Meet Gabrielle, moving from commanding military operations as one of the 0.0001% of female leaders in the Singapore Army to coaching senior executives and entrepreneurs today. Gabrielle’s journey is a powerful testament to resilience, purpose, and authenticity. With over two decades of experience navigating ambiguity, leading teams, and reinventing herself through seven career transitions, she has turned pain into purpose—transforming personal setbacks into a mission to uplift others.
Gabrielle is the creator of the 5P Framework for Personal Branding, helping individuals own their voice, lead with confidence, and align their careers with deeper meaning. Today, she empowers leaders to communicate their worth authentically, overcome self-doubt, and live out their unique calling with clarity and courage.
From being one of the top 0.001% of the female military leaders in the Singapore Army to coaching business leaders today, what was the biggest lesson you carried from the military into your current world?
Leadership by example is the biggest lesson. I think even if you’re running a business, working with people, or volunteering—if you cannot lead by example, people will never take your word seriously.
This applies to parenting as well. If you have children, it’s about leading and walking the talk. That is the biggest lesson I’ve learned.
You developed the 5P framework for personal branding. Can you share how this framework helps individuals stand out authentically?
Let me explain the 5Ps. The first P is Perception—how others see you and how you see yourself. I interview five people that my clients trust, asking a set of open-ended questions. Their responses should align with how the client sees themselves. If there’s a disconnect, the brand lacks foundation. This is essentially a brand audit.
The second P is Positioning—are you an expert, a rising expert, or a generalist? Based on perception and positioning, we decide what content you should create and which companies to target.
The third P is Purpose—the reason behind your vision. When this is clear, it provides energy and motivation to move forward.
The fourth P is Presence—the true litmus test. Your online and offline presence must be aligned. I’m sure you’ve met people who look amazing online but feel completely different in person. Presence must be consistent.
The fifth P is Privilege—especially relevant for Singaporeans. We live in a first-class country with abundant resources. Are we using our privilege to help others? That’s my 5P framework in a nutshell.
Self-doubt often holds leaders back. What advice do you give to those struggling with confidence and personal branding?
Self-doubt is often rooted in limiting beliefs. I recently spoke with someone who held senior leadership roles but still struggled with self-doubt due to unhealed trauma or experiences.
Until you acknowledge and heal those wounds, it’s difficult to break free. When I coach leaders, I work with them to reflect on moments when they’ve had self-confidence. I ask questions to help them recall those experiences.
I always remind them that they have so much more within them than they realise. God has given each of us unique gifts—we must acknowledge them. This goes back to the first P-Perception.
When they begin to see themselves as valuable and gifted, it creates a ripple effect across their professional and personal lives.
You’ve experienced career setbacks, retrenchments, and personal loss. How did these moments shape your purpose and leadership philosophy?
At first, I thought I had ruined my life. I felt I had nothing left. But I later realised that my pain was preparing me to help others. I believe our struggles can be turned into powerful messages of hope.
These experiences showed me that God has always been with me. Everything I’ve gone through had a purpose. I often coach people in transition—those who’ve lost jobs or direction. Having gone through seven transitions myself, I deeply empathise.
I understand their doubts, their limiting beliefs. I tell them, “If I can do it, so can you.” Because I’ve walked that path, I can ask the right questions and guide them through their own transformation. Faith plays a very important role in your coaching.
How do you help leaders align their personal beliefs with their professional purpose?
There’s a false belief that faith and professional life should be separate. Many Christians think they can only do God’s work through full-time ministry. That’s not true. As ambassadors for Christ, everything we do—whether in our careers or at home—should reflect Him.
I don’t encourage clients to talk about their faith at work directly. But the way they act, lead, and serve should demonstrate their values. We must walk the talk, because of who we represent.
What are some of the most common mistakes people make when trying to build their personal brand, and how can they avoid them?
Many people think they need to be celebrities to build a brand. Some believe they must post daily or share everything about their personal lives. Then they become anxious about how others perceive them, especially if their posts don’t get many likes.
Others join engagement pods to boost likes and comments—but this restricts their reach to the same small group and often excludes their true target audience. It becomes a toxic cycle of performative engagement.
Personal branding is not just about LinkedIn posts. It’s a process of discovery and development—understanding your value, purpose, and message. That’s what real personal branding is.
What advice would you give to someone who wishes to consider personal branding but is undecided about it?
I’d ask them two questions: 1. What do you hope to achieve by building a brand? 2. What would a powerful personal brand look like for you?
People often have different ideas of what branding is. So the answers to those two questions are key to guiding their decision.
Looking ahead, what is your vision for your coaching and thought leadership and how do you hope to impact future leaders?
My vision is to continue helping leaders build brands that people love and trust. I’m scaling my team and working with strategic partners to expand our impact. Beyond the 5P framework, I’ve seen how coaching helps leaders transform their thinking, reconnect with their faith, and grow in confidence.
When they begin to see themselves as valuable and gifted, it creates a ripple effect across their professional and personal lives. One client, for example, renewed her faith, brought her family to church, and went on to build a successful business. My coaching is ultimately about unlocking confidence and clarity, and grounding that in their identity as children of Christ.
What’s your vision for Singapore in the next five years?
I genuinely hope Singapore continues to lead Southeast Asia. We must weather the ongoing regional conflicts, uphold our values, and lead with integrity.
Most of all, we must continue to strive for an inclusive society—one built on happiness, prosperity, and progress for our nation, regardless of race, language, or religion. Our national pledge still holds true, and I hope we continue to live by it.
Connect with Gabrielle: LinkedIn, Instagram and Threads.
