This is the story of how I prepared for ten years to move from employee to entrepreneur.
For ten years, my most valuable possession was a small, worn notebook. Nothing fancy—just a regular notebook from the store. But inside, it held my future.
I worked at a bookstore (in 2001) and later at a book printing company (in 2004). Every single day, I dreamed of having my own business. So, I made myself a student of my own life. During lunch breaks, I’d ask my boss everything about handling difficult clients and managing cash flow. He was a great teacher.
After every conversation and after every problem I witnessed on the printing floor, I would open my notebook. On the left side of the page, I’d write the problem: “Customer unhappy with print quality.” On the right, the solution I learned: “Always do a test print first and get their sign-off.”
That notebook became my treasure. It wasn’t theory; it was a real-world playbook, filled with ten years of hard-won lessons. It was my secret weapon for the leap I knew I had to take.
The Leap: When Preparation Met Reality
After those ten years, my co-founder and I finally took the leap. We opened our own publishing house in 2012. Was I scared? Absolutely. But I wasn’t starting from scratch. I had my experience, my boss’s wisdom, and I had my notebook.
When problems came up in that first year—and they did, every single day—I would open my notebook and often find the answer. It was like having a guide written by my past self.
But, as I’ve shared before, that first business… it failed. In 2013, my partner left, and the business collapsed. My notebook, it turned out, hadn’t prepared me for a partnership conflict or a total market pivot.
It was after this failure, as I was building Wardoh Books from scratch, alone, that the real crisis came—the one that wasn’t in my notebook.
The Crisis That Wasn’t in the Notebook
The rebuilt business was finally starting to grow. I was terrified but optimistic. And then it happened: a huge client’s order was delayed by a new supplier I had never worked with before. The client was furious. I was terrified. I frantically flipped through my notebook, but my book of solutions had no answer for this. There was no pre-written plan.
That was the moment I learned the most powerful lesson of all: preparation gets you started, but true entrepreneurship is about what you do when the plan runs out.
I had to stop relying on my old notes. I had to trust my own creativity, my intuition, and the resilience I had built through every small challenge. I had to step up and be a leader, not just a student.
I called the client. I was brutally honest about the delay. I took full responsibility. I offered them a discount and a new, guaranteed delivery date. It was a scary, unscripted conversation.
And you know what? It worked. The client calmed down. They appreciated the honesty. I saved the deal.
I kept adding lessons to my notebook, but I also knew that the book was just a tool. The real asset was the person who was writing it.
How to Build Your Own “Notebook” and Discover Your Potential
You don’t need ten years to unlock your potential. You can start today, right where you are.
- Find Your Teachers — Even If It’s Your Boss: Look for people you admire who are already doing what you want to do. You don’t have to call them a “mentor.” Just watch them. Study them. Ask them smart questions when you have the chance. Learn from their successes and their failures.
- Create Your “Notebook”: Start your own problem-solution journal today. Pay attention to the challenges in your current job or in your daily life. Write down every problem you see and then brainstorm the solution. This isn’t just a diary; it’s you building your own personal MBA.
- Take the Leap (Even if You’re Scared): At some point, you have to stop preparing and start doing. Your notebook will give you confidence, but it won’t give you courage. You have to find that in yourself.
- Embrace the Problem That Isn’t in Your Book: Sooner or later, you will face a crisis you didn’t prepare for. When that moment comes, don’t panic. See it as your final exam. It’s the moment you stop being a student and start becoming a true entrepreneur.
My journey started with that small notebook. But my success began the day I learned to solve a problem that wasn’t in it.
