How starting e-business saved me..
I almost lost my life in my younger days, until I touched the bug of business
By logic, business is one of the most risky choice you ever made…
But it will be one of the most rewarding life experience you can never regret having.
They teach you valuable stuff.
The power of obsession, drive, and hope.
But the very same three things, almost destroyed me. No joke, let me share a bit of my earlier days with you.
I wasn’t born with a silver spoon, or any close relatives and connections being entrepreneurs, and guide me through best practices of business and life.
Unsurprisingly, I was growing up in a normal neighborhood, and attended neighborhood schools. Although at primary school and secondary school education I am always being placed in top-tier streaming track**, there is one thing missing that others have when I don’t: Which is the art of getting along and maintaining connections.
**Note: (In Singapore before 2014, my primary school streams the best students in their school as Tier A, the average the Tier B, and so on… , Secondary education follows the same streaming too)
This is where my downfall begin. Rejections, exclusions, and bullying take place when I was relatively young, and it hurts my confidence and affected my growth.
Getting along with others and learning how to cooperate isn’t something I learnt since young and it is vicious…
“It was only because men learned to cooperate that we could make the great discovery of the division of labor; a discovery which is the chief security for the welfare of mankind. To preserve human life would not be possible if each individual attempted to wrest a living from the earth by himself with no cooperation and no results of cooperation in the past. Through the division of labor we can use the results of many different kinds of training and organize many different abilities so that all of them contribute to the common welfare and guarantee relief from insecurity and increased opportunity for all the members of society. It”
― Alfred Adler, WHAT LIFE COULD MEAN TO YOU
That’s right, what happens when I attempt to wrest a living without cooperation in the past and present, stagnant and only downfall occurs.
Since secondary school ever since, addictive games took over 80% of my life and I never ever had the mood to study, eat and sleep.
Vicious cycle occurs and it has reached a point that I screwed up my finals, and gotten my grades so bad that I couldn’t go to junior college and only go into polytechnics instead (engineering trade school, lol)
It stayed on for a long time until my rock bottom occured during my first year. I found myself sick and unable to get up from intensive gaming and staying at home.
The rock bottom occurs when I felt lightheaded, legs frozen, as though I lost all motivation in life. I wish to do something about it, and change my life, but I don’t know how. With too much time in my hands and energy, I am obsessed with ruining my life and spilling my soul on RPGs and all sorts.
Also, I am frustrated at how my course-mates get to enjoy that student life and I don’t seem to get it. They have such a bright tiara that I have to look away at a glance, but I just couldn’t cheat myself out of life anymore. I did a pivot on my second year. I got myself nursed back to health, and went back to track.
I have to change or I was going to graduate from my third school without showing others that I could be something.
This is the comeback. I joined my polytechnic’s National Youth Achievement Award Gold program (internationally known as Duke of Edinburgh’s award) and Entrepreurship Club concurrently, right after the student society fairs at my second year of study.
I learnt cooperation, business skills, and value of mentorship here. This is what I learnt.
Along the journey, I discovered my leadership potential through engagement in residential project, community service in adventurous journey, business skills and marketing via the exposure in internships at both an engineering firm and a coaching firm.
Prior to participation in entrepreneurship and leadership society, I have no experience on being able to work with my polytechnic mates to complete a common goal, and learn how to work and cooperate with the presence of differences in personalities and approach to task completion; Now, I am stronger, and wiser.
I learnt that it is okay to embrace differences in personalities and perspectives, because it helps to make the project more comprehensive and complete, and every person has their blind spots, and the help of teamwork, we can cover each other’s weakness.
With increased confidence with every new opportunity to take leadership roles in different organisations such as Youth Corps Singapore, and being a campfire-in-charge for Adventurous Journey, I changed from an initially shy person that does not have sufficient courage, to someone who is driven to learn and grow with every new challenge and responsibility.
This proved to be a hot trigger that spur me to attempt digital businesses after my graduation. But I struggled starting out…
The first time, the financial markets. Invested some of my savings and lost it. I pulled out after realizing that I needed the skills and the stamina, and I don’t have a passion for it.
The second time, will be exposure to digital marketing and sales. My friend happened to drag me in the high-touch, high-quality digital business plan challenge, and I never looked back.
Bringing me into the digital marketing scene is like a colourful digital land with lots of opportunities, value and bonuses far and wide, and I realized that I can make friends all around the world, and listen to their stories, and acknowledge that there is hope in life, because given my drive and skills, I will be able to learn how to solve their challenges, and provide value for them!
Because I have tangible deliverables , which is my skills.
Several obstacles along the way. Being lost on how to get started and what skills to learn so that I can turn my fortunes around.
Fortunately, I am assigned my business plan advisor and with his help and guidance, I am able to formulate a solid business plan and actionable tips.
Being able to formulate my target audience, and the valid methods to reach and convert them into sales cleared up 85% of my business doubts I had.
From there, I got the hopes and the drive I never gotten in such a long time. At this point of writing, I learnt the basics of marketing and the skills required to succeed. It will be a matter of time.
Moral of the story?
Screw fear, and take part in opportunities that will change your life, but it will scare you first.
Especially this online business builder challenge. Although it is at the price of your Starbucks, you will be surprised by their high-touch services and the pay-it-forward type of education, where they want you to take away learning tangible information that will not only change your mindset, you can pick up the right skills to earn you a better income and a life!
Importantly, even if you are new to this digital business scene, when you commit to finish all days of the challenge dilligently, you will be able to walk away with an actionable business knowledge and a plan.
Don’t wait. Don’t regret 15 years later, navigating your unchartered waters for just 15 days.
Click here.
Screw fear,
Vincent Thong
* If you purchase anything through a link in this article, you should assume that I have an affiliate relationship with the company providing the product or service that you purchase, and that I’ll be compensated in some small way at no extra cost to you.
