IT is often assumed that after finishing high school or tertiary education, the easiest and most obvious path is to seek a job.
However, that trend is shifting, with more youths choosing to forge their own paths through entrepreneurship.
Among those who dared to dream, work hard and take risks is content creator Adam Shamil, who started his own line of dessert brands.
From a simple kiosk he is now the proud owner of eight branches – six in Sabah, one in Kuching, Sarawak, and another in Manila, the Philippines.
Throughout his journey, he said owning a local Sabah brand had always been a dream of his, while his travels and stay in the United States inspired the design for the Chunk and Dunk franchise.
“When I started my first kiosk, I used all my life savings at that time to take a leap of faith and risked everything I had just to make my dream come true,” said the 32-year-old.
Adam said that looking back on those sleepless nights and his dwindling savings, there were times when he felt like giving up.
But whenever he recalled promising his mother and grandmother that he would give them a better life, he decided to shake off those feelings and continue.
“I grew up in a humble household and was raised by two single mothers – my mum and grandmother.
“I remember there was a time when we did not have money and I had to follow my grandmother to a neighbour’s house to ‘borrow’ rice.
“Actually, we brought fruits from our backyard to exchange for rice, and those were among the lowest points of our lives,” he said.
People doubted Adam and many criticised his pricing and choice of products. But he responded to the criticism with grace, explained what needed to be clarified and continued improving his food, drinks and service.
Today, with his newest branch recently launched in Gaya Street in downtown Kota Kinabalu, he continues to inspire youths to pursue their dreams and not give up when faced with hurdles.
Meanwhile, while many graduates wait for job opportunities, a group of five 26-year-old youths, led by law graduate Jordan Olisih, chose to create their own by opening a bar called TEM13US (pronounced Tembus).
Coming from various educational backgrounds – including petrochemical technicians, barbers, finance and marketing professionals and a bartender – the friends spent more than two years planning, searching for a location and finally executing their business idea.
Jordan, who graduated from Taylor’s University with a Bachelor of Laws (LLB), said they researched and learnt about managing a business before inviting other friends to join as service crew.
“We are not just doing this for ourselves, but we also want to give opportunities to our peers by creating jobs for them,” he said, urging youths to take a chance because they will never know where it might lead.
