From Employee to Entrepreneur: My Uncomfortable Beginning
Let me be honest with you from the start — I wasn’t always a business owner.
For over ten years, I worked in the book industry. My journey started in 2001 at a small bookshop. In 2004, I asked my manager if I could also work the part-time evening shift at their printing company. For the next six years, I balanced both roles—learning to sell books by day and make them by night.
And honestly, I was comfortable.
But maybe a little too comfortable.
By my third year in the bookshop, something started to change. I began imagining what it would be like to run my own business. Not just daydreams during lunch breaks — real, serious plans playing in my head every single night.
The Big Jump (And Why It Terrified Me)
By mid-2010, the dream was so strong that I made a decision: I would quit and start my own business. It took two more years of saving and planning before I finally had the courage to do it. In 2012, I walked into my boss’s office, handed in my resignation, and started—two years of planning, saving every dollar, and talking with my business partner about our “big break.”
When Everything Fell Apart
2012 arrived. We opened our doors. For the first time, I felt like I was finally living my dream.
But it didn’t last.
Within just 15 months, everything collapsed.
- Most of my savings? Gone.
- My business partner? Walked away when things got difficult.
- My confidence? Completely shattered.
I’ll never forget that first night after we closed. I lay there staring at the ceiling, thinking, “You’re such an idiot. Everyone was right. You should’ve stayed in your safe job.”
That voice kept repeating: “You failed. It’s over. People like you don’t get second chances.”
And honestly, I believed it.
The Training That Changed Everything
A few months later, still feeling defeated, I enrolled in a business training program at NUS (National University of Singapore).
I almost didn’t go. I thought, “What’s the point? I’ve already proved I can’t do this.”
But that program changed everything for me — not because they taught some magical business formula, but because it changed how I thought about failure.
One instructor said something that stayed with me:
“Every successful entrepreneur has failed. The difference is they use their mistakes as a manual for the next attempt.”
That’s when it clicked.
I wasn’t a failure — I’d simply had a failed business.
And there’s a big difference.
Starting Over (This Time Smarter)
In 2014, I started again. But this time, I did things differently.
What I Did Before Round Two
I sat down with a notebook and wrote down every mistake from my first business:
- Financial management: I had no real system. Money came in and went out without proper tracking.
- Risk control: I took on too much too fast, with no safety net.
- Market research: I assumed people wanted what I offered without actually asking them.
- Partner choice: I chose a partner who wasn’t as committed as I was.
Then I looked at what I was good at. Those nine years as an employee weren’t wasted — I understood customer service and how small businesses operated. I just needed better business skills to match.
The Restart Was Different
This time:
- I started much smaller.
- I went solo — no partner drama.
- I tracked every dollar carefully.
- I tested everything before committing.
Was it exciting? Not really.
Was it the smart thing to do? Absolutely.
What Failure Actually Taught Me
Here’s what I learned — the things no one tells you:
1. Failure Isn’t Personal
A failed business doesn’t mean you are a failure. Sometimes the idea is wrong, or the timing, or the execution. That doesn’t define who you are.
2. Experience Comes at a Cost
That failed business was expensive. But the lessons it gave me were priceless. I learned what not to do — and that’s something no course can teach you.
3. Getting Back Up Is a Choice
No one will push you to try again. That choice is entirely yours. Some people never return after one failure — and that’s okay. But if you choose to rise again, you do it stronger.
4. Success Isn’t About Never Falling
Success is about falling, getting back up, making adjustments, and trying again. Every successful person has failed — they just don’t always talk about it.
My Message to You
If you’re reading this because you’ve failed at something — a business, a career move, or a big decision — I want you to know this:
You’re not alone.
And you’re not finished.
Failure hurts. It’s embarrassing. It makes you question everything about yourself.
But failure is also temporary.
The businesses that succeed aren’t built by people who never failed. They’re built by people who failed, learned, and tried again — but smarter.
Where I Am Now
I won’t pretend I’m a millionaire or that my second business made me rich overnight. But it’s stable, it’s growing, and it’s built on real experience — including the painful parts.
That first failure?
It was the best yet worst thing that ever happened to me.
Would I go back and avoid it?
Honestly, no. Without that failure, I wouldn’t have what I have today.
Your Turn
What dream have you been carrying around? What are you afraid to try because you might fail?
Maybe failure isn’t the end of the road.
Maybe it’s the beginning of a better path.
Because here’s the truth I learned the hard way:
Failure isn’t the opposite of success. It’s part of the journey — and one of its greatest teachers.
Have you experienced business failure or career setbacks?
I’d love to hear your story in the comments below.
