Author: Lydia Loo
Company: Momentshoes
Professional: Founder & Creative Director of Momentshoes
Perseverance is the most remarkable courage in an ordinary life. Small lights can gather into a flame, even an ordinary heart can ignite.
Every slow step is a step in the accumulation of strength. All perseverance will eventually shine.
I disliked studying since young but preferred crafts instead. The intricate processes of sewing, cutting and knitting always brought me focus, joy & peace.
After graduating from high school, I came to Kuala Lumpur to study fashion design. After graduating & entering the fashion industry, I worked very hard for several years but I always felt it wasn’t the path I truly wanted to take.
Until one day, I came across shoes & it all clicked. Shoes not only need to be beautiful, but must also require an excellent structure & practicality hence this combination reignited my passion. From then on, I dedicated myself to the shoe industry & have been doing it for almost thirty years.
I am an introvert & lead a simple life, mostly going to work, coming home & living a quiet life. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve slowly realized that there’s no such thing as a permanent position in the workplace especially in the design industry which is after all, a stage for young people. Rather than staying in the same place, I decided to take a risk for my life.
So I decided to start my own business. This wasn’t just a job change, it was a challenge for myself.
From only being responsible for design to personally facing clients, handling problems & making independent decisions, it would be a lie to say it wasn’t tough.
The beginnings were incredibly difficult. Besides facing skepticism & being looked down upon, insufficient funds became the biggest pressure in life. At the time, I had only 3 thousand ringgit to work with as my start capital. I had to support the brand’s first batch of samples, rent, material costs, marketing… Whether if I can hold on for another one month has always been a question that I asked myself everyday. But I told myself that since I had already made the choice, I had to bravely move forward.
During those days of starting my business, I gained a deeper understanding of the differences between people.
There were two types of people around me.
There’s a type of person who is always talking about you behind your back. They don’t believe you can succeed, impulsive & naive in starting my own business. Some even say sarcastically commented, “We would like to see how long can she last ?” These voices initially hurt me deeply & made me doubting myself. But later I understood that others doubt you because they can’t see the belief in your heart.
Another type of person has always silently supporting me from behind. They don’t say much, only reminding me when I’m at my most exhausted, “Don’t give up.”
They don’t ask how much I’ve earned, only whether I’ve eaten enough & slept well.
They are my parents & my family. It is because of their support that I have been able to get back on my feet time & time again.
As long as you persevere, things will eventually turn around. Looking back, I’m grateful to the version of myself that not giving up.
Every experience, whether bitter or sweet, is a mark of my journey. I want to share this with you who are working hard, don’t be afraid of going slowly but be afraid of not daring to start.
You don’t need to be perfect, but stay focused on your dream & don’t give up as behind all the challenges comes hope, opportunity & personal development.