How It All Began...

Let me tell you a story.

My story.

A simple tale about how

determination,

perseverance

&

belief,

grew into a

beautiful & unique 

retail concept 

in

Kuala Lumpur,

Malaysia.

Back at a time when the

internet and smart phones

were not on anyone's

imagination.

Let alone pockets.

Kuala Lumpur was a small city,

in a small country in

South East Asia.

This was a time of the

 fax.

That almost extinct office

apparatus.

People still wrote

 letters,

and used stamps.

I did.

This was 1990.

In South Africa,

 President de Klerk announced

that

 Nelson Mandela

will be released.

I was restless.

( So was he )

I knew there was a

 professional calling 

out there.

Something that I could

pour my 

heart & soul

into.

Uncertain.

Hesitant.

Impatient.

We've all been there.

My gut feeling shouted...

"Just Do It!".

I guess that was a 

Nike

moment.

So, I pack some stuff

& flew to

Kota Bahru,

Kelantan.

On the east coast of

Peninsula Malaysia.

In search of batik manufacturers.

Enthusiasm

is certainly

infectious.

Before long, 

I had a few printers willing to

"Take A Chance On Me".

Samples were made.

I can't tell you the joy of handling

those very first

 lengths of batik.

It must have been akin to motherhood?

I was lost for words.

( bet you Toni Morrison can...)

When I saw those 

beautiful batiks,

I immediately knew that this was it.

That this was the way to go.

The path I must follow.

And the rest is history.

Well...sort of.

We cannot hide behind our beliefs

and

creative energies.

"Don't count every hour in the day

Make every hour in the day count"

And in the words of a good friend,

Bryce,

I must

"turn culture into a commodity".

Sometimes,

I felt like a 

salmon

swimming upstream.

In reality, I was an

anchovy

in a 

BIG 

pond.

Nowadays, I still work 24/7.

Still striving to be

innovative.

Make a better product.

Both inside & out.

It's great to 

weave a dream

Making it happen is something else.

We're still constantly trying

to separate ourselves from the pack.

And have merchandise that

stand out.

No detours.

No options.

No second guesses.

Only to maintain and grow

what we started.

If I had to offer advice to someone starting a business,

it would be 

"to be prepared to work harder

than you've ever had"!

Constantly focusing and

accentuating the 

positive.

You may be creative.

and 

you may have the know-how.

But without that secret ingredient,

"sweat & tears"

it ain't going to happen.

A dream remains a dream,

unless 

you

make it happen.

Like I mentioned before,

"the cream ain't going to whip itself"!

Let's face it,

placing merchandise on the shelves,

does not mean it will sell.

There won't be any

honey

if bees stop working.

Stick to your 

conviction,

hold on to your

 beliefs.

Let no one whisper

negativity to 

sway you.

But you know what?

Being magnificent

is not easy.

You must be able to 

"walk the talk".

But I have fun.

I enjoy being 

creative.

Putting it all together.

And the results show.

We now have a

 voice.

Team work is crucial.

So is 

coordination.

Being cheerful helps.

Never loosing track of where

 we're heading

or

where we

came from.

Our work is a 

reflection

 of ourselves.

Swim against the tide,

...enjoy the ride.

You'll get there one day!!!

Thank you for making

it happen!