People talk about hard work all the time, but most of the time it sounds like a slogan printed on a T-shirt.
For me, it was never an inspirational quote — it was survival. It was the only path I had.
This is the story of how I went from working two small jobs to eventually building my own bookstore, Wardoh Books. And more importantly, it’s about what I learned in the years in between — the long nights, the failures, and the slow progress that nobody saw.
The Years Nobody Saw
When I tell people today that I own a business, some of them think it happened fast.
But if you rewind my life many years back, you’ll see a very different picture.
Back then, I worked two jobs.
During the day, I stood behind the counter of a small bookstore, helping customers choose books and organizing shelves. At night, I went straight to a printing shop where the real learning happened.
I didn’t take the extra job because I was chasing a bigger salary. I did it because I knew what I wanted:
I wanted to understand the book industry from the inside.
Not just selling books — but printing, binding, sourcing, solving problems.
Those long nights with an old, moody printing machine taught me more than any course ever could. The machine would break down, and I’d have to figure out why. I learned by failing, by trying again, and by trying again after that. Some nights I didn’t go home until 3 AM.
Looking back now, that period of my life was the foundation of everything I built later.
Why I Believe Hard Work Matters More Than Talent
I’ve never considered myself the most talented person in the room.
But one thing I’ve always had is endurance.
I’ve seen people with natural talent give up the moment things became uncomfortable. And I’ve seen people with average skills reach incredible heights simply because they refused to stop.
When I first learned how to operate printing machines, I wasn’t good at it at all. I made mistakes. I broke things. I frustrated my supervisor. But I stayed. I kept practicing.
And slowly, the work that once scared me started to feel like something I could do with my eyes closed.
Talent didn’t build that skill — patience did.
Hard work doesn’t always feel dramatic. Sometimes it’s just you, alone, repeating the same task until something finally clicks. But that’s exactly where growth happens.
The Moments When I Wanted to Quit
I’m not going to pretend I was always strong.
There were nights when I stood in the printing shop, staring at another broken machine, exhausted and wondering if any of this was worth it.
What kept me going wasn’t motivation. Motivation fades.
What kept me going was memory — the memory of what I wanted for my future.
I wanted independence.
I wanted to build something of my own.
I wanted to create a business that meant something to people.
Every time I felt like quitting, I reminded myself that nobody was going to hand me that future. I had to earn it.
My Biggest Failure — and the Turning Point
In 2010, I finally gathered the courage to dream bigger.
By 2012, I opened my first business with a partner.
It didn’t work.
We lasted a little over a year.
We struggled with cash flow, made mistakes, and eventually the business collapsed. My partner left. I lost money that took me years to save. And I lost a piece of myself too.
Failing publicly hurts in a different way.
People talk. They ask questions. Some even judge quietly.
For a few weeks, I isolated myself. I kept thinking:
Maybe I’m not meant to be a business owner.
But once the noise faded, I started asking myself better questions:
What did I do wrong?
What skills did I lack?
What would I do differently if I had another chance?
Those questions became the turning point.
I spent the next year rebuilding myself — not just financially, but mentally. I filled the gaps in my knowledge, studied successful business models, and sharpened every skill I had learned in those printing-shop nights.
The Second Try — and the Beginning of Something Real
In 2014, I tried again. This time, I opened Wardoh Books.
It didn’t “blow up overnight.” Nothing ever does.
But little by little, customers came. People started recognizing my dedication. And slowly, the business that once existed only in my imagination became real.
Every part of my past — the bookstore job, the printing shop, the nights I wanted to quit, the failure — all became ingredients in my success.
None of that effort was wasted.
What Hard Work Really Gives You
People think hard work is about money or success.
But here’s what it actually gives you:
1. Confidence From Experience
When you build something with your own hands, you don’t fear losing it — because you know you can build it again.
2. Skills Nobody Can Take Away
Machines can break. Partners can leave. Money can disappear.
But your ability to solve problems stays with you forever.
3. Opportunities You Didn’t Expect
The more you show up, the more doors open — often from places you never imagined.
4. A Stronger Version of Yourself
Hard work isn’t just about surviving challenges.
It’s about discovering who you become after pushing through them.
The Lesson I Carry With Me
There’s a story about the Chinese bamboo tree that grows underground for years before you ever see anything above the surface.
For a long time, I felt like that bamboo tree — working hard, watering the soil, seeing no visible progress.
But then growth happened.
Slowly at first.
Then all at once.
Now, when I look at my business and the journey behind it, I don’t feel proud because it was easy.
I feel proud because I stayed long enough to see the results of the effort nobody else saw.
Final Thoughts
If you’re working hard right now and wondering whether your effort matters, I want you to know something:
It matters. More than you think.
Every late night, every failure, every small step you take — it’s all leading somewhere. It may not show today or next week, but it’s building the foundation for something bigger.
Success isn’t about being lucky or gifted.
It’s about refusing to give up on the days when you have every reason to.
Your breakthrough may be closer than it feels.
And when it comes, you’ll realize the hard work didn’t just build your success — it built you.
