In response to your question, most men don't mind. In fact, many are happy if their wives earn more than they do.

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Years ago, I had this conversation with my ex-fiancé. Given our age gap, it was likely that I would eventually out-earn him, and he jokingly mentioned he’d become my toy boy and househusband. He talked about cooking, cleaning, taking care of our future children and dogs, and even volunteering for charity to contribute to society.

I’m good at business and don’t mind being the breadwinner. In fact, I believe employment can sometimes be detrimental for men in the long run, as it often leads to overwork, stress, and health issues. The higher a man climbs in the corporate world, the more challenges, stress, and office politics he faces, which can take a toll on both his health and the time he spends with loved ones.

Last year, a guy friend of mine shared how several of his peers suddenly collapsed and died in their 40s. They all worked in MNCs. He then told me why he quit his corporate job a decade ago—it had become so stressful that he fell into depression. He eventually found a new path in the financial planning industry.

Speaking of MNCs, my ex-fiancé was at the C-level. When we first met, he was rather cold and emotionless. He admitted to numbing his feelings constantly at work. He didn’t enjoy his career but felt obligated to continue because of the high salary. He was retrenched several times due to external factors, and I emotionally supported him through those tough moments, watching him become depressed and withdrawn.

Because of his employment experience—and my own—I decided to go into business full-time. I find joy and motivation in building my capacity to offer my future husband the option to quit his job, be a househusband, contribute to society, pursue his hobbies, and even earn some pocket money if he chooses to.

However, if my future husband were to take advantage of me, laze around at home, neglect household duties, and not contribute to society, I would lose respect for him. That’s not the kind of man I want to marry.

I’m also fine if he wants to continue working while I manage the household. But if he’s stressed and wants to resign, he can take a career break, be a househusband for as long as he likes, and explore his hobbies or other income streams.

I think most men would appreciate having those options. It’s an ideal situation that can only happen if the wife earns more than her husband.

This post has been edited by Ralna: Jan 20 2025, 02:38 PM

Thanks for the lovely compliment! Yes, much of what I’ve learned came from life itself, especially after witnessing how my ex suffered in his corporate job. It shaped my perspective deeply.

How I started my business journey:

My first venture was a training business. After experiencing corporate burnout in Singapore, I returned to my hometown for a career break. While attending a government agency event, a manager approached me and said, "You don’t look local!" I told him I had just returned from Singapore after over 10 years working in Selangor and Singapore.

He replied, “Wow! Then you must have brought back a lot of knowledge and skills. Why don’t you start your own training consultancy? We’ll support you!”

Me: “But I just came back for a career break…”
Him: “Think about it. Help us upskill the community.”

Six months later, after having enough rest, vacation and preparation, I launched my training consultancy in May 2019. I planned, organised, and conducted public and B2B training events. I also collaborated with other trainers and companies.

My first 5 in-person events were co-promoted by government agencies. They were a success, leading to sponsorships for talks in other cities, with fully paid flights, accommodation, and honorarium. From around 130 attendees (mostly professionals and business owners), I received invitations from 20+ companies to either train their staff or co-host events. That was the 2020 plan.

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Then, the pandemic hit.

In early 2020, the training industry pivoted from physical events to online webinars. While I adapted, I fell into depression because that was supposed to be the year I got married. Lockdowns separated me from my then-fiancé for three years.

Out of that emotional low, I founded my 2nd business: a mental health startup to support struggling adults through content, community, and access to professionals (coaches, counsellors, practitioners, and trainees).

I built the platform myself—website, sales pages, booking system, video content, e-books, and social media posts. My professional network spanned Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Myanmar, Japan, Australia, and Canada. How I found them? Well, I approached them (strangers) on LinkedIn and asked if they'd like to be onboard.

We launched and got 11 sales on Day 1. But the stigma around mental health made monetisation tough.

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At the same time, my business contacts started asking me to help with their marketing materials. It led to my 3rd business: a creative production agency.

