From Expansion Hopes to Financial Strain
- by btv2025
- Posted on 15 June, 2025
Mali’s journey toward downsizing began with a series of significant setbacks:
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Kirby’s Departure and Staffing Woes: The first warning bell rang when Kirby Aramoana (Angelina Thomson) decided to leave her job at the shop to focus on her music career. This left Mali in a precarious position, lacking adequate support. Despite his attempts to find a replacement, no qualified applicants came forward for the advertised position.
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The Damaging Article: A crucial blow came with the publication of a news article about Kirby, written by journalist Sebastian. During the interview, Kirby’s comments inadvertently painted Mali as an “incompetent boss.” This public perception hit Mali hard, deterring potential new employees and likely impacting customer confidence.
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Mounting Financial Pressure and Pride: With no new staff and negative press, Mali found himself increasingly overwhelmed. Business became unsustainable, leading to mounting financial strain. Yet, due to his inherent pride, Mali largely chose to face these challenges alone, struggling in silence rather than seeking help or admitting the full extent of his difficulties to friends or family.
The Drastic Decision: A Solo Operation
The culmination of these pressures pushed Mali to make a drastic and heartbreaking decision: to severely scale back “Manta Ray Boards.” He’s opting to return to a “one-man show” operation, meaning he’ll no longer pursue hiring staff and will significantly reduce the scope of his business, potentially focusing solely on designing boards and offering far fewer lessons.
This retreat signifies a major shift from his initial vision of growth and expansion, forcing Mali to confront the bitter reality that his dream, for now, must be put on hold, leaving him to navigate this difficult new chapter alone.
Mali’s journey toward downsizing began with a series of significant setbacks: Kirby’s Departure and Staffing Woes: The first warning bell rang when Kirby Aramoana (Angelina Thomson) decided to leave her job at the shop to focus on her music career. This left Mali in a precarious position, lacking adequate support. Despite his attempts to find…