Bright and ambitious, many young KLites are finding it difficult to fit in 9-to-5 jobs.

Instead, they take the leap of faith to follow their passions, risking secure futures to be entrepreneurs.

One young entrepreneur, Sharifah Nabilah, left a job in a bank to start a dance studio and event space, Caterpillar Stretching Imagination.

She tells her story here:

“I was working at a bank at Masjid Jamek. Whilst being there I learnt so many things but they also threw so many responsibilities to me.

During the interview I told them I can design, do finance, have accounting basics, and they hired me straight away. The pay was RM2,000.

I started on Monday, and they threw me so many tasks on the first day itself. I took it as a challenge and I did it, but I kept on moving.

After a few months I realised I cannot take this job, because I could not see myself growing there. The environment itself cut me short, and I was not learning any new skills.

Then one day, I received a call from my mother saying there was a company closing down due to bankruptcy, and suggested that we take it over. When she called, I was in the middle of doing a spreadsheet.

I told her to give me two weeks to think. I was deliberating the pros and cons.

The pros? I would grow and see many more challenges. The biggest con I could see is that I would put myself physically, mentally and financially out there, it was a big risk - and I could fail instantly.

But in the end I said, “Let’s just do it!”. My life is short and even if it doesn't work, there is always a way to get through life.

So, the next few months, I took out all my savings, started working on business plans and strategies and what I could do with the studio. The thing is, just because it is a dance studio doesn’t mean it is just for dancing – it could be a space for birthday parties, networking, events, and anything that requires a physical space.

Six months after I started, I stabilised my income and the studio was getting regular customers. I’ve been doing it for two years now. It’s worth it but it takes a lot of effort.

I had people who are 40, 50 years old coming to me saying what I am doing now is what people should be doing after they have worked most of their lives, and that I am starting too early.

Maybe it's true, but you know what makes me go on? Fear. That fear of knowing I might not get much out of life. That fear of not being able to do so much.

Even if you are earning a lot, if you see yourself not growing, I think you need to get out.

You need to ask yourself, what can I get out of life? Especially while you’re still young!’”

This story was first published on the HUMANS OF KUALA LUMPUR Facebook page. In this photography project, Mushamir Mustafa takes pictures of random people in Kuala Lumpur, who share with him a story from their lives. It features on Malaysiakini every weekend.