Becoming an entrepreneur had always been Samuel Soong’s dream.

Growing up in a middle-income family, he had witnessed how his parents had toiled from nine to five – and sometimes even overtime – to afford comforts in life.

“As the eldest in the family, I always had the desire to do well and support the family,” said Sam.

Having come from a family of non-entrepreneurs, Sam believed that doing business would give him a leg up.

Chasing the dream

His plan was to start a business by 30, after which he would get married.

When Sam was 28, he and a friend were talent spotted by an investor who offered to fund them if they could find a good product to sell and could come up with a sound business plan.

“I know God grants us the desires of our hearts, even if they are desires that we don’t necessarily verbalise or fall on our knees for,” said Sam.

So he jumped on the offer.

The pair spent months digging deep into research and attending exhibitions in the United States, looking for the perfect product to sell. Finally, they landed on the idea of the world’s first shatter-proof ceramic reusable cup.

Sam and his business partner in the early years of building up Sttoke. They made cold calls, knocked on doors and worked overtime to get the business off the ground.

As an avid coffee lover, Sam knew that this product would fly. Ceramic has been favoured for years for being good at retaining heat in a drink, while remaining inert enough to not alter its taste.

“We designed the cup from scratch and flew to China to look for a manufacturer,” Sam shared. “It wasn’t easy. I was young, hopeful, maybe a little broke, but I wasn’t about to back down!”

After securing a manufacturer, Sam and his friend then travelled to Australia to look for a distributer. Despite multiple rejections, they persisted in making cold calls until they finally secured a deal. 

That was the beginning of Sttoke. At 29 years old, Sam became a full-fledged entrepreneur.

Walking in step with God

In the first year of business, Sam’s business was immediately profitable. The brand grew and expanded to various countries and regions.

However, Sam was aware of the risk of failure even in the midst of success.

The launch of Sttoke in 2018. At 29 years old, Sam (left) made his dream a reality when he became an entrepreneur.

“It wasn’t always rosy but I think God gave me the gift of optimism. When things were not looking up, I somehow could still see the rainbow after the storm,” he said with a chuckle.

He also stayed grounded with Scripture that kept his focus on God, such as Proverbs 16:9: “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.”

Said Sam: “When I commit my life to Him, He guides me.”

Dark days even for the optimist

As time went on, he realised that God’s guidance was with him even in the valleys.

When the pandemic hit, Sttoke’s sales took a hit. Business declined and so did the morale of the company. Things got worse when Sam and his business partner could not see eye to eye on many things.

Sam (left) at one of Sttoke’s exhibitions worldwide.

For two tough years, Sam spiralled slowly into what he called “workplace depression”.

“Every time I stepped into the office, I had no motivation or drive to work. I was crushed and hurt by the things that were happening to me and the business,” Sam shared.

“The year 2022 was the angriest year of my life. I became a pessimist and was indifferent about a lot of things.”

In his despair, he found himself standing on a balcony one day questioning what would it take to become happy again. He toyed with the idea of quitting as the burdens of hurt and a declining business weighed heavy on him.

He noticed that the stress of the situation was also causing him to stumble spiritually.

“I was definitely backsliding. It was hard for me to pray. I did not handle the situation as a Christian should, with God’s help and exemplifying the fruits of the Spirit,” he admitted.

An oasis in the desert

At the end of 2022, Sam decided that he needed to keep the business afloat and travelled to Australia to give it one last shot.

As he knocked on distributors’ doors, God came knocking on his door.

While visiting a small church of fewer than 30 people, “I broke down crying during worship. It was then that I realised that I was really, really far away from God”, Sam recalled, adding that he had neglected the sacred time of devotion with God while growing his business.

But in that small church, God reached out to him and gave him the comfort, peace and strength needed for the season that he was going through.

For two months, Sam worked hard to revive his business and spiritual life. He returned to the same church every week, and spent time in prayer and God’s Word.

One day at an event, Sam met Moses, a successful entrepreneur who challenged and encouraged Sam to fulfil God’s call for his life as a business leader. Through deep and inspiring conversations, Sam saw something different in Moses.

“He made better money than me and all he talked about was how he can give back to God,” Sam said.

It reignited a desire in Sam to be a beacon in the marketplace, not just a successful entrepreneur. He was also reminded of the reason he strived for success.

“The reason for doing business has always been to help others. It stemmed from my years as a Royal Ranger, seeing my leaders give to us so selflessly. I want to also be in a position to give generously without withholding anything,” Sam said.

New life and vision

After his return from Australia, Sam recognised a change in his heart. 

“I was rejuvenated spiritually and had a new motivation to grow my business. Something happened inside of me, although the situation on the outside did not change much,” Sam said.

“God has his way of turning things around. I was about to call it quits but He revived me (spiritually) and gave me fresh vision for my business,” he added.

Sam now works with a desire to run a successful business that will bless others. 

“I have been able to provide jobs for people who were really seeking job opportunities. Also, by God’s grace, I’ve been able to (financially) give to those in need as well,” he said.

After the bump in the road, Sttoke recovered and has since expanded its team to 14 individuals and established its presence in over 10 countries.

Sttoke products are now in over 10 countries.

While he rides on another wave of success, Sam is constantly reminded of the lessons he learned from the pit – that God has to take centre stage in every aspect of life.

“I needed to align my thoughts to God’s word, to not cease praying and reading His word when things are going well, and especially when it is tough. Because I know that God will surely meet me where I am, I just need to hang in there,” Sam shared.

He encouraged budding Christian entrepreneurs to live a life that glorifies God, especially in tough situations.

“You will have eggs thrown at you, but remember, you are first a testimony unto Him. Live out the fruits of the spirit – love, joy, peace, patience – stay close to him and don’t forget Him in your success. All that we enjoy is because of Him.”

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