'Entrepreneurship is like leaping off an aircraft, building your parachute on the descent'
The cautious approach many adopted during the pandemic created opportunities for them to secure favourable terms, including advantageous rental agreements for their physical space.
KUALA LUMPUR - Launching a business often requires confronting fear head-on, making countless decisions in motion and learning as you go.
At Sinar Daily’s She Means Business panel discussion, entrepreneur Mardhiah Latiff shared how she transformed an idea into a thriving wellness brand despite uncertainty, highlighting the courage and adaptability needed to succeed in today’s competitive market.
The Lax and Lay Retreat co-founder revealed that the defining moment for her business came during the pandemic.
“We started Lax Retreat back in 2021, at the height of the pandemic. That was a highly controversial decision, but thankfully, it worked out well for us. Since then, we have expanded with another brand called Lay, which focuses on Malaysian wellness.
“We call it a Malaysian wellness concept because we genuinely feel that local wellness traditions are not adequately represented in retail. You see lots of Thai wellness, but very little Malaysian. We aim to highlight Malaysian heritage and identity through Lay,” she said.
Mardhiah likened entrepreneurship to taking calculated risks amid uncertainty. She noted that people often only heard success stories in hindsight, when founders reflected on their journey and say, “Oh, it was really hard for us.”
In contrast, those building their ventures, she said were living the experience in real time, navigating challenges, learning and continuously refining their approach.
“Entrepreneurship is like leaping off an aircraft and building your parachute on the descent. There are many moving components and ultimately, you must ensure you make more sound decisions than poor ones.
“In entrepreneurship, I have always adhered to the spirit of Steve Jobs' advice: ‘Stay hungry, stay foolish.’ You simply do not know everything, no matter how much you think you do.
“You just have to act and learn as you progress. While preparation is useful, in business, you simply need the courage to begin and build as you go,” she added.
Reflecting on market conditions, Mardhiah noted that timing and opportunity were crucial to their success. She said launching in 2021 offered a different business climate, with lower barriers to entry compared to 2025.
She said the cautious approach many adopted during the pandemic created opportunities for them to secure favourable terms, including advantageous rental agreements for their physical space.
“In many ways, that environment helped us have the guts, the courage to proceed. Luck involves timing and we were lucky. But it is also about having the readiness to seize the chance when it arrives.
“You must aim to be right more often than you are wrong; as long as the net result is positive, you will be fine because mistakes are inevitable,” she said.
Her insights were shared during Sinar Daily’s She Means Business live panel discussion on Nov 7 at KLGCC Mall, Kuala Lumpur, which featured their heartfelt reflections on risk, resilience and reinvention in entrepreneurship. Inari Jewellery founder Eva Woon was also panellist.
Moderated by Girls4Girls deputy country lead Fildzah Zulkifli, the event focused on building businesses grounded in authenticity, purpose and perseverance.
Through their stories, the session reaffirmed Sinar Daily’s She Means Business discussion's mission to spotlight authentic narratives of women reshaping leadership and entrepreneurship in Malaysia.
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