Case Study 1: Leap of Faith
Four years ago when Peter Thaveepolcharoen, 27, quit a B100,000 a month job to start a new, untested business, everything was uncertain. Today, his donut brand, Daddy Dough, brings in annual sales of B80 million a year.
Did you already have a background in food?
Well, my education background is diverse. I originally studied computer science but I didn’t do well so I changed to study travel industry management. After I finished school my father asked me to come back to help the family food business.
Oh, so you had things easy. You had the family business waiting for you.
Well actually, I didn’t want to run a restaurant. Plus, when I joined the family business, I discovered that it was difficult to fit into a system that already ran perfectly. So I told my dad I quit; not surprisingly, he was mad. Fortunately, I got a job as an account executive at a software company that paid pretty well. I could make as much as B100,000 a month.
Was it difficult deciding to give that up to start something from scratch?
It was. I was leaving a B100,000 salary for an uncertain future. What if the project failed? But I decided it was worth it because if it succeeded, everything was going to be mine.
Why donuts?
It was actually Roti Boy that inspired me. When they first appeared in Bangkok it was just like the US, where people queued up for Krispy Kreme. I wanted to recreate that phenomenon. It was also due to my family, as I used my father’s old donut recipe. That’s the reason I named the company Daddy Dough.
So it worked?
Well, not quite as I imagined but it was good. I first opened a small donut shop in part of my father’s restaurant in August 2006. Sales were OK but the big change came when we opened the Siam Paragon branch in December 2007, after ten-months of negotiations. It meant more people knew the brand and it made our life easier when we asked to open shops in other places.
What’s the key to your success?
Effort. Before Paragon I went to see so many buyers to ask for a small space in their malls, and mostly failed. Working side by side with my family was another factor. I was fighting with my dad a lot but you know what, it was actually a combination of our ideas that worked best.
Is it hard working with the family?
Yes. You can’t really separate your work life and personal life. When my dad and I are fighting over business, I don’t even want to talk to him. But at least I can be certain that we are always being sincere.
So with huge annual sales it seems like life is perfect.
Running your own business you don’t really ever get a holiday. A three-day weekend? Forget it, I’ve never had one—and never will. When you’re an employee you can forget everything about work on weekends, but I can’t. Even when I stroll in the shopping mall I’m thinking about business. But I’m OK with it. I look for other joys in life. I still go out on Friday nights or stay overnight at nearby beaches.
Case Study 2: Step Up
We might not have caste system in Thailand but when you only have a vocational school diploma and have been working as bar staff, a waiter, motorcycle taxi driver and messenger for almost 20 years, you pretty much know your place in society. But two years ago, Rangsan Yoopochana, 31, proved you don’t have to settle for what you’ve got by trading his motorbike in for a full-time writing position at Daco magazine.
What jobs have you previously done?
I was bar staff at Taurus and Aqua when I was around 18, then a waiter at Singha beer garden. I then became a motorcycle taxi driver for a while until I ended up working as a messenger at Daco ten years ago. All crappy jobs. Thanks to my laziness, I didn’t even get a higher vocational diploma because I cut school too often.
So how did you become an editorial writer?
Daco regularly has a space in the magazine for people to comment on issues. I just wrote what I thought issue by issue. They then translated my writing into Japanese for the Japanese editor to see. Turns out, he really liked what I had to say. I can’t remember exactly how long it took, months or years, but eventually we talked and he offered me a job.
Can you describe what you do now?
I first became an editorial assistant, doing research and fact checking. Once I got used to the system, I started writing—but for Daco Japan first. I wrote in Thai and they would translate it into Japanese. Now I’m writing for Daco Thai, but my stories also get published in the Japanese version too, from time to time.
So what was the hardest part with your career change?
To me the hardest thing was overcoming my fear. I didn’t know if I was good enough to do the job. I had to learn everything from scratch: interviewing, typing, and even using a computer. Not to mention my poor English, that still has to be improved. I was very worried at first, but eventually I got used to it.
