The FocusCore Podcast

David Sweet, CEO, and Founder of FocusCore Japan discusses the single most critical skill a manager needs to succeed - how to lead up. Leading up has many names in the English vocabulary; sucking up, brown-nosing, minion, and lackey. But what these terms don’t recognize is the importance and the skill it takes to manage upwards and the value it can add if you want to develop your career in management.

David share’s his top three guidelines to help you manage upwards’ and accelerate your career.

Connect with David Sweet:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdavidsweet/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/focuscorejp

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/focuscoreasia

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focuscorejp/

Website: https://www.japan.focuscoregroup.com/

David Sweet Bio

​David Sweet is the Founder and CEO of FocusCore Japan, based in Tokyo. FocusCore provides a broad range of services from executive to talent management and leadership consulting. His particular focus is in Human Resources.

Prior to establishing FocusCore Group, David was a Director with the Tokyo consultancy Wall Street Associates, leading operations, training, and recruitment in multiple sectors. He also worked for 10 years in the U.S. Treasury Department in labor relations and organizational development.

He is the author of six books, including "Sweet Sales", "Sweet Success", and "Recruit!". He is also a Certified Executive Coach. David earned a MA in Communications from Regis University and a PhD in Leadership Development.

Doin’ the Uptown Lowdown,” used by permission of Christopher Davis-Shannon. To find out more, check out www.thetinman.co and check out his new album, FIFTY​/​50. https://music.cdavisshannon.com/album/fifty-50-2 . Support independent musicians and artists.

Mentioned in this episode:

Find out more about salaries, the job market, hiring and what's important to both companies and individuals looking for a job specifically in Japan.

2025 Salary Guide

Jonathan Cant, Executive Consultant at FocusCore Japan is back for round two on the podcast. This time, David and Jonathan chat about the steps needed to transition from an accountant inputting data to telling a story with those numbers and becoming a valued and trusted business partner at a Fortune 500 company.

In this episode you will hear:

• What is finance business partnering?
• What are the important benefits of business partnering for finance professionals?
• What are the essential skills a finance professional needs to improve and grow beyond the numbers on a spreadsheet
• Why Business Partnering is in demand in Japan
• Learning valuable lessons and skills from mentors and the impact mentors have on your career

Jonathan Cant Bio:

A leading member of the FocusCore team, Jonathan is a UK native who has been in Japan for just under 19 years. With around 15 years of leadership experience, he brings maturity and just the right amount of grey hair to the team. A father of two young boys, he spends most of his free time in the park or playing with Lego. He is also a fan of Newcastle United FC and enjoys photography and cooking.

Connect with Jonathan:

Website: https://www.japan.focuscoregroup.com/consultants/jonathan-cant?source=google.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathancant/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jonathancant?lang=en-GB

Links of things mentioned in this episode:

Episode 12 - The challenges of managing local and regional stakeholders in Japan with Jonathan Cant

LinkedIn poll survey

The Journey from Accountant to Business Partner in Japan article

Connect with David Sweet:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdavidsweet/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/focuscorejp

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/focuscoreasia

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focuscorejp/

Website: https://www.japan.focuscoregroup.com/

Doin’ the Uptown Lowdown,” used by permission of Christopher Davis-Shannon. To find out more, check out www.thetinman.co and check out his new album, FIFTY​/​50. https://music.cdavisshannon.com/album/fifty-50-2

Support independent musicians and artists.

Mentioned in this episode:

Find out more about salaries, the job market, hiring and what's important to both companies and individuals looking for a job specifically in Japan.

2025 Salary Guide

The windy road to work in Japan has been a long one for today’s very special guest. Nina Michels-Kim is the Director of Partnerships, Korea and Japan for the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA). She’s bilingual in Japanese and English, born in Japan having been raised by a Japanese mother and an American father, and received her college education in the United States. However, her dream was always to come back to work in Japan and so with that goal in sight, her extensive career in finance began which has led her from bookkeeper to working for two of Switzerland's biggest pharmaceuticals to starting her own business and now as the Partnerships Director of Korea and Japan for IMA.

Nina’s career path has not been linear but throughout, her passion for learning and continuous development in finance has brought her one step closer to Japan and the goal she set more than 25 years ago. As a member of the IMA, having developed the Swiss and European chapters, she’s now bringing the benefits of the IMA to Japan and aiding finance professionals to upskill, learn, develop and become the finance leaders of the future.

