Former CEO finds new business model selling nasi lemak by roadside

SHAH ALAM: From running a company and earning a five-figure income to selling nasi lemak by the roadside, a former chief executive officer (CEO) has found himself starting over.

Ade Azhar Ismail, who has been an entrepreneur for almost 16 years, now sells nasi lemak from his car boot after financial difficulties left his company operating at a deficit since last year.

"At first, I was embarrassed to face my siblings, relatives and staff.

"But remembering that I also started in direct selling, that embarrassment went away when many friends and other business owners came to buy from me as a show of support," he told Harian Metro.

At one point, Ade had just RM33 left in his savings account.

With little left to fall back on, he stepped out of his comfort zone and returned to street trading, much like when he first started business.

"Since 2009, I have been the CEO of my own company, which distributes air fresheners, storybooks, children's books, educational reading materials and books on the life of the Prophet.

"I used to have 60 employees, but only 14 remain loyal, but others, mainly Gen Z, left because they were no longer interested in direct selling.

"This caused me to lose my sales team and some business partners also moved on, which affected the company.

"Now, the company and staff are still there, but I decided not to draw a salary. Instead, I went out to do business myself, turning nasi lemak sales into a new business model.

"The proceeds from the sales have become my income, while the rest goes towards the company," he said.

Ade said his family, including his wife, had no idea about the difficulties he was going through because he chose not to tell them.

He said he chose to sell nasi lemak because he saw an opportunity and never expected the venture to take off, particularly after a video of him went viral on social media.

"On the first day, I brought 30 packets and felt discouraged. I even felt like a loser when I was about to start.

"But when people came to buy, it gave me the motivation to keep going, and I was grateful that I sold out on the first day.

"Since then, I have continued, and my profit in the first month alone reached RM9,000.

"So I kept going, and on the 53rd day, I started recruiting workers and eventually opened car-boot sales at five more locations.

"Now, my staff and I sell from morning until night, bringing as many as 1,200 packets of nasi lemak a day," he said.

Ade said roadside trading came with its own challenges, from unpredictable weather to keeping up with growing demand.

"That's the reality of doing business outdoors. You have to be prepared because there are days when it rains.

"But I am grateful that from the first day until today, the 81st day, we have never failed to sell out.

"It is tiring, but I enjoy meeting customers, especially when some of them come from far away.

"So, to those who are going through the same thing as me, let go of your embarrassment and ego... find a way out of your problems.

"Believe me, God's blessings are abundant. Start with the experience and whatever you have," he said.