Do you plan on going back to school to study?
I was thinking about it but no. I think you can learn more from the job, from the environment, from experiences and events. That’s more useful to me than anything I could learn at any school.
So you are happy with your decision.
Kind of, yes. I still live a happy life. Being a messenger I had a lot of freedom. But as a writer you have the chance to meet people and learn new things. The pay is better, too.
Case Study 3: Seize the Dream
Orawan (39) and Charoen (38) Othong first met each other eight years ago. They then got married and spent their honeymoon pursuing Orawan’s childhood dream to travel around the world. The only difference was, they did it on bicycles, visited 43 countries, took six years altogether and then published four bestselling books about the experience.
What were you doing before your journey?
Wan: I was working for the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok while Moo was an assistant engineer.
It sounds like you had good jobs, why did you decide to give it all up?
Wan: Traveling the world is everyone’s dream. And when I met Moo, he taught me to ride a bike and I became hooked. Then I read about a program called Odyssey 2000 Around the World bike tour. I was eager to collect a million baht and join them, but when I told my friend, Tom Claytor [a pilot and explorer], he said that I wouldn’t like it as it was too posh, too hiso. He said if I wanted to go, why not set out on our own?
Weren’t you scared?
Wan: Yes, it was tough at the beginning because everything was still tentative. But Tom urged us to just go for it, otherwise the dream would never come true. I agreed and we did. It was tough: at the beginning 90% of the potential sponsors we spoke to rejected our project. It was understandable, we weren’t athletic or celebrities. But once our first supporters came on board, more started pouring in.
Six years! How come it took so long?
Moo: Because we found so many interesting things and experienced so many activities that we wanted to try on the way. Sure you can do it quicker but then you only set a record, you won’t learn anything.
What was the biggest challenge?
Wan: A lack of awareness. We traveled through places and situations we hadn’t known before. It was a long journey among people who speak alien languages. We didn’t have a warm house to sleep in. We also had to take care our marriage as we had to see each other every minute for six years. That required good planning and management. I couldn’t do it alone. It’s good to be a couple.
Everyone would love to quit their job and travel the world, so any suggestions?
Wan: Don’t fear what you can’t see—I mean the future. Aim high and be determined. It all starts at the beginning.
Moo: Be respectful and believe that there are changes every single day. I believe that if you dare to change for your dreams today, great things always await.
What are you guys doing now?
Wan: Even before we started the trip I wanted to launch a series of books telling the story of our experience.
Moo: We’re giving speeches to organizations and educational institutions to inspire people. We try to contribute to society as much as we can.
Wan: We don’t necessarily want people to start cycling around the world like us but we would like to encourage people to get up and chase their dreams. It doesn’t need to be a big dream. Our story is only an example to show that realizing your dream is possible.
How has it changed your thoughts on money?
Moo: Even though we have less money than six years ago, we have no debts and we’re certainly happier. Money buys material things. But when you fulfill your dreams, you fulfill your happiness. To me, better health comes from happiness, not money.
Case Study 4: The Dream Job?
Stephane Junca’s job is to stay at luxury hotels all over Asia and decide if they’re good enough for Relais & Chateaux, a group of high end independent hotels. Yes, such a dream job exists, it’s called Director of Development.
We heard you ran a resort in Bali before your current job. How did you land that gig?
Well, the first big “accident” in my life was that I didn’t want to do military service [Junca is French] so I had to work abroad for a French company instead of undergoing military training. I wasn’t particularly attracted to Asia, but landed in Jakarta in 1996 and I’ve lived in Asia ever since. I was involved in tourism, consulting for the Indonesian Tourism Board and then got a job in Bali, managing a hotel’s marketing and communications. I then went on to manage the whole property.
Well that sounds like a dream job already.
I was getting a bit frustrated, actually. I would be in the same hotel for weeks at a time. And the company wasn’t expanding. There were no possibilities for me to progress.
