Wealth Without Borders Podcast

Doing business in Asia isn’t a piece of cake, especially for Western entrepreneurs who got used in Western culture. There’s just a lot of differences on the way businesses works from the legal backbone and the clients. Do you want to learn how you can effectively deal with the challenges of doing business in Asia – primarily in China, and be a successful entrepreneur who is able to build long term relationships with Asian communities? Be guided as David treats you with the knowledge you’ll need to reduce this friction between business cultures of the West and East. David Thomas is a keynote speaker and a thought leader and entrepreneur. He equips business leaders with the knowledge and tools to navigate the cross-cultural challenges involved in doing business in Asia Pacific, and helps them develop their own strategy for success in the region. David is well-known in Australia as a ‘China Expert’ with a wealth of experience in financial services, business and investment, having lived and worked in London, Hong Kong and Sydney for years. In this episode, David talks about the friction in Western and Eastern cultures of business and discusses ways on how to deal with that. Here, he shares tips and tactics, mentions books and practices, and helps you be an effective entrepreneur in the Asian countries through correcting misconceptions and mistakes. This is where he unravels the reason on why Asia is just so unique in global aspects. What you will learn from this episode: “There's no shortage of places you can go to build relationships within Asian and Chinese communities. You can do that in your own hometown, and you should start doing that today. You'll learn a lot.” – David Thomas Topics Covered: 01:55 – David describes his ideal clients. 02:14 – Problem he solves for his clients: Reducing friction between east and west businesses in order for the business outcomes to happen – allowing a foreign business to do business in Asia. 03:21 – The typical symptoms: People are moving too quickly without spending time in research and appreciating the difficulties in a foreign country. 04:00 – The mistakes: Ignoring the challenge involved in building long term relationships which are critical in the way Asian businesses function. 05:20 – David’s Valuable Free Action: Download and read his free ebook called 3 Cups of Tea at https://davidthomas.asia/ebooks/three-cups-of-tea/ and transform from being a stranger to becoming a part of a trusted relationship. 06:01 – David’s Valuable Free Resource: Start with your hometown in building relationships with Asian and Chinese communities. 06:59 – Book Alert: “Mr. China: A Memoir” by Tim Clissold at https://www.amazon.com/Mr-China-Memoir-Tim-Clissold/dp/0060761407 08:05 – Question: “What makes Asia unique globally?” Key Takeaways: “We always have to remember in the West that in the East, there's never really been an established legal system, and the way business gets done in Asia is amongst friends, families, trusted networks. To penetrate those networks, you have to spend time building those relationships, and that's usually the bit that takes the most time and bit that people are most impatient about.” – David Thomas “In America and the West, we're used to taking people to court if they create any problems for you. In Asia, that's not how it works. You have to spend that time on the relationships.” – David Thomas “You need to think about Asia like you might of Europe. Europe has many different cultures, languages, dialects, food, or completely different ways of thinking and doing things, and Asia is just the same. It has the same issues and presents itself in just the same way.” – David Thomas People / Resources Mentioned: https://davidthomas.asia/ebooks/three-cups-of-tea/https://www.amazon.com/Mr-China-Memoir-Tim-Clissold/dp/0060761407 Ways to Connect with David Thomas: Website:davidthomas.asiaLinkedIn:http://linkedin.com/in/bricandchinaexpert Ways to Connect...

How do you deal with the lack of cultural awareness when it comes to your business’ expansion in a land that is foreign from yours? Putting in efforts and sacrificing things as you spend time marketing your company indeed bring disappointment and apathy once everything fails to work. There’s this sadness of missing an opportunity that could have brought you to wonderful heights, but have you ever given it a try to consult the right professional for an effective marketing style? In today’s time, we’re surrounded by a never-ending cycle of continuously modernizing tactics. It’s a must that you keep yours updated, but that’s a piece of cake now as Nadia is here to give you a treat! Nadezhda Bukina is a marketing professional from Kazakhstan who came to China 3 years ago. Fast forward to today, she is a CEO of social media and marketing agency in Hangzhou, the 'Silicon Valley' of China. In this episode, Nadia talks about the power of social media with regards to bringing your business into successful heights. Here, she mentions the mistakes that hinder you from achieving your goals in the corporate world, and also shares ways on how you can overcome the discouraging effects of your downfalls. What you will learn from this episode: “Constantly audit the accounts that you have and efforts that you make and see if they bring the necessary return on investment. Sometimes, we just get too caught up into investors; business-wise, it’s not the best decision.” – Nadezhda Bukina Topics Covered: 01:41 – Nadia describes her ideal clients. 02:17 – Problem she solves for her clients: The cultural gap of not having the cultural perception and heritage of the locality where they want to expand a business. 03:27 – The typical symptoms: The discouragement and apathy towards having the efforts wasted into a missed opportunity. 04:29 – The mistakes: Not asking advice from professionals, not researching, and rushing into decisions without a strategy. 05:13 – Nadia’s Valuable Free Action: “Constantly audit the accounts that you have and efforts that you make and see if they bring the necessary return on investment.” 05:52 – Nadia’s Valuable Free Resource: Traditional Excel, Power BI, and any analytical tool that keeps you updated with your company. 06:30 – Book Alert: Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari 07:23 – Question: “Does somebody, as a business, absolutely need social media?” 07:51 – The Answer: “When is an essential time to bring in social media?” Key Takeaways: “Nowadays, there are so many consulting companies and consulting professionals that can give you advice for just any price and sometimes even voluntarily. Not asking this advice, not researching by yourself, and rushing into decisions, not having a strategy – I would say these are the biggest symptoms.” – Nadezhda Bukina “Anything that helps you keep updated with what's happening in your company and in your marketing department is a good choice.” – Nadezhda Bukina “B2C social media is a must. B2B social media is desirable.” – Nadezhda Bukina “In regards to B2B, if you're a professional, LinkedIn is the best social media for you.” – Nadezhda Bukina People / Resources Mentioned: Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari Ways to Connect with Nadezhda Bukina: Website:https://www.sanq-marketing.com/LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadezhda-bukina/Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/nadezhjda/ Ways to Connect with Howard Whiteson: Websitehttps://www.wealthwithoutborders.netPodcasthttps://www.wealthwithoutborders.net/podcast/LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/howardwhiteson

