Katherina-Olivia Lacey is in two minds. She likes to keep herself busy — the state of idleness makes her nervous. “If I have too much time,” she says, “I start to worry, and I’d be like, have I done something wrong?” On the other hand, she acknowledges the necessity to slow down, to enjoy every moment lest she regrets it. Because life happens when you’re too busy being busy.

It’s 9am on a Thursday. The founder of Quincus arrives on the dot at our hotel room at the new InterContinental Singapore Robertson Quay. It occurs to me that this girl is always punctual, if not early. And it makes perfect sense when you learn that hers is a business that provides logistical solutions. Precision and staying ahead (she gets up at 5am, seven days a week), I imagine, are non-negotiable in her world.

“Good morning,” she greets us in her gentle,

mellifluous voice from behind her glasses. Katherina and I are no strangers — I had photographed her earlier this year for another project, and we had met again for coffee afterwards. But she is a tad reserved this morning; her smile warm, but coy. That’s the beauty of this girl: She has neither the knack, patience nor penchant for pretence — a delightful truth she later confirms at our interview: “I don’t have the mental space anymore to deal with fakeness, or with people who don’t have the right energy.”

Well, that must qualify as some sort of self-care, surely — especially for an introvert.

As she gets prepped for the shoot in our super-cosy bathroom — glasses off, make-up and a gorgeous Emilia Wickstead dress on — she starts to shake her initial coyness off. Like, literally. As soon as Despacito blares out of someone’s phone, there she is, standing in front of an expansive mirror, a soft, warm mood light cast on her, bobbing, shimmying, twirling until her dress flares and pirouettes with her.

From where I stand, it looks as if we’re in a life-sized musical box. And just like that, her good cheer (and moves) makes our work an even greater pleasure. The camera is loving it, too. It is easy to see why she is also such a hit on her Instagram account, which boasts a following of 285,000. She’d tell you it’s the fruitful result of a “social” experiment of hers — a story for another day — but I have a feeling it has more to do with her affability, sense of humour and, more importantly, her authenticity.

Before she scoots off to another meeting, she is happy to spend the morning with us, getting dolled up, chilling in bed with her double espresso (no sugar) as we shoot the breeze about her idea of the good life, doing hard things (first), the perks of being an introvert, and her weakness for books, movies, gummy bears and warm cookies — preferably in a nice bed with her favourite people in the world.

When you are hustling hard, you don’t have the mental space to entertain such behaviour. I make sure to surround myself with people who help me grow as a person, people who are not envious of success or judgemental of failure. Good energy is super important to me.

What do you think of when you hear the word “busy”?
Katherina: I like it when I hear the word “busy” — I think it’s a good sign. If I have too much time, I start to worry and I’d be like, why don’t I have meetings? Have I done something wrong?

As much as you like to keep busy, surely you do find time here and there and take a moment for yourself and the people and things that matter.
Katherina: I am a bookworm. When I want to be by myself, when I need a moment of reflection, I read. I also love watching movies. It’s my way of detaching and unplugging, and just focus on something else. As most of my friends and my fiancé live a similarly hectic life, we usually spend time together over dinner and a movie.

“

I LOVE READING A BOOK IN A BUBBLE BATH.

”

Increasingly, we find ourselves talking about unplugging from work and the distraction that is social media in order to reconnect with ourselves in a real way. Where do you go when in need of a sanctuary?
Katherina: Somewhere close to nature, where I can go hiking, and a fireplace would be nice.

What do you look forward to most when you check in to a hotel?
Katherina: Bubble baths. I love reading a book in a bubble bath. I also enjoy a good in-room breakfast. A cosy corner where I could do some work is nice, too.

Tell us about your “secret single behaviour”.
Katherina: I love to dance in the shower to really loud music.

Complete the sentence: Happiness is…
Katherina: Happiness is a gift. I try to enjoy every moment and soak it all in because I know that if I don’t remember the happy times, when life gets hard, I will regret it and miss it.