And that was a Relais & Chateaux hotel, right? Is that how they offered you a job as a site inspector?
It wasn’t that simple. The property was the only R&C hotel in the region and we felt very isolated. So we told R&C what they needed to do here and quit the organization. They didn’t really care at the time. It was a very old-fashioned group with a strong focus on France. But the group’s president is actually elected by the member hotels, so in 2005, they voted in this young Spanish guy, and he wanted to go global. Only by then, I had gone off to China to open some boutique hotels.
I don’t supposed you hesitated for long when the offered you a job that consists in checking out luxury hotels?
When I quit the boutique hotel venture, we hadn’t opened a single hotel. I was in Kunming, in Yunnan, China, and even the pollution of Shanghai was a welcome break from the boredom of the countryside. So, yeah, I was pretty happy to quit.
So, is Director of Development the perfect job?
You do have to file reports after you visit a place, and when you select a property to be part of the group, you have to approach them and educate them about the group. But I’m not complaining. You meet wonderful people. That’s my favorite thing about the job.
How many hotels have you been to?
I must have seen some 300 in three years and signed up about 30. I’m more selective about which places I visit now but in the first three months of my job, I must have seen 60 properties.
What makes a great hotel?
There’s the obvious stuff like cleanliness, luxury, good food… But actually, I’m looking for places with a lot of soul. If when you come into the property you’re not welcomed by someone who actually shares the history, or at least the story, behind the place, then that’s a deal breaker.
And your worst visit?
The worst are when you expect a lot—then you can be really disappointed. I checked out this heritage home in Penang. I’d heard so much about but it was dirty, with no service, it stank… It was terrible. But sometimes you get really nice surprises. I stayed at this tea plantation that was surrounded by this drab military zone and suddenly you step into the place and it just had the most wonderful atmosphere.
Could there be anything better than your current job?
Having my own place. I’ve seen so many hotels, made so many comments, sometimes I want to keep those critiques and ideas for something of my own. I don’t have the money yet but I have the contacts.
Case Study 5: Making a difference
Nada Rangsikansong, 26, was a media planning executive at a leading media agency when she realized her job was consuming her personal life. She quit and joined the human resources department at one of the world’s biggest petroleum companies. She found little satisfaction there either. She then worked part-time for a non-profit organization and feels like this is finally the right match for her.
How did you get into a non-profit organization?
Actually, I quit my previous job without a backup plan. It just didn’t fit my personality or interests despite the great benefits and salary. When the NGO job came up, the opportunity was just too good to pass up. I was a contract language/integration facilitator for an American non-profit organization, teaching Thai and training cross-cultural understanding to volunteers who come to do voluntary work in Thailand. The project normally takes place in small communities outside Bangkok.
And you fell in love with the job?
Yes! I can say that this is the greatest job I have ever had, even though it wasn’t even a full-time position! I discovered that I prefer field work to office work. After my second job, I started to wonder if I am a khun nuu who can’t deal with tough work. But this job has proved that if you keep searching, you will definitely find something that you like. Just don’t give up.
Any challenges you experienced when changing jobs to a completely different field?
You need to work harder than others because everything is new to you. On the other hand, you won’t be bored. And learning new things is definitely an adventure for me. It keeps your working life exciting.
Now that the contract’s ended, what are you going to do?
I am studying for a Master’s Degree in International Development, in the UK. I can’t wait to get back to work.
bk asks: What is your dream job?
Sallie Naris, 27, flight attendant
Porn star.
Clare Measures, 32, teacher
I would like not to have to work. Or a chocolate tester.
Praphaphit Leephatnakijtavorn, 20, Student
Any job that comes with a lot money.
Arthit Limpong, 29, graphic designer
I’d love to be a painter. Creating pure pieces of art without using Mac.
Sineerat Chaiwongsuriya, 24, secretary
Own a restaurant full of beautiful and warm decoration, which is perfect for a party or celebration.
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