Are you in a state of overwhelm where you feel like you are in no possession of enough time to get things done? We are taught that being busy is good for us and the things that what we do, but in contrary, it isn’t actually the case at all times. Do you want to free yourself from the suffocating area being overwhelmed makes you feel? Do you want to know how you can finally switch from overwhelm to the beautiful experience of clarity? Sit back and relax as Maria treats you with a gift today! Maria Pastorelli has lived in China for the past 11 years, 10 of which have been spent in the coaching and training industry. She has worked with hundreds of individuals with diverse backgrounds, and despite being something of an introvert, Maria is the Founder of the Global Women Entrepreneur Network (G.W.E.N.) and the Monday Morning Motivation community. In this episode, Maria talks about the transition from feeling overwhelmed to having the clarity you’ve always dreamed of. Here, she mentions the mistakes and misconception of being busy as a good thing, and shares ways on how you can start walking away from overwhelm. What you will learn from this episode: “We are told that being busy is good and so, doing more is always good, and I don't agree with that. Sometimes, stepping back is the answer.” – Maria Pastorelli Topics Covered: 01:52 – Maria describes her ideal clients. 02:17 – Problem she solves for her clients: Dealing with the overwhelmed state of doing a lot of things. 03:01 – The typical symptoms: The thought of not having the time to get things done. 03:57 – The mistakes: Trying to accelerate tasks and trying to get more done. 04:55 – Valuable free action: Try to do less and learn to say no. 06:20 – Valuable Free Resource: From Overwhelm to Clarity at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=houYECMx88k 06:59 – The most impactful book/concept/program/talk: The ONE Thing by Gary Keller and Dandapani’s videos on YouTube 07:36 – The Clarifying Question: “What is the one thing that you can do so that by doing it, everything else is easier or unnecessary?” 08:51 – The Lesson: Finding clarity is valuable but is not an easy thing to do. Key Takeaways: “People are usually pretty smart, but in a state of overwhelm, our survival instinct kind of kicks off.” – Maria Pastorelli “Go on the opposite direction and try and do less. Slowing down and taking the time to reflect on what are you doing, why you're doing the things you're doing, and what is the purpose of the overall direction – that is extremely valuable.” – Maria Pastorelli “Learn to say no to the things that are not crucial and vital for a couple of days. Making the time by saying no to social events or some unimportant and non-urgent tasks can give you that block of time to work through some of the key issues of being overwhelmed.” – Maria Pastorelli People / Resources Mentioned: BRIDGE The ONE Thing by Gary KellerDandapani’s videos on YouTube Ways to Connect with Maria Pastorelli: LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/mariapastorelli/ Ways to Connect with Howard Whiteson: Websitehttps://www.wealthwithoutborders.netPodcasthttps://www.wealthwithoutborders.net/podcast/LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/howardwhiteson

Doing business in China when you’re from a foreign country could be one of the most confusing yet colorful experiences you could have in life. There’s no black and white on what’s legal and not. It is like a huge gray area with no fixed answers to what exactly is fit for you to do. Do you want to learn how you can reduce risks you can face while you’re on your journey towards a successful venture? Don’t you have an idea how foreign advisers can help you but is curious on how beautiful they can transform you and your business into? Ann Sophie De Meester is a director of Acclime China, co-manages the team and focuses on maintaining strong client relationships. Over several years working in China, she has built extensive experience advising foreign companies on tax compliance for various cross-border operations. She specializes in intercompany transactions and compliance, and is fluent in Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, English and Chinese (Mandarin). Art Dicker has over 13 years’ experience in China, predominantly on China and US venture capital financings and cross-border M&A. He has also advised many US technology, manufacturing, and consumer companies on structuring their investments and operations in China. Art is a frequent speaker in both English and Chinese on cross-border investing at top tier Chinese universities and industry conferences, and is the founder and co-host of the China Business Law Podcast. In this episode, Ann Sophie and Art talks about the risks on doing business in China and how they help clients on reducing such risks through various ways. Here, they share why being too cost-focused and afraid of advisors bring you to the mistakes of your venture, and discusses how powerful a foreign adviser’s help is. What you will learn from this episode: “Everyone has a different risk profile, and risk is a moving thing; it’s not clear black and white.” – Art Dicker Topics Covered: 02:46 – Art describes their ideal clients. 03:20 – Problem they solve for their clients: Reducing risks in different ways. 04:21 – The typical symptoms: Clients wanting to hear robotic answers through asking yes-or-no questions 05:30 – The mistakes: Clients becoming too cost-focused. 06:38 – Valuable free action: “Don’t be afraid to talk to advisors and leave your assumptions at home.” 07:43 – Valuable Free Resource: Visit their websites and LinkedIn accounts at R&P - China Lawyers, Acclime China, and Ann Sophie De Meester and Art Dicker for free consultations and advices. 08:30 – The most impactful book/concept/program/talk: The Trusted Advisor by David H. Maister 09:36 – Question that they should have been asked: “Why hire us as foreigners to help you with your China problems?” Key Takeaways: “Sometimes, clients can be a little too cost-focused, which may be short term is good for their cash flow, but long term can end up costing more. Too focus can be too much cost-focus.” – Ann Sophie De Meester “I don’t think you should be scared to reach out to an advisor earlier rather than later and assume that you know it’s going to cost you so much. There’s not too much harm in reaching out to someone in the first place to give you a very high level of feedback.” – Art Dicker “For any advisors out there listening to this, oftentimes professionals like us come across to new clients and talk about how great we are with all the famous cases we’ve done and so forth, but actually, really what the client wants to know is that ‘You’re listening to me and you’re understanding my problem, and you are taking the time to give me something that I can use, and you’re not just giving me a cookie cutter answer.’” – Art Dicker People / Resources Mentioned: The Trusted Advisor by David H. MaisterGanbei Ways to Connect with Ann Sophie De Meester: LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/ann-sophie-de-meester-31943b7a/ Ways to Connect with Art Dicker: LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/art-dicker/ Ways to Connect with Howard...

Are you an entrepreneur who is from a Western country but has recently decided to enter the Chinese market? Are you eager to do business in China but knows nothing about the how-to’s? Do you want to know how you can be successful in entering China and its unique market? Listen as our guest for today guides you towards your dream success. Jean-Yves Laguillez is an authentic China expert. He is a C-level Executive, has a very strong experience in developing businesses, marketing strategy, and sales strategy, and has been leading companies in China and the Asia zone for 10 years. In this episode, Jean-Yves talks about the Chinese market and its difference from the Western ones. Here, he shares the importance of knowing your audience and the right marketing strategy to use in relation with the ineffectiveness of Western approaches on succeeding in a Chinese-based business. What you will learn from this episode: “You cannot succeed in China with a western approach.” – Jean-Yves Laguillez Topics Covered: 01:43 – Jean-Yves describes his ideal clients. 02:34 – Problems he solves for his clients: Educating customers on their specific channel marketing strategy that they need to define and implement to succeed. 04:00 – The typical symptoms: Being disappointed on the investments’ returns, not knowing the audience, and going too fast on traditional e-commerce platforms. 05:03 – The mistakes: Copying the western strategy. 06:23 – Jean-Yves’ valuable free action: Think first about their entry or strategy and their management level. 07:12 – Jean-Yves’ Valuable Free Resource: Visit https://emotiondigital.fr to access free coaching calls and webinars on the basics of China market. 07:41 – The most impactful book/concept/program/talk: Webinars that explain how to enter China market. 08:14 – Question that he should have been asked: “What advice would you give from your personal experience in China to develop a business?” Key Takeaways: “You cannot succeed in China with a western approach.” – Jean-Yves Laguillez “In China, it is very important to think more like a Chinese.” – Jean-Yves Laguillez “You need to act fast to be successful in China because China’s speed is seven times about Western speed. In China, every day is another day, so you really need to adapt all the time.” – Jean-Yves Laguillez “You cannot run a business from your own country without eyes in China.” – Jean-Yves Laguillez People / Resources Mentioned: Https://emotiondigital.fr Ways to Connect with Jean-Yves Laguillez: LinkedInhttps://bit.ly/30KZNqg Ways to Connect with Howard Whiteson: Websitehttps://www.wealthwithoutborders.netPodcasthttps://www.wealthwithoutborders.net/podcast/LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/howardwhiteson

