Cath Lim quit her high-flying job in the advertising business to start The Plant Story, where she works with nature to alleviate urban stress.

I was a proven professional in my first love, advertising and branding, and was doing well. One night, between bantering with my client on a simple advertisement and trying to get my team to go home early, I had a manifestation that we were sitting in an ivory tower, spending precious resources trying to solve something that was not going to change anything in the world. I felt the urge to do something more meaningful.

It pained me to see how my talented and creative colleagues burnt out eventually because of overwhelming job demands. I asked myself what I could possibly do to help them be happier and regain their energy.

Nature always energises me. It’s powerful and inspiring. I thought it would be great if I could use it to help people recharge. Hence, the creation of The Plant Story, (www.theplantstory.com); it’s a place for nature therapy, where urbanites can learn to be gardeners without having to slog under the sun (using indoor gardening techniques). I broke away from my safety net to start this project from scratch. I left my job in June 2009, and in less than a week, I was back in school learning about plants. That October, The Plant Story was established.

It was tough because I had to be on zero income for a long time and my husband thought I was crazy to throw everything away. But the thought of reinventing myself kept me on cloud nine.

Spiritually, mentally, emotionally and physically, I’m blessed with a very special job. Every smile and thank you from our workshop participants and visitors to our cafe and galleria affirms that I am making a difference. I would not trade this for anything else.”