Which would you choose: a very comfortable corporate career with one of the world’s largest and most successful companies, or pioneer your own business to be your own boss (a.k.a starting from scratch)? Anthony Rose left the former to pursue the latter, and it made headlines. Now he’s sharing more about how he came to be in the business, and what made him decide to make such a drastic change in his work and life.

Anthony’s History

Before I started House of Rose Professional  in August 2014, I led corporate affairs for Walmart Asia. I’ve spent the last 25 years  building  the reputations of some of the most powerful brands on the planet but at the core of it all has been my first love – writing and a passion for people. Over the last 5  years I wrote two books, Daddy’s Logic: Live A Life Of No Limits, No Excuses And No Regrets in 2012 and Break The Ceiling Touch The Sky: Success Secrets Of The World’s Most Inspirational Women in July 2014. The book royalties were in support of Habitat for Humanity and Save the Children respectively. What started off as a way to remember my parents became a turning point in my life. I saw a bridge between working for an employer versus working for myself. I believed I wanted to do MORE with my life – to truly live a life of no limits, no excuse, and no regrets like my (Daddy’s Logic) book title said. In August 2014, I took the plunge. In a sense I always knew I would attempt to build my own business one day. It was just a matter of time.

Small Starts to Being an  Entrepreneur

I think I’ve always had an entrepreneurial streak. It comes easier when one grows up amidst challenge and hardship in more dynamic environments like India. I had my first “business” at twelve, I think, a kite shop out of our home in Mumbai. I’ve always focused on solutions, not problems. I love “mending/creating things”, I think that’s the essence of an entrepreneur – to be able to see opportunities that others don’t and to give the world solutions that people are willing to pay for.

I actually started work on my book Daddy’s Logic way back in 2009 (alongside my job at that time at P&G) but by 2014 my “second life” as an author had become increasingly demanding. Secretly, I loved that it leveraged my passion for writing and connecting with people. But I was torn between the security of a highly paid corporate career with the most influential company on the planet, Walmart (a company I love), and the uncertainty of running my own company. In a sense, being an author also gave me a voice that is authentic and my very own as compared to me being a “spokesperson” for a company. I found that very liberating. The charity work I was doing gave me an incredible high – for a person who started his career in 1991 at a salary of S$20  a month to be able to give away modest amounts of money today is very fulfilling. The final decision came in August 2014 when I decided to make my own way. I went from the world’s largest company to the world’s smallest. From Walmart to the House of Rose Professional. We do three things. Public Relations (CEO counsel, crisis and reputation management, influencer marketing). Publishing. People (leadership, development, executive search, etc.).  Our promise is simple. “WE HELP YOU SUCCEED”.

Pros and Cons of Owning a Startup

Owning a startup can be a dream and a nightmare, depending on the day.

Dream side  – I love that every decision is my own. The operational freedom is 100%. I can decide WHO I want to do business with, the assets I create and lead (like our summit for success and leadership for women – Break The Ceiling Touch The Sky 2015), and I can truly make a difference in a small way in the world leveraging my communication skills and my love for people. I walk away from situations where I sense there is poor alignment of my values and that of the other parties. Mutuality of benefit and principle alignment is the basis of any successful partnership.

Nightmare side – The first few months were terrible. I went from having a huge team in my last role to being a one man show. I became accountant, clerk, buyer, social media manager, marketing and PR guy, all in one. A little bit of a shock to the system. Slowly adjusted everything – lifestyle, expenses, and time management. For example, the nitty gritty that I have a hard time enjoying is accounting.

The financial insecurity is there. I have been very careful NOT to accept funding from many who want to invest in my company and the reason is simple: I want 100% operational control. To enable me to make decisions, decisions that are right for my brand long term. The financial  insecurity is something that worries sometimes when you get to my stage of life. But the prospect of doing great work, doing what I love and  hopefully being able to charge for that is something that I am very excited about every day. That is what keeps me going.

And  pride in the Company name – it’s the  House of Rose Professional.  It’s about family. It’s about making a difference. It’s about touching lives.

Thoughts on Failure vs. Success

We are all born with exactly the same time in the day – 24 hours and mostly the same physical and intellectual baseline. What we do with our lives is a matter of choice.

Success or failure is a mindset. Losers make excuses. Winners make adjustments.

I have ONE word up on my wall, UNSTOPPABLE. It gives life to so much positive  energy. When challenges come, I say it  over and over to myself. I have used this word to get past every obstacle in life. I tell myself, “I AM UNSTOPPABLE.”

Ordinary people like me are living proof that it  doesn’t matter where you start from. All that matters is your appetite for success, and being willing to  plan and work slowly and surely towards that success.

Two Things Anthony Would Have Done Differently

I would make  better life choices in my personal life. I write about that in chapter 19 of Daddy’s Logic – the power of choosing the right partner.

I would  talk less and listen more. Listening is a very powerful asset for an entrepreneur.

Anthony’s Most Quotable Quote

“Be unstoppable. No limits. No excuses. No regrets.” — Anthony Rose

Break The Ceiling with Anthony

We have created an incredible forum titled Break The Ceiling Touch The Sky 2015 – the success and leadership summit for women. We have 40 international panelists from the world’s best companies available to share their best practices with you to HELP YOU SUCCEED. You will learn, network and connect.

Don’t miss the opportunity to attend the summit on September 29th at the Mandarin Orchard in Singapore. You can sign up for success at www.houseofroseprofessional.com (PLUS a special discount for Athena Network members and Executive Lifestyle readers).

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