Are you an artist or an art enthusiast who is looking for a platform where you can gain inspiration and encouragement as you dive deeper into the world of art? Do you want to know someone who works on connecting artists in various locations and be involved in art discussions? Are you eager to start a new journey towards the beauty of art and how it benefits the world? Join us as Gloria gifts you with a treat today. Gloria Carnevale is an artist, designer, educator, curator and speaker who has lived and worked in Shenzhen for the past nine years. She is a founding member of International Shenzhen Artist Forum (ISZAF) and is currently the Co-Chair. In this episode, Gloria speaks about ISZAF – an independent foreign and Chinese artist network, platform, and community that supports and encourages both artists and non-artists in diving into the beautiful world of art. Here, she shares what ISZAF does for people, the resources you can overwhelm yourself with, and what you can do to avoid being too stressed by the professional life you’re living. What you will learn from this episode: “Take that time and join whatever community empowers you and gives you drive towards the things that you like to do.” – Gloria Carnevale Topics Covered: 01:45 – Gloria describes her ideal clients. 02:09 – What Gloria does for her clients: Connecting the artist community through their Connect, Converse, Convey slogan. 02:56 – The typical symptoms; Being isolated and not knowing your where to’s. 03:30 – The mistakes; Skipping what needs to be done before the deed of establishing something. 04:11 – Gloria’s valuable free action: Connect through WeChat and be part of a community. 04:54 – Gloria’s Valuable Free Resource: Visit ISZAF’s WeChat group through http://iszaf.com/wechat.html and join art talks and events. 05:35 – The most impactful experience: Learning new things while educating her students. 06:23 – Question that she should have been asked: “What benefits does creating art and appreciating it provide a larger human community?" 07:27 – Bonus question #1: “What inspired you to co-founder this organization in the first place?” 08:31 – Bonus question #2: “What is the benefit for people who are not artists themselves but joined the community?” Key Takeaways: “We connect the artist community, and I think that’s what we do the best.” – Gloria Carnevale “When you’re an artist and you’re moving somewhere, you might be looking for an agent or a studio. You’re trying to start all these professional things right away. But the main thing that you need to consider is the community that you can talk to, that can help you grow with your art and encourage you.” – Gloria Carnevale “I think sometimes we get really sucked into what we’re doing professionally. It’s good to kind of just go out and see what’s going on in the community and kind of expose yourself to different things in the city.” – Gloria Carnevale People / Resources Mentioned: WeChat Group:http://iszaf.com/wechat.html Ways to Connect with Gloria Carnevale: Websitehttp://iszaf.com/LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/gloria-carnevale-55b87261O Ways to Connect with Howard Whiteson: Websitehttps://www.wealthwithoutborders.netPodcasthttps://www.wealthwithoutborders.net/podcast/LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/howardwhiteson

The continuously growing industry of Korean alcohol in both local and overseas communities has been a trend for years now, especially because of the exposure it gets locally. Are you one of those people who have always been interested with Korean alcohol, but there’s not many resources for you to use in order to brew? Do you have access to resources that will give you a taste of what Korean alcohol is like, but you’re having a hard time understanding what the text on the bottles says? If you’re here to learn more about Korean alcohol and its industry, then you’re on the right path! Listen and be our guest as Julia guides you towards the world of brewing. Julia Mellor is the first non-Korean specialist in Korean traditional alcohol and founder of The Sool Company, a resource for Korean alcohol education and consulting. In this episode, Julia talks about the Korean alcohol industry, what is special about it, and how big it’s getting overseas. Here, she mentions how you can start brewing in the comfort of your home while enjoying the unique yet wonderful taste of Korean alcohol. What you will learn from this episode: “Everybody can have a piece of this world. It’s a blue ocean market; there are so many aspects to it, so it’s really down to your creativity of how you want to be a part of it.” – Julia Mellor Topics Covered: 01:31 – Julia describes her ideal clients. 01:54 – Problems Julia solves for her clients: Helping explain resources that are in the Korean language as she translates things into English. 02:29 – The typical symptoms; Not understanding how alcohol has changed and taking it into people’s own countries or areas of interests. 03:15 – The mistakes; Using the free information route by finding resources from YouTube and the internet. 04:09 – Julia’s valuable free action: See Julia’s online classes’ preview to see what interests you in the how-to’s of brewing at home. 04:44 – Julia’s Valuable Free Resource: Visit Julia’s website www.thesoolcompany.com and get access to downloadable PDFs about Korean alcohol. 05:32 – The most impactful book/concept/program/talk: A podcast episode about a specialist in raising goats who was able to have a very successful business in a very small niche. 06:35 – Question that she should have been asked: “How popular can Korean alcohol be overseas?” 08:01 – Bonus question: What makes Korean alcohol like Makgeolli special? Key Takeaways: “A lot of people do tend to go the free information route by using resources like YouTube and the internet and things like that. A lot of them are inaccurate. A lot of them are just experimentations and people that are just trying it out for themselves.” – Julia Mellor “One of the ways that Korean alcohol can become super popular and successful around the world is when people take that knowledge and know-how and create breweries themselves in their local spaces.” – Julia Mellor “Everybody can have a piece of this world. It’s a blue ocean market; there’s so many aspects to it, and it’s really down to your creativity of how you want to be a part of it.” – Julia Mellor People / Resources Mentioned: The Sool Company Ways to Connect with Julia Mellor: Websitethesoolcompany.comLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-mellor-338808111/ Ways to Connect with Howard Whiteson: Websitehttps://www.wealthwithoutborders.netPodcasthttps://www.wealthwithoutborders.net/podcast/LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/howardwhiteson