In this episode you will hear:

• The IMA’s predicted six megatrends for the finance sector
• Some of the challenges that financial professionals are facing and why upskilling is important
• The value of the IMA and how it can help finance professionals to future-proof themselves and their careers
• Why soft skills are just as important as hard skills and how the IMA supports this
• What courses and resources are available through the IMA including how to tell a story with strategic insights and data

Nina Michels-Kim Bio:

I help finance professionals all over the world to enhance their skills, provide them with ethics guidance and thought leadership, become valued leaders in their organizations, and improve the world step by step!

Alongside my own business, Starling GmbH, I am also the Director of Partnerships Japan and Korea for IMA® (Institute of Management Accountants). IMA is one of the largest and most respected worldwide associations focused exclusively on advancing the management accounting profession. Its global reach includes over 140,000+ members of financial professionals in business in over 150 countries.

About the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA)

Established in 1919 (over 100 years ago), IMA (Institute of Management Accountants) is a global, non-profit professional association that administers the globally recognized U.S. CMA (Certified Management Accountant) certification program, which is celebrating its 50-year anniversary this year. IMA has a global network of about 140,000 members worldwide and more than 300 student and professional chapters. Its members are mostly accountants, financial professionals, and management accountants who work in business. IMA supports the CFO’s team by striving to be the leading resource for training, developing, certifying, connecting, and supporting them.

Connect with Nina Michels-Kim:

Website: https://www.imanet.org

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ninamichelskim/?originalSubdomain=ch

Twitter: @NinaMichelsKim

Email: [email protected]

Links of things mentioned in this episode:

Best Practices in a Hybrid Workplace webinar

Six mega trends for accountants

Ambassador for Finance Professionals by Nina Michels-Kim

Special Omiyage for listeners

For those companies who are still unsure of committing to the IMA Finance Academy, we now have a three-month free trial opportunity! Individual clients of FocusCore can try out, become an IMA member for six months for free (an extra three months!), and use the IMA free resources. What is the best part is that using this six-month opportunity, you can sign up for the CMA Entrance program so get a six months savings/benefit to the standard IMA membership fee.

To access the link and take advantage of the Three Month Trial for FocusCore members please click here Three-Month Trial Membership (imaonlinestore.com)

Connect with David Sweet:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdavidsweet/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/focuscorejp

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/focuscoreasia

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focuscorejp/

Website: https://www.japan.focuscoregroup.com/

"Doin’ the Uptown Lowdown,” used by permission of Christopher Davis-Shannon. To find out more, check out www.thetinman.co and check out his new album, FIFTY​/​50. https://music.cdavisshannon.com/album/fifty-50-2

Mentioned in this episode:

Find out more about salaries, the job market, hiring and what's important to both companies and individuals looking for a job specifically in Japan.

2025 Salary Guide

Hisato Wakaizumi was born and bred in Tokyo, studied in the United States, worked as a tennis coach in Florida teaching young children to 95-year-old ladies, and now has a successful career as a Consultant at FocusCore Japan in Accounting and Finance. His unique international experience makes him the perfect person to answer the question - what do tennis coaching and recruitment have in common?

In this episode you will hear:

• The importance of having the right mindset
• Why the C-Suite in Japan isn’t people in their 20s and 30s and what does this mean for Japan’s growth
• The value of networking to grow your career and simple ways to do it
• The common misconceptions about being a recruiter including Hisato’s own!
• The importance of soft skills and how they are becoming more valued
• Hisato has been working with some of the top-level executives in Japan and he’s observed a few key things they do to succeed, which he’s sharing with host, David Sweet.

Hisato Bio:

Hisato is a new dad and an executive search consultant at FocusCore Japan. With experience working in the United States and Japan, he is a trusted advisor to clients for his persistent tenacity and creative solutions to challenging hires in Japan. He is also an avid tennis player!

Connect with Hisato Wakaizumi:

Website: https://www.japan.focuscoregroup.com/consultants/hisato-wakaizumi?source=google.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hisato-wakaizumi-38479513b/

Email: [email protected]

Links of things mentioned in this episode:

Hidden Brain Podcast

Bear dancing and coaching with Corey McGowan episode

Connect with David Sweet:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdavidsweet/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/focuscorejp

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/focuscoreasia

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focuscorejp/

Website: https://www.japan.focuscoregroup.com/

Doin’ the Uptown Lowdown,” used by permission of Christopher Davis-Shannon. To find out more, check out www.thetinman.co. Support independent musicians and artists.

