Dreams Are Built on Fumes
Three years into building a.m., it’s been exhausting. At times, discouraging.
Building a business in the Philippines feels especially difficult these days. Costs keep rising, wages are going up, and meaningful support from the government feels far away. There is always something to work through, something to pay for, something that needs more of you than you feel you have left to give.
I suppose these are familiar woes for anyone building a business. Still, knowing that other people go through it doesn’t make it any less tiring.
There are moments when we see light at the end of the tunnel. We work toward it, hoping we’re finally getting somewhere. Then the tunnel seems to stretch a little further. The relief we thought was close becomes another few months, another problem to solve. That can wear a person down.
a.m. was created to sustain a personal goal. Over these three years, the reasons for keeping it going have grown.
These days, so much of what fuels me comes from the people who walk through our doors. The customers who choose to spend part of their day with us. The baristas who show up and help build this place alongside us. What began as something personal has become part of other people’s lives, too.
I’m still tired. There are still days when I feel discouraged, and I don’t know how much longer this tunnel goes.
But there are people here who make the work feel worth doing.
And today, we’re choosing to keep moving forward.