Jab Jab Cross - Day 13 - Rainy Day In Bali

My Story: (3min read)
My journey has been anything but smooth. It’s been messy, frustrating, and full of sacrifices-but those challenges shaped who I am today. I’m Calum, and this is how I went from feeling lost and overworked to building a business I’m proud of.
The Early Years: Feeling Stuck (18-23)
I spent years bouncing between jobs, hoping to find my path but always feeling like I was going in circles. From long shifts at a Tesco petrol station to training as a Royal Marine Commando, I always searched for something that clicked.
I felt like a failure when I left the Marines after eight months. I didn’t know what I wanted, and the pressure to figure it out was overwhelming. It felt like everyone around me had their lives together, and I was just... stuck.
Diving Into Hard Work (24-26)
At 24, I found commercial diving. It wasn’t glamorous-spending hours underwater in freezing, murky conditions, working on construction projects that left my body aching and my mind drained.
But diving taught me resilience. It pushed me to my limits and showed me what hard work looks like. Still, deep down, I knew I didn’t want to do this forever. The long hours, the physical toll, and the lack of purpose were eating away at me.
That’s when I stumbled across e-commerce. I had no idea what I was doing but was desperate for something different. After gruelling 12-hour workdays, I’d stay up late, teaching myself the basics. I sacrificed nights out with friends, weekends, and sleep. There were moments I wanted to quit-it felt impossible to juggle everything-but the thought of staying stuck in a job I hated kept me going.
Taking the Leap (27-28)
For the first year, I juggled two lives: working full-time as a diver during the day and building my brand at night. Every spare moment was spent learning, creating, and figuring it all out. It was exhausting, and I doubted myself constantly.
By the third year, I had grown my business enough to go full-time. Leaving diving behind was terrifying-I had no safety net-but I knew I couldn’t keep living for the weekends and dreading Mondays.
I moved to Bali for a fresh start and completely threw myself into the business. It wasn’t always smooth sailing-there were plenty of setbacks and lessons learned the hard way-but the progress kept me going. Fast forward to now, and my brand, Seashell, has generated over $3 million in sales.
It’s more than a business to me-it’s a way to create eco-friendly products and support marine conservation projects. I finally feel like I’m building something meaningful that aligns with my values.
The Truth About the Journey
Looking back, I remember so many times I felt like giving up. I doubted myself constantly and worried I wasn’t good enough. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: the pain of staying stuck is always worse than the fear of starting something new.
What’s Next?
I’m focused on growing Seashell into a global brand and making a real impact on our oceans. But I’m also on a mission to share my journey-the highs, the lows, and everything in between-because I know how lonely it can feel when you struggle to find your path.
More from me:
Instagram: @calumcrawley