Bebebows: Don't let your first failure break you.

I know, how fragile entrepreneurs are. You have spent months on end building up courage to finally start something, and you are hesitant with coming out as an entrepreneur - more afraid of what people would say to that, then worry about the challenges that are about to come your way. Your heart breaks easily, and people's words clouded your head even when they are not actually saying anything to you. Yet. You are worried about failing because you know, for sure, you are not capable of this. Entrepreneurship is new and it's harsh. You know that, and you wanted to win all the way so you don't have to face your failures or your weaknesses. Deep down, you know that's never the case.

I started my first business making hair accessories (bows) for little girls. It started out with my daughter who was born without hair, that I started watching on Youtube how to make bows with grosgrain ribbons. Ilana, my 3 months old daughter then in 2009, started wearing it and I created collection of bows that matches her every outfit! Her pictures went on social media, and soon a pool of mothers with 'bald' newborns and baby daughters needed some for their babies too. I started making more, and earning money and was happy all along. I learn to build my own website, and take in orders - and wondered how hard can this be! Easy peasy.

I was tired of handling those individual orders, earning SGD $15 with what feels like 100 correspondences back and forth over that they want, and how they want it. I was juggling a newborn and a toddler, was also a private tutor in the day time - so it's not long before this whole entrepreneurship dream starts to take a toll on me. I wanted to start supplying department stores, because it would be easier to supply a giant retail store who will be handing the thousands of customers on my behalf. My confidence built up, and I was so sure I have created something incredible.

So I wrote my first proposal deck to a potential client, one of Singapore's leading department store at that time. They had 4 major outlets then (2 now after they shut down the other 2) and I wanted to speak to them if they could support a small grown business like me to supply to their stores. I sent through a proposal through the main contact email, and it was passed on to the buyer who then requested I came in for an appointment.

I was ecstatic to be able to clinch that appointment. But being a stay home mother for at least five years before that, I had zero confidence to attend the meeting. The last work meeting I attended was when I was 20 before I got married. So I told my husband then, Paul to come with me. We took our 2 children to Takashimaya and he waited for me at the lobby, keeping my newborn and toddler son occupied - while assuring me everything will be fine. I was nervous, coming from a stay home mother - a nobody. I had no achievement or track records, no money for the matter, my brand being so new had no publicity and I was nowhere near being a real business person. I was just a mother, making bows, raising children at home - who is now trying to please a Buyer in a major department store.

The meeting turned out to be a complete disaster. There were two buyers in the meeting, and I was not even sure my attire was professional enough for them. I was explaining to them my product, before they both decided to rudely interrupt saying they have seen better products from Korean suppliers. I tried to explain that my products are handmade, and no factory from anywhere in the world could create something of the same uniqueness. They said my packaging was not superb, which I agreed but my business was only 3 months old, and I was willing to learn how to improve it from a retail consumer point of view. It turned out to be so demeaning and demoralising. There was no support for a local home grown business like mine, of course, we are nothing compared to the many established suppliers they have been working with. I tried so hard to hold back my tears literally counting the minutes to when the meeting will end, and by then negativity started clouding my mind affirming me that I probably was not that great after all. "What was I thinking?"

The meeting ended, and I rushed to leave the meeting room. I was professional enough to shake their hands, and leave politely but all I could think of, was hugging my two children waiting in hope, at the lobby with Paul.

And when the lift door opened and I caught sight of my family - I can't hold it back anymore. I burst into tears at how much my hopes were dampened, my heart is broken and how silly I feel to have thought I had an amazing product when the experts told me indirectly 'it was just a piece of shit'. Then all my dreams, that I had for the weeks before that of seeing my brand in their stores, dissipates into thin air. I was so hurt that I wanted to swear to myself to never think I should dream this big anymore.

I am no one, and I will always be no one.

Six months later entering 2010, I was still selling on social media to some fans and family. The attraction rate got higher and by that time, 16,000 mothers had followed me on social media to support my business. It built back my confidence once more with their encouraging messages and repeated orders. I even did a private sale at my home on Sunday morning and 12 mothers came to buy stuff. After 3 hours, I made $700 and I was so pleased to myself for I have never earned that much in that little time. Regardless, I did not dare to supply the stores because the thought of meeting with buyers in reputable stores trying to convince them of my brand - still haunts me.

Watch this video as Leza shares her journey starting Bebebows as her first company.

In June 2010, a friend of mine, Christine called. We known each other for ten years before that through my early days of work before marriage but kept in touch. We hardly see each other but social media kept us connected. She asked me if I would like to consider supplying to Malaysia instead as she was one of the logistics manager for MetroJaya Department Stores. MetroJaya is Malaysia's 4th leading department stores with over 9 major retail stores in 4-5 states. She was based in KL, and she rode the train to work every day with the company's buyer. She has put in some words for me, being the nice friend she has always been, and the buyer agreed to meet me in person. At this point, I have not visited KL (Kuala Lumpur) for close to 8 years and I was not willing to travel that far alone, without my family, to enter another meeting that would most probably crushed me into pieces.

I was going to say NO.