Mentioned in this episode:

Find out more about salaries, the job market, hiring and what's important to both companies and individuals looking for a job specifically in Japan.

2025 Salary Guide

Japan is opening up for tourism! After more than two years of border closures, Japan is back in the news recently as it begins preparations to welcome people back to the land of the rising sun. And while Japan has always been open for business, it has been a lot harder for people to come and work in Japan with border closures, and there is a renewed interest in working and living in Japan.

My guest on the podcast today is Sam Barker, a UK-based marketing professional, writer, and former Japan resident. Sam recently shared an article he wrote about landing your business in Japan - an expert guide to success and it couldn’t more timely to chat about his research and his insights into successfully working in Japan.

In this episode you will hear:

• The importance of strong language skills in Japan
• Mindset - understanding the Japanese mindset and expectations
• Why thinking that you can successfully copy and paste your business model from APAC and succeed in Japan is a recipe for failure
• Know when to push the boundaries to make a difference...and when not to
• Diversity and what does that look like in Japan
• The changing dynamics of the Japanese population and what this means for the future

Sam Barker Bio:

Sam L Barker is a marketing professional with years of experience working in software and technology. He is also a freelance writer focusing on the areas of Japanese culture, technology, music, the internet, and business.

His work has appeared in numerous publications including Private Suite Magazine, Mac O’Clock, ListenCorp, Exponents and Ae2 Online. He also writes in a marketing capacity and has produced numerous blog posts, reports, presentations, guides, and features for businesses.

Connect with Sam:

Website: Far Side Virtual

LinkedIn: Sam Barker

Twitter: @Mxhdroom9

Links of things mentioned in this episode:

‘Landing your business in Japan: An expert guide to success’ article by Sam Barker

Connect with David Sweet:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdavidsweet/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/focuscorejp

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/focuscoreasia

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focuscorejp/

Website: https://www.japan.focuscoregroup.com/

Doin’ the Uptown Lowdown,” used by permission of Christopher Davis-Shannon. To find out more, check out www.thetinman.co. Support independent musicians and artists.

Mentioned in this episode:

Find out more about salaries, the job market, hiring and what's important to both companies and individuals looking for a job specifically in Japan.

2025 Salary Guide

In this episode, David Sweet speaks with fellow FocusCore Japan colleague, Jonathan Cant about the differences between local and regional stakeholders. Jonathan is an Englishman who has made Japan his home first as an English teacher, then by building a career in training and management at Z-kai Inc, and now as the Executive Search Consultant for Finance and Accounting at FocusCore Japan.

He shares his experience and insights about local and regional stakeholders and what Executives need to know about Japanese culture to succeed in Japan.

In this episode you will hear:

• Why empathy is key to leading effectively
• Myths about recruiters
• Debunking myths about Japanese work culture
• Changing work culture in Japan - is it the end of nomikai?
• Understanding Japanese HQs - why this should always be a priority!
• The current state of the talent market and where to next

And we debate the important question - when will the fax machine become obsolete in Japan?

Jonathan Cant Bio:

A leading member of the FocusCore team, Jonathan is a UK native who has been in Japan for just under 19 years. With around 15 years of leadership experience, he brings maturity and just the right amount of grey hair to the team. A father of two young boys, he spends most of his free time in the park or playing with Lego. He is also a fan of Newcastle United FC and enjoys photography and cooking.

Connect with Jonathan:

Website: https://www.japan.focuscoregroup.com/consultants/jonathan-cant?source=google.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathancant/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jonathancant?lang=en-GB

Links of things mentioned in this episode:

Managing Local and Regional Stakeholders: Challenges for CFOs By Jonathan Cant

Jonathan’s Podcast Recommendations

The Adam Buxton Podcast

The High Performance Podcast

Connect with David Sweet:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdavidsweet/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/focuscorejp

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/focuscoreasia

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focuscorejp/

Website: https://www.japan.focuscoregroup.com/

Doin’ the Uptown Lowdown,” used by permission of Christopher Davis-Shannon. To find out more, check out www.thetinman.co. Support independent musicians and artists.

Mentioned in this episode:

Find out more about salaries, the job market, hiring and what's important to both companies and individuals looking for a job specifically in Japan.

