Smiling in Hardships: Lessons from our first failure

By Efuet And And. Atem

Smiling in Hardships, A story about Happiness

"And is a young boy who believes we can always choose happiness. Through an entrepreneurial venture, he embarks on a perilous journey to help people choose happiness. Young And faces challenging vicissitudes along the road when his own happ

• Language: English
• Publisher: Smiling in Hardships
• Release date: Mar 21, 2021
• ISBN: 9782957442737

Efuet And And. Atem

Efuet And Atem was born in Owe Muyuka Cameroon. 6th child from a womb of 7, he is an engineer, CEO and Founder of World like Home.

Book preview

Entrepreneurship

Smiling in Hardships

Lessons from our first failure

Efuet And. Atem

Copyright © 2020 Efuet And. Atem All rights reserved.

Up to ten per cent of this publication or a single chapter may be reproduced in any form, or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing from the publisher in the case of quotations embodied in critical reviews or for educational and non-commercial uses as allowed for by copyright laws. For any other permission requests or to contact the author, please write to the publisher via our website, email, or Facebook.

Published in French in France.

Published in English in the United States.

SmilinginHardships.com

First Edition, 2020

ISBN 978-2-9574427-3-7

Cover Design

As a source of valuable information to the reader, this publication is designed to provide accurate information regarding the subject matter covered. However, it is not meant as a replacement for direct expert assistance. If such level of assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought.

To those in difficulties, those in trials, those feeling lonely, those looking for a voice, this book is dedicated to you.

Who am I?

Efuet And. Atem

Engineer, Founder & CEO World like Home.

Keep in touch

EfuetAndAtem Efuet Atem

The world might be unfair, but we all have an obligation to make it better.

Smiling in Hardships, A story about Happiness

"Through an entrepreneurial venture, And embarks on a perilous journey to help people choose happiness. He faces challenging vicissitudes when his own happiness is put to the test. He must now apply the same principles and beliefs he preaches to others unto himself. Can he practise what he preaches? Or will he give up in the face of extreme hardships, trials, and tribulations?

Smiling in Hardships, Lessons from our first failure is a story of entrepreneurship startup, disappointments, frustrations, distractions, pitfalls, friendships, racism, migration, patience, perseverance, family, fundraising, success failures, business model, challenges, faith, forgiveness, freedom, inspiration, motivation, self-help and above all a great lesson of humility.

As you read along, at times, you will identify with the author and his quest for happiness, at another instance, you find yourself crying and later on laughing as the author maintains constant humour as he narrates the difficult choices he has to make."

Efuet And. Atem is an Engineer, CEO and Founder of World like Home.

Praises

I like how the author likened his experiences and journey to the physics concept of friction. It demonstrates his ease to link knowledge and reminds readers that experiences in life and lessons learned can help us better understand and solve problems in other aspects of life. I also appreciate the fact that he allows the reader unprecedented access into his life and struggles but even more importantly, on his coping mechanisms when things were tough. With life being stressful, especially the world of entrepreneurship, you cannot overstress the importance of such knowledge. It might be a lifesaver for a lot of young entrepreneurs facing similar situations. To conclude I will say what I love the most about the book is the vastness of information in it. The writer is a little genius in linking ideas and growing a single local idea into a global one.

BERTRAND WALANJI, High School Physics Teacher

This book is a store of energy, to realise this you have to open it and open up yourself.

JACQUES NKOA -BETENE, entrepreneur, author, & consultant

It feels like Efuet is coming straight from the comics. In a world where after graduation, you try to maximise your assets to impress the opposite sex and gain status, Efuet surprises us. Like a hero, he will set out in search of himself. And like all heroes, he is misunderstood. Without a penny in administrative precariousness, he decides to launch an innovative startup around his passion: hospitality! Brave, funny, endearing I cannot tell you more. But like the heroes, even when you think of him at the bottom of a hole, he gets up smiling.

IVAN LEMARABIO, Founder, CEO Bissandlove.com

A guide to the entrepreneur, a guide to students, a guide to life.  Sensational this masterpiece. Easy to read, in an understandable down-to-earth language. I take a hat-trick to the author; he is an example for the entrepreneurial youth.

RICHARD SUFO, Assistant Lecturer, Le Mans University

In addition to being enriching to the aspiring entrepreneur, to me, this essay seems to play a key role in the French society. Indeed, a few years ago, Pope Francis called on each of us to build bridges, not walls. Thus, in my opinion, the author builds a real bridge with this book. In France today there remains undeniably a great ignorance regarding immigration and the obstacles and sufferings that foreigners face. Lack of empathy or interest on their part? I do not think so. I just feel so many walls separate them. Difficult to understand what the other person is going through! Through his testimony, Efuet Atem gives everyone the opportunity to understand what it means for a foreigner to settle in France. A chance to seize! I will end this criticism with the point I liked the most. Throughout the book, the author communicates a message that pleases me and will serve me personally in everyday life: do not choose the easy way, believe in your ambitions, in your intuitions and your projects, knowing that success is never easy. This message is even more audible as the author puts it into practice in his life. Thank you for this beautiful work! A real-life lesson.

