Just finished reading a very engaging interview that the Wall Street Journal published about Rajo Laurel. He is a fashion designer from the Philippines who sidestepped a career in politics for high fashion. Laurel comes from a political family and went against the grain to follow his heart. 

We often find that this is a common story among entrepreneurs - there's nothing like a little opposition to make you want to prove to the world that you can pursue your heart's desire and succeed. I don't come from a political family but my parents instilled in me the notion that a desk job at a good company or government branch where I could work until retirement age was a sure sign that I had made it in the world. I tried it for several years, about 15 to be exact. Each year I spent working for someone else met increasing resistance from me until my inner voice literally screamed that it was time to walk another path. Once I acknowledged this realization there was no turning back. 

Would I be better off now if I had given in to my creative side early on? Well, I suppose I wasn't even aware of how strong my creative side was as a youth. I had become very good at math in school. Working for reputable companies helped me develop administrative and professional skills and taught me quite a bit about what makes a great company thrive. Without all of those experiences, I believe an already challenging path in fashion design would appear insurmountable to me in the absence of other acquired skills. 

What I admire about Laurel is that he not only proved to himself that he could succeed, he managed to convince his family to work with him in his business. That's quite a testament to how strong his vision was and how important it is to acknowledge and embrace those who support you when you're getting your business off the ground - friends, family and loyal fans of you and your product. He's certainly an inspiration and although he's focusing on exclusively on Filipinos and customers in neighboring countries as his base, I hope to see him find worldwide success. 

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