The past few days after coming back from Lombok saw me swathed in bouts of interviews from various sources. I don’t know how they came to know about The Dorsal Effect but I am thankful for the interest and shout out by them nonetheless. I can only hope all this is not too premature and would help me generate more customers by the time my boat trip excursions materialize.
In the meantime I have been having very vivid nightmares and dreams about the actual execution of The Dorsal Effect’s business plan for I always feel stuck at the point where I have to talk to boat owners in Tanjung Luar about the possibility of refurbishing their boats and taking tourists out. I don’t know how to come across as non threatening and sometimes the massiveness of the Tanjung Luar fish market just overwhelms me to feelings of helplessness.
Nevertheless, I think it’s time to register as a business and as I move on to this step to brave me on to other bigger ones to take, I must remember to take stock and be thankful for the journey thus far that has been filled with countless doubts and frustrations.
I remember the first person I have to thank is Jonn, for a year ago he took the time to sit down with me at Truly Harmony to talk me through possibilities and how I could start an ecotourism business on the supply side. Along the path of last year too, I met up with several dear friends who gave me valuable input from the perspective of technopreneurs, divers, social enterprise lecturers and financial advisors to shape my value proposition. Thank you Elwin, Maode, Julian, Wenxiang, Lionel, Jiawei, Rae, Matthew, Vik, Ivan, Robert, Jamie, Willy and Sharon for making time to sit me through my ideas and help them to take shape or deepen in ideology.
The past year has truly been amazing in putting myself out there and having met so many new people in the process, through networking sessions, entrepreneur groups, social enterprise sessions and the likes. I appreciate the many entrepreneurs who have been there and done that and shared their stories with me and extended the arm of help ot mentor me and guide me through the fruition of The Dorsal Effect. Thank you Ai Lin, Matt (Rigbye), Carlos, Nathan (Curry), Mike (Anderson), Fergie (Miller), Zenos, Cameron (Hunt), Elvin (Ang), Elim (Chew), Nawal (Roy), Keith, Tung Han, Jonathan, Isu, Henry, Stephanus, Eka, Adam, Linawaty, Mz, Peter (Bassett) and Chang Ming for crossing paths in life with me in the recent months and for believing in me and the cause and for giving such great support and leverage to advance forwards at times when I felt most stuck.
Thank you Eugene, Evan, Barbs and Henrik, Victor, Catherine, Delphine, Fiona, Sarah, Debbie, Elaine, Sean, Aditya for re-sharing and/or contributing to my Indiegogo campaign (http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/raising-capital-for-the-dorsal-effect) and of course the dear dear ex-students, Jason, Hafiz and Jacob who gave so much of their time and effort to create the beautifully edited business pitch video.
Thank you, all my dear dear ex students and followers who have liked The Dorsal Effect’s Facebook page and shown so much support and love through your likes and re-shares. You have helped so much in gaining reach for The Dorsal Effect.
https://www.facebook.com/TheDorsalEffect
What would I do without the dearest closest ones who help me with all the technicalities and actual work to hoist me forward while still putting up with my bouts of ugly and negative moments of frustration aplenty to bring themselves to continue encouraging me. Thank you, dearest Kern, Mae, Sin, Joyce, Irene, Pam (Soh), Junquan, Phil (Kendall) Wei Yuet, Agus, Ly, sweet Wilson and my dearest brother Winston (despite being so far away from me physically).
I know a shout out of gratitude at this stage may seem a little premature given the huge hurdles before me right now, but I just really felt I should give due credit to all who have given so much of themselves in so many ways just to help me as much as I can and I feel truly truly blessed enough to know I cannot back down and let you down at this point.
Thank you, The Online Citizen and Howard, for giving me air time on your great space despite being in the midst of protest preparation against the MDA licencing. All of you mentioned in this blog post are the ones I am thankful to be blessed with as mentioned in this article:
http://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2013/06/the-dorsal-effect-a-conservation-project-here-and-abroad/
May I make the September trip to Lombok a reality with even more doors opened thereafter and may I drive away all the demons within me, namely laziness, fear, feelings of being too small and inadequate, doubt and feelings of financial insecurity. Let’s move forward!
“Always be in gratitude. Gratitude keeps your heart open, When you give with an open heart, you receive the profound gift of humility” – 29 Gifts, Cami Walker
“Two things define you, your patience when you have nothing, and your attitude when you have everything.”
