My business bombed—now what?

My last letter to you was at the start of the Middle East conflicts. I felt despondent at that time. My old fears came out, and I thought the world was ending soon, so what’s the use of all we’re doing? I found it hard to convince myself to keep going.

But to cultivate resilience, you must do what must be done despite obstacles. With this in mind, I managed to show up once again.

But in some areas of my life, I’ve been lazy. Because of the external conflicts around me, my vision of the future turned blurry. Personally, I still struggle to decide where to take root for the long term. In my professional work, I’ve reached a status quo, neither retreating nor advancing. And in my business, I’ve dealt with a series of bombed decisions that rocked my peace and stability.

Truly, in business, there are no smooth roads, only bumpy ones. Coming from an accounting background and an entrepreneurial family, I thought that I would know better how to handle the risks.

But in the past months or so, I’ve faced the most common headaches that auditors and accountants usually see as “past, unchangeable outcomes” to analyze and report on. While as a business owner, you’ll see these challenges as “dynamic, difficult choices” that can make or break your bank account and even change your life’s trajectory.

I refer to underperforming employees, lack of motivation, supplier issues, cash flow deficiencies, and yes, even missing inventories. What we have is a small business, but if you’re the one who makes the decisions, any minor mistake would lead to a major cause-and-effect.

I’m looking forward to sharing my future write-ups with you—lessons learned from my entrepreneurial adventures. But first, I must resolve the issues and break out of the difficulties, so that I have something worthwhile to share later.

On a brighter note, I’m happy to share that the print version of Survive and Thrive is almost ready. I received my proof copy a few weeks ago. And I’m making the print version available for order soon, on 15th of April.

Why this date?

April 15 is memorable to me for many reasons. April 15 is the filing deadline for audited financials and income tax returns of many companies in the Philippines. I remember my final April 15 and busy season in an audit firm back then. Usually, on this day, the office holds a party. Plenty of food and karaoke to celebrate the end of the busy season. But for auditors of some companies, especially listed ones, there’s no official end to the busyness. The work continues every quarter.

And that’s why on that day, I was still stuck reviewing the financial statements of a listed company’s subsidiary that just decided to do a late filing. As an auditor, one of the worst situations you can find yourself in is dealing with tentative accounts.

“Tentative” means the company delayed the filing of audited financial statements. Thus, you don’t know when your audit will end, and you’re stuck in an endless loop of follow-ups. This cycle can drag for months, or even years (for messy accounts).

But for my particular client, we’re only dragging the audit for a few days. So, even though my colleagues were already belting out karaoke songs on a small stage at the front, I was at the back of that long open-space office, punching a calculator and trying to focus while people around me sang and danced.

I had an epiphany back then. I would not want my future April 15s to be like this forever. And I guess that was also my cue that I could no longer endure the busy seasons back in my home country.

I left several months after that. More than six years later, I’m now in Brussels, enjoying warm spring days in April. And on April 15th, I’m releasing Survive and Thrive, my first published book. I’ve escaped the busy season horrors as I promised myself. I told myself that I would be doing something different in the future. And I did.

That’s why releasing the book on this day felt gratifying and meaningful. I have no official launch party or whatever other book authors plan. For now, I want to keep things simple. I’ve achieved the most important outcome — putting the book out there. Whatever comes after would just be extras.

I invite you to explore some free excerpts from the book, available through my blog. If you want to read the full book, you can find the Amazon order link below (feel free to share to others whenever it suits you). Note that for now, you’ll only be able to buy the Kindle version. But as of 15th April, you can already order the print version.

It’s been more than a year now since I left the audit path. I’m happy to experience an alternative journey. Even though I miss auditing from time to time, I’ve had no regrets.

How about you? What’s stopping you from building the life you’ve always wanted for yourself? What’s stopping you from pursuing your interests? From starting a business? From quitting your job? Or from moving to another city or country?

I know you might be making lots of excuses now, and I don’t blame you. It’s not a good time. The world feels so uncertain. AI is here to replace me. I don’t know what to do next.

It’s ok to pause and give yourself a chance to hear all the warring thoughts inside you. You’ll know you’re due for a change if you feel that inner pressure, as if something wants to get out. This pressure takes the form of a voice. A persistent alarm bell. And sometimes, signs from all around you. And you know the message is meant for you if it keeps coming back to haunt you. Until the time when you finally listen.

In any case, the world will not wait for you to make up your mind. But if you dare to want something, the universe will conspire to make it happen. The divine will bless your choices. As long as what you’re pining for is a good and beneficial outcome, not something that will harm.

PS. Do you have a grand adventure in your mind, but you’re hesitating to talk about it? Or you simply don’t know where to start? Whenever you’re ready, book a coaching session with me, and let’s explore how we can get you moving forward.

PPS. As always, here’s a gentle reminder amidst the chaos and the noise. Start small. Think big. Be consistent. :)