Building Before You’re Ready
- 7 days ago
- 3 min read
By Jess Munday
Co-Founder & People and Culture Lead, Custom Neon
I never planned to become an entrepreneur. Before Custom Neon, I was in my dream role, working in recruitment and people management for a global fashion brand, that I had absolutely no intention of leaving. What started as a maternity-leave side hustle was meant to be, just that, small, flexible, and temporary. But the market had other plans!
I had already lived through entrepreneurship, not mine, my husbands. It was exciting, inspiring, and at times, confronting. But Jake had been starting and running businesses of some description, since he was a kid. It came naturally. In 2015, he took over an online teeth-whitening business.
In the eight months prior, the company had turned over just $4,000. Within two years, he grew it by more than 10,000 percent, and I have to admit, the momentum was intoxicating... but not sustainable and the pace came at a cost. Orders poured in, no order was ever turned down, regardless of the buckling infrastructure. Hiring happened re-actively, rather than strategically and operations struggled to keep up. The foundations just couldn’t support it, and eventually, the wave crashed. I lived every high and low.
That experience shaped how we built Custom Neon. I knew how exhilarating rapid growth could be, but having seen what happens when structure trails too far behind demand, I knew we had to be disciplined. Run the business, not let the business run us. So when our early Instagram content began gaining traction and orders surged, I resisted the urge to scale too quickly. Pausing and taking stock, considering the next realistic and viable move.
We started as just the two of us, and we had a baby, so that was also quite grounding! Family helped when we needed support. And to avoid running before we could walk, we hired freelancers and casuals, before committing to full-time hires and salaries. Growth was slow, organic, and controlled.
What did I build before I felt ready? Everything. A brand. A supply chain. A global customer base. A team. A leadership identity I wasn’t sure I deserved. I felt unqualified more often than confident. Imposter syndrome was constant, and burnout followed closely behind. Over time, I learned that “ready” is a moving target. Waiting for certainty only delays progress.
I didn’t overcome hesitation by eliminating fear. I learned to make it smaller. Instead of thinking in terms of building a global business, I focused on the next tangible step. One product test. One customer reply. One order shipped. Each small action created evidence, and evidence built belief. Momentum didn’t come from grand plans, it came from consistent movement.
I also re-framed risk. Watching my husband’s journey taught me that unrestrained speed can be just as damaging as stagnation. For me, imperfect action meant building systems just ahead of demand rather than years behind it. We documented processes early. We said no to opportunities we couldn’t support. We chose sustainability over spectacle.
Listening, and sharing became our most powerful growth driver. Orders came with stories attached, weddings, new babies, memorials, new business launches etc. People shared their milestone moments. We replied personally, and we meant it. Customers shared photos, tagged us, and told their stories publicly. That feedback loop built trust and momentum. Instagram became a great sales channel for us, because we were present, invested, and genuinely part of each customer’s journey. This approach in the early days shaped the customer-centric culture we have today.
I used to believe leadership meant projecting confidence and authority, but actually, founding isn’t about bravado. It’s about honesty, authenticity and responsibility. The strongest thing I ever did was admit what I didn’t know and invite those more skilled in certain areas, to help me build with purpose. Traits I thought were my weakness were my strengths. Sensitivity made me listen. Overthinking made me prepare. Self-doubt made me double-check the impact of my decisions on real people.
Imperfect action isn’t reckless action. It’s intentional movement in the presence of uncertainty. It’s choosing progress over paralysis, while respecting the human cost of growth. I learned that pace is a strategy. Control is kindness. And building before you’re ready doesn’t mean building without thought, it means trusting that clarity follows action.
We’ve weathered a rebrand, Covid wiping out 30 percent of revenue overnight, copycat competitors, and more recently, a major new product launch. As a business owner, we're often out of our comfort zone, and you have to be to chase growth, but calculated, considered and cohesive will fare better in the long run than haste.
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