10 Feb Jump First, Perfect Later

by Kalika Yap

Last week, I had the honor of speaking at Creative Entrepreneurship Day with the BRIC Foundation—an experience that left me buzzing with questions I couldn’t wait to unpack with the people who know this journey best.

So naturally, I brought those questions to the most unconventional boardroom I know: Burke Williams Spa, where my tribe of entrepreneur friends gathered to celebrate our birthdays.

You know those conversations that happen in the in-between moments?

Between the massage appointments, wrapped in plush robes, faces glowing from a hot steam?

That’s where the real magic happens. That’s where we stop performing and start being honest about what this entrepreneurial life actually takes.

Kalika Yap, Cindy Flynn, Daisy Jing, Amanda Ma

“I have my brand. When do I know it’s time to take the leap?”

I threw this question out there, half-expecting careful, measured responses.

Amanda Ma, CEO of Innovate Marketing Group didn’t hesitate:

“You just have to jump. You have to do it. You have to take the risk.”

She leaned forward, emphasis in every word.

“Some people want everything to be perfect. But you just have to go.”

Then she said something that made the room go quiet:

“Not everyone has what it takes to be an entrepreneur. You have to work really, really hard.”

No sugar-coating. No motivational platitudes. Just the truth.

I found myself nodding—because I’ve lived this truth: Leap, and the net will appear.

Not because the net is guaranteed, but because the leap itself creates momentum. It reveals resources you didn’t know you had. It attracts opportunities that were waiting for you to be brave enough to reach for them.

But Amanda’s right—the leap is just the beginning. What comes after requires a level of work that most people simply aren’t willing to do. And that’s okay. Entrepreneurship isn’t for everyone. But if it’s for you? You already know it in your bones.

“What’s your biggest regret as an entrepreneur?”

This question brought up two powerful stories that every entrepreneur needs to hear.

Daisy Jing, CEO of Banish, got quiet for a moment before answering.

“I wish I had continued my YouTube channel.”

She explained how burnout made her step away—understandable, relatable, human. But now, as she tries to rebuild her presence on the platform, everything has changed. The algorithm moved on. Her audience moved on.

Her regret isn’t about the break itself. It’s about underestimating the compounding power of consistency—and the cost of starting over.

It was a gut-punch reminder: sometimes the thing that feels optional today becomes irreplaceable tomorrow.

Then Amanda Ma shared something that made everyone lean in:

“I wish I had updated my partnership agreement earlier.”

She emphasized how important it is to revisit those foundational documents regularly.

“If you’re in a partnership agreement, make sure that it’s always up-to-date. Or at least take a look at it yearly.”

Business evolves. People evolve. Responsibilities shift. Revenue models change. Your partnership agreement needs to evolve with you—or it becomes a source of conflict instead of clarity.

It’s one of those unglamorous tasks that feels easy to put off until suddenly, it’s not. And by then, the conversation is ten times harder to have.

“What does it actually take to be an entrepreneur?”

Cindy Flynn, Founder of Hackler Flynn & Associates, cut straight to the paradox we all live with:

“You have to know when to stop if your idea isn’t working and try something new.”

But here’s the catch—you also have to know if your idea is a good one in the first place.

That tension? That’s the tightrope. Knowing when to pivot versus when to push through. When to trust your gut versus when to trust the data. When to be stubborn versus when to be smart.

There’s no formula. Just instinct sharpened by experience, failure, and late-night conversations with people who’ve been there.

The Question That Made Us All Laugh

“Did you have a business plan when you started?”

The room erupted. Not a single one of us had a formal business plan when we launched our businesses.

We built in motion. We learned by doing. We figured it out as we went.

Then someone quipped:

“Just use ChatGPT for your business plan now.”

We laughed—but honestly? There’s truth there. The tools have changed. The barriers have lowered. But the fundamentals remain the same: vision, grit, and the willingness to start before you’re ready.

The Most Important Thing I’ve Learned

As I sat there listening to these incredible women share their wisdom, I was reminded of something I tell every entrepreneur I coach:

You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.

How you learn is directly connected to the people you keep close. The conversations you have. The podcasts you listen to. The books you read. The communities you join.

The more you surround yourself with other entrepreneurs—whether that’s in person, through podcasts, or through books—the more you learn from people who have actually done it.

And here’s the hard truth: Don’t take advice from people who haven’t walked the path you’re trying to walk.

Everyone has an opinion about entrepreneurship. Your well-meaning friends and family will tell you it’s too risky. Your corporate colleagues will tell you to play it safe. People who have never built a business will tell you exactly how to build yours.

