The Entrepreneur Log #49 - May 2025 - Embracing Endings for Authentic Storytelling
- Joyce Tsang
- Jun 2
- 3 min read
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m so glad it’s over!
The past year has been a whirlwind, but once I made the decision to close my bubble tea shop’s physical operations, I felt nothing but readiness to move forward. There’s no sadness here—only excitement for how this accumulated knowledge will propel me to greater heights. Truthfully, I couldn’t wait to begin.
As I hinted in my last entrepreneur log, my first pivot step was crystal clear: document every lesson learned. For a content marketer at heart like me, transforming these insights into an eBook was instinctive. With that completed, I revamped the website with our new brand positioning, and now? We’re poised to launch our first major initiative—with pitches and funding already in motion!
None of this would have been possible without my husband’s tireless help in vacating the shop. But the biggest surprise? Our community’s overwhelming support. From heartfelt DMs to customers purchasing our equipment as keepsakes, their engagement sparked some of my best-performing Instagram content this month. This response only strengthens my conviction: 2324 Bubble Tea will evolve into 2324 Stories—a storytelling-powered community hub where we’ll curate experiences, explore potential, and champion CSR through meaningful narratives.
i) Authentic Storytelling: The Undeniable Magic of Great Content
After a late-night sprint, I pulled off something unexpected: a bilingual eBook titled "HOW I LOST $300,000 ACQUIRING A BUBBLE TEA SHOP – The Shocking Truth About Hong Kong's F&B Traps." This raw tell-all documents every costly mistake I made during the acquisition—from FEHD fines and license agent scams to construction disasters. No sugarcoating, just brutal transparency about how $300,000 vanished into Hong Kong’s F&B abyss.
While this satisfied my content marketer’s itch to transform everything into valuable material, the real goal was prevention. If my mistakes could save even one entrepreneur from similar pain, the effort would be worth it.
The surprise? The community bought the eBook on launch day, and my Instagram reel landed our third top-performing reel in history.
As we shift 2324’s Instagram direction this month, I’m bracing for unfollows and backlash. But discomfort signals growth—and I’m thrilled to explore how far this brand can go when we fully commit to truth-telling as a strategy.
ii) Pivoting With Purpose: Teaching That Creates Real Value
If you had asked me why I pursued my EMBA, I would have said it was to break into tertiary education—a genuine dream of becoming a lecturer within the next decade. When VTC IVE hired me right after graduation this January, it felt like a milestone. But six weeks in, I saw Hong Kong’s academic reality: bureaucracy that suffocates the joy of teaching.
As my second teaching institution, it confirmed a pattern: endless undocumented "rules," contradictory communication, and grading systems that prioritize habits over fairness. The hardest part? Watching students transform in my classroom, only to realize the system wasn’t designed to reward their growth.
In May, I resigned from VTC. Not out of defeat, but conviction—educators and students deserve better. Now, I’m channeling that energy into a new venture: partnering with agencies to elevate their client work and pitches.
Currently collaborating with two agencies, I’m tackling real-world problems where my expertise is not just applied, but valued. And this? It’s just the beginning.
iii) Strategic Reassessment: Blueprinting JTCM’s Next Chapter
Though I’m still behind on my annual timeline, I finally carved out time to pause, assess, and process everything that’s unfolded. It felt liberating to dedicate an entire afternoon to task organization—now turbocharged with two AI assistants (one for emails, another for daily priorities)—while auditing past freelancers’ work and transforming it into actionable next steps.
This month, my focus splits between:
JTCM’s Foundation: Strengthening my EDM system, pipelines, and outreach
Creative Pursuits: Finalizing my first book
2324 Stories: Securing funding and partnerships through strategic pitches
The weight of these decisions confirms it: I’ve leveled up. This phase demands tougher thinking, but May’s challenges proved something vital—I’m built for this life. Defeat isn’t an option; it’s a filter. And I’ve passed.
Let’s. Go.
-Joyce
Comments