Interview with Temuge Namjilsuren (Founder of Content Craft and HSC HERO)
Originally published in the Mongol Messenger on July 28th
Aside from being known as the country with cute yet scary animals, shrimp prawns on the barbie, and supposed wasteland, Australia is known is known as the lucky country. From its astute economy, right down to the aromatic of foodie culture, there is a particular sense curiosity within the Land Down Under. Australia has an array of benefits (i.e. education, freedom of work, healthcare entitlement and high wages), and it is a nurturing hub for those who want to venture out and start their own businesses.
Founder of Content Craft and HSC Hero, Temuge Namjilsuren moved from his comfortable life in Ulaanbaatar to Sydney, Australia since he was ten years old. He and his family have built a life for themselves in Australia, and he has since created two companies, HSC Hero and Content Craft, which he is currently expanding in Vietnam.
MM: Describe your Mongolian upbringing. What traditions and customs have your parents relayed on to you that you still adhere to this day?
TN: Since the beginning of history, Mongolia has always valued their strong family customs and traditions, which is ingrained its nomadic way of life. Mongolian nomadic life derives from the fact that it is impossible to get tasks and errands done without designating them between a man and a woman. We don’t rely on consumerism like other countries do. Instead, we are self-sufficient and rely on family and the environment to sustain our lifestyle. However, due to globalisation, many customs and traditions have been forgotten and made obsolete. Being born in an urban capital city of Ulaanbaatar, my upbringing was not very different from those in Australia. I was encouraged to value education, our elders and our peers.
MM: Was there a primary catalyst which prompted your family to move to Australia? Elaborate on your situation.
TN: My mother moved to Australia in search of better career prospects, and my father stayed behind as he believed an opportunity could be made in Mongolia. However, both of my parents agreed, that it was best for me to be educated in Australia, and as I grew up, I had the choice to bring back what I learnt in Australia and build a life for myself in Mongolia or continue living in Australia.
MM: You said there was no major difference between your Mongolian upbringings to other living in Australia, Can you please elaborate on this?
TN: Speaking from my personal experience, the values that were taught to me were independent thinking, self-sufficiency and no social constraint (the last one is hard to explain but in brief; it about you can do be whoever you want as long you put enough effort, it similar thing in Mongolia.) As I mentioned, these values were derived from the nomadic culture where self-sufficiency is key to running a household. Everyone has their designated roles, and our values are somewhat similar to those of the individualist western values. Most of my peers and parents hold all these values. Hence, there’s no difference.
MM: When learning English in Australia, how was the learning process? What is the significant linguistic difference between English and Mongolian from your experience?
TN: I went to a private school that prioritised English, so the transition was easy. In fact, I believe it was faster than those immigrant children coming from China, Korea, India and other major cultures as there was no community or peers to share my language within Australia. Unfortunately, that leads to a rapid deterioration of my Mongolian language skills when I arrived.
MM: Regarding, the multiculturalism aspect of Australian society, do you find it appealing in your opinion? Is it similar to Mongolia in a sense?
TN: Yes, I like the multiculturalism aspect of Australian society as I am naturally curious about other cultures and people in general. Although, Sometimes I feel that I am a double minority which meant, that due to my Asian appearance I don’t really fit with westerners, however, I don’t know really amongst other Asians as Mongolians are quite a different, regarding their language and their values. The Chinese and the Koreans have their own community whereas Mongolians don’t. I wouldn’t say Mongolia is multicultural per se, but they are open-minded in terms of accepting foreigners and other cultures.
MM: Please tell the Mongol Messenger, what are you doing right now in Australia and what you studied within in Australia?
TN: As of now, I am setting my own company which called Content Craft. Basically, it is content marketing and outsources our clients who are mainly brands on their social media content. Right now, I’m actually not in Australia. I’ve started my own company in Australia. However, I’m setting up outsourced operations in Vietnam. I’m working to automate this one right now. With modern technology, I’m able to run my business abroad and have team members working from different countries.
MM: Any advice for any Mongolian who was looking to move to Australia?
TN: We all have our own journey, and if you think Australia is the place for you, give it a go. However, sometimes we can overlook the opportunities that are right under our noses. Don’t just visit Australia, I recommend that you visit other places before settling in a country, you never know it can be eye-opening at times. The more you see the world, the clearer your decisions will be.
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