Starting a business is often romanticized. We dream of turning our passion into a paycheck, of waking up every day doing what we love. But as this episode of Womenpreneur Asia reveals, passion without strategy can quickly become a painful lesson.
Sarah Mei Chiang and I discussed this topic at length in this collaborative episode. Sarah Mei is the founder of the Women Beyond 9-To-5 platform and podcast as well as the founder of Red Line Limited, a marketing agency in Hong Kong.
These days she considers herself almost a digital nomad, crossing borders in the region for business collaborations. She is remarkably proud of the opportunities to work with global brands using her marketing expertise with brands such as FI Singapore, Phantom of The Opera, HK Design Centre, ChinaChem Group and with Disney & Warners Bros on product creation.
Her favourite quote is “Wisdom comes from experienced knowledge” and she is profoundly inspired by her mother.
This episode was all about the real talk behind entrepreneurship—what to know, what to avoid and how to start with purpose and clarity.
Passion is Only the Starting Point
Sarah Mei shared openly how many people rush into business with passion as their main driver. While passion is a wonderful place to begin, she cautions that it must be paired with a solid plan and market validation.
“I’ve seen people jump in because they love what they do, but without knowing whether the market will actually pay for it,” she says.
This is where many aspiring entrepreneurs hit a wall. They fall into what I call the “cute baby syndrome”—the belief that their product or service is beautiful, unique and automatically deserving of attention and sales.
Conducting Market Research As A First-Time Entrepreneur
Before you register a business name, Sarah Mei urges you to step back and study the landscape. Ask yourself:
- Who else is doing this?
- What makes me different?
- What do customers actually need or want?
Even something as seemingly simple as knitting can become a business, as Sarah Mei shared in this episode. She recounted the story of a woman who loved to knit but she cleverly created a business that goes beyond knitting.
The woman created oversized floral knitting pieces and turned her passion into a thriving workshop-based community of new knitting fans. The lesson here is obvious – she didn’t just sell knitwear – she created an environment, a cozy space and an immersive experience.
Get Clear on Your Purpose and Niche
For Sarah Mei, clarity of purpose is the foundation of every successful business. Whether you’re in a job or transitioning out of one, knowing why you’re doing something will keep you grounded when things get tough.
Her advice for those leaving corporate life? Take three days off. Not to job-hunt or panic—but to reflect. Discover how you can use this exercise for yourself when you listen to this episode.
Talk to Your Future Customers
One of the simplest yet most overlooked pieces of advice from our conversation: Have real conversations.
“Buy someone coffee or lunch. Take them out and ask them for feedback. Be vulnerable and humble enough to listen to them as you share your intention of starting your business. That’s your market research,” I shared during the episode—and Sarah agreed wholeheartedly.
My take is that if you’re new in business and clueless about services to offer or transform your passion into a business, these conversations will reveal what people are looking for and need help with. They also help you refine your offer and they might even lead to your first clients. (More about this in the episode so do listen in!)
Start Small But Start Smart
Starting small doesn’t mean thinking small. Sarah Mei encourages entrepreneurs to test ideas, offer small services, gather feedback and improve. You don’t need a huge budget or fancy branding on day one—what you need is proof that people want what you’re offering.
“Even in accounting, which feels ‘boring’ to some, you can niche down,” Sarah Mei says. “One of my friends added ESG reporting services to her accounting offering, and that made her stand out.”
You’re Selling Emotion, Not Just Products
Whether you’re offering knitwear, accounting or consulting services—at the end of the day, people are buying emotion. How does your product make them feel? How does your story resonate with their journey?
Sarah echoed this: emotion drives every decision. And if you build your brand around emotional connection, you’ll create loyalty, not just sales.
Not Everyone Needs to Be a “Business Owner”
If you love your craft but hate selling, that’s okay. Sarah Mei recommends finding partners or platforms that can help you market your services. You don’t need to do it all. You just need to know your strengths—and be open to creative paths to monetizing them.
Start With Strategy, Grow With Clarity
This episode isn’t just a conversation—it’s a blueprint. Sarah Mei and I believe strongly that we must offer a refreshing, realistic take on entrepreneurship. This episode is for you if you’re an employee and considering if you should be your own boss.
Whether you’re still in a 9–5 or already running your business, our advice is clear:
✅ Get clear on your strengths, purpose and niche
✅ Do your homework about what’s already out there
✅ Start small but be creative about what you offer
Listen to this episode of Womenpreneur Asia for our amazingly fun conversation about starting a business especially if you’re looking for options beyond your present nine-to-five job!
Email us and let us know if this episode struck a chord with you and what other topics we should cover, either with my guests or as solo episodes.