Jaime Yong is a retiree.
But as she puts it, retired, not expired.
For most of her life, she was an employee. She carried a title, a designation, and a place in an organisational chart. Then one day, it stopped. The one thing that many of us don't look forward to.
Retirement.
As her children moved out and started their families, the home grew quieter. The days were getting longer, too. And beneath the surface, a question kept whispering in her ears:
"Who am I without my title?"
The Silent Struggles of Retirement
There was a season she felt useless. Financially, she worried that her savings and EPF wouldn't be enough to last her a lifetime. Emotionally, she struggled with the loss of identity. Socially, she feared loneliness, the kind that slowly seeps in and, if unmanaged, can really get out of hand and spiral into depression.
Jaime knew she didn't want to lose her identity, relevance, and security. It was better to deal with it now, as sorting it out later in life can be mentally and physically exhausting.
The Phone Call That Sparked a Second Act
Then came a phone call. Jaime's former embassy reached out, as her successor was on maternity leave.
Would she be open to helping out part-time?
She agreed.
When the successor returned, something interesting happened. She kept coming back to Jaime with questions, like many of them. Advice on tasks that she knew at the back of her hand. One day, the successor said something simple but profound:
"You know… You could charge me for this."
That was the spark. For the first time, Jaime realised something powerful. Her knowledge had value beyond employment, and she could monetise it.
Yet, she took it not because she wanted more stress in her life or because she was hungry for money.
She wanted independence.
She didn't want to rely on her kids. In Malaysian culture, many still believe children are responsible for their ageing parents. Jaime sees it differently. The younger generation already feels the squeeze. They juggle children, commitments, and the rising cost of living.
Rather than adding ourselves to their burden, we should be part of the solution. And that, in itself, anchored Jaime's belief.
Starting Small, Growing Steady
She started small.
A simple virtual assistant service through freelancing platforms. One client became two. Two became referrals. Soon after, referrals became consistent. Eventually, she registered as a sole proprietor.
And then something clicked.
She began recruiting other retirees as virtual assistants, too. What started as a personal conviction slowly evolved into an empowerment platform.
Jaime began noticing a pattern among senior citizens. Many were stuck in a fixed mindset, believing retirement meant decline. Slowing down and fading out into the abyss was the norm.
As a result, unlearning became a core theme.
The Unlearning Process
When she worked at the embassy, people came to her for answers. She was the authority among the decision-makers. KPIs drove the agenda.
Entrepreneurship flipped that script.
Now, she learnt to listen more. Staying grounded while prioritising her clients' needs. It was no longer about organisational goals. It was the service rendered, and that shift required intentional unlearning.
Technology itself was another mountain she had to climb.
She came from the WordPerfect era, long before Windows even existed. Now she had to navigate cloud systems, apps, automation, and AI. She had only two choices. Either she would resist or adapt, and she opted for the latter.
Growth often requires a certain level of discomfort, and age shouldn't be a factor.
Shouldn't You Be Resting?
Jaime started her journey at 55. Out of curiosity and sarcasm, many questioned her choice. At that age, she should be living her golden years instead of starting all over.
Yet, it was never about running someone else's race for Jaime. It was to stay relevant and sustainable at her pace and within her capacity. She often hears her peers her age lament not having enough, yet refuse to do anything to fix it. That disconnect troubles her, but one has to shift that mindset.
People will always have something to say. Ultimately, we have to believe in what we are building.
Of course, her journey wasn't romantic.
Jaime admits one of her weaknesses, being too soft-hearted and giving too much. Carrying too much on her shoulders, it cost her.
She also learned, sometimes painfully, that she can't do everything by herself. "Penny-wise, pound-foolish" is real, too. She loses focus on her business when she gets caught up in the little things. Outsourcing menial but critical tasks, like accounting, isn't an expense. It's protection.
Over the past eight years, her business has evolved. Today, she is expanding beyond virtual assistant services into children's activities, training seniors to lead play sessions and tell stories for kids.
Her workspace is no longer just a workplace. It's a community, a place where working parents, grandparents, seniors and children intersect.
The Failures We Don't Talk About
Jaime also believes entrepreneurs should speak more about their failures. Social media glorifies success, but very few openly share these heavy seasons.
There was a period when she felt bogged down, especially when her daughter was going through a divorce. Family concerns consumed her thoughts. Her focus slipped, and her energy drained completely.
What pulled her through was mentorship.
It reminded her of her purpose and her why, and that reminders mattered to her, and to us as well. Entrepreneurs cannot do this alone, as emotional support is as critical as strategy. Mentorship stabilises us when identity shakes.
What Success Means
Today, success looks different for Jaime. It isn't to scale or appear in headlines. If she can support herself without reaching out to her husband or children for money, that's success for her.
If she wants to travel, she buys her own ticket.
If she wants something, she earns it.
More importantly, she is empowering the senior generation to do the same, to remain independent, relevant and financially self-sustaining.
Retired, but not expired.
And as Jaime coined it, we may not know whether we'll succeed or not. But with the right mindset, we move forward intentionally. Let it not be the end of the world.
Sometimes, it's simply the beginning of a second act.
