Former actress Nicola Cheung finds her most rewarding roles as a parent and entrepreneur

Former actress Nicola Cheung finds her most rewarding roles as a parent and entrepreneur


Nicola Cheung may have retired as a television and film actress in 2005, but she continues to play multiple roles. In addition to being a devoted mother of four, she is also co‑founder of LoCoFarms, a social enterprise that aims to revitalise Hong Kong’s agricultural heritage by connecting local growers with food artisans.

Cheung describes herself as a “slasher” – a person with multiple identities. Although her acting career helped develop her confidence and creativity, she believes becoming a mother was her true turning point.

“When I was a daughter, I only had to take care of myself, and now I have to look at the whole situation, the whole family,” she says.

At home, she avoids the “top‑down” parenting style, regarding it as outdated. “I chat and talk things through with my kids. With my 17‑year‑old, I talk to her like an older sister or a friend,” she says. “It’s definitely not that kind of ‘Mum says so, so do it’ relationship.”

Nicola Cheung says her years spent as an actress in Hong Kong films and TV dramas helped build her confidence and creativity. Photo: Nicola Cheung
Nicola Cheung says her years spent as an actress in Hong Kong films and TV dramas helped build her confidence and creativity. Photo: Nicola Cheung

Cheung loves coming up with plans, but at the same time she also understands that life can be highly unpredictable. “We can’t control what happens in this world, or in our lives. But we can get ourselves prepared, so that when something does happen, we’ll have more options,” she says.

That mindset of being prepared for the unexpected was solidified when her eldest daughter became seriously ill three years ago. “Through that whole process, I realised that life is not something you can control at every moment, and that within just 24 hours, many things can change,” Cheung says.

“After that, I started actively looking for more preventive ways to care for my own health and my family’s health.”

She has learned to gather information and guidance from those with expertise. “I don’t have a lot of professional medical knowledge myself, so I feel it’s very important to seek advice from professionals. They help me understand better and give me more information. Then I can make more of the right choices, and plan my life and my family’s health better.”

Like many people, Cheung has bought insurance policies to be future-ready. “[My husband and I] focused on life protection and other financial tools that help fund things such as our children’s education,” she says.

She also has critical illness insurance, having learned to be prepared for the unexpected in life. Once plans are in place, she says, the healthiest thing to do is stop worrying. “I think longevity is about not worrying, and having nothing weighing on you. If you worry, you get sick. If you don’t, you are less likely to be.”

Another lesson Cheung has learned is that small habits can bring about great benefits when it comes to one’s health.

She says: “I go out into nature more, because that’s really good for both your mind and your body. And most importantly, one needs to sleep more. With more sleep, you get your mind more relaxed.”

As a mother of four daughters, Cheung has learned to be prepared for the unexpected. Photo: Nicola Cheung
As a mother of four daughters, Cheung has learned to be prepared for the unexpected. Photo: Nicola Cheung

With a well-rested mind, Cheung finds that she has enough energy not only for her family and personal health, but also for her agri-food business aimed at making the world a healthier place.

“I wanted it to be a seed for sustainable development and for helping local farmers in Hong Kong – something that would grow into greater awareness and recognition of these issues,” she says.

“I don’t know how big [the business] will become, but this is something I’ve planted a seed and done my part for. That’s what I see as being proactive – doing something for our society, for the Hong Kong community.”

Check out the video to hear more of Nicola Cheung’s thoughts on how investing in health helps her live with peace of mind.




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