The work of drop shipping is quite complex. Many are drawn, but few are chosen. That’s how it goes for them. Do you want to enter the exciting world of drop shipping and get the job right? Are you sick of dealing with customers’ complaints and poor reviews? Do you want to take a step towards a better ecommerce practice? Listen and experience it all with Simon de Raadt! Simon de Raadt is the Vice President of Business Development Europe at HyperSKU. Having lived in China since 2011, he is an experienced executive in cross-border trade and eCommerce logistics. In this episode, Simon brings you to the world of drop shipping as he guides you on the know-how’s and musts of the gameplay. Dive into the world of ecommerce as Simon shares insights on how you can make your sourcing and shipping journey a road towards success! What you will learn from this episode: Discover what drop shipping is and who are the drop shippers;Know how test trials and good-quality services drive you towards success; andFind out how you can succeed along the market through the help of a free ebook. “Make use of the people around you. Most people want to help you anyway.” – Simon de Raadt Topics Covered: 01:43 – Simon describes his ideal clients. 02:21 – Problems Simon solves for his clients: Not having someone to verify and take care of the products’ shipping and delivery process. 03:19 – The typical symptoms; Why shipping good-quality products is a must on keeping your business operating. 04:12 – The mistakes; Why the absence of tests brings you to the pitfalls of the market. 05:02 – Simon’s valuable free action: “Make use of the people around you.” 06:06 – Simon’s valuable free resource: Visit https://www.hypersku.com for a free ebook. 06:46 – Book alert: “Smart Business: What Alibaba's Success Reveals about the Future of Strategy” by Ming Zeng 08:07 – Question that will be valuable as you reflect on this happening: Where is the future for global ecommerce going to? Key Takeaways: “This whole concept of drop shipping is, you don't touch the products yourself. No one is checking it for you. You just have fingers crossed after the order is placed.” – Simon de Raadt “If you don't deliver a good job, customers complain, then your ratings go down. Your Facebook account gets blocked. Your PayPal account gets suspended, and your business stops. All these small pieces kind of have ripple effects that can cause your business to kind of freeze. And I think that will be the end result that nobody's looking for.” – Simon de Raadt “Get started first. Get some experience. Do some trial and error, and then you go into the branding, and you create a whole story around it.” – Simon de Raadt “To be able for Chinese to go global, they need to find a way to integrate with them, to be able to become part of that ecosystem. They cannot compete with it; the same for the other way. ‘We want to enter China.’ They have to integrate. I think that's the key word where the future is going to for global ecommerce.” – Simon de Raadt “I think there's only a few percentage that actually succeed. To be in that, you have to really work hard and get educated.” – Simon de Raadt People / Resources Mentioned: “Smart Business: What Alibaba's Success Reveals about the Future of Strategy” by Ming Zeng Ways to Connect with Simon de Raadt: Website: hypersku.com LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/simon-de-raadt-西蒙）-56b0048 Ways to Connect with Howard Whiteson: Website: https://www.wealthwithoutborders.net Podcast: https://www.wealthwithoutborders.net/podcast/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/howardwhiteson

Are you guilty of being stuck at a certain place because you’re afraid of the differences you would experience when things change? Don’t you know that it only takes adaptability and you – being willing to embrace a culture – to take a step forward towards embracing differences? Will you take this chance to step out of your shell and explore the wonders you didn’t know you could be? Will you be brave enough to take the risk and live life in all the colors that exist? Ian Mote has been an expat for close to 20 years now. He spent time going around Hong Kong, Dubai, and Shanghai where he now lives with his daughter and wife. A career in banking has taken him all over the region, including every province in China. In fact, this even led to a book entitled “From Chicken Feet to Crystal Baths” – which talks about his travel stories for the past 20 years. In this episode, Ian talks about his journey towards embracing differences he’s encountered while going around places for 20 years. Here, he shares stories about the most memorable and funniest memories he has experienced in life, as well as how he has coped with cultural change and learned to love it – it’s just a matter of time. What you will learn in this episode: "If you can say, ‘Well, I've done this before and this is what got me here so it should work again’ – that's not the case. It's always a fresh start. What has worked in the past that has got you to this level might not be relevant anymore.” – Ian Mote Topics Covered: 01:44 – The Expat: The reason why Ian became an expat around 20 years ago. 03:23 – A Home in a Culture: The special thing about the region where Ian currently works. 05:16 – The Creation: How Ian’s knowledge and experiences led to the book he has written. 07:49 – His Coping Mechanism: Dealing with distance away from loved ones. 10:33 – Expats at their Finest: Ian talks about the qualities that best define a successful expat as he shares personal experience in relation to it. 12:30 – The Moral: The biggest thing Ian has learned over the last 20 years of his stay in China. 14:18 – Trip Down Memory Lane: The most meaningful memories Ian has from 20 years of residency in China. 15:32 – Cheers to the Good Old Days: Ian shares the funniest memory he’s ever had. 19:54 – A Change of Mind: The things Ian would do differently if he was given the chance to turn back the clock. 21:07 – Book Alert: Ian shares what his soon-to-be published second book is about. Key Takeaways: “You adapt and find different ways to do it.” – Ian Mote “If you're an expat, you're going to be managing a team, so you need to understand how people react and how to motivate and manage a team. If I hadn't learned more about being a manager of a local team and how people react to what their expectations are, I would never have made that work.” – Ian Mote “People – at the end of the day – are all very similar, and we want similar things for our family and our life.” – Ian Mote People / Resources Mentioned: From Ice Castles to Ginger Socks Ways to Connect with Ian Mote: LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/ianmote/Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/ianmote/Twitterhttps://twitter.com/ianinshanghai Ways to Connect with Howard Whiteson: Websitehttp://www.wealthwithoutborders.netPodcasthttps://wealthwithoutborders.net/podcast/LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/howardwhiteson

Are you a Chinese e-commerce seller who wants to sell in Europe, on local e-commerce places and Amazon? Do you experience tax difficulties and struggle with language barriers? Do you want to learn how you can turn your small business into a multimillion enterprise? Listen to this treat, that will surely be of great help to you. Opening a business in a foreign country confronts people with many conflicts. Whether it be laws, traditions, and the how to’s, it is important to know the smallest details whenever you plan to start up in a new land. Kathy De Leye is an international businesswoman who has lived in China from 2009 to 2019. She opened a company with her Chinese husband in Shenzhen in 2017, and they are both currently in Belgium to expand their business. In this episode, Kathy talks about the musts of opening a business in the European market. She discusses the mistakes Chinese people make in terms of the law and other barriers due to lack of knowledge and also shares ways that you can be a multimillion-dollar business owner in the near future. What you will learn from this episode: “Just keep on believing in the business and keep on persevering. Keep on being there for the business, and know that it's going to be a multimillion-dollar business.” – Kathy De Leye Topics Covered: 01:37 – Kathy describes her ideal clients. 01:57 – Problems Kathy solves for her clients: The European struggle with local laws, VAT issues, and languages. 02:33 – The typical symptoms; Why European VAT awareness is a must when entering the market. 03:25 – The mistakes; The reason why underestimating the problem is a huge mistake. 04:15 – Kathy’s valuable free action: “Talk to experts and attend webinars.” 05:01 – Kathy’s Valuable free resource: Webinars. The internet. Search how to sell in Europe. 05:35 – The most impactful book/concept/program/talk: (1) Tony Robbin’s “Unleash the Power Within”, (2) T. Harv Eker’s “Secrets of the Millionaire Mind: Mastering the Inner Game of Wealth", (3) Napoleon Hill’s “Think and Grow Rich” 06:25 – Question that will help you nourish: “How do you change your mindset?” 07:53 – Bonus question: The most valuable lesson or action that really helped her in her change of mindset. Key Takeaways: “A lot of Chinese here in Europe, they have difficulties because first of all, they don't understand VAT. They don't know how serious it is. When stock arrives with the wrong certificates, it can be destroyed or be sent back, which has huge costs. And there can be big fines as well, just because they're not compliant with local laws.” – Kathy De Leye “I would recommend people to really talk to experts, not just a Chinese person who says they know the European market. Also, go to webinars. I would really recommend to attend these. It can save a lot of money.” – Kathy De Leye “I know Google is blocked in China, but just find a way to go on Google, and search how to sell in Europe.” – Kathy De Leye “I am a businesswoman. I can be successful in business. It took a long time to change my mindset, but because of that, I now have a multimillion-dollar business.” – Kathy De Leye People / Resources Mentioned: Tony Robbin’s“Unleash the Power Within”Harv Eker’s “Secrets of the Millionaire Mind: Mastering the Inner Game of Wealth”Napoleon Hill’s “Think and Grow Rich” Ways to Connect with Kathy De Leye: LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/kathydeleye/Websitehttps://www.alando.global/ Ways to Connect with Howard Whiteson: Websitehttps://www.wealthwithoutborders.netPodcasthttps://www.wealthwithoutborders.net/podcast/LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/howardwhiteson

