Heaptalk, Jakarta – Many people believe that success is only attainable for those who are born with privilege. However, this perception is challenged by Fajar Informanto, an investor and entrepreneur who has recently expanded his portfolio into the film industry as the executive producer of Jagal Teluh.
In an exclusive interview with Heaptalk, Fajar Informanto shared his entrepreneurship journey. He stated that his father was an agricultural instructor while his mother was a religion teacher. Although coming from moderate family, his expertise in business and investment has successfully lead him to be a successful entrepreneur and investor across various industries, including education, IoT, real estate, healthcare, agriculture, logistics, film industry, and more.
Growing entrepreneurial spirit from a young age
Fajar’s entrepreneurial spirit grew from his high school years. At that time, he was passionate about entrepreneurship and started various small businesses, such as selling phone credit or also known as pulsa, opening a small café, selling meatballs, and burgers. He attributes his business acumen to his father who worked as an agricultural instructor.
After graduating from Telkom University, he began his professional career in the commercial and retail property industry, specifically in mall, apartment, and office tower management. He worked for major companies such as Sinar Mas and Agung Podomoro before joining an IPO company, which provided him with deeper insights into investment, acquisitions, and capital markets.
“I learned how malls could survive, how investors could enter the industry, and ultimately I decided to build my own business,” stated Fajar as quoted from BernasID. This experience led him to paved his way toward entrepreneurship and investment world.
Ups and down: Selling wild horse milk and running out of capital
For Fajar, the journey to becoming a successful entrepreneur and investor was far from easy. He recalls a time when he had to sell honey and wild horse milk in the Blok M area to support his family’s daily needs.
At a moment, Fajar successfully built a hundred of billions property company but eventually faced financial struggles due to a lack of capital.
“There was a time when I had no money at all, but at that time, the most important thing for me was ensuring that my employees could still receive their salaries,” Fajar revealed.
Despite these challenges, Fajar firmly believes that if there is determination, there is a way. The moral and religious values taught by his mother from an early age have further strengthened his belief that nothing is impossible with effort and prayer.
Rising Again: A determination to create impact
Experiencing financial losses and even being deceived by partners makes Fajar realized that this rocky journey is valuable lessons and he must learn from every phase. These experiences led him to brainstorming about the meaning of life. He, further, realize that he must continue striving, not just for himself but for those around him.
“Humans should not be arrogant. Everything is entrusted by Allah, and Allah can take it away at any time. That is why I am committed to ensuring that everything I do will bring benefit many to people and is always aligned with Allah’s will,” Fajar expressed.
In the next step, he further seek successful mentors in various industries to learn more, maintaining a good reputation both domestically and internationally, having a clear blueprint and roadmap for business endeavors, and applying the SALIM principle (S: Spiritual, A: Attitude, L: Legacy, I: Integrity, M: Maturity.
Diversifying portfolio into the film industry
This year marks Fajar’s debut in the film industry. He recently became the executive producer of Jagal Teluh film, which was just released last Thursday (02/27). This step is part of his strategy to diversify his business fundamentals and investment portfolio which aligns with the major investment he has undertaken.
For information, Fajar had built his career as a professional, consultant, and investor in the retail, mall, high-rise building industries, and other related sectors. Entering this industry, Fajar believes that this sector also has immense potential.
“We believe that investing in film industry is safe, profitable, and brings blessings. Moreover, if the industry is well-managed, it potentially become a crucial pillar of the nation’s economy and directly impact around 150 other industries. A single well-produced film can at least drive economic activity for a million people,” Fajar explained.
Releasing new film, he is confident that Jagal Teluh can well-accepted by the audiences due to its highly realistic storyline and the valuable moral messages it conveys to society.
