Meet Belinda Koo, the Hong Kong entrepreneur and healer behind wellness brand The Art of XYZ, youth empowerment NGO One Ten and travel curators Sojournal
As managing director at UBS Wealth Management and a mother to three children, Belinda Koo also makes time for other passions that are close to her heart, such as the NGO she founded, the One Ten foundation, a social enterprise that empowers the next generation with tools to build emotional literacy.
“Youth empowerment is dear to my heart. That’s why One Ten foundation, a charity I founded a few years ago, is picking up the pace to nurture a generation of emotionally intelligent and resilient young adults through a unique blend of emotional learning and non-competitive sports,” she says. “Even youngsters with less access to resources stand a higher chance to survive life-changing transitions better.”
Learning a lot herself from this journey prompted Koo to practise meditation and breath work. This led to her latest venture Sojournal, where she and others partake in “transformative travel, from mindful escapes to rugged adventures”, as Koo describes it, from hiking Kilimanjaro to trips to India, when Covid restrictions lift.
Live life totally and joyously. The present is the only time we have. When the future comes, it will come as the present. Don’t wish back the past.
Koo’s other big passion is her wellness brand The Art of XYZ which she opened eight years ago, as an indoor cycling studio with a mix of motivational instructors, mesmeric music and intense visual effects to trigger the senses to “operate at a level beyond conscious reach”. But it has transformed into a holistic wellness brand.
“The Art of XYZ is transforming into a holistic wellness brand that drives not only physical growth, but also mental and emotional awareness to fundamentally create a real impact to the community,” says Koo. “Holistic wellness is becoming an urgent priority for the global population.”
With so much going on in her life, Koo says teamwork and trust help her navigate through the two worlds of finance and wellness. “I can’t be more blessed to work with complementary teams that bring out the best of each individual. I spend most of the time in the financial world as MD, while the in-between and free time is spent with the managers at The Art of XYZ. Trust empowers the fellows I work with to perform and excel,” says Koo who points out that many see her role in finance and wellness as conflicting.
“I see these two commitments as complementary and beneficial to each other. My wellness knowledge helps me understand the clients’ needs better and more accurately in the global family office at UBS, while my investment experience guides me to make the right decisions at XYZ. So, why not both?”
Finding time to fit everything in was a source of stress to Koo when she was younger.
“Time and timing meant a lot to the young version of me. It often became a major stress source as I paid much attention to meeting tight deadlines and getting things done,” she says. “Now, there are no more drop-dead dates in my life. I truly believe that what’s meant to be will always find its way. All I need to do is to seize the opportunity and go with the flow. Things will happen at the right time, in the right place and with the right people.”
And she has some sage advise about the future.
“Make now the primary focus of life. Live life totally and joyously. The present is the only time we have. When the future comes, it will come as the present. Don’t wish back the past. Don’t resist the future. Notice your thoughts, see and accept them – don’t give in to your mind’s regretful and worrying tendencies. Accept life as it is, and we will feel a lot less pain.”
- As well as being a mum of three and the MD of UBS Wealth Management, Koo’s passion for wellness and fitness led her to start boutique cycling studio XYZ and Sojournal
- The multi-hyphenate reiki healer and Instagram inspirer also created NGO One Ten Foundation to empower the next generation with tools to build emotional literacy