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Amy Ho at Spring City Resort

“Actually, my dream is to be a housewife,” Amy Ho says. “Housewives are truly the luckiest women. I have already played so many roles and that’s the one I would like to play next.”

It’s ironic given that women across Taiwan, a majority of them housewives, dream of being Amy Ho. “Isn’t she so beautiful? Isn’t she so smart?” are common questions heard these days in the media.

And there are many such days. An extremely active career woman, Ho is often doing things the media finds newsworthy. Regularly the local headlines relate her to a number of seemingly unrelated topics: “Amy Ho opens a coffee shop in China,” “Amy Ho’s advice on keeping off those unwanted holiday pounds,” “Amy Ho tells you how to make it on the stock market,” “Amy Ho writes cookbook.”

Looking at Ho’s life, it would be easy to make a comparison between her and Martha Stewart — though Ho has never served prison time. Like business and media-savvy Stewart, Ho has made a career, an image and even an enterprise from being the nation’s most visible homemaker.

Both women were largely groomed to be good housewives from the beginning — Ho studied “domestic science” in college and Stewart’s parents drilled domestic chores into her. Both later broke those moulds with their business sense, converting those skills into success and iconic status. Ho’s face is hard to miss walking the streets of Taipei, riding the subway or turning on the television. Part of her celebrity undoubtedly comes from the use of her image to promote her businesses.

For Ho, celebrity has also had the natural consequence of putting her in the news for things she doesn’t want as well such as her well-publicised relationship with a legislator and the breakdown of a friendship with another celebrity who reportedly sued Ho for public comments she made. “War of two women,” one newspaper called it.

Ho started in the particularly unglamorous world of real estate as an agent. She soon made a sizable fortune playing the local stock market using capital from family property, riding the crest of Taiwan’s economic rise and garnering her the reputation of stock wunderkind. Ho, perhaps, seemed destined to make millions given a legend that she started keeping financial books at the age of five for fun.

While many speculators made plenty on Taiwan’s burgeoning economy, Ho did particularly well and used that funding to, quite literally, change the face of Taiwan. Or at least the faces of the nation’s women.

Looking to make Taiwan beautiful, Ho started a beauty and health clinic and a line of cosmetics and related beauty aids. Visiting a clinic several years ago with her mother, Ho realised an opportunity, but also that there was more to it than what was on offer. The result was Amy Go and Spring Clinic.

Regarding health and beauty, Ho’s philosophy is quite comprehensive, though arguably contradictory. Her clinic provides invasive plastic surgery but Ho says that feeding the mind is equally, if not more, important. Mind, spirit, health and beauty are all closely tied together, she says.

“Of course, you need to have good living habits and eat properly,” she explains. “That way, since you have a very good lifestyle, you will naturally look great. If you have a healthy inside, you will have a healthy outside.”

Ho insists that cosmetic surgery does not violate that principal.

“Of course, many people have objections and prefer natural beauty, but if professional plastic surgery can make a person more attractive then why not? Plastic surgery doesn’t change your original parts inside.”

When asked if she has ever had it done herself, Ho laughs — she knew this question was coming. She is quick to provide photos of a 19-year-old Amy and a more recent photo of her standing next to her mother. It’s pretty convincing: Ho’s facial features strike an amazing resemblance to her mother’s as well as her younger self.

But, doesn’t that mean she is only encouraging other women to do something she is adamant to prove she hasn’t done herself?

“In the future, as I get older, I may have it done,” she says, noting that she has had a few non-invasive treatments including Botox, Restylane, and IPL (intense pulsed light).

Whether it’s the way she dresses, runs her business, or even answers questions, it becomes quite clear that Amy Ho has really made a career out of perfectionism. Every little detail is carefully managed, from public pictures of her, to her hotel’s appearance, to the behaviour of her staff.

