Don't Stop Creating

The Six Rockstars, Sg. Pisang Waterfall, April 2016. 

The Notebook

I would say, I have always been a maker for all I’ve remembered. I love notebooks, which girl doesn’t? But at 12, instead of buying the same ol boring factory produced ones, I tailor-made notebooks using card boards as the covers, wrapped with cut-out magazine ads of Givenchy, Dolce & Gabbana, Hermes or Louis Vuitton. Fill them with green A4 papers (because we had tons of them at home from my mom’s Early Learning Centre – a Montessori kinder-garden she run!) folded into two making it an A5 size. Punched two holes at the sides and tied them intact with hot-pink ribbons. I’d gave them away to my closest friends with a personalised love notes on the first page.

At 17, I volunteered for Global Peace Mission and raised funds for the Palestinians by selling these notebooks and celebration cards which was also DIY-ed.

Tim Burton Wannabe

At 14, influenced most by Utopia, Gempakstarz and manga, I started to imagine and make-up stories for a dialogue-based short story on my own and sold them to my tuition mates. Yes, it was only dialogue based as I am not a gifted artist to draw. Although I asked my mom to register me for a drawing class, it went to waste as I couldn’t settle with the teacher. As much as I wanted to be this kid who could just persevere even if I couldn’t settle with the surrounding people, I just couldn’t. Being a total people-person, I am very particular of a person’s personality and if I couldn’t feel how that person’s personality is benefiting me (or how I could benefit them for that matter), I would usually just leave.

I have this, “it should be like this” habit which is annoying I know and I apologise to my family and close friends for having to bear this annoyance. But with having to narrate a story on my own, I was able to create a story just ‘like how it should be’ and I loved every bit of this job!

Asian Mary Berry

Hah, not even close! But, I love the fact how passion really drives people and at 81 this legendary baker is still giving an impact to the world of baking and cooking! I loved baking (note the use of ‘d’ – because to be honest, I really don’t know now).

I started baking since I was 11 inspired by the children playbook I found in my dad’s library. My family was undergoing a horrible financial crisis that time but when I told my mom I wanted to bake the lemon cookies with orange icing, she brought me the ingredients nonetheless. Hey, I was too young to be able to understand my parents’ struggles that time. But it was true for whatever good you invested in, it becomes an asset. So I continued baking, mostly making cookies but at one point in life I thought about how great it would be if other people could also taste my bakes.

At 20, I started my own baking business which I named Magnifique Bonbons. It was also an initiative to raise funds for the Cambodia Humanitarian Mission I directed under my college. I would say that it was a success for me. Although looking back at it, I realised how very little I knew about baking but my guts were bigger than my fear. So I proceeded and learned a long the way.

The not-so Gisele Bundchen

I partnered up with my friend who had a clothing line business and became her model. We agreed for every piece of bakes I sold, the buyer gets a 5% off her clothes which was donated into my Supercake for the Cambodians fundraising project.

Business-Class Couple

When I continued my studies in the UK, I had a major identity crisis which I didn’t even know I had – I stopped doing most of the things that I used to do back in Malaysia (not because I wanted to but because I was a little bit culturally shock). So I searched for comforts in new things especially travelling. I could have gone to Egypt alone for internship when the Morsi riot was ongoing. Which my uncle would have been proud of, if I fell as a martyr there. And I could have succeeded my childhood dream of seeing what Africa is really like. But, ‘thanks’ to my husband – my boyfriend then for brainwashing me to believe that I did not have to go to such places alone (he promised we’d go there together one day. So yes, we’re working on that).

While I was having a break from my entrepreneurial ventures, my husband was not. He was forever persuading me that I could sell my Nasi Lemak (because he knew I wouldn’t wanna bake anymore). Oh my god I tell you, he’s an amazing persuader. Don’t know how he does it. It’s not at all desperate. It’s a sharp convincing message in all the calmness.

And so we did sell Nasi Lemak during the Sidney Grove backyard sale, and how the Brits loved the sweet chicken rendang! We even knocked door-to-door and offered our Pakistan neighbour Nasi Lemak with sweet chicken rendang for free.

“It’s a Malaysian spice,” said us.

“It’s okay, we have our own spices,” replied the mam. And when she shut her door, we both instantly looked at each other puzzled, and burst out laughing. Hahahahahahahaha! Couldn’t help that, sorry!

Then, my husband did it again during Ramadan last year when he convinced me we could sell Roti Johns. I despised the idea because cooking is god, tiring. I didn’t wanna do it. But, determined into bringing out and nurturing my entrepreneurial self again, he added “Imagine how great it is to give people amazing food to eat, we could distribute them to the homeless in town and we could get all creative about it too!”. Aaaaaaaaaaah, and we supplied about a hundred Roti Johns during Ramadan.

The Next Steve, Richard & Elon

Now fired to change the world just like how these three entrepreneurs did it, we are hoping to get entrepreneurial again. But, don’t wanna say anything about it not wanting to jinx it! Researching and developing sure take time. We’ll see how it turns out. And one thing for sho, thank God I never really got tired of writing! Alhamdulillah…

Everyday, there are many futures fighting for your attention. But, it’s the one you pay most attention to that happens.

So, what’s your entrepreneurial story?