deepen your practice

 

Kepong outlet after red-paint

As one of the very first member in Taman Desa ( it was 5 years plus ago, I remembered that consultant that time told me I was the first 50 to join YZ! ), I know YZ was genuinely started as an all-buddies team at the beginning where TJ initiated the idea and the dream to build a proper yoga studio and the rest of his buddies followed. TJ and Jennifer were my favourite teachers ( even till now, no one can defeat their teaching skills and passion! ), though Ken was also teaching, but he's not my cup of tea, not because Ken is not good, but I just don't like Pilates! I was an evening class regular and can always see now the so-called senior yoga teachers were waiting for our class to finish to continue with their next class by TJ, like Serena ( she couldn't even do a proper headstand at that time and keep on giving excuses like she's unfit for the pose ) and Kim ( heard that TJ recruited her into the team at first sight and now another betrayal to join the non-yoga mind Hell Urban Yoga ). However, sad to say, though I'm not a fortune-teller, right at the starting point, the way that TJ worked and the principles he held in business, like putting in yoga philosophy and imparting family value, already almost guaranteed the fallen and failure of YZ today:-

• Forgave the unforgiven  -- TJ always believes that everyone is potential in this world and always gives them a chance to not only prove themselves, but keep on failing by not proving themselves and still being forgiven. For example, Vivian Goh ( her class sucks! I'm not attacking her on your size because we are similar to each other, just that her super high pitch, it's torturing my ear drums! Yes, I know she tried hard to imitate TJ's way of teaching, but failed )  the only general manager responsible for advertising and promotion of YZ, simply overspent the company's advertising budget and believed had all the while getting the not-to-mention "advantage" from the suppliers and event organizers. One of the resigned director told me, during the "Paris event" at The Weld, the infamous 3-piece acoustic band sang for 30 minutes and charged RM 3,500!!! I did ask my friend who organize events for big companies, like Nokia and Maxis, the charges of this kind of performance is usually not more than RM 1,500, where did the RM 2,000 go? Vivian Goh should know better than anyone.

 

• Almighty Royal Family -- The following few chapters will be pretty dramatic as the royal family, if not the root, definitely one of the main reasons that killed YZ earlier. I believe you will have the same feeling like me after reading it, wanna knock TJ's head three times! Yes, we know you started as a yoga teacher with yoga mind, but when you decided to build this empire, you should be a business-minded entrepreneur, this is the real world! You think a stock remisier like Serena getting close to you for no reason? Come on, poor TJ, you are not gorgeous like Shahrul Khan.

 

• Freedom to work = Freedom to simply delay timeline -- According to some of the ex-staff, YZ used to be the best place to work, reason being? Simple, if you can't meet your timeline? Never mind; If you can't achieve the target given? Never mind; If you spent beyond your approved budget? Never mind. I wonder what's in their mind and what they truly mind! They always tell me, "My boss is the kindest boss in the world!", "I have decided to work whole life with YZ!", where have all these crap-tellers gone? Some left earlier, some remained and think of whatever way they can to ruin the empire!

 

• Too many women = Too much gossip -- The management team was made up of 90% female. I'm a woman, but sorry, gals! I need to be honest in order to be fair to all parties, women gossip the most, women envy easily, women always show favouritism, women are selfish ( except their loved one and their own family, back to selfishness ), women dare not to take challenge, women love to bla bla bla, it's WOMEN!

 

• Delegation = Authority + Pushing away the responsibilities -- The managers in YZ were from all walks of life, I can understand this is not merely TJ's fault to get all the Ah Lian and Ah Hue in. Imagine 5 - 6 years ago, if you put up a recruitment ad to look for "managers with more than 5 years experience in yoga industry", the feedback is almost a sure thing -- ZERO. The industry is so new and definitely not easy to get good personnel, the only way is trial and error, but too many trial and error have eventually ended the whole story with error.

 

• Selfishness is the surviving kit in YZ -- While looking into the payroll, YZ was definitely one of the most well-paid company in Malaysia. TJ's philosophy was "if you feed them well, they can focus on their work and need not to worry about hunger", but he doesn't understand, the managers were thinking in the way that "more the merrier, swallow as much as they can while time still allowed", though the salary range of managers were from RM 6k onwards, everyone of them were far too greedy. Conservatively, the ex-personal assistant of TJ suspected taken RM 1.5 million; business development and project manager eaten more than RM 500k; group sales manager swallowed ( an ex-Celerity Fitness credit controller and pinksofa.com chairwoman according to yogajess.com ) too much till not able to calculate; general manager mentioned above and many others. As they are too protective and worry to lose the channel to safeguard their lucrative "income", they were those who most worry about anyone that may wake TJ up and threaten their positions, hence, they will make sure no information is out flow, sweeping all their mistakes under the carpet and badmouthing others, so that their potential rivals, no matter the existing staff or new kids on the board, superior or subordinates, can be eliminated before even come near to TJ.

 

• Over-expected wavelength and understanding -- A vision of a man is nothing if there's no one to assist him to execute on the ground. Heard from the ex-spa manager and ex-sales manager, TJ is ambitious, with great vision and willing to share the knowledge; but not the "dumb & dumber" management team. They will always pretend they understand what TJ said, but actually they know nuts!

 

• Bringing in The-All-blockbustors -- The lethal 10% shares-sale of RM 600k from TJ to Lim Lay Gaik was like bringing in "the worm into your ass" ( TJ should ask me first before this woman, I did ask him few times about joining venture with him but he refused to talk further ) and this middle-age blood sucker have been camouflaged well like a little bashful schoolgirl, she's in fact the all-blockbusters!  Anaconda + Vampire +  Jaws + Silence of the Lamb's professor + Predator + Freddie's nightmare + Scream + Child's Play ! TJ might think that a 43 year-old woman should be trustable, and this big fat lesson could almost caused his life and future. Lim Lay Gaik, well done! Your mission is accomplished, you can rest-in-peace now, don't forget that the villain in the movie must eventually die!

 

• "Government-like" working environment -- I still remember once I have a little constructive suggestion when I was in Taman Desa and happily wanted to inform the management about it, but before I even voiced out, the front desk girl thought that I was going to lodge huge complain, she then beating about the bush and wasted my 30 minutes, then asked me to visit or call to HQ, then HQ again asking me to call the respective club manager, and then the club managers passed it back to the superior, and then waited for the reply for months, till you finally dry down and give up. What reminds you about this? Our government offices! Cool! A true Malaysia brand!

Phew! I still have tonnes of insight stories to tell!

For those who support TJ, there's nothing here for you to be proud of; for Lim Lay Gaik's and Ferrier Hodgson's supporters, there's none of your business here, as you have your new cool Hell Urban Yoga to take care of; for those anti-ALL ( anti-TJ, anti-Lay Gaik and anti-Ferrier Hodgson ), fast fast go and find a place to continue your practice.

What I am hoping is everyone can take this easy, I had put down my heavy heart of keep on thinking back about my burnt lifetime package, why not you?  ;-)

I have never felt more yoga-minded like now than before, not even the time that I attended 5 classes a day, Yoga? It's all in your mind; Yoga Zone? It's simply the part of your heart that gives and forgives.