When we meet Elaine, she has just rushed over from a women’s entrepreneur meeting, and has only about an hour before leaving again for an evening appointment for Trinity Gallery. The bridal and evening gown boutique is just one of her businesses, apart from being a co-founder of CRIB – a social enterprise that empowers women to become their own entrepreneurs, while also most recently setting up an event design company, Milk and Honey.

Why not focus entirely on her businesses then, we wonder. Although her schedule is packed to the brim, the practicing doctor in palliative care is clear on one point – being a doctor is her core profession, and something that she will always set aside time for. “Being able to see patients who are at the last stage of their lives and to give them a bit of comfort, that is something meaningful to me. It keeps me grounded, and to appreciate the little things in life that we can sometimes take for granted.”

And when it’s time to take a breather, Elaine has three outlets. Her two boys Kyan and Luke, and her husband John gets first rights to her “time, energy and love”, while she also actively spends time with her group of close friends including Tjin Lee and Tiara Shaw – both of whom she met through Tatler events. “I love that all these people I’ve met at Singapore Tatler events have eventually become real friends – by my side in different stages of my life.”

Finally, there’s the one final thing that gets Elaine excited every time: travel. “I love travelling; it’s my indulgence. Going to far-flung places, staying at beautiful properties and visiting destinations that I know is a real privilege and blessing to be able to go to. It’s really about celebrating life and its luxuries.”

Catch up with what our icons have said in the #WeAreSingaporeTatler campaign in the links below:

#WeAreSingaporeTatler: Tjin Lee 

#WeAreSingaporeTatler: Iroshini Chua

#WeAreSingaporeTatler: Loh Lik Peng 

#WeAreSingaporeTatler: Stephanie Lee

#WeAreSingaporeTatler: June Goh