With just RM33 left in his savings, Ade Azhar Ismail decided to return to where his business journey began: selling on the streets.
The entrepreneur, known as Ade, had spent nearly 16 years as a businessman and CEO of a distribution company, earning a five figure income before financial difficulties hit.
According to Harian Metro, he began selling nasi lemak from the boot of his car after his company started operating at a deficit.
Although he initially felt embarrassed, the decision eventually helped him earn RM9,000 in profit within his first month.
His team shrank from 60 employees to 14
Speaking to Harian Metro at his selling spot near Seksyen 9, Ade said he had never held a salaried job and began his working life selling toys through direct sales.
In 2009, he became the CEO of his own company, distributing products such as air fresheners, storybooks, children’s books and Islamic reading materials.
At one point, he had 60 employees. However, that number eventually dropped to 14.
According to Ade, most of those who left were Gen Z employees who were no longer interested in direct sales. The shrinking sales team, along with the departure of some business partners, affected the company.
Despite these difficulties, the company remains in operation with its remaining staff.
Ade chose to stop drawing a salary and started selling nasi lemak to earn an income, with the remaining proceeds going towards the company.
Initially felt embarrassed to face people he knew
Returning to roadside selling was not an easy step for him.
“At first, I did feel embarrassed to face my siblings, relatives and staff,” he said.
However, remembering his own beginnings in direct sales helped him move past those feelings. Friends and fellow business owners also turned up to buy his nasi lemak as a show of support.
Meanwhile, his family, including his wife, knew nothing about the difficulties he was facing because he had chosen not to tell them.
The father of one said they only found out on his 15th day of selling nasi lemak.
His wife had not realised what he was doing as he sourced the nasi lemak from a distant relative instead of preparing it himself.
Started with 30 packets and sold every one
On his first day, Ade brought just 30 packets of nasi lemak to sell.
He admitted feeling discouraged and like a “loser” before starting. But as customers began buying, his confidence grew.
By the end of the day, every packet had been sold.
Encouraged by the response, he kept going. His venture also gained attention after a video of him went viral on social media.
Ade said his first month’s profit reached RM9,000. By day 53, he began recruiting workers and expanded to five additional locations using the same car boot setup.
At the time of the interview, he and his staff were bringing up to 1,200 packets of nasi lemak a day to sell across their locations.
They operated in two shifts, with the first starting at 8.30am and the second at 5pm, continuing until everything was sold.
Urges others to let go of embarrassment and ego
Of course, selling outdoors comes with challenges, including rain and keeping up with growing demand.
Still, Ade said he had sold out every day from his first day through to day 81, when the interview took place.
While the work was tiring, he enjoyed meeting customers, including those who travelled from afar to support him.
For others facing similar struggles, his advice was to take the first step with whatever experience and resources they already had.
“Let go of embarrassment and ego. Find a way out of your problems,” he said.
“Don’t be afraid to start. God willing, we can rise again and rebuild what we once worked for, even if we have to start from the bottom.”
Ade also viewed the hardship as a reminder from God to reflect on his past mistakes and make improvements.
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