-Looking for challenges
-Hard work pays off
-Merger keeps her going

HAZLINA Puspa Hassan is always in search of new challenges in her life. The strong-willed woman is in fact about to find one that will change her life completely.

Fondly known as Hazel to family, friends and business partners, she is looking forward to the arrival of her first baby this November. In the meantime, she's keeping herself busy with work - going to the office, attending long meetings with clients and even making business trips across the globe.

The 34-year old petite lady is the vice president and managing director of SparkPR Practice Sdn Bhd, an established PR and consulting company in the country. The fact that she is comfortably sitting on the management board doesn't stop her from going down to the field. Hazel proudly declares that she loves what she's doing and she is used to working hard, and it's almost impossible for her to take a backseat.

Hazel gets the traits from her supportive parents who stick with her through thick and thin. Hazel's parents played a very important role in her career development. Her father, a government servant, had always wanted his first born to have her own computer company or at least a computer store.

And to realise this dream, he sent her to study computer science overseas. Little did he know that young Hazel wanted to do more than just computer science. In fact, being a computer programmer wasn't on her agenda as her interests were in other areas, namely; communication and business studies. She found the perfect combination in the Computer Information System (CIS) course.

Today, her decision on what to do with her life pays off handsomely. But Hazel points out that it all comes with hard work and of course continuous support from her family.

-Looking for challenges

After a brief stint of teaching and selling computers at a computer store in her hometown Muar, Hazel got her first taste of the local IT industry when she landed a job as a marketing executive with Computer Systems Associates. However, after three years, Hazel got bored and started looking for new challenges.

Her next career stop was at the Institute Terjemahan Negara where she headed the business development division at the young age of 28. "It was a truly government environment and the fact that I was a single young woman heading an important division did raise some eyebrows," she said.

Nevertheless, she admitted that it was a great learning platform as she learned to adapt herself to a different working culture while trying to inject new corporate values there. She only lasted there for three short years before she got restless again.

It was at the end of 1995 when Hazel dropped the bombshell on her family that she was calling it quits to start her own business.

"It was a big decision but I realised that I had come to the stage where I could no longer grow with the company and I was looking for a healthy career development," she recalled. Most importantly, she said that she wanted to be recognised for what she does - something she wasn't getting at her previous jobs.

Using her last paycheck of RM4,000, Hazel started the World Strategy Network, a marketing and communications consultancy, working from home in Pandan Jaya using a PC, an Internet/phone line and generous support from her family, financially and emotionally.

No doubt, her greatest challenge lay in the financial department. Asked why she didn't apply for a loan, Hazel said she was holding onto her father's advice: not to go for the Government's help if one can help it.

"Our father sent us all to universities using his own money," she said. So, getting money from the bank was out of the question.

-Hard work pays off

At the end of the day, it is not getting the higher income but more self-satisfaction that matters to this businesswoman.

"The fact that I work hard for myself and make my own money gives me enough satisfaction. In fact, I believe that the only things that keep me going are my perseverance and the satisfaction after completing a very good job," she said. And of course, a good dose of challenges, too.

Hazel and hubby

Her big break came in late 1998 when a Singapore-based PR company, SparkTech Communications approached her to operate its local branch here, thanks to the booming IT market following the launch of the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) project.

Hazel jumped at the opportunity, and hasn't looked back since. SparkTech Communications (M) Sdn Bhd is owned and managed by Hazel alone.

She remembers clearly the late nights working on projects, all by herself. The hard work paid off when the company won several major projects from a string of well-known technology clients. Hazel, who was comfortably working from home, made a decision to rent an office at the Business Centre in the prestigious Golden Triangle area.

According to Hazel, doing PR work is not as glamorous as it may sound. "Some people think that I am a secretary while some refuse to take me seriously simply because I am a 34-year old managing director for a PR company," she said.

-Merger keeps her going

Just when the company stabilised late last year, Hazel was hit by that same restless feeling again. There were no more challenges to keep her going although her personal life was great with wedding plans on the way. But not for long. She is now back in high gear with the merger of her company with PR Communications (M) Sdn Bhd, an affiliate of Ketchum, an international PR company.

"Personally, I think it is a good marriage as PR Communication is very strong in consulting while we are strong in technology communications. This way, we can cater to the clients' needs beyond PR service but also consulting through the new company, SparkPR Practice Sdn Bhd," she said. Her mission now is to stabilise the merger company and to expand it from its present team of eight staff.

Meanwhile, Hazel's number one idol, her ever supportive father, is slowly taking a back seat to watch his daughter's career grow gracefully. His guidance role is now taken over by Hazel's qualified Chef hubby, Hisham, whom she said is very supportive of her career.

The couple is now excitedly awaiting the arrival of their first baby. Hazel the career woman is ready to change her role once she becomes a mother. Her career is not her first priority in life - believe it or not, her one goal in life is to be a housewife and stay home looking after the kids, and perhaps do a little writing on the side.

Hazel just loves writing and reading, another trait she gets from her father. Some of her works have already been published in magazines and newspapers under different names. Her next project is to write her first book.