Are you seeking a knowledge that you don’t quite know exists? Are you certain that you really know what you’re saying and what you’re doing? Do you want to practice using etymology and NLP in order to understand language in its finest form? Listen to this episode and be guided to a wonderful treat! Mastering your mind is not an easy task, but you should remember that it gives results to you, mastering your world, once done successfully. Learn how language and programming affects you in this episode. Rodney Josephson is from a different place and time! He woke up travelling, living, working and experiencing life as it comes. He has been working to help people master themselves in order to master their world. In this episode, Rodney shares insights about the concept of programming in language or linguistic terms. Here, he talks about how programming plays a huge role on your progress towards mastering your world and also shares how NLP and etymological dictionaries will help you along the way. What you will learn from this episode: “Programming is programming. Either you're being programmed or you get to program yourself.” – Rodney Josephson Topics Covered: 01:57 – Rodney talks about his ideal clients. 03:16 – Problem Rodney solves for his clients: Knowing how to use various tools or methods to seek the hidden truth of what is or how things function. 04:07 – The typical symptoms; Why people not knowing what they’re saying and doing is continuously happening. 05:05 – The mistakes; Not being able to understand why a program is happening, not being able to grab it, and failing to do anything with it. 05:56 – Rodney’s valuable free action: “You have to learn to breathe. Deep breathing.” 06:48 – Rodney’s valuable free resource: Use etymological dictionaries and seek things based on NLP methods. 07:37 – Concept alert: Read things about NLP so you can learn how language functions, then later on start to write. 08:34 – Question that would give great value: When you master your mind, you can master your world. The question is, can anyone master their mind? Key Takeaways: “Through the process of learning NLP, you can get a better picture of the world and how it functions based on language or linguistics.” – Rodney Josephson “To be able to grasp a new idea or a new method or process, the person or the people have to have a different perspective; and the only way to do that is that they have to use various tools or methods to seek the hidden truth of what is or how things function.” – Rodney Josephson “Due to the fact that language, especially English, is one of the most mixed languages in the world with hundreds of contributing languages, most people don't even know what they are saying.” – Rodney Josephson “We've been raised getting programmed in society and these programs run without us even knowing it. If you're not able to understand why that's happening and be able to grab it and do something with it, you're gonna keep repeating the same issue.” – Rodney Josephson Ways to Connect with Rodney Josephson: LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/rodney-josephson-a81911b/Wechat Ways to Connect with Howard Whiteson: Websitehttps://www.wealthwithoutborders.netPodcasthttps://www.wealthwithoutborders.net/podcast/LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/howardwhiteson

Are you a Western manager handling Chinese employees or is it the other way around? Do you want to resolve misunderstandings at your workplace but have no idea where to start with? Listen to this episode and you’ll know why misunderstandings are present at work and how you can act to that. Difference in culture is indeed a huge factor of how people fail to successfully interact with one another. The boundaries and traditions not shared by people involved play a huge role in connecting workers, thus the importance of understanding the other side of the coin. Jerry Grey has lived and worked in the UK, Australia, and China. Apart from business experience and qualifications, he knows China pretty well because he's cycled across it 3 times. He was once a teacher in China, and now, he’s helping people understand China in its real form. Jerry has the honour of being the only guest so far who has no desire to sell you anything. In this episode, Jerry shares insights discussing why Chinese and Western workers usually go through a lot of misunderstandings in their workspace. He talks about the concept of cultural linguistic and the issues that surround that. Jerry also shares a resource and a good advice on how you can be aware of what China is really like, so you can be free from the misconceptions the media has made you think. What you will learn from this episode: “Almost everything that you have ever learned about China from reading a newspaper is not correct. There's so much misinformation. China is a very safe place. China is a very stable place. China is a good place to do business.” – Jerry Grey Topics Covered: 02:12 – Jerry describes his ideal clients. 03:04 – Problems Jerry solves for his clients: The cultural linguistic issues present in a company or organization. 04:30 – The typical symptoms; How workplace psychology and national identity can clash sometimes and result to something catastrophic. 05:23 – The mistakes; Why trying to resolve an issue in the traditional way you'd resolve it in your own country is a big mistake. 06:45 – Jerry’s valuable free action: “Employ someone who has cross-cultural change management experience.” 07:26 – Jerry’s Valuable free resource: Go to https://www.hofstede-insights.com and be informed of the differences you’ll encounter in a different country’s workspace. 08:10 – Books alert: “Beyond the Chinese Face: Insights from Psychology” by Michael Harris Bond 09:11: Question that helps you understand Chinese people’s work culture better: Where should a potential investor or business manager go to get information? Key Takeaways: “If I say to a Chinese person, “Hey, what's the best holiday you've ever had?” they'll tell me about Spring Festival or National Day or one of the festivals that they have where they get together with their family and do things. If I asked yourself or somebody from Germany or Holland or a European manager, American manager, they’ll say it was two weeks in an island in the Pacific or something completely different. And this is what I call cultural linguistic.” – Jerry Grey “Workplace psychology and national identity – these two things can clash sometimes. It could end up being production failures, legal problems. It could be all kinds of different things. It could be catastrophic failure of your business.” – Jerry Grey “The manager is the most important person in a company because the manager needs to tell people what to do and how to do it.” – Jerry Grey “If you're in a company and you have a human resource manager who is Chinese, managing Chinese people, even that HR manager doesn't understand the management philosophies. If you've got someone who's trained overseas and understands and has been trained in a management philosophy from overseas, they would do better.” – Jerry Grey People / Resources Mentioned: Geert Hofstede Beyond the Chinese Face: Insight from Psychology by Michael Harris Bond Ways to Connect with Jerry...

