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Delonix Tan was a textbook bad boy.
Struggling in school and falling in with the wrong crowd, he walked the well-worn path towards violence and delinquency. He ended up in police lock-up twice and was expelled from school. But a book his cousin gave him would change his life’s trajectory towards a life of entrepreneurship.
That book was Rich Dad Poor Dad, written in 1997 by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter. It advocates the importance of financial literacy and is written in parables - where a “rich dad” accumulates wealth through savvy investments but the "poor dad" (claimed to be Kiyosaki's own father) worked all his life but didn't achieve financial security.
One book led to another and eventually, what ensued was a relentless pursuit to become a “progress junkie” – from pursuing higher education to opening new business ventures and helping his family’s fishball business grow.
In this episode, the 26-year-old third-generation owner of SanDai Fishball, tells Joel Chua how his past failures have made him unafraid of taking risks.
On his second stint in police lock-up:
"The first time I went to lock-up, frankly speaking, I was really quite scared but it wasn't enough to get me out of it. It was only the second time when I (was) expelled from school and my mum told me that she (didn’t) want to see me continue like this.
So the second time was really a giant wakeup call, because I was only six months away from graduating from ITE.
Delonix Tan with his family. (Photo: Delonix Tan)
Delonix Tan with friends from his younger days. (Photo: Delonix Tan)
On failure and what it taught him:
"I was a bad student in the past, and I didn't do well in school. And in Singapore’s education system, if you don't do well in school, (it) means that you're a loser in life, and you can't amount too much, and you (don’t) have (many) options in life.
When I was younger, I was bitter about this because I (felt) I couldn't study.
Delonix Tan in front of his family's fishball store. (Photo: Delonix Tan)
Delonix Tan with his grandmother at the SanDai Fishball store. (Photo: Delonix Tan)
On being a “progress junkie who loves business”:
I enjoy challenging myself. This interview, for example, I'm actually very nervous.
Editor's note: The article and headline were amended after Delonix Tan clarified that he was in police lock-up twice and not juvenile detention.
(This interview was first broadcast on 22 August 2024.)
Listen to Delonix's story on A Letter to Myself. This podcast, hosted by Joel Chua, features people with remarkable life lessons to share and airs every weeknight on CNA938.
If you know someone with an inspiring story, write to cnapodcasts [at] mediacorp.com.sg.
Follow A Letter to Myself on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
Source: CNA/ta
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FAST
Delonix Tan was a textbook bad boy.
Struggling in school and falling in with the wrong crowd, he walked the well-worn path towards violence and delinquency. He ended up in police lock-up twice and was expelled from school. But a book his cousin gave him would change his life’s trajectory towards a life of entrepreneurship.
That book was Rich Dad Poor Dad, written in 1997 by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter. It advocates the importance of financial literacy and is written in parables - where a “rich dad” accumulates wealth through savvy investments but the "poor dad" (claimed to be Kiyosaki's own father) worked all his life but didn't achieve financial security.
One book led to another and eventually, what ensued was a relentless pursuit to become a “progress junkie” – from pursuing higher education to opening new business ventures and helping his family’s fishball business grow.
In this episode, the 26-year-old third-generation owner of SanDai Fishball, tells Joel Chua how his past failures have made him unafraid of taking risks.
On his second stint in police lock-up:
"The first time I went to lock-up, frankly speaking, I was really quite scared but it wasn't enough to get me out of it. It was only the second time when I (was) expelled from school and my mum told me that she (didn’t) want to see me continue like this.
So the second time was really a giant wakeup call, because I was only six months away from graduating from ITE.
Delonix Tan with his family. (Photo: Delonix Tan)
Delonix Tan with friends from his younger days. (Photo: Delonix Tan)
On failure and what it taught him:
"I was a bad student in the past, and I didn't do well in school. And in Singapore’s education system, if you don't do well in school, (it) means that you're a loser in life, and you can't amount too much, and you (don’t) have (many) options in life.
When I was younger, I was bitter about this because I (felt) I couldn't study.
Delonix Tan in front of his family's fishball store. (Photo: Delonix Tan)
Delonix Tan with his grandmother at the SanDai Fishball store. (Photo: Delonix Tan)
On being a “progress junkie who loves business”:
I enjoy challenging myself. This interview, for example, I'm actually very nervous.
Editor's note: The article and headline were amended after Delonix Tan clarified that he was in police lock-up twice and not juvenile detention.
(This interview was first broadcast on 22 August 2024.)
Listen to Delonix's story on A Letter to Myself. This podcast, hosted by Joel Chua, features people with remarkable life lessons to share and airs every weeknight on CNA938.
If you know someone with an inspiring story, write to cnapodcasts [at] mediacorp.com.sg.
Follow A Letter to Myself on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
Source: CNA/ta
Get the CNA app
Stay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best stories
Download here
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