From Actress to Agri-Food Founder: Nicola Cheung's Lessons on Health, Parenting, and Proactive Life Planning

Nicola Cheung may have retired from television and film in 2005, but the former TVB actress hasn't stopped playing multiple roles. She is a mother of four daughters, co-founder of the agri-food social enterprise LoCoFarms, and a vocal advocate for proactive health and life planning. In a 2026 interview with the South China Morning Post and a profile with Those Who Inspire , Cheung laid out the principles that guide her across four interconnected domains: health, parenting, entrepreneurship, and planning for the unpredictable.

Health: From Reactive Care to Preventive Habits

Cheung's approach to health changed dramatically after her eldest daughter became seriously ill. That experience pushed her from waiting for problems to actively seeking preventive care for herself and her entire family .

She does not claim deep medical expertise. Instead, she gathers information from professionals and makes informed choices — a deliberate, research-based approach .

The habits she relies on are small and consistent: prioritizing time in nature and, above all, getting enough sleep. Sleep, she says, relaxes the mind and supports both mental and physical health .

Perhaps her most arresting principle is about mental weight. Cheung believes longevity is closely tied to letting go of worry. 'If you worry, you get sick. If you don't, you are less likely to be,' she said .

Parenting: Connection Over Command

Cheung rejects the authoritarian 'Mum says so, do it' style of parenting. With her four daughters, she talks things through instead of issuing orders .

With her 17-year-old, she relates 'like an older sister or a friend' rather than as a commanding parent . That shift toward peer-level connection is deliberate — she believes it builds trust and keeps communication open.

Motherhood itself was her turning point. Becoming a parent moved her from caring only for herself to considering the whole family's situation — a shift she describes as fundamental to her growth .

Entrepreneurship: Embrace the 'Slasher' Identity

Cheung describes herself as a 'slasher' — someone with multiple identities: former actress, mother, entrepreneur. Each role feeds into the next . Her time in film and TV built the confidence, creativity, and flexibility she now applies to business .

She co-founded LoCoFarms, a social enterprise that aims to revitalize Hong Kong's agricultural heritage by connecting local growers with food artisans. Her ambition is not unlimited growth. She sees her role as planting a seed for sustainable development — building something that can thrive without forcing scale .

Proactive Life Planning: Prepare, Don't Control

'We can't control what happens… but we can get ourselves prepared, so that when something does happen, we'll have more options,' Cheung said . That philosophy underpins her approach to every area of life.

Financial readiness is a practical expression of that mindset. She and her husband invested in life protection, education funding, and critical illness insurance so that plans are in place and she can stop worrying . The goal is not to eliminate risk but to reduce stress when the unexpected arrives.

Her deeper philosophy — shaped by a law degree she left behind and an acting career she eventually moved on from — is more personal. 'Your character is what will really shine for a long time, so find who you really are,' she said .