I never set out to be an entrepreneur. In fact, for a long time, I had no idea what I wanted to do. Like many of us, I felt lost.
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After finishing my Bachelor’s degree in Exercise and Sport Science, I bounced between different jobs—working at a gym, running health checkups for corporate employees, and even running my own personal training studio from home. But none of it felt right.
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I still remember one particular moment: sitting in my car outside a shopping centre, dreading another shift of health consulting work. I was at the end of my tether. Instead of walking into work, I drove back home and quit. I had no real plan, but I knew I had to figure something else out.
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Around that time, an old school friend left me with a few business books before heading off to Europe. His enthusiasm for entrepreneurship was infectious. At the same time, I was deep into weight training and came across a veteran bodybuilder wearing a tank top I wanted. When I asked where he got it, he told me it was from the USA. That small moment sparked a thought - why can’t I find these locally?
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So, I got to work. I had $500, no business experience, and no mentor - just a willingness to figure it out and have a go. I spent months locked in my bedroom, tinkering with logo designs and teaching myself how to build a brand from scratch. The first name I wrote down in a Word document was Iron Tanks. It just stuck.
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By July 2010, I had my first batch of 50 gym singlets on order and a website. Iron Tanks was born.
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Fast forward to today, and Iron Tanks has grown into a brand worn by athletes across the globe.
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Starting a business with zero experience was like running through a minefield blindfolded. I made mistakes - big ones. In 2014, a manufacturing defect in a shipment of gym shoes cost me $75,000 - a financial hit that could have killed the business. Thankfully, it didn’t. I’ve taken on too much, spread myself too thin, and burned myself out more times than I can count. But if there’s one thing that’s pulled me through, it’s relentless persistence and a willingness to learn and adapt. It hasn’t gotten easier - I’ve just built tougher calluses.
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Some of you reading this will be family and friends. Some will be long-time customers. Others will be curious strangers. This is my sandbox - a space to document my journey, my lessons, my failures, and the things I’m still figuring out. There are many things I wish I knew when starting out, and this is where I’ll share them.
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I’ve had people tell me what I’m doing won’t work. Maybe you have too. I want to show my kids - and anyone else who needs to hear it - that you don’t have to be extraordinary from the get-go to do something remarkable. You just have to be willing to show up, learn, and put in the work over a long period of time.
 
The story is still being written. I’m building the plane while flying it. What I share here is as much for me as it is for you.
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Thanks for reading. 
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Sam Monea