Chapter 8: The Week That Reminded Us to Just Keep Going
The Week That Reminded Us to Just Keep Going
If you’re the eldest daughter of immigrant parents (or an only daughter), you probably know the struggle of perfectionism all too well. The pressure to have it all figured out, to follow the rules, to do things right—it’s not just a habit. It’s a way of navigating the world. And for a long time, that mindset served us well.
But this past week was a reminder that in entrepreneurship, rules are meant to be redefined and broken…at least to a certain degree! There’s a balance between being prepared and waiting too long. If we hold out for the “perfect” moment, we risk missing the opportunity altogether.
The past two weeks have been a lot. We’ve been deep in launch mode—checking off the big to-dos: getting our food handler’s license, applying for a commercial kitchen, registering our facility with the FDA, and preparing our first small batch for in-person sales while setting up Shopify for e-commerce. At the same time it’s been a constant battle of competing priorities, with A-Term wrapping up at Columbia, meaning final projects, exams, and the usual scramble to get everything done before Spring break. All this while, part of the team is in Anaheim, CA for Expo west
And then, just when we thought we were keeping everything under control… the floodgates literally opened.
Last weekend at 2:30 AM, a burst water pipe at Sarah’s apartment caused some unexpected damage—and to some of our ingredients/products. Not ideal, but also, not the end of the world! A small setback, a reminder to slow down, reset, and push forward. Because if there’s anything we’ve learned through this journey, it’s that there’s no such thing as a perfect launch. There will always be challenges, unexpected delays, and moments that test us. But waiting for everything to be 100% ready? That’s just another way of standing still.
So…when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. When life gives you a burst pipe at 2:30 AM, you pause, take a deep breath (and cry for a minute lol), and accept that sometimes things overflow—literally and figuratively. So you mop up the mess, salvage what you can, and remind yourself that maybe, just maybe, it’s a sign to slow down… before diving right back in!