I launched it with under RM200 (for SSM registration and domain name) and earned nearly RM100k in return. In the first year running this biz full-time, I closed 30 project deals with new clients, created jobs for vendors/freelancers, and paid out around RM40k in wages. (That was the first time I felt like a small boss. haha~)

I also acquired over 20 business clients, including a Fortune 500 MNC, and formed several strategic partnerships. All this was achieved with zero ads, zero website, zero events or sales calls... just pure word-of-mouth.

But client projects became draining. Burnout crept in again, and I decided to shift my focus back to e-learning and training (Biz 1).

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Currently,

For Biz 1 (learning and development), I’m now creating and selling online courses and group classes to markets in Malaysia, China, and South Korea via a joint venture with an established academy (50-50 profit split). I'm also building my own online courses and group coaching programme in entrepreneurship, business, marketing, and sales, while partnering with a funnel marketer. We also do 50-50 split. These are my main initiatives for 2025.

As for Biz 2 (mental health), I’ve found a more sustainable model: producing content (writing/videos) and monetising through platforms like YouTube and Medium first. Once I grow a solid following, monetisation will be much easier. My priority is now building a strong personal brand before pushing products and services provided by those counsellors, coaches, and other wellness companies.

Biz 3 (creative agency) is still active, but I serve only existing clients and their referrals. I'm not sourcing new ones actively.

This is my whole biz journey in the last five years, beginning from mid-2019/ age 30.

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So, you could see that I started as a corporate employee, but through events and networking, I built strong connections and converted them into collaborations. That’s how I launched businesses by leveraging what I already had: network, skills and knowledge to meet market demands in L&D, marketing, and wellness.

I’ve earned from every business. But of course, it hasn’t always been smooth. It usually takes 3–6 months to see small revenue trickles, and 2–3 years to start earning consistent paychecks. For exponential growth, it takes 5 to 10+ years.



I still take on part-time and freelance work to stay financially afloat while building my business foundations. I continue to be headhunted by recruiters, with a recent opportunity to work for a NASDAQ-listed MNC. Personally, I’m open to job opportunities because my business is flexible—mostly automated and delegated to vendors and freelancers. I work with other companies not just for extra income, but also to sharpen my skills and expand my network.

To date, I’ve been employed by 20 companies over the past 15 years in various capacities (full-time, part-time and freelance; online and on-site) across many countries and time zones. For me, working = learning + networking + enjoying.

The full-time employers I worked for offered plenty of perks: free massages, movie tickets, sports classes, gym and swimming pool access, travel discounts, bonuses, free lunches, company dinners, karaoke sessions, free beer, and more. I also get to attend lots of paid training and industry events. This is the best part of employment.

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Seriously, starting and running your own business can sometimes feel boring, isolating, and unrewarding. It's not always glamorous as Rome wasn’t built in a day. There are also good times and bad times in volatile market conditions. Sometimes, you get bad customers, payment delays, zero enquiry, etc. Macam-macam lah.

However, running a business is beneficial because it offers the potential to earn more income compared to a regular job. In a corporate setting, once you hit 40 and above, you’re more likely to face retrenchment, slower career progression, or even age-related bias. Opportunities become fewer, competition gets tougher, and companies may prefer hiring younger, lower-cost talent with fewer commitments.

On the other hand, when you run your own business, your income potential is not capped by a fixed salary or limited by someone else’s decision. You get to decide how much to charge, who to work with, and how to scale. You can build assets (e.g. digital products, systems, brand equity, and partnerships) that continue to generate revenue even while you sleep.

Most importantly, you have control over your time, your lifestyle, and your impact. While it's true that business and entrepreneurship comes with risks and responsibilities, the long-term rewards (freedom, fulfilment, and financial abundance) often outweigh the temporary stability of a job, especially in a rapidly changing economy.

For me, I've set some biz and financial goals to hit by 40 years old. After 40, I want to semi-retire, spend more time with my future family (husband and children, if I'm blessed to have them), and enjoy life—traveling the world while doing consultancy work or speaking gigs—rather than waiting until I'm 50 or 60 to start exploring.

