Every week, Talking Points gives you a worksheet to practise your reading comprehension with exercises about the story we’ve written.
When Simon Squibb was 15 years old, he experienced homelessness in the United Kingdom. Now in his early 50s, Squibb is a successful entrepreneur who has earned millions of dollars and dedicated his life to helping young people pursue their dreams.
Squibb grew up in England and moved to Hong Kong in 1997 at the age of 24. There, he built companies and invested in start-ups. He returned to the UK in 2016 but still visits Hong Kong several times a year.
In July, he travelled back to Hong Kong to meet with some of his “dreamers” – the term he uses for those he mentors.
“The purpose of life is a life of purpose,” he said. “But you have to tap into what you like doing, and you have to tap into a problem in the world you’d like to solve to really enjoy work.”
Overcoming adversity
As a teenager, Squibb faced significant challenges after losing his father to a heart attack. He found himself homeless at the age of 15 for about eight weeks.
“I went to social services to get help,” he said, adding that they were too “overloaded” to give him support at the time.
At that age, he was too young for employment. He tried begging on the streets but described it as “an awful experience”.
Everything changed when he walked past a large house with a messy front garden. He approached the homeowners and offered to clean their garden. This became the start of his first business.
“I didn’t want to be successful. I needed to be successful, and I think that’s really important for people. You’ve got to tell your mind, you’ve got no choice,” Squibb said.
Though this business came to an end when winter arrived, it taught him essential skills, making it easier to launch his second venture.
After selling his second business, Squibb moved to Hong Kong to work in consultancy and marketing. He ultimately ran his own successful businesses and retired at the age of 40.
Around the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, he embarked on a new dream: helping others to achieve their career goals.
Making dreams come true
Now, Squibb collaborates with individuals worldwide to help realise their dreams.
He has already helped people in around 35 countries. “I want to go everywhere because I find different places have different dreams. Talent is evenly spread, but opportunity isn’t,” he said.
Squibb’s social media content consists of interviewing everyday entrepreneurs about their dreams and providing business advice.
One of his mentees, Hong Kong student Darren Lee, launched a sock company that empowers underprivileged artists. Carla Martinesi, the founder of a food rescue app called Chomp, also received advice from Squibb.
Squibb believes that young people have more opportunities to take risks because they typically have fewer financial burdens or dependants.
“There’s only a certain amount of time before that freedom window closes, and you’re told you should get a job and you should get serious ... and the burden of life starts piling on top of you,” he said.
Squibb emphasised that he was “nobody special” and didn’t have any innate entrepreneurial skills. Rather, he said that to be successful you should recognise your talents and “lean into ... your superpowers”.
