Ms Hannah Moreno's interview

From juggling diverse jobs to starting her own business

Founder of public relations and marketing agency often invests in companies she represents

Rosalind Ang

The meaning of money for Ms Hannah Moreno changed when she went from juggling different jobs to starting her own company.

To Ms Moreno, money is a way to cover only expenses, but she realised she needed a bigger purpose to effect change in the world.

“My husband and I both strongly believe that some of the world’s problems can be solved through ethical entrepreneurship,” she said.

The Australian started out as a gymnastics instructor at the age of 14. When she turned 21, she worked as a bartender and a nightclub assistant until she was 26, earning a substantial income but finding little fulfilment in the work.

After graduating from university, Ms Moreno got a job as a translator at French retailer Auchan, where she worked as the English liaison between the company’s Italian, Taiwanese, Ukrainian and Russian subsidiaries. The job exposed her to cross-cultural communication. While she enjoyed the job, the pay was not enough to cover her day-to-day expenses, and she had to supplement her income by teaching English to schoolchildren and company executives.

“A little soul-searching uncovered the fact that the common thread across all the work I’ve done is that I’ve excelled in compelling communication,” said Ms Moreno, who went on to pursue a Master’s degree in strategic public relations at the University of Sydney.

Then came a stroke of luck: the founder of a Singapore-based public relations agency Ms Moreno was after coming across a job post while working in Paris.

The same business owner later became an investor when Ms Moreno started Third Hemisphere, a public relations, marketing and public affairs agency, in 2015, in Singapore. Third Hemisphere has worked with Tyme Group, ViewTrade, Interactive Brokers, Fintech Nation and 129Works.

Today, Ms Moreno runs Third Hemisphere with her husband, Mr Jeremy Lididw. Third Hemisphere has a network that covers every South-east Asian country through operations in Singapore and the Philippines, as well as Britain, the European Union, the Middle East, India, Australia and New Zealand.

She lives in New South Wales, Australia, with her husband and their five-month-old and four-year-old daughters.

Q: As a business owner, what does money mean to you?
A: Money, to me, is not a goal. It is what enables you to keep doing what you love as a business, and to help others. We’ve been privileged to work with purpose-driven companies that seek to solve significant problems, such as fighting climate change or supporting access to affordable mental health.

Q: How do you grow your money?
A: Our largest money-making potential comes from Third Hemisphere and some of the businesses we are seeking to build as offshoots of our current offering.

Q: What has been your biggest financial mistake?
A: It was my first investment – an off-the-plan unit in an inner west neighbourhood in Sydney. Off-the-plan means buying a property based on its plan, or a display unit, rather than an existing, finished property. I had no idea what I was doing and just went with it, but the property market subsequently rallied completely out of reach. I ended up pulling out of the investment and lost my deposit. These days, we prefer to use property funds to get exposure instead.

Q: What has been your best investment so far?
A: The growth of our business. It has grown by more than 50 per cent annually since 2015.

Q: Money-wise, what were your growing-up years like?
A: I did not grow up wealthy. My family came from an agricultural background in the Philippines and Britain. We migrated by necessity, not choice. My parents relocated to Australia when I was 10 years old, with only a suitcase each, and made a life from scratch. My father worked at the post office while my mother worked as an assistant in an aged care home.

Q: Where’s home for you? What car do you drive?
A: We live in an expansive bush suburb in New South Wales. We opted for this because we love renting but have the possibility of buying whenever it suits us. The area has beautiful trees, tight-knit neighbours and a pretty relaxed energy. For now, I am driving (very far) a Tesla Model Y.

Q: What would your perfect day look like?
A: I wake up and give my beautiful children an hour-long snuggle before heading out onto the beach on a paddleboard. Our youngest chills in her life jacket and our eldest paddles and sits, hugs or laughs beside me.

After an hour, we ride the children’s bikes to the local park for a healthy, seasonal food picnic while sharing a storybook. I spend the afternoon either client- or investor-facing, which involves team meetings, media interviews, presentation or pitch deck development, or coordinating with our partners.

Okay, maybe I am a bit boring at this stage of life, but life is pretty good when you have a baby.

ETHICAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP

My husband and I both strongly believe that many of the world’s problems can be solved through ethical entrepreneurship.

Ms Hannah Moreno, who started Third Hemisphere, a public relations, marketing and public affairs agency, in 2015.

(Money matters – Side box)

What would you do if you suddenly had a windfall of millions?
I would resist the urge to splurge, which would catch up with you if you are not careful. Instead, I would max out our investment in affordable and mental health care, and pay off all existing interest and debt for our extended family.

In a perfect world, I am investing in social innovation funds as well as other services in this sector.

If you suddenly only had $100, how would you manage?
I have had many months (back in my 20s) like this! I would buy bread, cheese and eggs, and beg family or friends to host me for one meal a day until the situation improved. Then I’d devote time to learning more plannable skills, and reach out to my support network for help.