Driving science in health and wealth

Fitness is a science — and Myren Fu, founder of gym chain Higher Performance, is an advocate of a scientific approach to overall wellness, with this discipline and tailored approach aligned with his investment philosophy too.

The 33-year-old started Higher Performance more than eight years ago when he was convinced of the gap in the fitness market. At that time, he saw that there was no clear system or method to evaluate or track a person’s path towards better health.

“It isn't as simple as four sets of 10 or three sets of 12. Fitness really encompasses mobility, strength and of course, endurance. All that stuff isn't as easy as ‘I'll just put you on the treadmill’,” says Myren.

“We need to know what exactly happens on a cellular level. We need to know what happens on a neuronal level. So that's what we are trying to investigate and we're trying to present in layman terms to clients.”

Today, he has three gyms and a team of 10 people under his charge. His tireless commitment to the science behind fitness means personally taking care of training his team, and years of investigating how to better deliver the service of fitness to his clients. 

“I'm going on the right path of being responsible for my future.”

Doing the homework

That discipline extends to understanding how investing works. He recalls his parents’ poor experience with investing that came down to hearsay.

“During the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis, because they were listening to whatever people advised them on investments, they lost a lot of money. To the point that we had to borrow just to survive and to eat,” Myren recalls. 

“That was a very hard time for us — and from there, I learned my lesson to not solely listen to others and to do my own homework as well.”

Myren’s typical working day starts at 6 a.m. in the morning and finishes at about 8 p.m — it means 6 hours of training, 3 hours of meetings, and another 3 to 4 hours of training. 

“Don’t be afraid of investing and thinking that investments are just for people who are rich or knowledgeable. Investing is for everyone — and you have to start early.”

As an Endowus client, Myren found that successful investment is just like improving your fitness: it comes down to consistency and discipline. 

“If you don't have the discipline to put in the money for a period of time, then you won't see it grow,” he says, adding that he wished he had started earlier. Today he puts in a certain percentage of his savings every month to investing in equities and fixed income.

“Don’t be afraid of investing and thinking that investments are just for people who are rich or knowledgeable. Investing is for everyone — and you have to start early.”

Myren also wants to encourage his team to invest and is offering a matching scheme to help them boost their investment capital. He has recently invited his Endowus advisor to educate his team on the importance of financial literacy and investing for the long term.

“A lot of people, just like myself, have been very afraid of investing since young. Investing has always been a very scary thing,” says Myren.

“My team is very receptive to investments, but they are very reluctant to part with the money. So I have to devise a strategy to help them part with their money.”

No one-size-fits-all

Myren believes that a fitness regime needs to be customised to every individual’s needs. “We pretty much tailor each person's programme based upon where they are and where they need to go,” he adds.

Likewise, he enjoys investing through the Endowus platform, because it allows him to label his investment goals and pick funds that fit his specific goals. He invests his CPF savings with Endowus and regularly tops up his account to ensure that he keeps his emotions out of his investment decisions. 

“If you don't have the discipline to put in the money for a period of time, then you won't see it grow.”

The perks of low fees and no lock-ups offered by Endowus are especially attractive to him. Myren also likes the fact that the Endowus platform is focused on providing solutions based on the individual’s risk appetite and profile. He trusts the funds that the Investment Office chooses because the management team is made up of very skilled, professional investors who came from very reputable companies, he adds.

While the future is uncertain, Myren hopes that his investments with Endowus will help him to invest well enough to cover the education costs of his future kids, and the seed capital for starting a business should they wish to do so.

“I definitely don't have enough for retirement now. I hope that in 20 years time, I will,” adds Myren. “I'm going on the right path of being responsible for my future.”

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