Aishah Fauzi | Eco-preneur and Co-founder of Fantail Farm Eco Design
“I choose to live authentically (fears and all) to demonstrate to myself and others, that we are not meant to be put in a box and judged based on what that box demands of us.”
From Aviation Lawyer and Eco-worrier to Eco-preneur
I recently founded and run a company called Fantail Farm Eco Design with my husband. Our company inhabits an honest space of a purpose-driven business which can and should be profitable whilst also caring for the environment and communities it serves. As our first project, we are in the planning stages of creating a small eco-lodge in Bali as a nourishment, education and retreat space. I was previously an aircraft finance lawyer and my husband was a certified sommelier working in hospitality - we had come to the end of the line and realised we could no longer be part of the problem, instead the only way forward was to be the solution!
What are you ambitious about?
I now choose to live authentically (fears and all) to demonstrate to myself and others that we are not meant to be put in a box and judged based on what that box demands of us. In my previous life, I was living from holiday to holiday and basically asking for permission to leave my box and go be 'me' for about 20 days a year.The rest of the time, my life was basically about searching for coping mechanisms. I want people's consciousness to shift, so we start to wake up (or be woke, as the tiktokers would say!) and realise that the life I previously described is not an acceptable definition of this one, true and precious opportunity we have each been gifted with.
Greatness is in our DNA and it is our purpose to inhabit it fully.
Why is this important to you right now?
Whether you want to believe what you read or not, the world is currently in a state of flux. We are in an unprecedented pandemic, weather patterns are extreme, species that have survived for centuries are becoming extinct overnight and we are now basically living in our own curated dustbin. Life as we thought we knew it is in constant upheaval, be it through politics, science or social order. We all need to stand up and take a stand.For me, I am working on creating a physical space with our eco-lodge for healing, dialogue and teaching others about what we can each do to help heal ourselves and the world.
What does leadership mean to you?
Leadership means walking the talk. 'Do as I do, not as a say', to flip a cliché on its head. We have become so desensitised to leaders who are incongruent in how they personally act, often at the expense of the very organisations and communities they are meant to be serving. When did this become normal? I have always been curious to understand the psychology of what goes through those people's heads, and read a lot of non-fiction books about corporate scandals.What are you working on right now in terms of your personal leadership approach/style?
I have just finished the Financial Times Non-executive Director Diploma, a 6-month course for aspirational and existing directors. The course has been cathartic (unexpected, but I'll explain!) and exploratory for me, as I was able to use the diploma as an opportunity to reflect on the leadership modelling I have encountered in my career.As a lawyer, I was told early on by a mentor that I should take the good I saw in the lawyers around me but not try to emulate any lawyer 100%. Through the diploma materials, I started asking myself which qualities and behaviours would resonate with me as a director and leader and what motivated those who acted to the contrary. I think the corporate environment represents an area of immense change for good. Take the reality of how corporate greed has a lot to answer for the environmental and social damage and destruction we now see, this shows how much positive impact business can also make if channeled purposefully.
If you had a magic wand and could change one thing about the workplace right now, what would it be?
Permission to bring your whole self to work - I heard this on a TedX talk recently (by Lale Kesebi). Think of what being authentic at work could do to your productivity and output. The flip side is that non-conformity is a scary place for the corporate world, as it introduces variables that are impossible to measure and compare.What's an unconventional decision you've made in your life or work?
My current life is the result of several unconventional decisions which all link to form the path I'm now on. In 2016, I negotiated with my law firm for a 3-month sabbatical without pay. That time allowed me to truly disconnect (including a life changing 10-day Vipassana silent retreat) and get comfortable with not having a stable paycheck for a short while. Leaning into that discomfort as a way to explore my personal truth helped me discover the courage I now use often, to move into more uncertain adventures and experiences. I no longer need to know my next destination, as long as I get to choose the path I'm on.If your life was a book title what would it be?
The Winding Path from Eco-worrier to Eco-warriorWhat are your go-to's for taking care of your mind/body/heart/soul?
Nature is my biggest go-to. I need to hear the birds, feel the sun and the rain on my skin. My husband who is Indian has taught me to love the rain (Indians love monsoons!) which I used to think was an inconvenience, perhaps that's some of my Britishness coming out. I seek out people with good vibrations and frequency - people think this is woo-woo but energy is a principle of physics! I listen to my heart to know what my body wants to eat, how it wants to move and when it wants to do or rest. Also, I stay hungry and thirsty for knowledge.What’s your website so we can find out more about you and your work?
www.fantailfarm.com
You can connect with Aishah and follow her work on her Instagram and LinkedIn.