THE QUOTE: “Where there is a will, there is a way”, perfectly describes online footwear entrepreneur Dale Teri. The 27-year-old dedicates his time to his business on Facebook and Instagram (@ScarpeNegozioMy). The youngest of three siblings finds tremendous joy through his career, which he began three years ago.
Dale has a health condition that limits his speech and ability to carry out certain activities. During our interview, Dale was represented by his father, Vincent Teri.
Vincent said: “Dale was diagnosed with hydrocephalus at two months old. He underwent surgery on his skull where they put in a shunt to draw out the fluids from the brain to his abdomen. He is still living with that now.
“Hence, due to his diagnosis, it caused Dale to have cerebral palsy. Dale has a physical impairment, which also affects his speech and body balance. He can only move with a motorised wheelchair as he is only able to use one hand, while the other hand is very weak.”
Before venturing into his business, Dale was an athlete who was active in a para sport known as Boccia. Not only was he active in the sport, he even participated in international competitions.
“Dale was involved in a sport for the disabled, known as a para-sport, [called] Boccia. He once represented Malaysia in the 2009 Asian Youth Para Games that took place in Tokyo, Japan. Another time, Dale took part in the 2017 ASEAN Para Games held in Kuala Lumpur.”
Dale actually discovered Boccia through a learning centre that he attended.
“He attended a spastic centre for the disabled in Petaling Jaya. Dale learned to play Boccia, and at that time, there weren’t many people who were active in the sport. This game is specially catered to people with extreme disabilities. Dale excelled in the game and was selected to participate in competitions.”
Before beginning his online footwear business, Dale previously attempted two other businesses, which did not go as planned.
“Dale actually started off by printing t-shirts, but it did not do well. Then, he was involved in the Boccia ball business, which did not go as planned too, because there was only a small community involved in the sport. Then, one of our friends from Malacca gave us some shoes for Dale to sell. Fortunately, this venture went well.
“Dale started to get his own supply of footwear, as he saw the potential in the business. However, his business got interrupted after a year, when Facebook decided to block his account for one whole year. Until today, we still don’t know the reason. Then, he picked up where he left off and continued being a shoe entrepreneur. It kept on growing until now.”
As for the support that Dale receives from his family, Vincent shares that they try to limit their help as an effort to train Dale to be self-sustainable.
“We usually just help him out with the packaging, negotiating with the supplier, and sending out the packages, things like that. Most of the time, he will do other things on his own. We try to encourage him to be independent so that he can learn.
“Actually, Dale gained prior knowledge on how to start a business through YouTube! He is a self-taught entrepreneur. It is definitely an effective method for Dale to learn more, at his own pace, instead of us teaching him. From this, we can see that there is a will to learn in him.”
Vincent also shares what keeps Dale going and how they are preparing him for the future.
“Dale has the spirit to be independent. We are trying to train him to be okay on his own and we tell him that it is for his own good, if we are no longer around. If he doesn’t have anything to support himself, he will face a lot of trouble.
“Of course, he does have siblings, but they have their own lives too. I always remind Dale that if he is financially independent, life will be more stable despite his condition. At least now, he has learned how to make a living, and he appreciates money.”
Business has grown for Dale during the movement control order (MCO) period, as he gained a lot of exposure recently.
“Local people are very supportive towards Dale and his business. He is very dedicated to his job, and I guess that’s one of the reasons the business is booming and gaining more attention from people. He always monitors his viewers on social media. Lately, it seems that a lot of people are reaching out to interview Dale.
“Of course, there are some people who are trying to discourage Dale. We tell him that this is business, and you will encounter issues like these. Despite that, he learns the lessons and continues to thrive.”
