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Once driven by the need to prove her worth, Nichole Tee Jia Hui followed the traditional path of chasing success, from the high-pressure world of a global multinational company (MNC) to the deep stakes of starting her own business.
She eventually realised that true success comes from making peace with yourself and owning your freedom, rather than following a standard set by others.
Her early inspiration
The foundation of Nichole’s creative journey was laid in the mid-year of 2015, during the high-stakes environment of a senior high school public performance.
While she had always possessed a natural inclination toward drawing, it was the structural challenge of stage design that truly ignited her passion.
Tasked with conceptualising the layout, building props, and painting backdrops, she made the pivotal decision to switch from the Bsuiness stream to the Arts to better align with her newfound purpose.
Nichole’s dedication was most visible during the school holidays, where she spent countless hours meticulously painting one massive, floral-themed backdrop that demanded an immense level of detail.
I spent those hours completely immersed in the petals and patterns of that massive canvas, it didn’t feel like work because the process was so exciting!”
When the production finally debuted in 2016, the overwhelming sensation of seeing her vision materialized on a grand stage provided a profound “shock” of fulfillment.
This moment was more than just a successful school project; it was a definitive confirmation that her life’s work belonged in the realm of design.
The shock of seeing my drawings transformed into a physical stage was the moment I realized that art wasn’t just a hobby—it was my heartbeat.”
Starting her first freelance journey
Though she originally aimed for scene design, Nichole’s academic path led her to Landscape Design at Zhejiang University in 2017, a field that allowed her to explore the intersection of environment and aesthetics.
However, the onset of the global Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 forced her to return to Malaysia, where the Movement Control Order (MCO) made traditional landscape work nearly impossible to find.
Refusing to remain stagnant, Nichole pivoted her skillset toward graphic design, teaching herself to navigate website banners and digital branding.
This period of transition was challenging, yet she approached every small commission with a “full-force” attitude that quickly earned the trust of her clients.
People often assume that all design work is the same, but switching from landscape to graphics was a completely different world.”
As she poured herself into every project, her reputation began to grow through word-of-mouth, leading to a steady increase in inquiries.
Every time I look back at that period, I just remember the feeling of joy and ease I had, being able to earn my own way while finally having total control over my own time.”
Entering the corporate world
In mid-2021, Nichole entered the corporate world by joining a Chinese apparel MNC in Johor that served a vast international market.
Her background as a Malaysian student who studied in China made her a perfect fit for a company looking to bridge the gap between English and Mandarin-speaking markets.
By 2023, she was relocated to the fast-paced industry hub of Guangzhou, where she led a team while taking on the heavy responsibility of overseeing creative shoots from the initial conceptual design to final post-production.
Despite the impressive title, the reality was a grueling cycle of late nights and mounting pressure that eventually began to erode her mental well-being.
The expectations and stress were so heavy that even during my downtime, like when I was just trying to watch a variety show, I would find myself crying from exhaustion and self-doubt.”
The immense pressure eventually became unsustainable, prompting her to resign from her position in Guangzhou and return to Malaysia to reclaim her sense of self and mental well-being.
Building a business
After a brief period of rest and returning to freelance work to rebuild her connections, Nichole decided to test her limits as an entrepreneur in early 2024.
With a total investment of RM50,000 shared between her and her partner, the brand’s founder, she co-founded a jewellery brand that transitioned from reselling goods to creating high-end, custom-designed pieces.
Nichole poured her creative expertise into building a unique identity for the brand, but she soon came face-to-face with the unforgiving logistics of the jewelry industry.
She found herself caught in a difficult position: the cost of producing high-quality, small-batch pieces was so high that her retail prices had to match those of global giants like Pandora just to break even.
By early 2025, she tried to pivot the business model into a branding agency to help other companies establish their own intellectual property and social media presence.
While the business was functional, the internal friction with shareholders and a workload that mirrored the suffocating stress of her MNC days led her to realize that she was once again running a race that didn’t belong to her.
I stepped into entrepreneurship because it’s always seen as the ultimate path to success, the thing everyone cheers for, but I quickly realised that behind the excitement is a lot of hardship that people don’t often talk about.”
Rediscovering the freelance path
In January 2026, Nichole made the definitive choice to exit her business and return to full-time freelancing.
The transition was met with an immediate and heartening response, as many of her previous clients sought her out specifically to continue their professional relationship.
I feel so happy and grateful that they see something in me; it’s incredibly rewarding to know they chose to continue our work because they truly value my work.”
Today, Nichole’s career is a balanced blend of graphic design and large-scale mural projects that command significant value, allowing her to earn a comfortable income that often reaches five figures in a good month.
Now that she manages her own schedule and mentors a single intern, she feels truly content with the small, focused environment she has created.
She has built a sustainable way of working where her creativity can finally thrive, free from the noise of corporate politics or the friction of complicated partnerships.
The courage to walk alone
Reflecting on a decade that spanned from high school stages to the skyscrapers of Guangzhou, Nichole has realized that success is not defined by how high one climbs in a company, but by the peace found in one’s own footsteps.
There is a unique strength in realising that you are your own best advocate and your own greatest asset,” she notes.
Her journey serves as a reminder that the need to “prove oneself” to the world is often a distraction from the much more important task of being true to one’s own rhythm.
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