These future aspirations keep me motivated and focused. While there may be detours along the way, I continue to stay committed to building my business. Consistency is key.



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In short, if I could offer you some advice on how to get started, here are a few crucial pointers:

1. Keep your corporate job while building your side hustle. Minimise unnecessary startup expenses and always test market demand before going all in. As a beginner, avoid taking loans to start a business. Failure rates are high, and the financial burden can be overwhelming.

2. Build your reputation and network. Be known for something you do exceptionally well + something others are willing to pay for. Your credibility and visibility will open doors to opportunities and collaborations.

3. Start with services, not products. Services are easier to sell, especially in the early stages. Products require inventory, storage, shelf life management, and often face stiffer competition. With services, people buy you—your expertise, personality, and connection.

4. Expect revenue to come in 5 times slower than your best-case estimate. For example, if you expect to earn RM10,000 in 3 months, mentally prepare for it to take up to 15 months. This mindset helps you manage expectations and plan for financial sustainability. If you hit your goal earlier—great. If not, you're already prepared.

5. Don’t be afraid to slow down, revise your plan, or pivot. Stay flexible and open-minded. Market demands can shift due to both macroeconomic and micro-level changes. The ability to adapt quickly and spot new opportunities is a valuable business skill. Always learn proactively and execute effectively.

Lastly, have fun and enjoy the journey. It won’t always be smooth, but it will be rewarding and deeply transformative. Running a business stretches you, challenges you, and helps you grow into a more well-rounded person. You’ll uncover hidden strengths as you push your limits and go the extra mile for yourself and for the people you serve. The impact you make in people's lives and the appreciation you receive will bring you immense joy and pride. It will remind you that stepping out of your comfort zone was worth it—and that, in the end, everything will be worthwhile.

This post has been edited by Ralna: May 9 2025, 02:01 AM

Thanks for your encouraging words. I'm glad you found my sharing insightful.

As for starting a side business, if time and energy are your current constraints but you have extra cash, you can always hire vendors or freelancers to get the work done for you. For example, with RM15k–30k as startup capital, you could consider working with the right marketer or agency to help you package your expertise (e.g. live classes, recorded courses, info products), promote them (via social media, email lists, and paid ads), and sell them (through funnels, landing pages, webinars, etc.). There are one-stop solutions like this for trainers, coaches, and speakers to sell high-ticket courses or coaching programmes, often priced at RM2k–10k per person.

Or, if you want to earn from YouTube, you can simply pay video creators and editors to produce content for you. If you're interested in earning from writing, hire ghostwriters. With money, almost everything can be outsourced. You just need to cover the upfront production costs (especially if you don’t want to pay the opportunity cost of waiting). The beauty of digital asset is that they can make money, be repurposed in different formats, and be used in different channels with different audience. & The earlier you start, the better because audience (numbers of followers, subscribers, email lists) take time to grow organically. The shortcut is to run ads, but ads burn money if your offer is yet to be tested or optimised.

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Just to further share: I passed the interview with the NASDAQ-listed company yesterday. It's a B2B marketing role with a consultancy firm. The interviewer (who’s also the hiring manager) asked how I would manage if I started working full-time. I explained that my online courses are fully automated, and I only need to respond to students’ questions at night since they’re working adults during the day too. Any training, group classes or webinars I conduct can be scheduled in the evenings or on weekends. It’s entirely up to me how I want to manage my time. The interviewer was okay with my answer.

I expect to continue working in the corporate world until it's time to semi-retire. I still enjoy working for others because it allows me to learn new things, meet new people, and enjoy various perks. I've been "unemployed full-time" for five years (accumulated, 1-2 years of career break each time), so yes, I do get very bored with too much free time. Although I travelled, had fun at events, gyms, beauty salons, attended courses, etc... I eventually found myself getting tired of being too relaxed during what should be my prime years (now, in my mid-thirties). My online biz does keep me occupied at times, but after several years, the novelty wears off and it becomes routine.

Ah well, that's how my life is. Not sure what will unfold next, but yeah, definitely interesting. Glad to have shared some with you here. ^^