Walking out of one of the suites at Spring City Resort, Ho bent down to pick up a piece of fuzz poking out of the carpet, so small no one else ever saw it. She also took the time to straighten some items on a table that were already straight.

Though she denies having any concern for the public’s perception of her, this perfectionism is also prevalent in the way she manipulates her public appearance. Ho’s public relations staff is guarded about photos taken of her and the content of articles written about her.

Arguably, it is this perfectionism that has made her the envy of women around Taiwan and is probably what has also made her successful in so many ventures. If nothing is left to chance, there is no such thing as bad luck.

Spring City, for example, is a draw for its beauty. It is easily the premier hotel in Beitou, Taiwan’s popular hot springs region. The exterior and the interior are immaculate and every inch is arranged to take full advantage of the natural surroundings or the aesthetic rooms. Since taking over the hotel two years before, Ho has since replaced nearly the whole hotel. The springs, the lobby, and the rooms were all refurbished and the furniture all replaced.

And it was made clear to her staff that nothing less than 100% was acceptable. When she is around, employees stand at attention for the duration or sit straight in their seats. Their outfits are perfectly neat uniforms that resemble business suits and there is a certain air of professionalism hanging over their every word.

“I tell all my employees that they must meet the highest standards because they are representing the name Amy Ho,” she explains. “But, when I see that my associates support me and are making my dreams come true, I am truly happy.”

Certainly, not everyone meets such perfectionism so easily. A couple of employees, asked about Amy Ho, showed the utmost respect for her, but were a little more ambivalent about working for her.

“It’s okay,” one said with a sigh that hinted another long day was finally coming to a close.

Perhaps the biggest problem is not the pressure form Ho’s pursuit of perfection, but rather her tirelessness. It’s easy to imagine that many in her employ simply can’t keep up with her. After a five-hour interview and photo shoot, 43-year-old Ho was ready for more while the 32-year-old interviewer was exhausted.

“She loves this,” a staff member tiredly confided.

There is one area Ho concedes to being imperfect. Concerning her well-publicised relationship, Ho notes that they are still “good friends” and, while mistakes were made, there’s no controlling the heart.

“You have to take responsibility for every aspect of your life with one exception,” she explains. “Love is that one exception.”

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Amy's Schedule

Mind, spirit, health and beauty for Amy Ho

Running three major firms takes a time. More often than not, Ho finds herself at Spring City Resort. In fact, she has become so associated with the hotel that is usually referred to in newspapers now as “chairwoman of Spring City,” with little mention of her other dealings.

That doesn’t mean that she pays little attention to her other ventures which, in all, give her about a 12-hour workday. Add to that her dedication to her physical health and mental development, and the day is packed.

While each business has a full team, employees say Ho is pretty hands-on. Ho herself says that’s only when she needs to be.

Every department in each business has a professional manager and I delegate authority to them. They are involved in the daily decisions and meetings, but, some major decisions I need to make because of their importance.”

6 and 7am Ho gets up to exercise and then reads several business newspapers and magazines, usually about four or five per day, over breakfast.

8 to 9am She is out the door with Spring Clinic her first stop where she checks on the clinic’s business as well as that of her health and beauty aid line.

3.30pm Arrives at the Spring City Resort where she maintains an office and continues her business throughout the day, well into the evening.

9.30pm Heads home.

10pm Back in the confines of her house, Ho relaxes for two to three hours by reading, during which she doesn’t answer the telephone. TV doesn’t factor into her evening at all.

“If, as you age, you keep developing yourself, you become more mature and intelligent and your inside will never get old,” she says. “Usually I read stuff relating to my work such as books on economics, finance, management, commerce, and training materials for medical therapy and plastic surgery.”

But it’s not all work. Ho also reads novels which friends in the publishing industry recommend.

“I don’t think I’m different from other women. The only difference is that I spend so much time on work. I never go to KTV lounges. I don’t have a night life. I don’t smoke or drink.

Life is very simple. I like to spend most of my free time at home.”

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