COVID Wiped Out My Plans, This Military System Saved Me | Shi Liang | Divergent Entrepreneur Academy

COVID Wiped Out My Plans, This Military System Saved Me | Shi Liang | Divergent Entrepreneur Academy Shi Liang did not grow up intending to be an entrepreneur. He signed on with the Republic of Singapore Navy, drawn by purpose and structure rather than commerce. But after his mother fell ill and passed away when he was in his late twenties, he began questioning time, legacy and responsibility. Today, he runs dozens of food and beverage outlets, survived pandemic losses, and measures success less by profit than by the livelihoods he protects. Shi Liang is a Singapore based entrepreneur in the food and beverage sector, building on a family foundation rooted in traditional coffee shop operations. At one point, the network under his oversight spanned more than 80 outlets across Singapore, with around 30 directly under his charge and close to 90 staff reporting into his operations. His portfolio has included outlets in both residential estates and tourist-heavy locations such as Marina Bay Sands and Changi Airport. During the pandemic, he also ventured into cloud kitchens to adapt to delivery demand. He describes himself as an entrepreneur by necessity and temperament rather than by early ambition. Before business, he spent a decade in the Republic of Singapore Navy, where he says discipline, scenario planning and leadership were drilled into him. Those lessons now shape how he structures teams, risk and expansion. He does not romanticize the journey. There were seven figure losses, closed outlets and failed side ventures. Yet he sees in those years a consolidation of what matters: people, reputation and family. For Shi Liang, entrepreneurship is not only about expansion or margin. It is about stewardship. Of staff livelihoods. Of inherited relationships. Of family legacy. Profit fluctuates. Accountability endures. Social Media https://linkedin.com/in/shi-liang-tan-6b7318217 https://facebook.com/shiliang.tan.88 https://instagram.com/liang.tsl https://tiktok.com/@liang.tsl