Following one’s heart is what many people struggle to do these days. They are faced with pressure and stress from their work and surroundings, which makes them deviate from what they want to pursue as their ultimate goal. Kim Jeong-min, a graduate who majored in Social Work, followed her passion and determination into opening a publishing company of her own.
After working in the field of publishing for five years, she launched her own company, “Booklogcompany,” in 2009 to actualize a long-held dream. Booklogcompany was created after Kim was disillusioned with her former job. Today, the company is well known for its unique genres of publishing. 
“I could not do something that I did not agree with or did not want to do,” Kim said. “At the time, it was hard for a woman to maintain her job let alone be promoted to a higher position. I wanted a company of my own to ensure that I do not have to go through such procedures. Since I liked writing, I thought ‘why not start a publishing company of my own?’”
When starting out her own company, Kim made three resolutions that she keeps to this day. First, continue making charitable donations regardless of profits. Second, establish a company that focuses more on domestic writers than foreigners and their translations. Third, create a workplace where employees’ rights are emphasized by adopting interesting policies such as ‘weekly mandatory tardy rights.’
“I always feel grateful towards my employees,” Kim said. “They have stuck with me through thick and thin, and we have grown to fully appreciate each other. I once received a sack of brown rice as a present from one of my employees. It was given to me to take care of my hypertension. I believe such an act really depicts the workplace I want this company to be: caring and intimate.”
Under her passionate pledge, Kim’s Booklogcompany has grown into a unique publishing company. They publish many unconventional styles of writing such as scripts from TV drama series to photo essays. The company was also the first to create a drama comic book before the e-books were in full trend. Drama comic books are collections of scenes from a drama with all the lines included.
Also, unlike many other domestic publishing companies, the company focuses on publishing and selling the rights of Korean works rather than on translating foreign works.
“While domestic companies mainly focus on importing works to translate and sell, I wanted to export Korean books and sell its publication rights to foreign countries,” Kim said.
Kim also has a long history of charitable giving, regularly donating part of her income to those in need. Apart from her donations, she collaborates with the well-known drama writer Noh Hee-kyung. After their first meeting in 2008 and several volunteer works, Kim persuaded Noh to publish her works and donate the profit from their project to various charitable organizations. Currently, royalties of Noh’s works are given to the needy.
Unlike other CEOs, Kim also writes and publishes her own works from time to time to share her visions with the world. They mainly center on the message Kim wants to deliver: living a fulfilling life by pursuing happiness and positive experiences.
As a founder of a new company who went through numerous challenges, Kim advises to “never be afraid of challenges.” Kim encourages youth to seek out what they are truly interested in and to never give up.
“In many cases, trying out new things can end in failure,” Kim said. “But failures are not always bad. With things you learned from them, you can make better decisions that lead up to wonderful results. You must believe in your heart to continue with the things you truly care about.”
 

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