Waking Up at 5AM for 8 Weeks: What the 5AM Club Changed for Me
Our Dreams In Progress
Welcome to my personal space, where I write through change, learning, and healing in real time. Written by a 45-year-old mother of three, learning AI, online systems, and how to stay sane and healthy, one honest step at a time.
The Day I Decided to Start Sharing My Story
September 13, 2025
My Journey to $100k
This post is part of my Diary of a First $100K, an open journal where I document the real journey of building my first digital business from scratch. Each entry shares the wins, the setbacks, the tools I try, and the lessons I learn as I aim for a $100K milestone. In this post, I open up about my story, the day I decided to start sharing my journey publicly and how that single decision changed the way I view growth, courage, and connection.
This isn’t Day 1 for me, but it is the day I’ve decided to start sharing the real story.
For months, I’ve been quietly building a digital business from scratch while balancing life as a 45-year-old mother of three. And a lot has been going on in the background.
My eldest child, 18, will soon leave home for college in another country, and I’m dealing with all the emotions of letting him go. Add to that the joys and challenges of navigating perimenopause, and it’s been a season of big changes. My elderly mother recently had knee replacement surgery, and I’ve been helping her through recovery.
Financially, things have been tight as we’re self-funding my son’s college education. That’s a promise I fully intend to keep, just as my own parents did for me. We have some savings, but not enough to get him through all three years. This is why I’m starting this online business: to earn enough to put him through college without debt.
The Reality Behind the Scenes
It hasn’t been easy. I’ve spent more than I budgeted for. There have been more downs than ups, with plenty of unexpected setbacks along the way.
I’ve been doing my own research amidst the usual chaos of daily life, from school runs to toilet training, ballet, swim class, driving lessons, and meal prep.
It’s been a while since I’ve had to do any real studying, and it’s definitely not as easy as it used to be. These days I’m so forgetful, whether it’s motherhood, perimenopause, or just life, I’m not sure but focusing and picking up new skills feels harder than ever.
There are days the learning curve feels steep enough to make my head explode!
But here I am, tackling Canva and CapCut, experimenting with AI through ChatGPT, and figuring out Instagram and TikTok beyond casual scrolling. Canva, in particular, has tested my patience more than once.
With so much information available online, it’s both a blessing and a curse. Too much has lead to analysis paralysis and honestly, there are days when I just want to give up. I’ve watched countless tutorials and webinars, often late at night after putting the little ones to bed. But I’m grateful for it all because there’s always something new to discover and lessons to keep.
Why I Created "Our Dreams In Progress"
Some days have been wins worth celebrating. Other days, not so much. It hasn’t been as smooth as I thought. But every day has been part of my journey.
I created “Our Dreams In Progress” to document this messy, hard, magical, crazy rollercoaster of learning. Being based in Southeast Asia adds unique challenges, with geolocation restrictions on social media and payment platforms. Finding loopholes and workarounds is part of the process.
It’s daily learning, taking in new information and trying to implement it while figuring out what works.
What You’ll Find Here
Here, you’ll see the real process: the tools I test, the strategies I try, the mistakes I make, and the lessons I learn. I’m not promising perfection. I’m promising honesty.
Because building a profitable online business is possible, even from halfway around the world, and I want to show exactly how.
If you’ve ever wanted to start something but felt overwhelmed, unprepared, or “too late,” I hope my work-in-progress story reminds you that the perfect moment doesn’t exist. You start where you are, with what you have, and you build as you go.
This is my journey. I’m glad to finally start sharing it here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is 45 too late to start an online business?
A: No — many entrepreneurs begin later in life and succeed because they have experience, resilience, and a clear sense of purpose. It’s never too late to start.
Q: How do you start an online business from scratch with no experience?
A: Choose one model to focus on (digital products, affiliate marketing, or e-commerce) and learn step by step. Free tools like Canva and ChatGPT make it easier than ever to start without a big budget.
Q: What challenges do moms face when building a business online?
A: Time and energy are the biggest struggles. Balancing school runs, family responsibilities, and learning new skills isn’t easy, but small, consistent actions build momentum.
Q: Can you really build a business from Southeast Asia?
A: Yes. While there are extra hurdles like payment restrictions and platform limits, there are also workarounds. Many successful entrepreneurs run profitable businesses from anywhere in the world.
Q: How do you stay motivated when progress feels slow?
A: By focusing on the long-term vision, celebrating small wins, and remembering why you started. Progress often feels slow, but consistency compounds over time.
Subscribe Our Newsletter
Sign up today and get the Canva Course Starter Pack Freebie, plus access to my free newsletter filled with tips and inspiration. You can unsubscribe anytime, and you’ll find all the details in our Privacy Policy.