Watch The Full Video Interview Here!
Gigi Ng wears many hats. She’s an entrepreneur who founded her own tea distribution firm Dreiheit House and currently holds the title of director there. But take a look at her LinkedIn profile and you’ll find that she also holds other positions in companies under the Dreiheit Group of Companies, such as Tea Forte SEA and Gifel Gourmande.
Gigi is no stranger to the business world of tea and the wider logistics industry, having been in it since 2009. In particular, Dreiheit House was founded in 2010 and has grown its offerings to not just offering tea, but tea products as well such as sparkling tea, cocktails, mocktails, kombucha, beer infusions and more.
“Dreiheit House was started and founded not just on a passion for tea, but also on a relentless pursuit of finding the gap to fill in the tea industry,” she shared in her interview. “With a vision to unite the world of tea under one roof one cup at a time, we are going through our comprehensive tea distribution model manufacturing and consultancy services to seize this gap.”
Being in the logistics industry for more than a decade and counting, Gigi has seen how consumer behaviour has changed the industry. “The biggest competition in the world to me is not another tea company, logistic company or distribution house,” she said. “It’s the demand of the consumer and the changing consumer behaviour.”
One example she quoted is how the types of consumer groups are no longer simply male and female. Rather, they consider the roles, age groups, different generations and how they perceive things. And with the rise of technology, demands are changing even quicker.
“For example, consumers today, they want it now and fast – the way we process, the way we respond, it has to change,” she said. “Today we have ChatGPT. Today we have a bot on our Internet. Websites today can link directly to WhatsApp so response time has changed. It’s no longer ‘Oh I can wait three months for something to arrive.’”
With all the industry changes, Gigi still enjoys being in the sector. She believes the industry has lots to offer and encourages people to join her for various reasons. “Number one, it exposes you globally,” she revealed. “You’ll get to know what’s happening around the world. You’ll be able to understand why there’s a rising inflation cost happening in Singapore. You’ll understand the dos and don’ts of imports and exports.”
“It can make you appreciate what you have.”
“Number two, you’ll understand the regulations of the government a lot more and you begin to appreciate what our government does for the country,” she revealed. “Being in Singapore as a free trade country, with the agreements and trade arrangements with many countries, it helps businesses like us.”
She added, “If you’re in the logistics industry, you begin to understand the government a lot more and appreciate the work behind it.”
“Number three, you’ll get to understand the entire supply chain from garden to cup,” Gigi alleged. “You’ll get to learn market research, analysis or even business acumen.” She revealed examples of former employees who picked up various skills and developed in their careers – one is now a business owner who was previously in business development, while another moved from supply chain management into compliance.
Other than learning hard skills and the ins and outs of logistics, Gigi noted that there are also many soft skills that one can pick up from being in the industry. These include communication skills, customer service and problem-solving.
For more about joining the logistics industry, why the industry can propel your career forward and the necessary skills needed to succeed, watch the full video interview with Gigi Ng.
