"Make your dream come true or forever wish you did.” Moeno Morimoto Vol.2
[It all started from Friday Roadshow]
-You were not thinking about starting a business when you started working at FABRIC TOKYO, were you?
I did want to do something on my own, but I thought it was impossible to do so while I was working at FABRIC TOKYO. That’s why I made some space for myself to not burnout and use all of my resources and to come to terms with myself.
-How did you come up with the idea for MISSION ROMANTIC?
I was using a matching app, hoping to find a partner, but I hated that I was judging and swiping people based on their looks and education levels. I wondered to myself, "who do you think you are, having fun judging people's qualities?". That's when I saw "Whisper of a heart" on Friday Roadshow (a Japanese TV program where they play a movie every Friday). I was in tears. I was moved by how two people meet through the same book but are obstructed by each other's dreams. It made me realize that I wanted to meet people based on things that I can't control, rather than picking them out based on their looks and personal histories.
-So the Friday Roadshow was the motive for you. Did your preparations for starting a business go well?
Initially, I was going to do it as a startup, so I began by gathering a team and developing the service first. But while I was just thinking about monetizing this, I didn’t have the space to think about what I truly loved and wanted so I apologized to the members that I wanted to break up the team, explaining that I had no confidence in making the service reach my expectation. I know it was a selfish move, but I'd like to thank the members, they were all wonderful people, and I'm grateful that they still care about me.
After the team broke up, I decided to do it all on my own. I created a website and asked my peers at Dentsu to try out the service and provide feedback. This experience made me realize that this time, it was more like me and what I wanted it to be. While working hard as possible at FABRIC TOKYO, I was also able to deal with my business on Wednesdays and holidays, and it no longer felt like a job, but a lifestyle. There were huge expenses, and I didn't have time to play with my friends, but I was genuinely happy.
[Is it a dream that if you don’t make it come true, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life?]
-During the process of preparing to start your business, did you ever think about giving up?
No. Personally, I believe that there's no option but to do it, so I thought I'd try putting it out into the world first. If I really believe in it and put it out there and fail, it would probably mean I'm not cut out for either the service or starting a business at all.
Also, this service for me now is my job, my life, and my love. When I started my own business, I thought that starting a business and getting married was very similar. I went to the town hall and did all the paperwork by myself, and that's when I realized that this is how a marriage license is issued. I feel this obligation that I have to make my partner happy, in this case, my service MISSION ROMANTIC.
-What advice would you give to people interested in starting a business but have not taken the first step?
First of all, I wouldn’t meet people, because you'll be affected and influenced by them. Instead, it's better to think on your own; if you were to be the only one left on Earth, will you still go after that dream? There's a book I like called The Alchemist, which is about a shepherd. One day a shepherd is about to go on a journey with a dream, and he wonders if he should stay and continue to care for the sheep. And the shepherd thinks, "If I go on a journey, they will eventually forget about me. If I stay, my dream will stay in my heart forever", and decides to take the great leap of faith. This book affected me so much that I was finally able to decide to face myself. Eventually, I knew that even if everything went wrong, I'd still want to do MISSION ROMANTIC. That’s how I started the company.
-So starting a business or considering other options, comes after when you truly know who you are and what you want.
Yes, and it doesn't necessarily have to be about starting a business. Overall, rather than just seeking the job title of an "entrepreneur," I think it's better to face your limits for what you want to do. Don’t forget, you only live once! You don’t have to have a rock'N'roll idea, but you should put in mind that you can have two parallel lives simultaneously; dreams keep on changing, and it's easier to change jobs than ever before. I've been doing PR and marketing all these years, so while trying my best not to make these skills blunt, I also try to develop my monetization and management by owning my own company. I guess you can also call it a way of risk management.
[With Corona as a tailwind.]
-The Coronavirus had a massive impact on society in various ways; how has it affected your business?
We've suspended our meeting-through-books service, mainly because we can’t coordinate dinners. However, as we've been doing this for a year, and reviews have slowly spread, we've gained more users. Currently, we’re developing something new that will bring all of our existing services online and allow more users to enjoy them. Even before the Corona Virus came along, we had this idea, but we see it as a tailwind for further development and improvement.
-Do you have any advice for students who are worried about their future due to the corona crisis?
Maybe what's hard for students right now is that in many cases, they're not the decision-makers. You don't have the authority to determine what exams and classes are going to be like, and you have to do things within the context of the adults' decisions. But as you're going out into society soon, there are still plenty of opportunities to get involved in society if you want. For example, through internships, part-time jobs, or even choosing to take a break from school for a while. That's why I want you to vividly remember the discomfort you feel when you see the media's tacky behaviors and people around you right now. I want you to then secretly promise yourself that you won't be like that. I believe that when those people with that pledge go out into society, they will drive society to a brighter and better place.
