My name is Frisca. I graduated from UNAND in 2010. I am the second of three children, born into a family with sufficient financial means, with Minang blood from both my father and mother. However, I was born and raised in Jakarta, until I had to move to Padang in junior high school. This was because my father went bankrupt and, coincidentally, my grandparents were getting older and living alone in Padang.
I was taught how to sell things from primary school, when I sold drinks at home, then in secondary school I sold risol and snacks cooked by my mother. Seeing the business opportunity presented by my classmates who were on the third floor and too lazy to go to the canteen, my sales were quite good at the time. It even inspired my other friends to start selling as well. Since I had become accustomed to selling, I continued selling bronis during my university days, but since participating in the entrepreneurship camp organised by KSE.
When I graduated from university and started looking for work, I found a job vacancy as a salesperson. I then thought that if I was going to work in sales, wouldn’t it be better to sell my own products, which I had clearly built and created myself?
My family played a huge role in supporting my decision to start a Korean restaurant. My father had his doubts at first. However, thank God, my decision turned out to be a financial breakthrough for our family.
At first, this Korean restaurant was still a low-budget version because it didn’t have much capital. It only had a small yard that was transformed into a modern space with motivational quotes written in chalk on the walls. With just three gold-coloured pots purchased from an e-commerce platform that wasn’t as widespread back then. My journey in building this business wouldn’t have been possible without the unwavering support of my husband, who not only encouraged me to pursue entrepreneurship but also actively joined me in running the business I had started. His name is Yudith, an alumnus of KSE USU.
During his studies, he often participated in activities outside of campus, exploring environments that were different from those he was accustomed to in his daily life. His hobbies were channelled there, especially those related to IT and multimedia.
He first became interested in business when he participated in a photography project with a friend. Through this activity, he gained many connections because at that time, photography was still an exclusive field. Eventually, he and his friend started a photography and multimedia business. After graduating from university, he took several tests to work at a state-owned company, but failed after the interview selection process. There, he began to realise that he might not be the type of employee that the company was looking for. Ultimately, he decided to focus on continuing the business he had been running all along. We first met in September 2013 in Medan, during the KSE USU face-to-face event. I and several representatives from UNAND attended the event. We didn’t talk much, just introduced ourselves.
From that approach, I felt that he could be someone I could rely on. All the bad behaviour I displayed did not make him give up on me, making me even more convinced, even though we lived in different cities without any commitment or intense communication. We were armed only with the belief that if we were meant to be together, we would meet again at the right time.
I am convinced that Yudhit is essentially a person who does not give up easily. Becoming an entrepreneur was not an easy decision for him as the head of a family with the heavy burden and responsibility of providing for his children and wife.
That is why it was not difficult for me when Yudhit decided not to renew his contract and to start focusing on continuing the business that I had already started.
Being husband and wife as well as business partners is not easy. Often, business and household conflicts become intertwined. However, we believe that the path we have taken is an immeasurable blessing. From two business units, we now have three business units and three branches with approximately 12 employees.