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From Boardrooms To Boutiques: My Journey Back To A Dream

Discussion in 'Snippets of Life (Non-Fiction)' started by SGBV, Oct 15, 2025.

  1. SGBV

    SGBV IL Hall of Fame

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    I’ve always known I had a little entrepreneur living inside me. Even before I chose to study Business Administration, the urge to start something of my own was already there, whispering in the back of my mind, waiting for its moment.

    Maybe it runs in my blood. My mother was my first inspiration. She has always been my role model. She used to sell coconut toffees to the children who came for tuition at her little centre, and in between classes, she would sew dresses for others, turning her skill into extra income.

    My father, on the other hand, worked in the hill country. He could only visit us once a month, traveling long hours just to be with us for a week. But even that distance didn’t stop my parents from being enterprising. My mom would use his trips as an opportunity for her business ideas. She’d arrange to get fresh tea packs from the hills and sell them to our neighbours at a profit. And when Dad returned to the hill station, he’d take bundles of dry fish (a rarity there) to sell to his neighbours. Those small, thoughtful exchanges took care of his travel expenses and the little luxuries we enjoyed as a family during his visits.

    Looking back, I realize I idolized my mother’s courage and creativity. I always wanted to be like her, to build something of my own. But , my life had other plans.

    Over the years, ideas came and went like waves. There was always a spark when I think about business... a boutique, an organic grocery store, a salon, a cosmetics line, even thoughts of an export business came to my mind. Each idea lit me up inside, and I’d pour my heart into sketching out business plans during my precious “me-time.” But without support or encouragement, my plans often fizzled out.

    In 2015, I even created a Facebook page for a boutique, naming it after my two children. A wonderful dream that was beautiful but short-lived.

    Balancing a demanding full-time job, being away from home most days, and managing unique and difficult family life — it all felt like too much. Needless to say, my entrepreneurial dreams took a back seat. Not because I didn’t care, but because I was just… too tired and helpless.

    No one encouraged me to start a business. In fact, they felt I was going crazy with all these ideas while I have a stable job, excellent pay and an adventurous life. But, I didn't give up :)

    Then, last year, I dared to try again. I started an online business, sourcing organic groceries and cosmetics from producers in the North of Sri Lanka. I believed in the products, used them myself, and was happy with the profit margin too. But after the initial excitement, sales slowed, and consistency slipped away.

    Yet, I wanted to try more. I found a small producer who made excellent Rabbit Blood Hair Oil — a hidden gem, really. I bought an entire batch, full of hope. But soon, bottles went out to friends and relatives “to try and review”… and the reviews never came. My stock turned into free samples, and my enthusiasm took another hit.

    Through every small failure, I learned something. And my husband (my favourite comedian in tough times) often teases me: “You’ve tried every business except opening a police station in town.” He’s not wrong! But what he doesn’t realize is, that joke fuelled me from inside.

    This year, I bought a small plot of land in a prime area. A perfect place for a restaurant or a resort for tourists. But fear crept in. What if it goes wrong? I didn't want to risk huge investment without clarity.

    I also dreamed of renovating my old family home! Turning it into an Airbnb or renting out rooms to working professionals, maybe even expanding into catering or laundry services. But again, the lack of motivation from those around me held me back.

    Then, something small yet magical happened.

    Last week, I casually designed a dress pattern and asked my mom to stitch matching dresses for me and my daughter. After church on Sunday, we did a little fun photoshoot. When I uploaded the photos to Facebook, I didn’t expect much. But the response was overwhelming. The post went viral! People loved the dress, especially the design, and soon, I started seeing my pattern being copied by my friends and relatives.

    And that’s when it hit me — why am I waiting for others to start my dream when I already have everything I need inside me?

    So, I began designing again — kids’ dresses, coord sets, shirts, and t-shirts. I turned to ChatGPT (yes, my virtual business partner!) for help with design combinations, color palettes, and seasonal styles. Now, I have samples in hand and am in talks with small garment factories to bring my ideas to life.

