Was Iqbal hurt by the things people said about him? “Of course I was. The show must go on. There was no time to sit around and be a victim,” he said calmly.

To tide through the negative publicity, Iqbal worked hard to keep his company afloat. Morale was essential, he focused on ideation of events for the future. These sessions helped his team focus on survival mode, until the storm passed.

"I am upfront with anyone who comes to me for advice. Are you prepared to not make a single cent for two years? What if your sponsors pull out? What if your team leaves you? You really have to be prepared for every worst case scenario."

“People thought we would fold as a company. But we didn’t because we were determined to come out of this stronger than ever,” he iterated. It wasn’t an easy journey, but Iqbal was determined to pull through.

Their hard work and determination paid off because Livescape has since expanded its business into new ventures. Its latest project, It’s The Ship, is now a sensation. Dubbed as Asia’s largest festival at sea, this four-day, three-night music festival cruise has gained traction overseas for its cool concept.

The son of Datuk Wira Ameer Ali Mydin grew up with tough love.

“My father was unconventional in how he raised me. For example, in school, he gave me very little pocket money. And as a kid, I loved comic books; he encouraged me to figure out how to earn money to buy my own. Thanks to him, I came up with the idea of using my pocket money to buy comics, and then rent them out for money in school, so I could double my income and buy more!” he relates.

Also read: Carmen Chua on the six realities of being a successful luxury developer

Now, Iqbal wants to share his journey with others. “I am upfront with anyone who comes to me for advice. Are you prepared to not make a single cent for two years? What will you do if you can’t sell any tickets for a show that must go on, because the act you booked is flying in for you? What if your sponsors pull out? What if your team leaves you? You really have to be prepared for every worst case scenario,” he says. 

“Also, as a leader, you have to just constantly improve, because there’s no one else who can bring you down, except yourself. If you fail at what you do, it is because of you, nobody else. It’s a crushing and sobering reality but once you own that, it’s empowering,” concludes Iqbal at the end of our inspiring interview.