Have you experienced investing in real estate but haven’t tried doing it across borders yet? Do you want to learn how to develop your investment portfolio across borders and in an international level? Do you want to invest in real estate without any bother of pain? If you do, then you’re up for a great treat. Real estate investment alone is already complicated enough, and the process just gets more complicated in cross-border investment. There, you don’t only consider your home country’s rule, but also the subject countries’ rules and the cross-border rules. You need experts to guide you in every move that you do, and this episode will show you the road towards that cross-border goal of yours. Lauren Cohen is a serial entrepreneur as she works as an International Lawyer, Realtor and Cross-Border Expert. She was originally from Toronto, but now she’s based in South Florida. Lauren is also a best-selling author and sought-after speaker, and she launched her podcast “Investing Across Borders” in late 2020. Lauren’s overriding goal is to help clients navigate the path to invest, live, work and play across borders. Her superpower rests in paving a path to immigration visas through real estate investments. In this episode, Lauren talks about the concept of cross-border investing alongside actions people have been doing wrong that keep them from growing. She shares insights on what people need to know with regard to investing across borders, and also mentions the huge importance of having an expert guide you. What you will learn from this episode: “Go to the expert. Just always go to the expert and don't try to become an expert yourself. There are professionals in their professions. Use them and abuse them as much as you can.” – Lauren Cohen Topics Covered: 03:00 – Lauren and her ideal client: A real estate investor or an aspiring real estate investor that wants to develop their investment portfolio, not only in their home country but across borders and internationally. 03:21 – The problem that she solves: The frustration of going to a bunch of different places and not getting the right answers, and trying to figure out who to talk to, who's the right professional. 04:03 – The typical symptoms people experience: Not knowing where to start and not having the proper guidance. 04:48 – The common mistakes people make when they're trying to solve those problems by themselves: They create a lot of legal problems for themselves. 05:44 – A valuable action listeners of this episode can implement right away: Consult with a cross-border tax advisor before you do anything at all. 06:43 – Valuable Free Resource: (1) Go Global Report with coupon code: INTERNATIONAL and (2) How to Invest in Real Estate Across Borders Painlessly with coupon code: REI4FREE 07:25 – A book that has been the most impactful in her life: The E Myth: Why Most Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It by Michael E. Gerber 08:21 – One question that will give great value to the audience: “Why should you hire me?” 09:50 – Lauren and the book she wrote: Finding Yourself Aligning in the Business Immigration Process. Key Takeaways: “A lot of people, especially investing into the US, there's so many companies that help you invest in the US but they pay no attention to your home country. And so here you are, suddenly you're investing and they're like, ‘here's your plan’. But what happens when you go back to England, or go back to Canada, or when you file your tax return in China or wherever? Nobody's giving you that guidance. So, you're going to end up with a lot of challenges, and you may end up losing a lot of money and having a lot of legal problems in the process.” – Lauren Cohen “Consult with a cross-border tax advisor before you do anything at all. Just always go to the expert and don't try to become an expert yourself because we are trained to be experts for a reason. There are professionals in their professions. Use them and abuse them as...

Do you want to enter the Chinese market but you have no idea of the whats and hows? Have you tried involving your business with China but you experienced a huge differential shock? Do you want to know the essentials of the market, especially e-commerce? If so, sit back and relax as we dive into the system with today’s guest. Daniel Albrecht is a German lawyer based in China. He specializes in trademark law, commercial law, as well as corporate and labor law. Daniel also assists his clients in drafting and negotiating complex contract documentations, aside from advising international businesses on the acquisition or sale of public and private companies. It was in 2004 when Daniel had his first professional encounter with China as a law clerk. In this episode, Daniel guides you towards the Chinese market as he discusses the country’s e-commerce law. Here, he explains how important it is for companies to be prepared if they want to be involved with the market. Moreover, Daniel shares insights business owners should know in order for them to properly situate themselves in the e-commerce system. Listen as he makes e-commerce law easy in just eight minutes of interview. What you will learn from this episode: “Register your trademarks in China, register your IP in China. Otherwise, somebody will see it and register it for you.” – Daniel Albrecht Topics Covered: 02:13 – Daniel’s ideal clients: A family-owned business with 50 to 500 employees, and embassies in China. 03:06 – The problem that he solves with regards to e-commerce: Clients’ problem with fakes. 03:58 – The typical symptoms people experience when dealing with problem of fakes: Not being prepared and lack of market observation. 04:57 – Common mistakes people make when they try to solve the problem by themselves: They have no language abilities. 06:00 – Valuable Free Action: Prepare yourself and your activities as early as possible 06:48 – Valuable Free Resource: European Union's SME centre. 07:31 – The concept or talk that has been most impactful in his experience: Working in Chinese law firms. 08:17 – The difference between the Chinese and the European e-commerce market. 09:24 – Last question: Is there a ballpark as to how long it would take to obtain a trademark for one's company or sector? Key Takeaways: “If you visit an international exhibition in your own country, or in a second country or in China, register your trademarks in China, register your IP in China, otherwise somebody will see it and register it for you.” – Daniel Albrecht “My most important experience was to work for Chinese law firms, because during this time, I gained a feeling for how Chinese companies function internally and also how Chinese lawyers work and think, and this is from time to time a little bit different from our mindset. And that was maybe the most valuable experience during the last couple of years.” – Daniel Albrecht “If you are not familiar with the preparation, you have no chance to prove evidence because nobody takes it seriously.” – Daniel Albrecht “I think a lot of companies are not aware that we have no Amazon here or let's say we have Amazon but the market as a whole is not dominant. It's a niche company here with market share about one point something percent. If you want to do commercial activities, you need to be aware that there are other social media platforms.” – Daniel Albrecht “I’m quite worried because if people are calling or waiting from overseas, quite often they forget the time difference and then you'll get messages in the night or whenever.” – Daniel Albrecht Ways to Connect with Daniel Albrecht: Email:Website:starke-ip.comLinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/dadanielalbrecht/ Ways to Connect with Howard Whiteson: Website:http://www.wealthwithoutborders.netPodcast:https://wealthwithoutborders.net/podcast/LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/howardwhiteson

Have you noticed that you’re not improving and/or perhaps, you’re not happy with what you do? Have you been recently bothered by the eagerness to do better, but you keep on failing each time you try? Do you want to see the world through a bee’s perspective? Do you want a change of mindset that will lead you towards a successful life? As human beings situated in this pandemic, we tend to think of nothing but ways on how we can survive; however, that’s not even an easy thing to accomplish. People are getting emotionally unstable for more than a year now, and this is affecting the way they think and see life. In order for us to get better, we need change to happen; however, that will only happen if you’ll allow it to take place. Matt Beadle is a British ex-pat that is currently situated in Germany. He works as a management consultant and facilitator, and this allows him to specialize in leadership development for young and new managers. Matt works with Fortune 500 companies and global players across the world and is also an author of four books. He’s a regular speaker and presenter at business events, panel discussions, and TV shows, and is actually a Chelsea fan. In this episode, Matt guides you towards seeing the world with your bee glasses on. Here, he discusses how a bee approach is different from that of a fly, and how a changed mindset would result in a happy and bountiful life. What you will learn from this episode: “Sign of excellence is experiencing genuine joy and flow when you're doing things that you're great at and they come easy to you.“ – Matt Beadle Topics Covered: 02:12 – Matt and his ideal client: An organization that cares about their staff and wants to help their staff develop themselves. 02:40 – What is the problem he solves: The epidemic of focusing on weaknesses. 03:33 – The typical symptoms people experience: Trying to be a jack of all trades. 04:32 – The common mistakes people make when they're trying to solve the problem of being good at everything: Work harder and work faster. 05:24 – A valuable action listeners of this episode can implement right away: Get a cup of coffee and sit down for a pause. 06:19 – Valuable Free Resource: The five signs for talent: desire, rapid learning, flow, glimpses of excellence, and satisfaction. 07:17 – A book that has been the most impactful in Matt’s experience: The Leading Brain by Hans W. Hagemann and Friederike Fabritius and his own book Strengths Oriented Leadership: The World through Bee Glasses 08:25 – The beauty of strengths orientation and changing your mindset towards a more sort of bee glasses approach: It works in all walks of life. Key Takeaways: “Can I go through life wearing these ‘fly glasses’ where I'm only looking for the crap, or can I put my ‘bee glasses’ on and look for the color and the talents and the development, and try and spread that around a little bit? That is what I've noticed.“ – Matt Beadle “Why are we expecting people to be great at everything? Why don't we encourage people to focus on their talents and try and be great at a handful of things, instead of being jack of all trades? You wouldn't ask a plumber to build something out of wood and expect it to be top quality. You wouldn't ask a pilot to incise, you know, an operation into somebody's chest and expect them to be a great surgeon. So why do we expect executives and business people to be good at everything?” – Matt Beadle “Have a think about how you do something, not what you do, not the role on your business problems cognitively, and go through those five steps. And when you recognize those five things, then you're almost certainly looking at and dealing with talent.” – Matt Beadle “The beauty of strengths orientation and changing your mindset towards a more sort of bee glasses approach is that it works in all walks of life.” – Matt Beadle Ways to Connect with Matt...

