Meet Norah, the dynamic founder behind multiple thriving ventures across marketing, health supplements, skincare, and F&B. What sets her apart isn’t just her fearless approach to business—it’s her deeply personal motivation. Her entrepreneurial journey is driven by real needs, bold decisions, and a strong desire to uplift others.
At the heart of her mission is women’s empowerment—encouraging women to take charge of their health, beauty, and well-being. Whether Norah is launching a new café or livestreaming self-care tips, her passion for purposeful business is unmistakable.
What inspired you to pursue such diverse ventures across health supplements, skincare, F&B, and marketing?
I’ve always needed new challenges to keep myself motivated. Once one business stabilises, I feel the urge to start another—almost like reigniting a fire. If I were to compare it to gambling, I’d say I’m not the type who stands around watching others play safe bets—I like to take calculated risks and stay in control of the outcome.
I want to win, but more importantly, I want to know I won because of my own decisions. So once I’ve got one strong hand, I place another bet. My first “bet” was in advertising. Once it was running smoothly with a capable team in place, I ventured into health supplements.
That journey started when I stumbled upon a great product. Skincare, on the other hand, wasn’t even an entrepreneurial decision initially—it was a personal quest to find something that truly worked for my skin. As for F&B, it’s a completely different game altogether.
What excites me is the challenge that comes with starting something from scratch, navigating the unknown, and building something meaningful. Each business keeps me sharp and energised.
Nomeno Enhanced focuses on supporting women through perimenopause and menopause. What motivated you to create supplements for this stage of life?
I’ve personally been taking plant-based hormone supplements for over 20 years. My motivation came from being a consumer myself—at one point, I couldn’t find the product anymore. When I finally tracked down the original founder, he told me that the market for this product was too niche to sustain.
It mainly targets women aged 35 and above, excluding both men and younger women, which made it less commercially attractive. But I had seen its benefits firsthand—my mum and aunt had great results, and I knew I did too.That’s when I decided: if I can’t find it, I’ll create it.
I spoke with professors and delved deeper into the science behind female hormones. I learned that one of the major causes of ageing in women is the drop in oestrogen levels—something few women in Singapore are well-informed about.
That knowledge drove me to bring Nomeno Enhanced to the market, not just for myself, but for other women who could benefit as well. I was also very lucky to have the original founder mentor me on this journey.
How does your skincare, Butterfly Apothecary complement Nomeno Enhanced?
They are completely separate entities with different investors. In fact, one fun part of having multiple businesses is that investors get to choose which business they believe in—some go for skincare, others for F&B.
That said, the two do complement each other. Nomeno Enhanced supports inner wellness—better mood, sleep, and hormone balance—while Butterfly Apothecary is about outer beauty.
Many of our customers overlap because women who care for their inner health often care about their skin too. In essence, both brands represent beauty and wellness from the inside out.
I encourage women to invest in themselves—not in luxury items like a new handbag, but in experiences or routines that build confidence, well-being, and health. That’s real empowerment.
Running three F&B outlets is no small feat. What have been your biggest challenges?
F&B is by far the toughest. The biggest challenge is getting consistent customer traffic. For example, when I opened my newest outlet at a golf driving range in Punggol, I thought the crowd would come naturally. I was wrong.
On our first Friday night, our total sales were $17. That weekend, it was just $74.20. I remember checking the backend system in disbelief. I sat there with my general manager and said, “We are the only customers.” Then I added, “This is not me. I will change this.”
Two weeks later, we had a collaboration event, and the place was full. I turned to her and said, “This is me.” I revamped the menu to include Asian dishes—there were already Western and Japanese options nearby, but no Chinese food. We introduced our signature mee hoon kueh dishes, cooked by my husband, who’s a local celebrity.
That, paired with his media exposure, completely changed the game. Now, weekends are packed, with waiting times of up to 1.5 hours.
What do you think makes a good entrepreneur?
To succeed, I believe an entrepreneur must be the key decision-maker. Having too many voices can be distracting.
My advice is: if you believe in your vision, trust yourself enough to lead it. Also, you need guts. I’m a “show hand” kind of entrepreneur—when I win once, I double down on the next bet.
That boldness helps me launch quickly. While others are still contemplating, I’m already in production.
You’re active in women-focused industries. What does women’s empowerment mean to you?
To me, women’s empowerment means encouraging women to love and care for themselves, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally. Women tend to give a lot—to their families, their careers, their children—and often forget to prioritise themselves.
During my livestreams, I always remind my audience to choose self-care intentionally. It’s easy to say we should love ourselves, but many women don’t prioritise simple things like taking a yoga class or getting a massage.
I encourage women to invest in themselves—not in luxury items like a new handbag, but in experiences or routines that build confidence, well-being, and health. That’s real empowerment.
What’s your vision for Singapore in the next five years?
Honestly, I’m a little concerned. Entrepreneurship was more accessible during my time. We worked hard, saved diligently, and many of my peers now own private properties and nice cars. For the younger generation, that same trajectory is much harder to achieve.
I also worry that the entrepreneurial mindset is shifting. There’s more emphasis on work-life balance, which is valid, but I don’t see the same drive or resilience. The rise of AI may also displace many traditional jobs—copywriting, for instance, is already being done by tools like ChatGPT.
If the next generation doesn’t take calculated risks or embrace mentorship, we may face a gap in homegrown business leadership.
I have three mentors myself—one in banking, one in health, one in life. Today, many young people want to do things independently, without guidance. That could be a tough path.
If you could have one superpower for a day, what would it be and why?
If I could have one superpower, I would remove all sickness from everyone in the world—just for that one day. Because even as an entrepreneur, I believe health is the most important wealth.
Without health, I wouldn’t be able to run my businesses, enjoy my success, or spend time with loved ones. If I could heal the world for one day, that would be the greatest gift.
Connect with Norah: Nomeno and ButterflyApothecary.
