I’ll be honest with you. Back in 2010, I was terrified.
I had been working as a bookshop salesperson since 2001. In 2004, I added another job—working in a printing shop. For six years, I juggled both jobs. The work was steady, the paychecks came on time, and everything felt… safe.
But something inside me kept whispering: Is this really all there is?
That whisper grew louder each year. I started thinking about building something of my own. Not because I hated my jobs, but because I wanted more. I wanted to see what I was really capable of.
In mid-2010, I made the decision. But I stayed for two more years to save, and in 2012, I finally quit both jobs.
No backup plan. No safety net. Just a dream and a lot of fear.
What happened next taught me more about business, life, and myself than any book ever could. Today, I want to share those lessons with you—especially if you’re standing where I once stood, wondering if you should take that leap.
Why I Decided to Take the Risk
Let me tell you something I wish someone had told me earlier: creating your own opportunities in life starts with one simple decision—stop waiting for them to come to you.
Many people never start because they’re afraid of failing. I get it. I was terrified, too. But here’s what I realized: staying in my comfort zone meant I would miss the biggest opportunity of all—the chance to discover what I was truly capable of.
I had gained nine years of experience in sales and printing. I knew customers. I understood products. All this knowledge was sitting inside me, doing nothing.
So I asked myself, ‘What’s the worst that could happen?’ The answer? I might fail. But if I didn’t try, I would definitely regret it. That realization changed everything.
What I Learned From My First Business Failure
Here’s the part most people don’t talk about.
In 2012, my business partner and I finally launched our first business. We were excited. We worked long hours. We believed in what we were doing.
And after just one year and three months, we failed.
We had to close everything down. The money was gone. The dream felt shattered. I remember sitting in my empty shop thinking, Was this all a mistake?
But looking back now, that failure was actually the best teacher I ever had. Here’s what I learned:
1. Failure Teaches You Things Books Cannot
When you read about business in books, everything sounds logical and straightforward. But real business is messy. Customers don’t behave like textbooks say they will. Markets shift unexpectedly. Partners disagree.
My failure taught me:
- How to spot warning signs early.
- Which expenses matter and which don’t.
- How to talk to difficult customers.
- When to pivot and when to persist.
No classroom could have taught me these lessons as effectively as that one year and three months of struggle.
2. Failing Fast Means Learning Fast
Some people are afraid to fail, so they plan forever. They never actually start.
I failed within 15 months. Yes, it hurt. But it also meant I learned my lessons quickly and could move forward.
By 2014—less than a year after my failure—I was ready to start my second business: Wardoh Books. This time, I knew what mistakes to avoid. I knew how to budget better. I understood my customers more deeply.
Wardoh Books succeeded because my first business failed.
3. Every Setback Builds Mental Strength
Before I started my business, I thought I was confident. But the truth? I had never really tested myself.
When my first business collapsed, I faced a choice: give up or get stronger. I chose to get stronger.
That experience built something inside me that no success could have built—real resilience. The kind that helps you wake up the next day after a terrible loss and say, “Okay, what’s next?”
4 Ways Taking Risks Created New Opportunities for Me
Let me share the specific ways that taking risks changed my life. These are the real, practical lessons learned from starting my first business.
Risk #1: Taking Action Opened a Completely New Path
When I quit my jobs in 2012, I thought I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I had a clear plan.
But once I started actually working on my business, something unexpected happened. I discovered new interests. I found skills I didn’t know I had. My original business plan changed completely within six months.
Key lesson: Sometimes you need to start walking before you can see the full path.
Risk #2: Mistakes Accelerated My Real Education
Working as an employee, I made very few real mistakes. My boss made the big decisions. It was safe, but it was also slow.
When I started my own business, I made mistakes every single week. Big ones. Expensive ones. And you know what? Each mistake taught me something valuable that I still use today:
- I learned which suppliers were reliable.
- I figured out how to negotiate better deals.
- I discovered which marketing actually worked (most of it didn’t).
These lessons compressed years of learning into months of intense experience.
Risk #3: New Ventures Expanded My Network
This one surprised me the most. When you’re an employee, you mostly meet other employees. But the moment I started my business, everything changed.
The Story of Mr. Lim. In 2012, I traveled to eastern Singapore to meet Mr. Lim. He was an older gentleman who had run a small electronics shop in my neighborhood for thirty years.
For three hours, Mr. Lim shared his wisdom about starting and running a business. He told me about his failures, his successes, and the hard lessons he learned over three decades. He became my unofficial mentor.
I would never have met Mr. Lim if I had stayed in my employee comfort zone. Your network determines your opportunities.
Risk #4: Overcoming Fear Built Unshakeable Confidence
Before starting my business, I thought I was confident. But really, I just felt comfortable. There’s a big difference.
When my first business failed in 2012, I had to face some hard truths. But I also discovered something powerful: I could survive failure. The world didn’t end. I was still standing.
That realization gave me a different kind of confidence. This confidence became my foundation when I started Wardoh Books in 2014.
How to Create Your Own Opportunities: My Practical Advice
If you’re thinking about starting your own business or taking any big risk, here’s what I want you to know:
- Stop waiting for the “perfect” time. I wasn’t completely ready in 2010. But I prepared and started anyway.
- Use your existing experience. My years in bookshops gave me skills I didn’t realize I had.
- Expect to fail—and prepare to learn. Failure isn’t the opposite of success; it’s part of the path.
- Find mentors. Seek out people like Mr. Lim who have walked the path before.
- Build mental strength. Start taking small risks now.
Final Thoughts: Opportunities Are Created, Not Found
Here’s the truth I learned: Opportunities don’t come to people who wait. They come to people who create them.
When I quit my job in 2012, people thought I was crazy. When my business failed in 2013, some people said, “I told you so.” But when Wardoh Books succeeded in 2014, those same people asked, “How did you do it?”
The answer? I dared to start. I learned from failure. I got back up. I tried again.
You can do the same. Your comfortable life might feel safe, but it’s keeping you from discovering your true potential. The only way to find out what you’re really capable of is to take that first scary step.
So what are you waiting for?