2025 Salary Guide

We are back on the podcast this week with a solo episode with FocusCore Japan’s Founder and CEO, David Sweet. David shares his 25 years of working in Japan experience and wisdom on finding the power bases in Japanese companies. This is a must-listen episode if you are working or joining a Japanese company and want to succeed.

APAC leaders and Western companies often put Japan in the too-hard basket when looking to expand their markets in Asia but more often than not, it's a failure to understand the power structure of Japanese organizations or they try to change the system.

This episode is a guide for those outside of Japan thinking of moving to work in Japan and for country managers and expats who are coming to Japan to take up a position in a Japanese company that will help set you up to succeed.

In this episode you will hear:

• What is the power base of a Japanese company and how it differentiates from Western organizations
• Why job titles in Japan are not what they seem
• Consideration of the systems analysis if you are coming to lead or manage a Japanese company
• Why and who to build relationships with

Links of things mentioned in this episode:

The Enigma of Japanese Power by Karel van Wolferen.

Connect with David Sweet:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdavidsweet/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/focuscorejp

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/focuscoreasia

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focuscorejp/

Website: https://www.japan.focuscoregroup.com/

David Sweet Bio

​David Sweet is the Founder and CEO of FocusCore Japan, based in Tokyo. FocusCore provides a broad range of services from executive to talent management and leadership consulting. His particular focus is in Human Resources.

Prior to establishing FocusCore Group, David was a Director with the Tokyo consultancy Wall Street Associates, leading operations, training, and recruitment in multiple sectors. He also worked for 10 years in the U.S. Treasury Department in labor relations and organizational development.

He is author of 6 books, including "Sweet Sales", "Sweet Success", and "Recruit!". He is also a Certified Executive Coach. David earned a MA in Communications from Regis University and a PhD in Leadership Development.

Doin’ the Uptown Lowdown,” used by permission of Christopher Davis-Shannon. To find out more, check out www.thetinman.co. Support independent musicians and artists.

Mentioned in this episode:

Find out more about salaries, the job market, hiring and what's important to both companies and individuals looking for a job specifically in Japan.

2025 Salary Guide

You might be thinking about your next career move if you have stumbled upon this episode. You know you need to craft your resume, apply for a few jobs on LinkedIn, and then you cross your fingers that your resume gets a look and you get an interview. And then you need to jump through hoops with multiple interviews. It’s a lot of work! Trust me when I say this, I have been there. Every career journey has ups and downs. I’ve been there too and it’s frustrating. And with over 25 years in the recruitment industry, I see the same frustration in the eyes of so many qualified professionals.

On this solo episode of the FocusCore podcast, I’m sharing the top five steps I use with my career coaching clients to successfully find a job. 

In this episode I walk you through five simple steps that can help you land your next job:

1. Macro view - what’s your career vision?
2. Messaging - what is your WOW statement?
3. Searching for jobs - How to stand out from everyone else?
4. Preparing for interviews 
5. Pulling it all together 

So pull out your bento box, grab a pen and paper, and let's dive in!

Connect with David Sweet:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdavidsweet/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/focuscorejp 

Facebook: :https://www.facebook.com/focuscoreasia

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focuscorejp/ 

Website: https://www.japan.focuscoregroup.com/ 

Doin’ the Uptown Lowdown,” used by permission of Christopher Davis-Shannon. To find out more, check out www.thetinman.co. Support independent musicians and artists.

Mentioned in this episode:

Find out more about salaries, the job market, hiring and what's important to both companies and individuals looking for a job specifically in Japan.

2025 Salary Guide

This week’s episode with Yuta Hasumi, Managing Director of Ikigai Authentic is brought to you, especially to celebrate Pride Month. We dive into diversity and inclusion (D&I) in the workplace and discuss the key difference between Japanese and international organizations approaches to diversity and inclusion.  

When foreigners make up only 2% of the population of Japan, you would be forgiven for thinking that diversity and inclusion in the Japanese workplace just don't apply. Yuta has built a global career in D&I and is working with companies and organizations in Japan and the UK to change the way they think about diversity and inclusion. 

