Smiling in Hardships

Lessons From Our First Failure

Non-Fiction - Self Help
230 Pages
Reviewed on 12/01/2020
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Author Biography

Born in the small village of Owe Muyuka in Cameroon, Efuet And. Atem is an Engineer, CEO and Founder of World like Home.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Sandy Masia for Readers' Favorite

Smiling in Hardships: Lessons From Our First Failure is a memoir, self-help book that tells the story of Efuet And. Atem as he starts a business in a foreign country, its subsequent failure and how he pulled himself and the business back from the brink of complete collapse. Shortly, after launching their startup, World like Home, the company goes bankrupt. That would be the nail in the coffin for most entrepreneurial endeavors but it leads to a road of self-reflection, refinement, and growth.

Smiling in Hardships: Lessons From Our First Failure is inspirational. It is sprinkled with a modicum of insight, wisdom, and powerful principles. Reading this, you feel like you are in the company of a passionate, driven, and knowledgeable person with a kind spirit. They are sitting there, giving you all the time in the world, to gift you their vast experience and lessons. Efuet And. Atem is a person you can admire, trust, and learn from. He is undeniably charming, intelligent and his tell-all style of writing evokes strange, sweet feelings of kinship and enlightenment. Like bull room sessions in college, something about this book is stimulating, elevating, and brimming with possibility. There isn’t a shortage of inspiring, insightful vignettes that serve to crystalize and illustrate his points. He has a resilient soul that is a marvel to witness as it comes with ever more creative ways of solving problems.

This book also reveals a young man who has a clear focus and vision. It shows us someone who values goodwill and knows the true value of the connections, friendships, and networks we form. Smiling in Hardships: Lessons From Our First Failure is an optimistic read. It is uplifting and educational, not just about how to be a good entrepreneur but about how to be a good human being. I highly recommend it!

Lesley Jones

Smiling in Hardships is written by Efuet And. Atem. In today's society, job security and satisfaction are rare commodities. Many people dream of starting their own business but it is one thing to have an idea and another to have a strategic roadmap to success. Entrepreneur Efuet shares his personal journey of building a successful business and guides you through the maze of obstacles and situations that could mean the difference between success and liquidation. Born in Cameroon, Efuet moved to Paris after graduation which sparked an idea for his first business, World like Home, an online platform that links volunteers with foreign students to help aid their transition to a new country. Although the business did not have the results he hoped for, Efuet did gain enormous insight into the world of entrepreneurship and what it takes to succeed. This guide will arm you with the knowledge and mindset you must have in business. From a start-up essential checklist, dealing with rejection and setbacks to funding, financial planning, and developing a powerful business blueprint, Efuet also shares important and valuable life lessons that gave him the mindset to persevere in troubling times and the challenges he faced such as discrimination and racism. As Henry Ford once said, "Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently".

In Smiling in Hardships, Efuet writes with so much honesty and humility, his life story draws your interest immediately. The personal stories and life lessons were inspiring and heartwarming, but what I particularly found helpful was his use of analogies throughout. The comparison of mechanical friction to human behavior was so powerful and easy to grasp. He uses common sense and logic to break down obstacles and challenges. I feel this positive attitude is going to help anyone not just overcome business setbacks but also any disappointments they may face in their lives. His techniques for noticing a gap in the market and to spot business opportunities from everyday situations was fantastic. I loved the sections on Problem-Product-Fit - this method was so simple yet really effective. The diagrams were clear and are going to help those readers that learn visually. Efuet guides us towards little-known but resourceful places that can help you at any stage of your business from start-up, mentoring advice through the rough times and organizations, and tips that will help your business grow. This book not only assists you with the fundamentals of business but also gives you the techniques to deal with self-doubt, fear, and criticism so you remain focused and determined. Smiling in Hardships is the next best thing to having your own business mentor.

Vincent Dublado

Smiling in Hardships: Lessons From Our First Failure by Efuet And. Atem is an encouraging self-help book that will help you get up after you have taken a hard fall. Why choose this book when you can read other self-help books that proliferate out there? For starters, if you have ever tried building a company from the ground up and encountered failures, this book will resonate. Efuet shares his story as the founder of a company called World like Home, where he had his first taste of failure. He aims to share his story as a guide for young entrepreneurs so that they avoid the pitfalls that he made. The idea is for you to learn from something that did not work, and that coherence and consistency compel you to think of the long, medium, and short term goal. As a trained engineer, he uses the concept of reverse and obverse as a factor to reach your destination.

No one builds a startup business and expects to fail. Murphy’s Law is always on the prowl. Smiling in Hardships is written to show you what to do to prevent your life from spiraling out of control when you encounter a devastating failure that breaks your spirit. Efuet is pragmatic and practical in his approach and alludes to the failure-to-success stories of famous men and women as inspiring examples. Regardless of your social background, religion, culture, or education, you can benefit from the concepts presented here. They can help you manage your feelings and respond appropriately to any devastating event you may encounter on your journey toward building your business.