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Si Yu Wei’s entrepreneurial journey didn’t begin the way most do. Long before she built her own brand or studied business formally, she had a simple yet powerful ambition—never having to worry about money.
At 16 years old, while most students were preoccupied with exams and hanging out with friends, Yu Wei was already experimenting with sales, peddling snacks like Milo cubes and yogurt bites to her classmates.
What started as a cheeky ‘rebellion’ against school rules has since grown into something much bigger. Today, she’s the proud owner of a growing dumpling brand. But like many self-made entrepreneurs, her journey was anything but smooth.
Early beginnings
Yu Wei’s entrepreneurial instincts surfaced early, almost naturally. Selling came naturally to her, and she fondly recalls her school days where she’d bring small snacks to class and make pocket money—technically against school rules—but an early glimpse of the go-getter in her.
“It just felt right,” she said with a smile. “It wasn’t just about earning money. I just felt excited seeing the demand and figuring out how to meet it.”
Even then, her goals were different from her peers. While many focused on grades and social life, Yu Wei was already thinking ahead—how to live without financial anxiety or conflict over money. That mindset stuck with her and eventually pushed her toward entrepreneurship.
In school, she excelled at economics and bookkeeping, though it was mathematics that truly sparked her interest. That passion for numbers and logic would later lead her to pursue a Bachelor’s in Business (Marketing), where she gained a deeper understanding of branding, sales, and the mechanics of running a business.
Took on 3 full time jobs while studying
Yu Wei’s first taste of the working world came during university, where she juggled full-time roles as a customer service agent—all while secretly attending online classes during the Movement Control Order (MCO).
She took on three full-time jobs across two years without her bosses knowing she was actually still a student.
I wanted to learn about Facebook marketing and how companies worked. I didn’t get to dive into Facebook ads like I hoped, but I did learn a lot about business operations and, most importantly, I saved up some capital.
“Still, I kept thinking that there must be something out there for me. Something that I can build, something I can grow,” she shared.
Over the years, Yu Wei dabbled in selling prepaid cards, shampoo, menstrual products, and even box cakes. But it was a single bite of dumpling during MCO that shifted everything.
“I had never eaten dumplings growing up. But one day, I tried some from a seller I found online. They were so warm, so comforting. I thought, ‘Why don’t I try making and selling these myself?’“
With just RM300, Yu Wei began experimenting. As the orders trickled in, she decided to take it seriously by flying to China to learn proper dumpling-making techniques, where she spent RM25,000 on training.
By the time she was done purchasing equipment and supplies, her total investment had ballooned to around RM50,000.
When challenges hit like a storm
Running a business, she quickly learned, wasn’t just about passion—it was also about stamina.
As a one-woman show, Yu Wei works almost 15 hours a day on buying ingredient, wrapping and making the dumplings, packaging, and delivery.
I was lucky if I got three hours of sleep. Some nights, I didn’t sleep at all,” she recalled. “There were so many times I just cried out of exhaustion.”
One of the toughest times was during her first group buy, when sales unexpectedly shot past RM50,000 in just three days.
Orders flooded in, but her team wasn’t prepared. Delays caused frustration, complaints started pouring in, and quality checks slipped as she rushed to meet demand with part-time help. One customer even posted a harsh review online.
I was crushed,” she recalled. “I tried so hard, but it wasn’t enough. I gave myself a day to feel sad, then picked myself up and kept going.”
To her surprise, some customers who saw the post reached out to comfort her. “So even though I broke down a little, I was also really touched,” she said with a laugh.
There was a time when a power outage at home ruined an entire batch of stock worth RM20,000,” she said.
“Everything I had worked so hard to make was gone. I even had to spend extra time cleaning it all up, then fork out more money to start over.”
In September 2024, after her online business began to stabilize, she took the plunge and opened a physical stall. “I found the shop listing online, and something just clicked. Within two days, I signed the agreement and started renovating.”
But things didn’t go as planned. With no reliable staff, she had to operate the shop all by herself while also overseeing production. And the pressure was immense.
“It was so hard juggling both sides. I couldn’t do everything, and the food quality started to decline. Some regular customers noticed and stopped coming. That broke my heart.”
A difficult goodbye and a fresh start
Eventually, Yu Wei knew something had to change and made the tough decision to shut down the physical store 8months after its launching and focus entirely on her online business.
It wasn’t easy. But I don’t regret closing the shop. It was a necessary decision to preserve my brand and energy.”
By April 2025, she began to see light at the end of the tunnel. Her initial investments were finally recouped. She could pay her staff consistently and manage her overhead costs.
Yet, even with the newfound progress, new hurdles emerged.
Now, I can’t keep up with the orders. There’s more demand than I can supply. And yes, I’m back to the same challenge—still not enough manpower!” she laughed.
Yu Wei shared that her business can now consistently generate RM100,000 in sales from dumplings, but it’s actually limited by a shortage of manpower.
“We always have to stop accepting orders after a certain limit, or else we won’t be able to keep up with the demand.”
However, she only pays herself RM5,000 a month as salary and keeps most of the funds in the company so she can use it to expand the business.
At the beginning, RM3,000 to RM4,000 was all I could make, and I couldn’t even pay myself anything,” she shared.
Lessons learned and dreams ahead
Despite the rollercoaster journey, Yu Wei has no regrets— aside from a small wish that she could have started building her brand earlier.
I think the only regret I have is not going all-in sooner. But looking back, every job, every delay, every pause—it all served a purpose.
“If I had the chance to go back, I wouldn’t change a thing. Every step I took helped shape me. Even the bad hires, the long hours, the mistakes. All of it taught me something.”
Her advice to aspiring businesspeople and entrepreneurs is to stop overthinking things and not be afraid of failure.
“Don’t overthink it. Just start. You’ll figure it out along the way. Most of the time, the thing stopping us isn’t money or time—it’s our own doubt.
Failure isn’t the scariest thing. Losing your dreams is. So don’t be afraid. Take that step. Keep going. You never know what’s on the other side until you try.”
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