In this episode you will hear:

• How Japan is at a pivotal point to address gender inequality 
• Local challenges when it comes to diversity in a homogenous country
• How people can develop a career in diversity and inclusion and get involved in their current workplaces 
• Why it just makes commercial sense to have diversity and inclusion policies 
• Easy steps companies and individuals can take to be inclusive (e.g.Gender Pronouns)
• Yuta’s top advice for companies to attract and retain talent 
• How can SMEs be inclusive and bridge gender gaps
• How one hair salon in Tokyo changed their labeling of hair pricing to be more inclusive and has now built a reputation in Japan as inclusive for transgender and LGBTQ+ clients setting them apart from their competitors 

Register to join the next FocusCore Webinar Walk the Talk for LGBTQ Inclusion with David Sweet, FocusCore Japan, and Yuta Hasumi, Ikigai Authentic.  

June 23 2022, 6.30pm (JST)

Yuta Hasumi Bio:

With experience in the Asia Pacific region and global human resources and talent management for overseas firms, as well as overall responsibility for promoting diversity and inclusion in Japan and the South Korean region, Yuta now operates with two bases, one in Japan and the other in the UK. He provides management consulting that makes the most of diversity, advising businesses and other organizations in planning and execution of lectures and training, coaching for management, promoting women’s participation in the workplace, and work style reforms. Yuta holds an MBA from Waseda Business School.

 Other responsibilities

• Certified Coach, COF Rosinski & Company

• Director of GEWEL, Japan

• Chair of D&I Advisory Board, Medito Foundation, Netherlands

• Member of U.S.-Japan Council, US & Japan

• Member of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the UK

Connect with Yuta Hasumi:

Website: https://www.ikigaiauthentic.com/en/home 

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yuta-hasumi/  

Links of things mentioned in this episode:

FocusCore Webinars: https://www.japan.focuscoregroup.com/webinars 

Connect with David Sweet:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdavidsweet/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/focuscorejp 

Facebook: :https://www.facebook.com/focuscoreasia

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focuscorejp/ 

Website: https://www.japan.focuscoregroup.com/ 

Doin’ the Uptown Lowdown,” used by permission of Christopher Davis-Shannon. To find out more, check out www.thetinman.co. Support independent musicians and artists.

Mentioned in this episode:

Find out more about salaries, the job market, hiring and what's important to both companies and individuals looking for a job specifically in Japan.

2025 Salary Guide

Naomi Takase is a Kiwi living in Japan who has built an 18-year (and counting!) career in recruitment having worked both agency and corporate sides. She’s currently the Talent Acquisition Director at LVMH Japan and shares her top advice for those wanting to work in the luxury goods industry or have a listen even if you just want to know a little bit more about talent acquisition for a major global organization in Japan. 

Naomi shares how she came to live and work in Japan which started with a phone call from FocusCore podcast host, David Sweet, for a job interview (you have to listen to find out the full story), and how she has built her impressive career as a Kiwi living in the land of the Rising Sun. 

In this episode you will hear:

• How to market your company to attract great talent 
• Employer branding and employer reputation and why these are important for recruitment 
• Why she prefers to be paperless in interviews
• Her frustration when candidates undersell themselves, especially women returning to work after caring for children 
• The value of executive search recruiters and how she uses them to tap into hidden talent 
• Why Naomi wants to have lunch with fashion powerhouse, Stella McCartney 
• How reading ‘Good to Great’ by Jim Collins has been instrumental in her career and personal decisions 

Naomi Takase Bio:

Born and raised in New Zealand, Naomi is a Kiwi at heart but Japan is where she now calls "home". She has been recruiting in Japan for 18 years with experience in both the agency side and corporate talent acquisition functions. At LVMH Japan, Naomi strategically sources for key positions and welcomes the opportunity to speak to executives who are open to learning more about the LVMH Group for future opportunities. Naomi is also happy to connect potential candidates to some of LVMH Maison, so feel free to send her an in-mail and /or connection request on LinkedIn. 

Connect with Naomi Takase:

Website: LVMH Japan

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/naomi-takase/?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Egoogle%2Ecom%2F&originalSubdomain=jp 

Links of things mentioned in this episode:

“Good to Great” By Jim Collins

Connect with David Sweet:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdavidsweet/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/focuscorejp 

Facebook: :https://www.facebook.com/focuscoreasia

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focuscorejp/ 

Website: https://www.japan.focuscoregroup.com/ 

Doin’ the Uptown Lowdown,” used by permission of Christopher Davis-Shannon. To find out more, check out www.thetinman.co. Support independent musicians and artists.

Mentioned in this episode:

Find out more about salaries, the job market, hiring and what's important to both companies and individuals looking for a job specifically in Japan.

2025 Salary Guide