s leader, you need to be able to inspire other people with your vision for the business. Is that something you’ve always been good at, or have you honed that skill over the years? Declan Ee: I always wanted to find meaning in my work. I love theater, and I think there’s magic to the stage, and then you translate that to real lives, and you realize that the world’s a stage, and every customer is living out their lives [on it]. I was always moved by that. And I think if you can find meaning in your work, that’s everything.  Ultimately, it’s meaningful work with people who matter that creates an unforgettable journey. [Working at Lehman Brothers], the toughest times, even during the bankruptcy, were fine because I had a great team. Then the great times, when we were paid well, we were miserable. It’s how I was brought up as well – to find that bit of meaning.  IR: I suppose it’s just about being empathetic and seeing the humanity in other people? DE: As you get older, your needs are more fulfilled, so you start to think more about others. Even with my kids – we homeschool our children – they learn by play. Once you get more serious, play becomes passion: what do you care about, what do you want to do, what do you want to be good at, and you focus a lot on it. But that’s still self-serving.  One level above that is purpose, but it’s external. What’s my purpose? I’m a father, husband, someone’s son, that’s not just about me anymore. And then what’s more than that, how am I impacting others in my work?  Those few years when [Castlery was struggling], my co-founder and I started to think, do we want to just be in Singapore and earn a good dividend, or make a bigger impact? Moments like that, the decisions you make, define who you are. IR: Can you tell me more about your love for the theater? Did you act at any time in your life? DE: I was in 10 musicals before I was 21. I wrote and staged my own musical in London when I was a student and brought it back to Singapore.  The love for the stage, I think the most magical thing I can say is, when it’s an idea in your head, and you bring it to life, it’s always crazy, it’s always hectic, something always goes wrong. But you have those few months where you have a team of people that come together and fight the hurricane with you, and then it just happens on stage.  Everyone will talk about that first night when everyone’s clapping. But to me, the magic is right before the opening. You smell the nervousness. Things are happening – people are practicing their lines. And you see this group of people giving everything to entertain a whole other group of strangers for those few nights. That magical energy, I can’t explain it. IR: What’s your favorite musical?  DE: Miss Saigon. Because of the music. IR: Switching gears, where do you go for inspiration or good advice on how to improve yourself as a manager?  DE: I have a forum of entrepreneurs I meet with every month where we share quite deeply and honestly. Books, coaches – I’ve worked with various coaches from technical business coaches to personal coaches. Even meditation, hearing your own voice in the right way. I mean, it’s just self-awareness. Once you have that level of awareness, it’s easier to change. [You need to have a] willingness to stay in a slight zone of discomfort so you can grow and change. IR: Do you have any business heroes or leaders that you really admire? DE: It’s changed over the years. In my younger days, it was very sexy to be inspired by Richard Branson. I was lucky to spend some time with him last year on Necker [Island]. He has a really cool story of being dyslexic and how he overcame it.  But as you get older, you learn different things. Like Elon Musk, how he’s obsessively breaking down very complex things to the simplest detail and reengineering it. I think I draw inspiration from different people.