    My next step? Turning a small space in my compound into the boutique of my dreams. The same one I envisioned nearly a decade ago. The name, the vision, the passion — all revived and real this time.

    The social media pages are ready. Paid promotions are set. Local influencers are on board. My daughter and I are active on Facebook and TikTok; hence will model our designs and spread the word. Deliveries are sorted. The plan is to run it primarily online, while keeping the boutique open on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, and more, if things go well.

    Some might wonder, “Why would a UN professional be so excited about a small, home-based boutique?”

    My answer is simple: because this is where my heart is.

    This is not just about business. It’s about returning to my roots, to the resilience and creativity I inherited from my parents, and proving to myself that it’s never too late to start again.
     
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  2. Rihana

    Rihana Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    For the longest time I thought the saying “If you want something badly enough, the universe will conspire to bring it to you” was just a bit of feel-good fluff. But over time, I’ve come to see how true it really is, just not in the way I first imagined.

    It is not that the universe magically delivers what you wish for. It is that you are part of that same universe, and when your desire for something is deep and genuine, it quietly begins to shape your choices, your thoughts, and your path. Without realizing it, you start drawing the right people, opportunities, and ideas closer to you.

    Life goes on, filled with daily routines, changing seasons, and endless responsibilities, and you may think your dreams have faded or been buried under everything else. But really, they were never gone. They were planted. The seed was there all along, quietly growing beneath the surface, waiting for the right time to rise.

    When that moment finally comes, when courage, timing, and clarity align, it feels as if the universe has stepped in to help. But deep down, you know it was you all along, slowly becoming the person who could make it happen.

    And when your long-awaited dream finally blossoms, it can seem like the successful venture was the "right one," the one that was meant to be. But you know inside that every attempt before it was necessary too, like grades one through nine leading to the class 10 graduation, the culmination of everything you learned along the way.

    Beautifully recalled and narrated. The part about your parents’ entrepreneurship, your husband’s “police station” joke, the friends and relatives who took samples - all are classic steps on the way to success. They say achieving success is easier than maintaining it, so here’s to sustaining it, nurturing it, and watching it grow stronger every day.

    Heartiest Congratulations, @SGBV. Wishing you all the excitement and joy of seeing your boutique open its doors on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, and more days. May those days be filled with creativity, customers who truly appreciate your work, and the quiet satisfaction of seeing a dream come alive. You have, as always, set an example for your children, family and for ILites here too. :worship2:
     
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  3. SGBV

    SGBV IL Hall of Fame

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    Thank you so much @Rihana
    Your encouragement means a lot
     
  4. Thyagarajan

    Thyagarajan IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear @SGBV ,
    Kudos to you.
    A long motivational write up certainly kindle the dormant entrepreneur in the reader.
    When one think profoundly of additional income, he or she get ideas and ways and means to implement despite other pressures.
    While as a boy returning for lunch to home, he happened to stop by a small press where binding a book was on progress and a lady was doing it. He saw her working for a while and daily he spent a while watching the process in that press.

    Then he borrowed capital four Anna's (one anna is 1/16 th part of Indian Rupee) from his mom. He bought the materials like paper-board copper- sulphate, rice flour and calico cloth, needle and twine. Neighbour lady gave her collection of serial stories from a weekly magazine to bind. He could do it. He spent half of an annā for trimming the open sides of the bounded book and handed to lady. She gave boy a coin of Re one . Boy was mighty pleased with a heavy one re count on his palm: and that enthused him. Then he steadily built up this business.

    With help of sister and mom they set up a shop and started gathering small orders from neighbourhood and executed the work.

    In about five years, the family own a shop with full fledged equipments and turned it into a printing press.
    The boy was my class mate and was residing opposite my home.

    I happened to see one Muthu -lodge boy used to run errands turned out later to be a owner of huge import export business.
    I narrated his development from rags to riches in the link:
    Ekalaiva The Errand Boy
     
    Last edited: Oct 16, 2025
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  5. MalStrom

    MalStrom IL Hall of Fame

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    Congratulations, @SGBV! It’s clear you have put a lot of thought and passion into your venture. Wishing you much success!
     
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