Start Small

I still remember the days like it was yesterday. When my twin brothers started to do some sketchbooks and journals, they were in their third year of majoring in architecture. They were taught how to make them in their classes as a skill set to have as an architect. Those skills were many among the many that students learn. Those skills, however, stick around for them.    

They came together with a group of friends and came up with an idea to make it a side hustle. They started to sell their products within the campus at first. Seeing that it has market value, they moved on to the outside to some interested individuals. One thing leads to another, and they tip-toed their way into growing their small side hustle.

Throughout their left years on campus, they spent many late nights and weekends trying to beat their deadlines for customers. Architecture by itself is burdensome. They had lots of projects with deadlines, but they still managed to cope with both. Through their hard work and determination, they acquired lots of customers.

They started featuring in local exhibitions and moved on to open their first shop. This was remarkable. A group of friends came together to bring forth a beautiful product that the outside world loved. They named their products Tibeb Leatherworks.

After graduation, however, the team split up. Some wanted to pursue careers in architecture, and others had other dreams. But one of my brothers and his friend continued their business journey. From what it looked like, I say, it was quite a difficult journey. They closed their shop and opened another. They were required to find another workspace. The path was filled with many ups and downs and struggles, but they persevered to reach where they are now.

Today, they celebrate the launch of their second branch. They currently sell their products to many customers. Now, they are showcasing and selling products abroad. Very inspiring. You can learn more about their products here.

In my very brief talk with you today, I wanted to say to you, start small. What we are all capable of is starting small. As small as it takes. As the Chinese philosopher, Lao Tzu said, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step,” I encourage you today to take one small step forward. One day at a time, inch your way toward that dream you have. Starting small doesn’t mean you are not thinking big, a common misconception. It means you are willing to take even the longest path to get where you need to be.

It is not a 100M sprint; it is a marathon. Everyone should run their marathons. There is no competition but us. Our competition is the person we were yesterday, and the challenge is to better ourselves than we were yesterday. We become frustrated when we race a race that is not ours. Seeing other young and successful people on social media makes us anxious. We feel as if we are not of any use. We then indulge in something that is not our calling, trying to prove ourselves to the world. We lose all our energy to a product that takes us nowhere, feeding our initial frustration and fueling our disappointments. So, let’s focus on our race and keep on our tracks. When our time is due, we will get to our finish lines. Not the way we meant it to be but the way it was meant to be.

           Be all you can be and start small.✌

Let me know your comments below.👇