Wealth Without Borders Podcast

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: 

• Learn what NLP is and how NPL and etymological dictionaries help you master your mind and the world 
• Know the importance of knowing what you’re actually saying and doing 
• Discover how you can master your world once you’ve fully and successfully mastered your mind 

“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:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rodney-josephson-a81911b/  
• Wechat: rodneyarvid 

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 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:

• Know what cultural linguistic is and how it affects people in their workspace;
• Discover how important it is to have cross-cultural change management in your HR department;
• Find out where you could find genuine stories and experience of what China is really like and how that affects your perspective.

“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 Grey:

• Medium: [email protected]
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jerry-grey-ma-69375376?trk=people-guest_people_search-card
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jerry_grey2002

Ways to Connect with Howard Whiteson:

• Website: https://www.wealthwithoutborders.net
• Podcast: https://www.wealthwithoutborders.net/podcast/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/howardwhiteson

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:

• Discover the picture on how real estate investment across borders work;
• Know the things you must be aware of in order to develop your investment portfolio across borders and in an international level;
• Find out why it is important to consult an expert before doing anything in the world of investment.

“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 much as you can.” – Lauren Cohen

“I think every entrepreneur is guilty of working in their business at some given point, but if you work on your business, you're going to be able to scale.” – Lauren Cohen

“I'm a very impact-driven entrepreneur. I'm not a typical lawyer. I'm not a typical entrepreneur, and I'm definitely not a typical realtor. I'm all of those packaged into one, so I have the professionalism, and the business acumen, and the understanding and the scope of knowledge, and the expertise to guide you through this process painlessly.” – Lauren Cohen

Ways to Connect with Lauren Cohen:

• Website: https://www.ecouncilglobal.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ecouncilinc
• Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/creativecrossborderacademy

Ways to Connect with Howard Whiteson:

• Website: https://www.wealthwithoutborders.net
• Podcast: https://www.wealthwithoutborders.net/podcast/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/howardwhiteson

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:

• Discover how e-commerce works in China
• Know the difference between European and Chinese e-commerce markets
• Learn more about the pitfalls of wanting to join the Chinese market

“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: [email protected]  
• Website: starke-ip.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dadanielalbrecht/

Ways to Connect with Howard Whiteson: 

• Website: http://www.wealthwithoutborders.net
• Podcast: 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:

• Discover the difference of a life under fly glasses and bee glasses approach;
• Find out how the bee glasses approach actually helps you see the world differently and live a better life;
• Know more about the beauty of strengths orientation and having your mindset changed towards a bee glasses approach.

“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 Beadle:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://www.mattbeadle.com/management-training
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattbeadle/

Ways to Connect with Howard Whiteson:

• Website: https://www.wealthwithoutborders.net
• Podcast: https://www.wealthwithoutborders.net/podcast/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/howardwhiteson

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:

• Find out the 80/20 rule you need to consider, especially for a business person, when you're not in your native country
• Find out the key things you need to be consistent with when you are an expat so you contribute to bettering society and not just generating income
• Find out the predictions made to get a sense of the expat world in China in future

“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 Weaver:

• Website: https://newport-technologies.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karljweaver/

Ways to Connect with Howard Whiteson:

• Website: https://www.wealthwithoutborders.net/
• Podcast: https://www.wealthwithoutborders.net/podcast/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/howardwhiteson

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: 

• Find the easy way to navigate Chinese platforms and shop conveniently in China, even if you are non-Chinese 

• Discover where people get what they want, or get their money back and get the same type of response and communication every time from the team behind the platform 
• Find out what you should do if you want to start a business in China so you won’t get bogged down with all the legalities 

“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.net    
• Podcast: 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: 

• Learn about the technical solution and framework needed to improve the way things are done today in the digital world  
• Find out how to articulate your value proposition by telling your story so people can resonate with you 
• Discover one methodology that helps you get organized to have a clear idea of what you want to do and plan for the future 

“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.net    
• Podcast: 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: 

• Learn how to successfully expand your company globally without having to worry about adapting to a different culture
• Find out why, in addition to being on the ground in China, you also have to take the time to speak and interact with Chinese people face-to-face
• Learn how to look beyond your experiences and accomplishments and really put in the time and effort to know how things operate in the Chinese market

“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 Upton-McLaughlin:

• Website: https://chinaculturecorner.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanum/

Ways to Connect with Howard Whiteson:

• Website: https://www.wealthwithoutborders.net/
• Podcast: https://www.wealthwithoutborders.net/podcast/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/howardwhiteson

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