When I launched my own company in 2000, some of my first clients were in the mind-body-spirit business. At the time, there were only a few individuals and organizations providing natural options in Hong Kong.
In a short period of time, I became known as the go-to holistic guide.
It wasn’t long before I began receiving email requests from friends and friends of friends asking where to find this, who to go to for that and what companies offered specific products and services.
All of the requests were related so I decided to bundle all my answers in one reply and send the message to everyone who asked, letting people know they could receive future emails or not. The service was an instant hit.
On the morning of 10 September 2001, I boarded a flight from JFK in New York City and by the time our flight landed in Hong Kong, our world had changed. The email I started writing to let my friends and family know I had arrived home safely turned into prayer that I decided to share with everyone on my mailing list.
HK heartbeat was born.
I began writing an essay with my weekly emails and the response was positive. In 2002, I published gathered together all of my contacts and published Natural Hong Kong — the heartbeat directory, the first of its kind. By 2003, the mailing list was growing quickly so I set up an email publishing system to handle new subscribers.
After the third edition of the directory was released in 2005, HK magazine published an article calling me a web maven, so I decided it was best to have a website. I searched for help online and build my home page within 3 hours.
Although HK heartbeat was becoming well-known for the newsletter, calendar and directory, I quickly recognized I was building a mind-body-spirit community, connecting people with people, people with organizations and organizations with organizations.
The most efficient way to promote natural life in the fast lane, I realized, was to make it easy for people to find what they were looking for … even when they weren’t sure what they were looking for.
Since that time, the internet, digital cameras, smart phones, social media, blogs and low-cost airlines have changed the way we connect with each other.
Today, HK heartbeat reaches thousands of local subscribers and readers every month.
The business offers promotional campaigns and membership services.
Listen to your own heartbeat.