How do you endear yourself to the Chinese and make a lasting impact on a country like China? The mistake many of us make is to stereotype people but that only makes us foolish. When you’re in a country like China, there’s one thing that you should learn - treat people with respect regardless of country, belief or religion. Contribute to making a change to better society and don’t solely focus on making an income. Karl Weaver has 3 obvious passions: wireless technologies, softball or baseball and finally, speaking, reading and writing Mandarin Chinese, the latter of which he’s been doing since 1982. Indeed, Karl was pretty much the first person to sell a computer to China in 1989. Those are his passions aside from his family, friends, and his career. In this episode, Karl highlights the goodness that Chinese people have shown him. The stories he shares of meaningful memories experienced in Taiwan and Greater China prove that more than the place being magical, it’s the people themselves who are special. The respect he showed them was met with fondness and kindness, making it easier to adapt and become successful in a foreign place. What you will learn from this episode: “Treat people the way you would expect them to treat you. Don't be pretentious, don't be condescending and realize that everyone is just a person just trying to survive.” - Karl Weaver Topics Covered: 02:43 - How Karl became an expat 03:30 - How it was back when Karl was living in Taiwan in terms of technology and food 04:19 - What makes life so special in Taiwan that Karl stayed longer than three years 04:50 - The courtship style in Taiwan that Karl finds fascinating 06:07 - Sharing a personal story of an expat’s struggle that Karl experienced and the kindness of the Taiwanese people 09:26 - The important lessons Karl learned in terms of dealing with people of a different race and religion 10:56 - The 80/20 rule that Karl advises 12:32 - The three key things that you need to be very consistent with when you are an expat 14:52 - An interesting highlight of an experience in sports while living in China 16:51 - The one biggest lesson Karl learned being an expat 18:35 - Sharing his most meaningful memory while living in China 19:45 - How you don't have to be Chinese to do things successfully in the Chinese world 20:55 – Karl’s significant predictions over what will happen in the ex-pat world in China 23:58 - Why recruiters need to have an unbiased view with hiring foreign nationals for the Chinese market 26:45 - What Karl would have done back when he started living in Taiwan Key Takeaways: “Taiwan is a magical place because of the people, who are very westernized. But I think more than the physical presence of the place, it's the people that make the place in Taiwan so special.” - Karl Weaver “I think this is a very important rule in life, especially for a business person, especially when you're not in your native country, which is the 80/20 rule. Well, listen 80% and talk only 20% because you're out of your comfort zone.” - Karl Weaver “I always try to use EQ when dealing with the Chinese world and dealing with the Chinese people, trying never to stereotype.” - Karl Weaver “I believe there are some key things you need to be very consistent with, which is your tenacity, your persistence to live in a different world and a different way of doing things is very, very critical. You just never know when you might be unintentionally insulting somebody, it can happen.” - Karl Weaver “This is the most important thing that I've learned, which is that when you're dealing with another culture, these people may speak a different language and they may look a little bit different than you but their thoughts and their emotions are virtually the same.” - Karl Weaver Resources: 80/20 Sales and Marketing: The Definitive Guide to Working Less and Making More by Perry Marshall Ways to connect with Karl...

Can’t think of a business to start in China? Are you interested in creating a company in China? Finding a business idea that ticks with the market is sometimes a hard thing to do. Look into the problem you face yourself and find a solution that no one has done yet. Jay Thornhill is the Co-Founder and Head of Product Development for Baopals. Baopals (baopals.com) was launched in March 2016 and opened the gates to Taobao, Tmall and JD for non-Chinese. Over 3.7 million products have been purchased on Baopals in 4 years, and the co-founders are the only foreigners ever awarded "Top 10 Up-And-Coming Entrepreneurs" by the Shanghai government. In this episode, Jay Thornhill shares how, from his own challenges of dealing with an inconvenient and non-enjoyable shopping experience, he found a solution and made a business out of it. That way, he not only made shopping easy and fun for himself but other non-Chinese people too. What you will learn from this episode: “Focus on solving a problem that you face personally, and make sure it's a problem that other people haven't solved already. That's when you're really on to something. And don't get bogged down too much in the kind of legality of it and worried about all the formal setup you need.” - Jay Thornhill Topics Covered: 01:50 - Making it easy for people who don't know how to navigate Chinese platforms to shop in China 02:32 - Making shopping on Chinese platforms for non-Chinese people easy and enjoyable 03:52 - How the language gap, communication issues, platform design and user interface cause problems for non-Chinese people in their shopping experience 05:16 - Why asking somebody else to buy for them on Chinese selling platforms is one mistake non-Chinese people are making 05:53 - One valuable free action is to discover good products and sellers in China here: https://www.baopals.com/discover/whatshot/products 07:23 - A book that helped Jay deal with stress, pressure and the emotional roller coaster of having his own business: Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ by Daniel Goleman 08:19 - What should I do if I want to start my own business in China? Key Takeaways: “First, make sure you have a viable product that people really want and seek out honest feedback and criticism, so that you get on that right track. And then if you need help sorting the rest out later, go to our business services page and get in touch.” - Jay Thornhill “I think it's good for people to delve into the sphere of psychology and neuroscience because when the pressure hits and emotions flare up, you might say things or make decisions that you regret. And in business, that can be very costly.” - Jay Thornhill “If they want to discover good products and sellers in China, they can do that for free if they go to the Baopals blog, or they follow us on WeChat. And they could check out a section of our site called Discover where they can see what other expats in China are buying and collections they're creating and sharing on the platform.” - Jay Thornhill Resources: Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ by Daniel Goleman Ways to Connect with Jay Thornhill: Website: https://www.baopals.com/LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/thornhilljay/ Ways to Connect with Howard Whiteson: Website:http://www.wealthwithoutborders.netPodcast:https://wealthwithoutborders.net/podcast/LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/howardwhiteson

