Building a company is no easy task.
PHOTO WENDY HUNGBy counting down the last few days of 2012, our contributors looked back and reflected upon their year on the road. Last week, Andy, who spent a few months in Asia, presented his concept that Traveling is Always “The Same.” Olivia shared her life in a foreign country: Taking Advantage of Everything Vienna Has to Offer. Lena’s Twenty-Twelve Travels revealed a different side to traveling, inspiration meets reality. Amanda learned Travel Spontaneity this year, while Alex recounted her journey in: Turin, Rome and Honduras. In a toast to 2013, she cheered “to being young; to the late nights and the daring adventures; to the fits of laughter and the joy of ridiculous incredulity; to the instances of awe and the moments of inspiration.” In this year, I can’t believe I started a new company.
PHOTO WENDY HUNGFor me, 2012 began in Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Korea and Shanghai. Then I trailed off to more of Asia, Europe and US cities. 2012 has been utterly kind to me, it gave me the courage to leave a job that I received zero joy from (yes, it only happened in January,) and I achieved a dream that was vividly alive in my mind: creating an inspirational platform about traveling. I’ve always said: if one, just one article on Jetset Times can motivate someone to book a ticket and travel abroad, then all the hardwork is well worth it. During launch week in September, three people personally emailed me to say: the site had inspired them to do just that.
Building a company is no easy task. Conceiving the idea is the breezy part, but to drop everything and devote your complete self to a project that you fully believe in is…well, no words can truly encompass the reality. It’s enormous hardwork, it’s tenacity, it becomes your life. Here are top 5 lessons that 2012 has taught me that I hope all dreamers can take to heart:
1. Know who is around you.
There are more people who are waiting to see you fail than there are to love and support you. So FILTER! Filter your friends. Trust your gut instinct. Know who is truly behind you and most of the time, that eliminates all but family and long-time friends. I’ve discovered that my immediate family and friends from college are those who fully provide unconditional love and support. When in doubt, trust your instinct. Our intuitions and hearts tell us exactly who to give secrets and challenges to.
2. Your gut tells you a whole lot.
We all encounter crossroads, whether they’re personal or business related. Trust your gut instinct. It tells you so much more than you know. In midst of noisy opinions and chaotic schedules, spend few minutes in silence. Lock yourself in a room, and listen to what your mind and heart is telling you. These moments of zen can separate a decision from good to bad, because only you can differentiate what is truly good for your company and what can be considered as miscellaneous.
PHOTO WENDY HUNG3. Go with the flow.
Be versatile. Be adaptive. Be alert. Know the direction that the company is headed, and make waves accordingly. Sometimes, the growth of a company can float as slowly or quickly as you had originally hoped. To be successful, however, is to understand and grasp onto the balance between “timing” and going with the flow. If you need to work faster, then do so. If you need to take more time to refine, then do so. But execute when it is absolutely time to do so.
4. Resonance.
Create a product or content that resonates with the mass. If you feel that the demographic of your product is shifting or that it should be altered, then do your research. What works? What doesn’t work? Create something that your audience can be captivated by. What do the consumers want and need? Know who you’re reaching out to, so that your work can truly resonate in their minds and lifestyles.
5. Passion and patience.
My mother is an international entrepreneur, especially during a time when women did’t have their own companies in Asia. She has always told me: as long as you put your “heart” into whatever you do, you will be successful. I think people underestimate such a powerful statement. Every entrepreneur and artist have immense passion for what they do, it’s the key ingredient that keeps us going especially during times of obstacles. Patience is also imperative since the fruits of our labor may not take form until years later, after tremendous trial and error, testing and waiting. Patience requires never giving up. Without passion, patience is difficult to sustain. Without patience, passion may possibly remain as a hobby rather than a career. Both passion and patience, however, are stemmed from our hearts.
May all of you achieve your dreams in 2013 and check off more countries on your travel wishlist.
Happy New Year!
