During the periods of the Movement Control Order (MCO), BMW Malaysia was inspired by the Dynamic Independent Spirit of individual entrepreneurs who had emerged during the pandemic.
Sashi Ambi, Head of Corporate Communications of BMW Group Malaysia said, “The dynamic independent spirit is what the BMW Group stands for. It is in the turning point in our history that has led us to be the leader in the premium automotive industry today. We see this spirit in these individuals and entrepreneurs who have not only displayed sheer determination in the face of a pandemic, but continue to be bold and inspiring during this time. Our young Malaysian entrepreneurs of today play a crucial role in sustaining their communities while becoming a beacon of hope for all despite this period of uncertainty.”
During the lockdown periods due to the pandemic, the premium automaker discovered and followed several emerging entrepreneurs and businesses including Chunky, Super Secret Social, and Breakfirst by Amy – who the premium automaker collaborated with during the introduction of the All-New BMW M135i xDrive and New BMW X1 sDrive18i recently.
These are their inspiring spirit and stories:
Chunky – sweet, sweet Joy.
Despite the bitter reality of staying in and staying home, Nik Alia Ilani found a way to make quarantine life slightly sweeter during the MCO periods. Chunky – Alia’s side business selling luscious homemade chocolate chip cookies, was established a couple of months before the MCO began and it quickly became the sole income for her family.
“The MCO was a challenging period, but it has taught me to get creative and be quick on my feet to innovate solutions be it to resources or deliveries. In fact, we took the opportunity to learn digital marketing to better reach our customers – who were spending even more time online then,’ said Alia.
She was running Chunky on the side before the MCO as a passion project, while taking on custom cake orders from her main business, Raindough Desserts. When events and celebrations began to dwindle, Alia found herself relying on baking sweet treats on a smaller scale via Chunky to keep things afloat for her business.
Super Secret Social – wine and dine in times of Joy.
The global pandemic also spurred Jonathan Sebastian and his business partner, Nicolas Grisé, to introduce Super Secret Social to Malaysia. Having lost their jobs during the MCO, the pair was quick to act on their ambition in the culinary industry – starting with food delivery during the MCO, before developing into a supper club at the start of the Conditional MCO.
“The supper club was an idea that we thought about five years ago when we first met. When MCO hit and our jobs were affected, we took it as a sign to finally put our passion in culinary to work. Despite the period of uncertainty, perseverance and being passion-driven were important aspects to making this concept of accessible, casual fine dining work,” said Jonathan.
Implementing the organic farm-to-table approach in their supper club menu sets them apart in the culinary game, serving up meals with only locally-grown and naturally-sourced ingredients. Super Secret Social’s organic path does not stop at organic farming alone as they are constantly in search for biodynamic polyculture farms as they discourage the use of monoculture farm produce.
Breakfirst by Amy – the Joy in wholesome breakfasts.
Amelia Lee, sole founder of healthy baked goods and nut butter brand – Breakfirst by Amy, ventured into making her passion for balanced, sustainable eating a full-fledged business. Her entrepreneurial spirit, which was undeterred by the climate in which she built her business in, allowed her to strengthen her brand presence online during the MCO.
In addition to scaling down to a leaner menu, Amelia – or more fondly known as Amy – not only dabbled in various online marketplaces to gain more brand awareness, but also collaborated with other local brands to share resources and curate localised care packages. Although the pandemic had halted initial expansion plans, Amy has found a sense of gratitude in the outpouring support from fellow Malaysians.
“During MCO, there is a strong sense of support from the local community and I hope that this continues well after the Recovery MCO, as small businesses in the country can do with the love and support of Malaysians nationwide,” Amy said.
Discover the Dynamic Independent Spirit of the All-New BMW M135i and New BMW X1 sDrive18i and these inspiring individuals and entrepreneurship at https://youtu.be/Be_CGgeBuVw.
Learn more about Breakfirst by Amy at https://breakfirstbyamy.com/, Super Secret Social at https://www.supersecretsocial.com/, and Chunky by visiting their official Instagram page at https://www.instagram.com/chunky.my/.
