Singapore – Just 1.51 meters tall and with her hair pulled back in a high ponytail, Neo Hui Chin is not your typical fishmonger.

After graduating from ITE in 2012, she worked as a dental assistant for 10 years, but retired in 2023 after her beloved boss, a dentist, passed away.

Neo, now 32, knew she couldn’t work for someone else, so she started looking for a job that would excite her and push her out of her comfort zone.

She liked the idea of ​​becoming a fishmonger because she helped out with a friend’s fish stall in Hougang during the COVID-19 pandemic and enjoyed the experience.

“Why not go to the market or become a fishmonger? Everything is on-site, and I’m good at on-site work,” Neo said.

With a lot of moral support from her husband, family and friends, she took the plunge and opened a stall at Tiong Bahru Market in April 2024.

she Her husband, a former navy man, also became a fishmonger in November 2025 and runs a stall at Koban Market.

At first, Mr. Neo sold only shrimp.

“We wanted to sell with confidence,” she said, before expanding into fish and other seafood.

A typical work day begins with her waking up around 1 a.m. and driving out of the house. house Go to Jurong Fishing Port in Bukit Panjang, choose the fresh seafood on offer and have your stall ready by 5am.

“The hardest part of my job is getting up,” she said.

The hours are tough and the work is physical, but she doesn’t complain. Neo’s day It typically ends between noon and 1 p.m.

“Being a fishmonger actually gives you a better work-life balance,” she said. Because you can spend more time with your parents after the day’s work is done.

Today, she has established herself as a popular figure at Tiong Bahru Market, known for meticulously arranging the fish on her stall, from grouper and snapper to pomfret and milkfish.

“Hui Chin is a kind and humble person, always willing to help and learn. She may be small in size, but her determination to succeed in a new industry, especially the fishing industry, is inspiring.” said Gary Teo, a fishmonger at the market.

Two years after joining the company, Mr. Neo has no regrets about his career change.

“I love this job so much that I think I will continue doing it for the rest of my life,” she said.

“What surprised me was that I can do quite a lot of things by myself. I thought I needed help or thought I couldn’t do it by myself, but I can do it all by myself.”