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“Sukyatno was known as the ‘Drunken Master’ of marketing in Indonesia,” said Hermawan Kartajaya, himself a marketing expert.

Sukyanto Nugroho earned his nickname after he created a thriving business out of es teler, a drink made up of jackfruit, coconut and avocado mixed with milk and shaved ice. In Indonesian, “teler” is also slang for being drunk.

People can now learn from Sukyanto’s rags-to-riches story in a new book, “Prinsip di Sini Senang, di Sana Senang” (“The Happy Here, Happy There Principles”).

Written as a memoir, readers seeking inspiration will find that Sukyanto’s life story may be even better than all the self-help books put together there.

“Prinsip di Sini Senang, di Sana Senang” is a refreshing — pun intended — book that will quench the thirst of those looking for an old-fashioned narrative of business success.

It thankfully does away with tired and pretentious motivational cliches, and simply presents Sukyanto’s story with little fanfare.

The book was written by Sukyanto’s daughter, Felicia Nurgroho, and published by Elex Media Komputindo. It tells of a great man famous for his generosity, humor and business success.

Felicia writes about how Sukyanto, born in 1948 in Pekalongan, Central Java, started Es Teler 77, which would become the first-ever Indonesian restaurant to be franchised.

Today, Es Teler 77 has an estimated 180 outlest nationwide, as well as branches in Singapore and Australia.

The book details how Sukyatno became interested in business at an early age while helping run his family’s batik business.

He never got the highest marks in school, but the young Sukyatno quickly earned a reputation among his peers as someone with a nimble and creative business mind.

At the age of 17, Sukyanto dropped out of high school to pursue his dream of becoming a businessman.

He left Pekalongan and set out for Jakarta, where he lived with an uncle while trying to break into the world of business.

He got his big break in 1981 when his mother-in-law, Murniati Widjaja, won first place in an es teler competition in Jakarta.

Sukyanto’s instincts told him his mother-in-law’s recipe for the sweet drink could be the basis for a promising business.

Sukyanto, his wife and in-laws pooled their money and opened the first Es Teler outlet in Jakarta. That was in 1982, and from there the Es Teler 77 empire was born.

The book explores the numerous hardships Sukyanto faced throughout his life and makes it a point to illustrate how he was able to overcome all obstacles with his trademark blend of creativity, humor and hard work.

His daughter is at her best and most interesting when writing about her father’s indomitable spirit during trying times.

This is most apparent in his refusal to change his vision for Es Teler 77 even as many people were telling him that the business would never take off.

Felicia offers a warm and loving look at her father, using simple, easy to understand language and comic illustrations to break up the text. She also offers plenty of personal anecdotes that readers will be able to draw inspiration from.

“Sukyanto was a rare person because he had the courage to implement unusual ideas in ways that others had never tried before,” said Jaya Suprana, a businessman and the founder of the Indonesian Museum of Records (MURI).

Felicia said the book was her effort to celebrate an amazing life filled with accomplishments. “My father’s life was so amazing, full of extraordinary and interesting experiences,” she said.

She added that the motto “Live life to the fullest” truly reflected the way her father lived his life.

Sukyatno died in 2007, but his spirit lives on. His story should serve to inspire aspiring businesspeople everywhere.