Cofounder of MIEA Health, Ho Whei Chern shares three lessons from year one of her journey as a startup entrepreneur.

On the first anniversary of growing my startup, I had coffee with Catherine Yong, Editor of CXpose who asked an intriguing question:

If you knew then, what you know now, what would you do differently?

It was a difficult question to answer. Because the question assumes a certain level of success to be able to dish out advice on pitfalls to avoid. My fledgeling startup is still at the very beginning of a very long journey.

Wanting to be an entrepreneur is different from being an entrepreneur.

Being older and female with children, not being tech- or finance-trained puts me on the tail end of any investor’s list.

However, in the startup space where failure is the rate of 95%, I’m happy to say we celebrated our 1st anniversary with funding from a national agency, a growing list of corporate clients, and a refreshed team.

I have no authority to share about how to run a successful enterprise, but I do have some personal learnings on how to survive the most gruelling first year of trying to get an idea of the reality of a business.

Wanting to be an entrepreneur is different from being an entrepreneur. The journey from dreaming to doing is hard and humbling. It is also incredibly fun and fulfilling.

Here are 3 lessons from the first year of keeping my fledgling enterprise alive.

1. Have a loving family

Here, I define Family as having someone or a group of people who love each other unconditionally despite shortcomings.

I have met founders and even investors who believe that a good businessperson should be 110% committed to their enterprise. Family will only drag them down. I have always thought that to be unsustainable. Enterprise is a marathon not a sprint. Burn out and depression is very real.

Having good friends and family will anchor your self-worth and sustain your happiness quotient no matter how tough things get. You will need a strong foundation to recharge your emotional core because rejection and failure is an everyday affair.

There is a Chinese saying “成家立业” which translates to “Establish the family then the business.” That makes a whole lot of sense to me. With a happy family, there is a sense of freedom. You have a group of people who remind you daily that you are more than just your venture. You are ready to challenge the world.

So, invest in your happy place before you set forth on your arduous adventure.

1. Be comfortable with Uncertainty

In my younger days, I used to live with the mantra “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” And having lived through many failed plans, I now start with the understanding that things will go wrong. And that is just the universe telling you to find another way.

Before I begin, I prepare for the worst while planning for the best outcome. First, think of the best scenario and what are the ways that can get you there. Then think of the worst case scenario, mentally prepare yourself and have a plan for what to do when that happens.

Know that your best-laid plans will need to change as new information and realities occur. You need a team that can remain flexible and pivot when necessary. There is no shame in changing your mind.

Understanding that the loop of decision, action and outcome is building an invaluable knowledge bank for you and the team will turn your entrepreneurship journey from worry into wonder.

1. People before profits

Be generous with your skills and talents. Be a mentor, help others, open your knowledge bank for others to tap on. Your efforts in wanting to genuinely give value to others will help you build new skill sets, grow your network and amplify your circle of influence.

We all start an enterprise because there is a problem we want to solve. With every new lead, we ask how we can help improve their business. We ask questions more than we pitch solutions.

Understanding that the loop of decision, action, and outcome is building an invaluable knowledge bank for you and the team will turn your entrepreneurship journey from worry into wonder.

Even if they do not become our clients, we want to leave them with options on how they can improve or solve some of their issues. We often recommend other solutions that we find may fit their needs better. We make friends rather than clients.

Likewise, I do not see competitors but rather people I can learn from, and collaborators with potential services I can refer friends/clients to. I would rather have the joy of being a friend than the stress of having a competitor. The world is big enough for multiple providers and none of us can single handedly solve all the world’s problems. The pie is not static but ever growing. There is enough business to go around.

There is a principle of reciprocity, that some might call it karma. As you help others, others will help you. The trust and friendship you build over the years will be your network on which you start your enterprise.

These are just some of the life lessons I have come to incorporate into my life. I hope you find them useful as you navigate through your respective journeys.

Would love to know your thoughts.