“I Had RM33 Left” — Former CEO Rebuilds Life With Car Boot Nasi Lemak
Former CEO Ade Azhar Ismail rebuilds his life selling nasi lemak from a car boot after hitting rock bottom with RM33.
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Facing a balance of RM33 in his bank account after severe financial strain hit his business, former chief executive officer Ade Azhar Ismail took a radical step to turn his fortunes around — selling nasi lemak out of the boot of his car
According to Harian Metro, after nearly 16 years of running his own distribution company, mid-2023 financial struggles forced Ade to scale down his staff from 60 to 14.
Determined to save his venture without taking a paycheque, he decided to launch a direct-to-consumer street food concept.
Armed with 30 packets of nasi lemak sourced from a distant relative, he parked his car in Seksyen 9, Shah Alam, and set up shop on the pavement
"At first, I was embarrassed to face my siblings, relatives, and staff. But remembering that I came from direct sales, that embarrassment vanished, especially when many friends and other business owners came to buy in support," Ade recalled.
Despite feeling like a 'loser' on his first morning, his entire stock sold out quickly.
He kept the new venture a secret from his wife for the first two weeks while proving the concept. The pivot proved immediately lucrative, generating RM9,000 in profit during its first month alone.
The street-side experiment rapidly scaled. By day 53, Ade began hiring staff to replicate the car-boot pop-up model across five additional locations.
Now, on day 81, Ade and his team sell up to 1,200 packets of nasi lemak daily.
Operating in two shifts — starting at 8.30am and 5.00pm — they routinely sell out every day, overcoming initial hurdles such as bad weather.
The revenue generated from the street stalls now provides Ade with a personal income while injecting vital cash flow back into his parent distribution business
Reflecting on his journey, Ade hopes his experience serves as a reminder that no set of circumstances is permanent.
"So, for those in the same situation as me, throw away your shame and ego… find a way out of the problem," he said, encouraging others facing financial hardship not to fear starting over from the bottom.
