Interview with Arthur Tan

Having been recognised for your showbiz talent at an early age, do you think this influenced your goals growing up, and as a child did you have any clear idea of what you wanted to be?
AT: Yes very much. From a young age, my Mum exposed me to the stage and television world. I remember that for most of the time, I was thrown into unknown territory as my Mum didn’t stay throughout the whole shoot and at the end of the day I found myself talking to the cameramen and production crews confidently.

Having been put in that position at a young age, it helped me not to have any stage fright or cracking up in conversations with strangers, my independent traits were built from these grounds. I thought that as I was doing so many TVC’s, I would grow up to become an actor but I never really had a clue what I wanted to become when I was a kid. I just did what my Mum asked and I also know my Mum made some good money out of my jobs during my childhood days. LOL.

As big fans of the ‘Art’s’ (no pun intended) we’re always excited when we hear that the people we interview boast a musical talent, tell us more about this
AT: Yes! Here comes another interesting part. Ok, I never really had the most fantastic childhood like other kids with Nintendo and Hot Wheels. Mine was music, piano and theatre throughout the day. I started playing the piano when I was 7 and completed my Performing Arts degree with ABRSM at 16. During these years, I started picking up the classical violin when I was 13 knowing that I needed to pursue a second instrument if I want to join an orchestra. So I went ahead with the syllabus and completed Grade 8 ABRSM at 17 years old.

Since then, I joined the PJ Youth Orchestra as the first violinist I was then a conductor for the PJ Junior Chamber Orchestra and moved on to KL Symphony Orchestra. After 10 years of classical, I needed something to be more contemporary or maybe, cooler music ‘aka’ pop to perform. So I decided to transform my classical violin to fiddle on rock music. I started playing rock with the violin during my secondary school days and since then, no turning back. I went ahead joining a band named Vespertine (a band which resembles a combination between Linkin Park and Evanescence) where I was the violinist and keyboardist to the band.

We released an EP with our 5 songs recorded into it. Our biggest achievement was when we emerged as a nationwide champion in Lipton Ice Tea Battle of the Bands walking away RM 10,000. Since then, we have travelled across the country performing at various gigs. When the group was disbanded, I started using the violin to my advantage when hosting shows!!

You’ve done some TV work, Commercials and had minor roles in local films, please tell us what your best memories of this?
Arthur Tan: It was definitely 3R tee-drama and Heineken commercial. For the drama, it was the funniest memory ever when I needed to play the role of a rapist. It was a scene to give precautionary advice to the ladies “Never judge the book by its cover”. It was just so hilarious that my shoot needed to take half a day as the cast just kept bursting into laughter every take.

For Heineken, it was shot at Langkawi and the place was just mesmerizing. The talents including myself were treated like celebrities from the second we touched down on the island. The accommodation, food, companionship and of course, the act was all just indescribable. It was only a 3-day shoot but I wished it would have lasted for a year!!

You’ve taken on a role as an ‘Urban Lifestyle Entrepreneur, please tell us more about this.
AT: Here comes the more serious side! The title ‘Urban Lifestyle Entrepreneur’ was labelled as such because I am currently focusing heavily on my investment and entertainment business as a host and emcee. Many of my peers are telling me that I cannot focus on both because they are two different industries. So I decided, why not come up with a label that enables me to represent me both as an entrepreneur who has a career in the investment business without forgetting one’s passion and talents. So looking around in today’s urban city, everybody is focusing so much into the lifestyle, talking about the dining gastronomy, fashion, holidays, nighttime happenings, private parties and staying healthy in the gym.

But, if you want all these lifestyle activities, you must also be FINANCIALLY HEALTHY! You want a lifestyle, be financially healthy then! Hence, the term ‘Urban Lifestyle Entrepreneur’ was born.

What is it that an Urban Lifestyle Entrepreneur can do for others?
AT: What can I do for others? I can’t say that I can be totally confident about doing something awesome for others in society. I am still learning and developing myself every day to become a respectable and wise entrepreneur. But moving forward throughout this year, I am working on a lifestyle show showcasing everything about Malaysia and will be hosting the programme too. I’m also coming back to the public speaking arena again to educate the local folks on wealth education!! If everything goes smoothly, I wish this label will speak its own value :)

You hold the position of ‘Sales & Training Director’ at True North Asia. What does this role entail?
AT: I am currently running an alternative business in True North Asia. I have the role of a Sales and Training Director, this role is to develop and build the sales system for the organisation’s growth and executing it to self-run by itself as time goes by. Additionally, I am also working on a training module that is easy, duplicatable and repeatable! This is the area that I need to invest a lot of my time into it.

What does True North Asia do?
AT: True North Asia is an alternative investment company. We are one of the first companies of its type in Malaysia that caters for all main various alternative investments under one roof in Malaysia. When an alternative investment name is mentioned, it simply means that these investments are very little or no correlation to traditional investments such as property, stocks and mutual funds.

Despite the market goes bullish or bearish, our investments are still giving positive returns. The kinds of investments we are introducing are such as land (real estate development participation), precious metal (gold and silver), premium liquid (wine) and art antiques. These investments are increasingly becoming very popular among investors nowadays and a must-have portfolio to diversify their current investment!

When you have time what do you do to unwind/relax?
AT: During the weekday nights, I spend most of my time surfing on the net. I am also making an effort to hit the gym twice a week but I know that I need to be more hardworking with it nowadays. As for the weekends, I will either be in a pub or club chilling with my mates. Sundays I will reserve it for family and glueing my eyes to the television watching series and movies at home to recharge for another exciting week!

What are your goals? If we were to ask you what would you like to have achieved within the next five years? What would your response be?
AT: My business has a system of its own to generate good solid passive income every month without physically working all the time. Of course, in five years time, my goal is to become a millionaire and own a bungalow where I can run my pub garden business outside and my investment training talks will be held inside.

Thank you for your time Arthur, is there anything you would like to add?
AT: Yes. Live life to the fullest to live well, laugh often and love much too! Never ever regret anything you do because a person’s contentment is the greatest gift. I am also a very strong believer into the Napoleon Hill famous quote “What the man mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve”.