I Couldn’t Find It, So I Thought: Why Not Build It Myself?
earworm: [Demi Lovato & Joe Jonas – This Is Me]
In 2006, I was looking for a women empowerment class like this.
Something practical. Calm. Immediately applicable.
Techniques that did not rely on aggression or complicated movements, but focused instead on how to stay composed and respond when it mattered. A space where women could practise confidently with one another — especially for shy introverts like me.
I could not find it then, so over time, I decided to create one.
Over the past 20 years, I trained, studied, and worked across different areas — education, assessment, applied psychology, linguistics, full-contact martial arts, and yoga/flexibility training. I have also taught across different spaces over the years — including as a psychology and research methods lecturer, a Japanese Ju-jitsu trainer with the People’s Association, and a fitness ambassador with NTUC U Sports.
Across all these experiences, one question stayed with me:
What actually helps people stay composed under pressure?
Today, in 2026, I find myself building what I had once been looking for.
Iron Flora is not just about techniques.
It is about giving women a simple, structured way to think and respond in everyday situations.
I am building a structured women empowerment programme focused on helping women develop confidence, composure, communication, and decision-making under pressure.
Most of us do not lose composure in extreme moments.
We lose it in ordinary ones:
· Speaking up in a meeting or presenting in front of others (something I had to learn myself through teaching and public-speaking as a lecturer)
· Navigating emotionally-charged frontline situations
· Travelling through unfamiliar environments alone — for work or leisure (something I have experienced myself through years of solo travel)
· Dealing with moments where something simply feels “off”
In these situations, our first reaction is often not deliberate.
We freeze, rush, or react in ways we did not intend.
I have come to see composure not as a personality trait, but as a skill that can be trained.
This is something I have been developing through Iron Flora — a women empowerment programme centred on strength and composure.
One simple way I frame it is through the Iron Flora ABC framework:
Ask. Breathe. Control. (ABC)
· Ask: What is happening, and what do I want to do next?
· Breathe: Regulate before reacting
· Control: Choose your response
What started as a single 1-hour women empowerment workshop in March 2026 has since grown into an ongoing 8-session women empowerment series.
That progression has been especially meaningful to me because it showed that these conversations and skills resonated beyond a single session.
Since then, I have also received interest and enquiries around future public classes, school-based workshops, and organisational runs of Iron Flora.
To me, that signals something important:
Many women have quietly been looking for spaces like this too.
I will be sharing more reflections from this journey over time.