How do you improve your process, position yourself better on the market, create a professional-looking presence online to impact sales? Not being able to do things the way it’s done in the digital world today gets you lost in the process. Finding technical solutions and understanding its framework will help achieve your goals and make your business thrive. Tommaso Sora is the founder and managing director of Sinaweb, a Shanghai-based digital web agency that develops Web and WeChat applications and solutions In China and for China. In this episode, Tommaso shares how he creats solutions through web applications to improve business processes, find new channels or ways to sell one’s product, or solve business problems for a more relevant digital presence. What you will learn from this episode: “What are the small steps that we can take to put the pieces together, instead of just looking at an outside solution that we don't know very well. Needs to prepare a little bit before having a consultant that can then help you.” - Tommaso Sora Topics Covered: 01:36 - Catering to individuals or organizations who need a tailor-made or a package solution for web application processes 02:44 - Providing technical solutions or frameworks to improve the way things are done today 03:19 - How failure to tell their story despite having a great value proposition is a symptom of a client’s problem 04:24 - Mistakes clients usually do before consulting with Tommaso 05:00 - A valuable free action that can help solve the problem you have now: Stop for a moment and see what other resources are available instead of just looking at an outside solution that we don't know very well. 05:53 - The best way for Tommaso to meet people and talk about things 06:23 - How does the methodology of Getting Things Done [GTD] work Key Takeaways: “Sometimes if we're looking about improving a process, we're like finding new ways of doing things. The solution is easy, to see people that they want to change, but they're not really willing to take new steps to actually do it.” - Tommaso Sora “This way of methodology, Getting Things Done [GTD] increases productivity if done in the right way. It helps organize you as you take small steps, do things and feel satisfied with what you do because you achieve some goals.” - Tommaso Sora “I think it's important for everyone to have something, to have a tool that helps them to withstand the outside pressure of the world, then go from inside.” - Tommaso Sora “One advice I can give is to set your goals and be satisfied. Go and achieve and finish on time.” - Tommaso Sora Ways to Connect with Tommaso Sora: Website: https://sinaweb.cn/LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/tommaso-sora-97ab789/ Ways to Connect with Howard Whiteson: Website:http://www.wealthwithoutborders.netPodcast:https://wealthwithoutborders.net/podcast/LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/howardwhiteson

Many companies are now expanding overseas and it is challenging to adapt to a different market workwise and culturally. How then do you rise above this situation and come up with a win-win outcome? It's very important to build trust and camaraderie, as well as to actually understand the way the Chinese market and companies are handling their businesses and processes. That way you know what’s going on; you find and learn ways to adapt to the culture. Sean Upton-McLaughlin is a PR & Communications professional who specializes in working with foreign companies wishing to enter the Chinese market and Chinese companies looking to expand internationally. He has previously worked for Weber Shandwick, Huawei, and other Chinese tech firms. In this episode, Sean shares how you need to put in the time and effort to have face-to-face experiences, talking and being around Chinese people and the community. You can read as many books as you want but there is no substitute for having on-the-ground experience if you want to make it and thrive in China. What you will learn from this episode: “The thing that has been most impactful to my own experience is not just being on the ground in China, but taking the time to speak and interact with the Chinese people face to face, most simply talking to them at work and then going to their own community, going to dinners with them. There is no substitute for this.” - Sean Upton-McLaughlin Topics Covered: 02:04 - Who for him is an ideal client 02:12 - Helping bridge the working and cultural divide between China and the West 03:23 - How having rose-colored glasses won’t let you see a forest with trees on it 04:05 - Why trying and jumping on too directly and early into the Chinese market is one big mistake 04:57 - One valuable FREE action that will help you understand the Chinese market: Check out Sean’s articles on management difficulties in China on his website. Click here: https://chinaculturecorner.com/ 05:37- Useful organizations that will help you solve your problems concerning the Chinese market 06:41 - An impactful experience that helps him navigate the Chinese market and which he recommends everyone doing it 07:45 - Should Westerners think about working for Chinese companies, Chinese tech companies? Key Takeaways: “I help to connect both sides to help them see that they're both working towards the same goal and to find a way to maybe not do everything perfectly for one side or the other. But you make things work so that everybody can have a win-win outcome.” - Sean Upton-McLaughlin “Especially in the professional world, they are very experienced, they have many accomplishments, and they are often convinced that they are right, they will always be right. And that it's very hard for them to see past that hubris or experience. And if you have rose-colored glasses on, you can't see the forest for the trees in many cases.” - Sean Upton-McLaughlin “What often is a very big problem is that if you are unable to be on the ground in China. It's very hard to kind of make that cultural leap. And so, starting off by being members of Chamber of Commerce, whether actually through the organization or groups on LinkedIn or other places. That is a very good way to get your toes wet and to start hearing experiences from people who have been working in the Chinese market in this example, for a number of years.” - Sean Upton-McLaughlin “You can read as many books as you want. But unless you have that experience yourself, there really is no substitute.” - Sean Upton-McLaughlin “We see many companies now expanding overseas, but people might worry about whether or not they could make it in that culture. It does take a lot of commitment. It is not for everyone. But there is, I think, an enormous opportunity for those with the drive and the interest to try and figure out what's happening with these Chinese companies.” - Sean Upton-McLaughlin Ways to Connect with Sean...

In addition to looking at job descriptions and resumes, how do you find not just the best but the right talent for your organization? Optimizing your chances to hire for the long-term requires the essential steps of preparing, planning, writing a script, and enjoying the interview. Fabien Guerin is the Founder & CEO of Talent Fishers with Executive Search in China and with six offices in China. In this episode, Fabien talks about how it is important to know who you are as a company, define your HR brand and value proposition so you hire the right talent that will benefit the company long-term. What you will learn from this episode: Learn how to hire talent that brings value beyond looking at the competitors and the job description Find out why you need to objectively sell your organization to the right talent Discover how to have valuable time in the interview to find and search for the right talent “Knowing who you are is extremely important. If you don't objectively sell your organization, then the person is going to join for the wrong reasons.” - Fabien Guerin Topics Covered: 01:34 - Who are his ideal clients 02:28 - Questions that need to be asked to uncover the problem that needs to be solved 03:25 - How lack of vision and unity in the organization presents symptoms of the company’s problem 04:24 - Why knowing who you are is extremely important 05:00 - One valuable free action that helps solve client’s problem: prepare, plan, write a script and enjoy the interview 06:00 - The need to define your HR brand and your value proposition 06:47 - What’s the reason for creating Talent Fishers? 07:46 - Why is it so important to invest enough time, resources, energy and money to select a non-transactional search partner with a consultative approach? Key Takeaways: “A lot of people think that our job is actually to type a few keywords in the database, extract a couple of resumes, give a call and then pray that everything is going to go well. It's much more than that, there’s actually much more value to add to the process. If you don't fish for talent properly, it doesn't work.” - Fabien Guerin “The key issue is actually to rely on a team for what we're looking for and what's relevant as well as to focus on what they will get from the talent.” - Fabien Guerin “You need to prepare; you need to plan scripts. You need to be organized if you want to have a valuable experience during an interview, you need to have as much time to prepare as the time you spend with candidates.” - Fabien Guerin “The key is to define what's your HR brand? What's your proposition? And then you're ready to go.” - Fabien Guerin “You have to be ready, don't take chances, prepare, know who you are, sell, search for the right talents, and then you're going to find the right people for long-term.” - Fabien Guerin “You need to optimize your chances. It is not hiring for tomorrow, it's hiring for the long-term and to benefit the whole organization.” - Fabien Guerin Ways to Connect with Fabien Guerin: Website:http://www.talent-fishers.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fabienguerin-recruitment-asia/ Ways to Connect with Howard Whiteson: Website:http://www.wealthwithoutborders.net Podcast:https://wealthwithoutborders.net/podcast/ LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/howardwhiteson