Listen politely. Then go find the people who have actually done what you’re trying to do. Learn from them. Surround yourself with them. Let their experiences inform yours.

That’s why moments like these—sitting in bathrobes with women who have built real businesses, who have faced real challenges, who have earned real wisdom—are priceless to me.

Choose your circle carefully. It will determine your trajectory.

Your Step-by-Step Guide to Making the Leap

Here’s what I’ve learned from building my own ventures and coaching dozens of entrepreneurs through this exact moment:

Step 1: Get Clear on Your “Why”
Before you leap, anchor yourself in purpose. Write down why this matters to you. Not the surface reason—the deep one. The one that will sustain you at 2 AM when nothing is working. Your why is your North Star.

Step 2: Define Your Minimum Viable Offer
What’s the simplest version of your idea that you can launch right now? Strip away the bells and whistles. What’s the core value you’re delivering? Start there. You can build and refine as you go.

Step 3: Set Your Non-Negotiables
What’s the minimum revenue you need to sustain yourself? What boundaries do you need to protect your health and relationships? What values won’t you compromise? Write these down. They’ll guide your decisions when pressure mounts.

Step 4: Get Your Legal Foundation Right
If you’re going into business with a partner, invest in a solid partnership agreement from day one. If you already have one, schedule an annual review to make sure it still reflects your current reality. This isn’t exciting work, but it’s the work that protects you down the road.

Step 5: Audit Your Circle
Look at the five people you spend the most time with. Are they lifting you up or holding you back? Are they dreamers or doers? Are they entrepreneurs or people who will never understand this path? You don’t have to cut anyone off, but you do need to be intentional about who gets your time and energy.

Step 6: Create Your 90-Day Action Plan
Forget the five-year plan. Map out the next 90 days. What are the three most important things you need to accomplish? Who do you need to talk to? What do you need to learn? Keep it focused and achievable.

Step 7: Build Your Support System
Identify three to five people who will cheer you on, challenge you, and catch you when you stumble. This could be a mentor, a mastermind group, a coach, or fellow entrepreneurs who get it. You cannot do this alone.

Step 8: Take the First Small Step Today
Not tomorrow. Today. It doesn’t have to be huge. Send that email. Make that call. Register that domain. Post that content. Momentum starts with motion.

Step 9: Commit to Showing Up Consistently
Remember Daisy’s regret about her YouTube channel? Consistency compounds. Pick one platform, one practice, one action you’ll commit to daily or weekly. Then protect it fiercely.

Step 10: Track, Measure, and Adjust
Set aside time each week to review what’s working and what’s not. Be honest with yourself. This is where you’ll learn whether to pivot or persevere. Data doesn’t lie, but it does require interpretation.

Step 11: Celebrate the Small Wins
Entrepreneurship is a marathon with no finish line. If you only celebrate the big milestones, you’ll miss most of the journey. Did you have a meaningful conversation? Land a small client? Overcome a fear? That counts. Acknowledge it.

Step 12: Remember Why You Started

When things get hard—and they will—come back to your why. Read it again. Feel it again. Let it remind you that this leap was always about more than money or status. It was about becoming who you’re meant to be.

Why I Love These Conversations

This is what I live for—these unfiltered, in-between-the-lines conversations with people who are building something real. Not the polished conference panels or the carefully curated Instagram posts, but the raw, vulnerable truth-telling that happens when entrepreneurs let their guard down.

We don’t have all the answers. But we have each other’s backs, each other’s hard-won wisdom, and the shared understanding that this path—while messy and uncertain—is exactly where we’re meant to be.

So here’s my question for you:

What’s the leap you’ve been postponing because you’re waiting for perfect?
What’s the platform you stopped showing up on?
What’s the partnership agreement you’ve been meaning to review?
What’s the question you’re afraid to ask because you think you should already know the answer?

And here’s the harder question: Are you willing to do the really, really hard work that comes after the leap?

Who are the five people you’re spending the most time with? Are they building you up or holding you back?

Ready to Take Your Next Step?

If you’re standing at the edge of your own leap and could use a guide who’s been there, I’d love to talk with you. I work with entrepreneurs who are ready to move from dreaming to doing, from stuck to momentum, from solo struggle to supported growth.

Book a complimentary discovery call with me: https://calendly.com/Kalika

Let’s explore where you are, where you want to go, and whether we’re the right fit to work together. No pressure, just honest conversation about your entrepreneurial journey.

Because the best insights? They happen in the in-between moments.