The SocialRay Podcast: Stories of Entrepreneurs & Influencers

In this episode, my friend Mark Metry who hosts the Humans 2.0 Podcast interviewed me about my journey in leaving medical school to pursue entrepreneurship.

I share my struggles, mindsets, and why I left medical school to do online business and social media.

Even though I didn't have all the answers or know if there was a sure path when I took the leap to leave med school, I just took a chance on myself, trusted in my intuition, and applied myself to learn no matter what it took.

It has been two years since then, and I've networked and made friends with some of the biggest names in social media and entrepreneurship.

I've learned how to build hundreds of thousands of followers on Instagram, start my own podcast with no previous experience, and launch my own e-commerce store from scratch.

I'm not any more special than you, but what I did was take massive action since where I was wasn't where I wanted to be.

I applied myself to learn despite not knowing anything because the desire to take hold of my life and live a free, fulfilling life was greater than the fear I had of not knowing what is out there.

Though I'm nowhere near where I want to be, I can confidently say that I'm actively in the process of creating the life that I want for myself not just on the financial level but also in the personal, relational, emotional, and mental levels.

Whether or not you want to be an entrepreneur or influencer, I hope my story and journey inspires and encourages you to keep searching, seeking, and pursuing what is your calling on Earth and to never give up in that pursuit. 

P.S. You can download my free ebook on growing your Instagram at bitly.com/freeinstaebook and also connect with me on Instagram as @ray.ahn. I will also be doing a 3 month coaching program sharing with you how you can network with high level influencers, meet other like-minded entrepreneurs, and use social media to your advantage in the next few weeks so sign up for my ebook and I"ll send you info on that!

In this episode on the SocialRay podcast, I talk with my friend Jeet Banerjee who first started his entrepreneurial ventures as a teenager when his parents wouldn't give him money to use to hangout with his friends so he took matters into his own hands.

As a 17 year old, he founded JB Media Force to build websites for businesses and got clients even though he was rejected many times by older businessmen who didn't take him seriously.

He then moved on from that to found StatFuse which was a website that helped high school students calculate their chances of getting into the colleges of their choice based on the different algorithms and criteria of each college.

Now in his early 20s, he has sold those businesses and has moved on to building other businesses such as Income Incubator which helps people turn their passion and talent into profit. 

What was most notable for me in this interview with Jeet was his tenacity and unwillingness to give up even in the face of rejections and no's by people around them. 

Even as a teenager, he didn't let the opinions of others stop him pursuing his dreams and passions, and this has led him to build multiple successful businesses, speak at Tedx, and inspire others to also turn their passions into profit.

I hope you take action on what you hear from this interview and you can follow Jeet on Instagram as @thejeetbanerjee and check his website out Jeetbanerjee.com. 

You can also follow me on Instagram as @ray.ahn and get my free ebook where I share my knowledge of how I grew over hundreds of thousands of followers at this link bitly.com/freeinstaebook.

Thanks for taking the time to listen to this podcast and please leave us a review on iTunes if this has helped you in anyways.

Also remember to share this podcast on Facebook or any other social media platform you may have if you think it may benefit others.

Enjoy this episode with Jeet and see you on the next episode!

In this episode I talk with my friend Mark Metry who is a 20 year old entrepreneur and is the CEO of a VR company called VU Dream as well as the host of an iTunes Top Charts podcast Humans 2.0. 

And Mark's entrepreneurial journey began at the young age of 15 years old, when he made the world's number one Minecraft server (a game) with over 10 million users and 10,000 registered premium members. He made over 6 figures with this popular server and was making more money than his teachers were at 15 years old.

We talk about how Mark could have let the success gone to his head and lead to destructive decisions. However, Mark had been suffering from depression, low self-esteem and self-worth, and felt like a loser inside even though on the outside he had all the money he could have wanted as a teenager.

Mark's parents told him to always keep the future in mind, to not let the success get to his head, and to stay focused on doing what would give value to the world.

Now at 20 years old, Mark is the founder of VU Dream, a VR company dedicated to helping people use VR for positive benefits such as helping cure mental illnesses and providing insights on life that could positively impact someone's life.

He also hosts a top iTunes chart podcast called Humans 2.0, where he interviews successful CEOs, business owners, and authors. We also talk about the qualities of truly successful people which you will find out in the interview.

Listen to the full interview on iTunes or Stitcher on the SocialRay podcast. And please leave us a review to help us reach more listeners. 

