As his peers began settling into their careers, Lim underwent brain surgery. He was 24. The tumour was successfully removed, but the operation left him unable to speak and paralysed on the right side of his body.

For a young man working in advertising, this episode marked a life-altering chapter, and lessons to be learnt.

“I met a guy who had everything in the world and was so successful. But in the few months I was in hospital, no one visited him,” recalled Lim, 33.

“Then I saw a patient with brain cancer who came from a very poor family. But his children and wife loved him so much.”

This stark contrast left a deep impression on him.

“It’s not about working for money or higher achievements, but about how good of a human you are to your wife, kids, colleagues and workers. And that shaped me.”

He also was touched by how a team of doctors worked together to diagnose and treat his condition – a powerful example of collaboration. Years later, those two lessons would converge in an unexpected place: a bakery.

Lim eventually regained his mobility, though his speech took much longer to return. He also had to give up his advertising job.

But life has a way of opening one door when another closes. He found himself learning how to cook from his mixed martial arts coach. And this very skill helped him secure a chef’s job once fully recovered from surgery.

Over the years, he worked in different kitchens, including fine-dining establishments. The hours were long, the kitchens demanding, and the expectations high. But Lim kept showing up.

“I didn’t take leave for over four years. Even though I fell sick or vomited, I kept working.”

Then came the pandemic. With restaurants forced to close, Lim had time on his hands. So, when bread became scarce, he made a sourdough starter and baked from scratch.

Word spread. And his mother’s friends began placing orders. When work opportunities reopened, Lim realised he no longer wanted to return to life as it had been.

With just RM100 left after paying his employment bond, he started a home-based business called “From Passion To Reality”. He worked long hours and even delivered the loaves himself.

“When I saw how joyful customers were when they received the bread, I knew this was my passion: serving, spreading joy and empowering someone,” he recalled.

That’s when he partnered with four others to launch Bray Bakery, opening a physical outlet where customers could buy bread and enjoy food crafted around sourdough.

But conflicts later emerged and his partners pulled out, leaving Lim with an uncertain future, a large debt and unhappy employees.

It felt like his world was collapsing again, but Lim returned to the lessons learnt earlier in hospital: the importance of people and working together. Just as doctors teamed up once to help him, Lim rebuilt the business with his team.

Together, they weathered the storm. And today, Bray Bakery has three outlets, with more in the pipeline.

Lim wants his bakery to be a space where he and his team can learn, grow and create something meaningful together.

Many in his team joined without prior experience in the industry, but what mattered more to Lim was “heart”.

“Skills can always be learnt, but you cannot teach someone to change. I look for those with a heart for people.”

It’s a philosophy shaped by hardship and loss – experiences that can wear a person down or limit how they see themselves. But like the bread he bakes, Lim has risen over every setback.

As he looks back on his experiences, he returns to one word: belief. “Without that, you cannot succeed. Every person needs to believe they can break through their mindset.”

Learn more about Bray Bakery on its website, and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.