smile at life.
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