You can follow Mark on Instagram as @markmetry or LinkedIn as Mark Metry. Also checkout his podcast Humans 2.0 where he also interviewed me on the show.

You can follow me on Instagram as @ray.ahn, as Facebook and LinkedIn as Raymond Ahn, and subscribe to my podcast SocialRay.

Also checkout my free ebook at bitly.com/freeinstaebook where I share my tips on how to grow your Instagram from my two years of experience of having grown over 600,000 followers and over 50,000 followers on my personal Instagram. And this way, we can also be in touch via email.

In this interview, I talk with Andy Nguyen one of the founders of Afters ice cream, known for their unique ice cream flavors and the signature Milky Bun. Andy is a serial entrepreneur who has many different businesses primarily in the food industry.

We talk about Andy's journey into entrepreneurship and the food business and how he wasn't always the business minded person he was today. Quite the opposite, Andy was a rebel, misfit, and got kicked out of school at a young age.

Also as an Asian American, Andy was trying to figure out what he wanted apart from the traditional path of studying to become a doctor or lawyer. He had different ideas of what he wanted to do and become and stumbled onto the clothing industry where he met upcoming artists and musicians like Justin Bieber, Kendrick Lamar, and others. 

He built a successful clothing line, worked with many people in the entertainment industry, and eventually left to get started in the food industry when he thought of opening an ice cream shop Afters Ice Cream with novelty flavors like Jasmine iced tea flavor, cookie dough, and others. 

Afters ice cream has been served at Coachella, all across Southern California, and his ice cream flavors have gone viral because of their unique flavor and their Milky Buns, which are two hot donuts sandwiched with a cold ice cream filling inside.

I hope you enjoy this episode with Andy and you can stay in touch with him on his Instagram @andythenguyen and me as @ray.ahn. You can also follow Afters @aftersicecream.

Also you can signup to receive my free ebook on growing your Instagram at bitly.com/freeinstaebook. This ebook details the ways I grew over 600,000 followers on Instagram and some tips I've learned along the way.

In this episode I talk with Frank Wu, the founder of Bezalel a wireless phone charging company. A Taiwanese immigrant with on prior knowledge of how to start a business, Frank started off on kickstarter and raised over $100,000 on their first time.

Frank sold the wireless phone chargers quickly and soon went international with his products. Now his products are sold in retail stores around the world in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. He shares his journey of expanding from a Kickstarter product to an international business.

Though Frank had no experience in business, he shared how he felt called to build an international business so he can help others by providing jobs, feeding families, and making the world a better place by doing so.

Frank's motivation comes not from money but from a desire to help people and make a positive impact in the world. However he also knows that money is like oxygen to a business so he has been working on his business so that it will keep growing and expanding.

Find his products at bezalel.co and check them out on Instagram as @bezalelpower. I hope Frank's story inspires and encourages you to know that no matter where you're from, what you have or don't have, you can become successful if you stay true to your passion, your calling, and what matters most to you.

Follow Frank at @frankkwu on Instagram as me as @ray.ahn.

In this episode, I chat with Steve and Robbie who are in their early 20's building a green tea empire called Tenzotea. They source the highest quality grade green tea and matcha from Japan to sell in the US. Now they are featured in over 120 locations and cafes and have established themselves as a popular drink in cafes across Southern California.

With nothing but a vision to start a successful business and follow his heart, Steve left college studying at UCLA and with his friend Robbie woke up at 5:30AM and worked late into the night on their business everyday for a year. It seemed like nothing was happening even though they were putting in the work and no cafes seemed to want their drink.

Until one day, after around a year of working they finally landed a deal with one of the major cafes in the area and from there on they expanded to other cafes. Now many popular cafes feature the Tenzotea drinks in their area. 

Steve and Robbie plan to expand their business further and help the world by providing the healthy benefits that green tea can provide. Unlike soda and other unhealthy drinks, green tea matcha has many antioxidants and health benefits that lead to healthier living and is also a delicious choice for a drink.

Listen to the advice, wisdom, and experience of Steve and Robbie on their journey to building a successful business in their early 20's and I hope their story encourages you on your own path in life. Listen to the full interview on the SocialRay podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, and Soundcloud.

Connect with Tenzotea as @tenzotea, Steve as @sodellicious, Robbie as @robbie_page, and me as @ray.ahn. You can also add me on Facebook as Raymond Ahn and join my Facebook group here.

