OGM- Outdoor Gear Malaysia

 

Then came OGM- Outdoor Gear Malaysia

What actually started OGM- Outdoor Gear Malaysia was meeting a group of people who are really passionate about knives. Back then, there was a forum known as Malaysian Knife Forum (MKF). Boy...MKF was full of interesting characters. It was this forum that I got to meet some really good friends, business partners and also discovered that obnoxious people really do exist. Ask anyone who has been in MKF who is the most hated person in the group and I am confident 8 out of 10 would give you the same name, Luckily, OGM had nothing to do with him.

OGM was a lot about knives and its people

ST trusted me and invested all the money into OGM for me to start. We started OGM online. There was  a blog and an online store that I setup. We were bringing in stuff from the US and the demand was surprisingly encouraging. So much so, I took the next leap. Left my full time job and opened a brick & mortar in SS15. It was a challenging yet interesting time really. Never in my life would I have imagined running a gear shop. The best part was probably getting in new stock, the excitement of receiving a new shipment of toys from suppliers. Seeing staff and customers arriving shortly after the announcement with their eagerness to take a look at the new items.

OGM wasn't really about the gear so much I think. Its more about the people. I knew I was never good at human skills, so I manage to convince some friends to come work at the shop. They are gear fanatics anyway, so being in the store talking about new knives, bags and camping gear is quite easy for them. To top it up, they get paid by the hour as well! Friends like Marcus, V, Loh, C.Soon and Ray was instrumental in building the customers for OGM. They were a big part of OGM. 

I left OGM because of family commitments. We headed overseas for a few years and there is no way for me to work on the shop remotely. Thanking ST and the gang, I had to go. It was something that needed done and I am glad I did it. The 2 years overseas was a (very) bitter but also grateful portion in my life. Close friends would know what happened. It is very personal and best to leave it so. 

If there was something good that came out of Outdoor Gear Malaysia (OGM), I would say it is the friends I made. Ok...technically I dont have many friends (Marcus would vouch for that) but the close ones that I do have, they came from OGM mostly. And that is gold!