Digital Cover #1: Jane and Mandy on Chuck's, turning 30, creativity and more

It's not very often you find business partners who are also best friends and soul mates but we found it in our debut L'Officiel Malaysia digital cover story in the creative duo Jane Chuck (@janechuck) and Mandy Gioh (@mandygioh).

When I first met Jane 10 years ago, she was a blogger and content creator (that was when the term 'KOL' has not been officially coined yet) who was spinning for a fashion party in KL, while I met Mandy about 5 years ago when she was a content producer for Jane.

Fast forward to a decade later, she is one of the most prominent social media influencers in Malaysia and a successful entrepreneur for multiple brands - Chuck's, Motherchuckers and Hejau -, whereas Mandy blossomed to be a coveted prominent creative producer and the creative director for Chuck's.

Both of you have just passed the 30s mark, what are the differences between life in your 30s and 20s?

Jane: 30s is the best time! When I was younger, I always had this fear of turning 30 because it sounded very old and people might not find me relevant or on-trend anymore. But when I reached this new decade, I feel great because my vision is clear and I know what I want to do with my life and my career.

I found my own voice and learn to say “no” to things that don’t synergise with my vision. I also learn how to block off negativity from people who don’t matter. Like Michelle Yeoh said, “Don’t let anybody tell you you’re ever past your prime”.

Mandy: I am turning 30 this year and I am really feeling it. I love the energy surrounding me as I enter my 30s and I look forward to what’s to come. I do admit that there was a fear that I am not doing enough or I have a certain bucket list I need to tick off, at least according to society’s expectations, but I realised now that I can take my own time and pace myself according to my own needs.

With so much happening with your work, how do the two of you unwind from everything and rejuvenate yourself?

Jane: For me, going to the gym and sweating it out by myself. That’s a great “me” time. Also, enjoying good food!

Mandy: For me, I am a huge fan of massages. I feel like a good session that really help me clear out all the bad energy. Between the two of us, we enjoy spending time together over dinner or coffee to relax, though we still talk about work sometimes (laughs).

How do you stay inspired and enrich yourself for better content?

Jane: Follow 3,000 accounts on Instagram (laughs). Jokes aside, I think just consuming more content in various forms. Don’t limit yourself on what you see and who you meet.

Mandy: My following count is 7,485 and the limit on Instagram is 7,500. Other than that, just go out and explore. Talk to more people and learn from them.

Which social media platform is your guilty pleasure?

Jane: TikTok because I love funny things. Although I love Little Red Book (xiaohongshu), it’s bad because I end up buying too many things.

Mandy: TikTok because we can learn a lot of new things through it and also for funny memes.

Arguments are inevitable for work. Have there been any instances when things got too heated up?

Jane: We do argue a lot but it has never gone to a point that we would fight and not talk to each other. We understand that at the end of the day, we want the best for Chuck’s and we want to move things forward.

Mandy: Agreed. I think sometimes to set things right, it is important to talk to each other and voice out our concerns, instead of avoiding the situation or just trying to win the fight. We know that whatever argument we have over Chuck’s, it all comes from good intentions.

What is your favourite moment with Longchamp?

Jane: I have done a lot of content and projects with Longchamp but this right now has got to be my favourite because we have never gotten a professional shoot together. So, this is definitely one for the books.

Mandy: Mine is, of course, today because it is our first cover shoot together. I don’t get do to this very often, especially with Jane. To be honest, we don’t even take a lot of photos together. So this is definitely something else.

You have a great team and you’ve always spoken about investing in people. How do you spot good talent?

Jane: I don’t think there is a surefire way to discover talented individuals. What I think is important is to pay attention to the effort they put in their work. Even if they don’t produce the best results, their intention and synergy with the rest of the team matter more.

Mandy: When working with a team of people, I realise sometimes they might not even know their own talent and it is up to us to keep an eye out and guide them to the best place they can be within the company.

How do you deal with negativity and hate on social media?

Jane: There is no way to avoid them but I think we should all focus more on people who love us and support what we do because at the end of the way, the haters are always gonna hate.

Mandy: What she said (laughs). But honestly, I think we ourselves should not be a hater and just do right to everyone around us.

What is your goal for 2023?

Jane: I don’t want to force myself to set unrealistic goals, but I do know that I want to have more international presence, be it fashion week, content creation, or Chuck’s.

Mandy: Chuck’s is growing very well. Personally, I just want to have more structure for the company, so that everyone can work in a better environment.