My friends Tasha and Vivien, from the Acethegram Podcast and FB group, interviewed me on this episode where I share my experience of having grown over 600,000 followers on Instagram. I talk about the tips, strategies, and advice that I've learned over the years from learning Instagram personally from experience and my own growth. 

I've been able to network with very big names in the social media and entrepreneurship space, and I share how I was able to do that. I share some of the ways and methods you can reach out to influencers and those who you feel are unapproachable. And I do my best to give the value that would support you on your journey and business.

Remember to checkout Tasha and Vivien's Podcast called Acethegram and their Facebook group "Instagram Growth and Engagement." 
Also you can join my Facebook group by sending me a DM on Instagram at @ray.ahn or signing up for my emails at bitly.com/socialrayemailsignup

Thanks guys and please remember to leave a review if this podcast was valuable to you in anyway and share with those who you think may benefit from hearing. See you on the next episode!

What if you could just use your Instagram to stay at five star hotels that usually cost $2000 a night for free? This sounds like a dream but it's reality for Zach Benson, a 31 year old entrepreneur who has built his social media agency company, traveled to over 50 countries teaching dance and social media, been on a TV dance show, and has even given a Tedx talk.

But he was not always the confident Zach he is today. He used to struggle pronouncing the letter "R" as a young student from Korea and was told by a teacher he would never overcome his speech impediment. For Zach, this devastated him and his self-confidence as a young student until he regained his confidence through his passion of dancing.

He has used his dance skills to travel around the world teaching dance and has even been on TV dance shows. He has also gotten into the world of social media and has formed a network of over 10 million followers in the travel niche which he uses to stay in five star hotels and resorts for free in exchange for promotions and social media services.

Zach run his own social media agency and has several courses about to launch teaching people how to travel around the world like he did using Instagram and teaching dance. Zach's commitment to never give up despite the circumstances has inspired me and hope that it will inspire you to continue on your path in life. Listen to the full interview on iTunes, Stitcher, or Soundcloud as the SocialRay Podcast, and remember to subscribe and leave a review on iTunes (iPhone) or Stitcher (for android).

You can connect with him at @tribeinfluencer or with me as @ray.ahn on Instagram. Also if you want to stay up to date with the latest interviews and social media tips, sign up for my emails at bitly.com/socialrayemailsignup

I talk with Shane Gregoire, a young entrepreneur and sound engineer, who started off at 15 years old putting out youtube tutorial videos of making different types of beats and sounds. Even though in high school his peers would make fun of him at his early videos of being different, weird, or just pointless, Shane kept to his path and passion of doing what he loves of sharing his sound engineering tutorial videos. Now his Youtube channel Rocket Powered Sound has over 50k subscribers, and he has built a six figure business selling different types of beats and sounds. 

He never knew his passion would lead into a full-time business, but now he knows his path in life and decided to go all into his business instead of pursuing the traditional school route of going to college. He has self-educated himself through mentors, online courses, and by reading books like "Sell or Be Sold", "How to Win Friends and Influence People", "Managing Oneself" and "Expert Secrets."

You can connect with Shane on Instagram as @shanegregoire and with me as @ray.ahn. Also if you want to join my private membership group where I teach on social media, making money online, and have influencers come and teach you can sign up for my emails at bitly.com/socialrayemailsignup or DM me on Instagram as @ray.ahn to join. Thanks for listening and please take a minute to leave a review on iTunes or Stitcher. Also share this podcast with your friends and family if this has been valuable to you, and I will see you on the next episode!

In this episode, I talk with Collin McLelland a serial entrepreneur involved in the social media space, oil industry, and now cryptocurrency field. He left school because he was self-aware that he wasn't living a fulfilling life pursuing what he wanted and instead went and pursued different ventures that were more in align with his gifts and talents. Now he runs several different businesses and is continuing to pursue the fields and businesses that interest him. He is an example of someone living life on his own terms and this is because he decided to live that kind of life. Even though there were others who discouraged him and thought he would never make it, Collin kept true to his own path and has found success doing so. I hope his story inspires you to be true to yourself and pursue your own path in life no matter what anyone else says. Connect with him on Instagram (@collin_mclelland) and Linkedin as Collin McLelland as well as with me on Instagram (@ray.ahn) and LinkedIn as Raymond Ahn. Also sign up to get the latest interviews with influencers and entrepreneurs and also to get social media tips and resources. I'm coming with an ebook on Instagram growth so you can find out more about that by signing up at bitly.com/socialraysignup or by messaging me on Instagram @ray.ahn. Thanks for listening and see you on the next episode!