Then it turned out my Malaysian cousin whom I have not seen since I was 11 was getting married that very month. She called me to make sure I come, threatening to disown me if I did not come for her wedding. I knew my family (Paul and the children) are going to come along, so I extended an extra day after the wedding to attend this meeting with the buyer of MetroJaya Sdn Bhd.

The weather was hot and I was worried the babies would be uncomfortable. I told Paul to rest in the hotel, and I will learn how to make my way there. I took a cab and arrived to the building, where I was ushered into a meeting room before Venus, the buyer enters. Believe it or not, when she came to that room, I already had a white furry table cloth laid on the table where I had neatly arranged 30 of my best collection of hair accessories. These 30 accessories are handmade by my own hands, ranging from clips to hair bands to hats. By then I had altered my presentation deck and re-packaged my brand hoping it would look more professional than what it was before.

She was kind, welcoming and friendly - nothing of what I had imagined. She was positive, encouraging and supportive. I had Ilana's photos (my daughter) displayed as the packaging so customers could imagine how the bows look like on their daughters too. She was probably more touched to see my dream of making this work, for my daughter and family and she told me - "How about you supply 3 of our stores in KL first, and we see how it goes from there?"

I cannot believe it. My heart started to race and jumped for joy, and I don't remember how many times I had said thank you for the opportunity. It's a breakthrough as a stay home mother, now scaling her product to be displayed in one of the biggest retailers in the region. I swear I was not going to disappoint her, and even though there are many days that I was flying to KL and doing visual merchandising which ended my day leaving me extremely famished than ever - I was happy beyond all that!

The day I saw my products displayed in the department store is one of the best memories of my life.

I saw mothers in Malaysia browsing through the collection, I personally made from home in Singapore and hand carried across the border. I saw my daughter's images displayed all over the stand, and suddenly I was earning more than I had expected. Six months after that, within the same year, Venus allowed my brand to enter all their 9 stores and suddenly I was visiting their others stores in Penang, Johore and Sabah. My family made $15,000 additional over Christmas month in 2010 which was the most income I have ever earned in a month.

Fast forward within the next two years, Bebebows Pte Ltd went on to serve 54 department stores from OG, Metrojaya, John Little, Parksons Online, Toys R Us and many independent outlets. From the mother who stayed up till 3 am making bows, I then train other mothers to do for me and finally outsourced to factories in China to produce for me (yet keeping the designs as unique as possible) - just to keep up with the orders. Our packaging was further improved, so it our visual marketing efforts and we eventually produced our own accessories range i.e. bracelets and necklaces to compliment our hair accessories. We have started supplying to Europe, Thailand and China on top of displaying our brand in the major retailers across Singapore & Malaysia.

It inspired more competitors, and changed the trend of how baby girls now needed a bow to compliment their dress. And every single month, my company that started from home served tens of thousands of mothers - mothers I never knew but mothers who adored what I designed.

But it was not the money or the success that wins me.

But the fact that all it takes for a person like me to be successful is the first person who believed in me who is also capable to create that very opportunity I needed.

Venus is still my very good friend, though she has left MetroJaya many years back. Sometimes I would visit her Facebook page and she visits mine too, to see our children development and making sure we are both doing well. And if I were to visit Malaysia, we would be catching up as friends without a doubt.

To her, it was only an opportunity, and that she just wanted to support a mompreneur when she walked through the door for the meeting in June 2010 to see me. But she did not realise that, at that time, it was not just about a mother.

It was a broken mother who had lost all hope and confidence of doing anything more than just selling on Facebook. I had placed all my dreams into safe box from the first meeting I had in Singapore, just so my heart will not break again. And I was battling demons inside to keep up my fighting spirit for my family at the same time. That was who I am and whom she met that day.

Today, since that exponential growth - it formed my track records. The media was all over the story of how a home grown brand outgrew a home, and I was in newspapers every other month. The brand name escalated to be in the minds of every mother who had daughters, and my story as the Founder became a inspirational beacon of light for many other stay home mothers running small scale businesses to look up to. I even wrote a book about this and over 7000 people downloaded since 2013 to read it.

I did the book launch in 2013 and over 150 people turn up for the physical copy of the book, personally autographed. You can click here for photos of the event.

My track records went on to help me raised my first capital funding in September 2011 where I received $75,000 in one week from strangers who has been reading my business blog. I grew into my role as Managing Director, hired more people, handled more investors and grow to be the person I am today.

I can never repay Venus for that chance that change my life, my finance, and me completely. There is no price to pay that debt, and I would like to be forever thankful to her. So instead now, I am committed and spend a lot of time, helping so many other mompreneurs to realise their dreams, and grow their role in business while they raised their children. And I lecture universities to guide the younger generations on how to build their brand and business.

And if someone tells you mothers cannot make it, I would like to proudly admit as a leading example of someone who'd completely defied that stereotype.

To all the mothers still struggling, crying, hearts broken, and surrounded by negative opinions - I know how it feels. And I am here to guide you through. Don't let someone's opinion break you enough to destroy your own dreams for yourself and your children.

Keep the chin up. Your fighting spirit is inspirational. To read how I started Bebebows office from home, read here.