SIENNE THÉRY, social assistant

This is my story too. I like it because a lot of people talk about their success, but very often, we do not know the failure that preceded. As Efuet said in the book, being an entrepreneur, you have challenges such as fundraising, criticisms, pressures and so on. The story in this book is a real story, and it can't teach you success, but it can help many young entrepreneurs avoid pitfalls, speed up their project. WlH's adventure has given me the courage to face difficulties in life and in my career

ZHAO XING, Co-Founder of World like Home

We study and acquire competencies in school, and sometimes the success in the acquisition process might push us to falsely conclude that applying these competencies acquired will meet with no difficulties, but from the author's experience, it's not true. While in the field, other variables must add to the acquired competencies to produce success, and that is where difficulties and failures have their place to come in. I do enjoy reading the book. Very encouraging to people who are almost giving up and also to people who have already made it. Truly, the book is a must-read 'by just everybody.

ATEM URSLA, History teacher

The default life of a human is a challenging one. How we go about these challenges is what makes or breaks us. In chapter 3, the author tells us that when all seems lost, we need to find a reason to keep going. Accept your current situation to overcome them. If we do not accept them, then it feels like they do not exist, and we get stuck with them. There will be distractions on the way from friends, family, people we meet, etc. But the author cautions us not to allow ourselves to be distracted

ANGU ABONGWA, Engineer Weatherford Services & Rental Ltd

As I skim across the pages, goosebumps immediately covered my entire skin as the author hither narrates a sequence of setbacks, misfortunes, disappointments, impediments, and hiccups while he craves to start a company. How he surmounted these obstacles is even more intriguing. The storyline, his motivation, his determination, his passion, his charisma, and the positive attitude maintained throughout to keep his startup running is breath-taking. Every hiccup was an opportunity to learn, redefine the problem, update the solution, refine the product, and bounce back. I have listened and read many startuppers tell stories concerning their days of little beginnings. However, Atem's story stands tall and feels like an executive summary every aspiring entrepreneur, CEO, leader, manager, storyteller or those who want to keep a positive attitude must have as a guide on the table going forward.

THEODORE MULUH, Sales Manager Africa at Clarke Energy

I love the vulnerability in chapter 2, but the lessons learnt in chapter 6 will forever mark me. This book came in for me when I was dealing with the consequences of some of my own weaknesses; reading how Claire, Emily, Elise, Muniba and Tonja each dealt with the things that happened to them that was not their fault gave me hope. It is helping me to manage some of mine and taking life more optimistically. I loved how vulnerable the writer gets and how he is willing to share some untold truths with the readers; but what marks me the most is the fact that he reminds us that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

MIH NJUA ODETTE, Engineer, ENEO Cameroon

This essay is a journey that permits us to travel from our inner self to all over the world. It teaches us a great lesson of humility. The central point is World like Home. Atem has a vision to make people feel at home wherever they are in the world. This mission reflects his present fight as he feels like a foreigner both in his country of birth and in his host country. With World like Home, he is a Free-Spirit man, doing something he loves, something he is good at, something he can be paid for and definitely something the world needs. What our Japanese colleagues called Ikigaï. We should keep smiling in hardships, it helps always to remind us that the best is still to come.

LEONEL TIAGUE, Acoustics Engineer

As a young entrepreneur in another city, on another continent, this book also made it clear to me that we all have challenges (friction), some with different names but similar in every sense of the word. Chapter 2 is my favourite chapter as it made me reflect on the struggle, my struggle. How I plan, and reality hits me in the head. This book made me realize that those entrepreneurs who succeed have similar challenges like me and make mistakes but learn and do not give up. If they made it, I too can. It is a masterpiece. Thanks for letting me walk through the process with you. You changed the way I see failures and challenges.

MESODE, Founder & CEO MESO DEsigns

Table of contents

Praises

Chapter 0: Have a Seat

Let us journey together

Chapter 1: The Starting Point

World like Home

Chapter 2: Friction

Difficulties / Blockages / Errors

Chapter 3: Fuel

Staying on track

Chapter 4: In Retrospect

Lessons learned

Chapter 5: Acceleration

Satisfactory elements

Chapter 6: The Opportunity

The Power of our weakness

Chapter 7: The Destination

Light at the end of the tunnel

Annexes

Recognition

Chapter 0: Have a Seat

Let us journey together

Let us journey together

Nelson Mandela, Coco Chanel, Henry Ford, Josephine Bakhita, Diane Von Fürstenberg, Akio Morita, Steve Jobs, Oprah Winfrey, Ray Kroc, Michael Jordan, Thomas Edison, JK Rowling, Aliko Dangote, Hedy Lamarr, Jack Ma, Marie Curie, Ibn al-Haytham, Elon Musk or Albert Einstein.

Have you ever heard of these people? What is the link between a 20th-century black slave and a famous 10th-century scientist? And between a luxury fashion designer in Paris and the richest man in Africa?

Nelson Mandela was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. Coco Chanel is famous for her haute couture creations, especially since the House of Chanel is the symbol of French elegance. Henry Ford is the founder of Ford Motors Company. Josephine Bakhita is a former slave turned Saint, becoming a symbol of Hope. Diane Von Fürstenberg is the founder and co-chair of the luxury brand, Diane von Fürstenberg (DVF). Akio Morita is the founder of Sony. Steve Jobs is the founder of Apple. Oprah Winfrey is a world-famous audio-visual star.

Are you a fan of Fast Food? Maybe not! Ray Kroc is the founder of McDonald's. Michael Jordan is the most recognised basketball player in the world. Thomas Edison is the creator of the light bulb. JK Rowling is a world-renowned novelist and screenwriter. Aliko Dangote is a Nigerian businessman and the