00:00:00:00 - 00:00:19:19
Unknown
I've got two boys. I've got two girls. I always want to share like they love listening to stories. But as you and I and Ahmed know, like, Hey, man, we need to really experience. It's good to listen to their stories, but it's about implementation. So I'm really excited today. Like, it's really I'm very grateful to be here. I know.
00:00:19:21 - 00:00:40:15
Unknown
Yeah. We're going to share some golden nuggets, hopefully learn. But more importantly, I think with T.K. and others, they are going to be helping us do our marketing because I feel Tok is great and social media, but unfortunately you can't learn something in a space of 60 seconds, so it's a great to capture their intention, as we know.
00:00:40:17 - 00:01:01:11
Unknown
However, to really get into the depth of the work or get that mastery in anything it requires. Like, hey, going through an event, talking to people, you know, practicing things or implementing things that you learn, right? The startups that you made and then really reflecting and go, Hey man, I, you know, I didn't do this as well. I did this.
00:01:01:11 - 00:01:22:06
Unknown
Fantastic. How can do it? Do this better? So we'll talk about that because mindset is so important. I mean, you don't start off with a great mindset. We all don't because there could be some limiting beliefs, whether it's from our past, you know, stories, family, whatever it is. And it's about identifying it and and, you know, moving forward from it.
00:01:22:07 - 00:01:53:24
Unknown
So, yeah, I mean, it's already recording. Okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know there's a lot to talk about. Yeah. So also capturing some of the story or stories like, you know, what are the lessons I've learned along the way. And then yeah, hopefully we can share that and spread it to the world. Right. So yeah, So actually, would you like to introduce yourself and energy and what you're doing with your, I guess what your, your mission is today.
00:01:54:04 - 00:02:20:17
Unknown
Really. Yeah, sure. I mean, yes, I'm the director and founder of the Energy. we started in November 2022, so almost 12 years. But it's been that journey and blessing. So we've always been in the home loans industry or in the banking before starting ups Energy. I was a graduate in one of the major fall banks, the one with the red color, so did a lot of training there.
00:02:20:19 - 00:02:42:21
Unknown
So I worked in like private banking, retail banking the last few years was mobile lending. And that's how I realized, my gosh, that bank made a lot of money. Now, the reason coming into business wasn't so much was the money. It was exciting, of course, allows you to do a lot more things, but it was the charity organization which I believe even your parents are very passionate about.
00:02:42:23 - 00:03:13:08
Unknown
So we've got Kalinga, which is a charitable organization in Philippines, building houses for the poor. Now, what sparked me with that was gave me the purpose because I was a little boy, had nothing. I was just volunteering and went all different parts of the Philippines. How I got introduced was basically from my sister. She went on a mission trip in 2009 and when she came back and started having cold showers and sleeping on the floor, I realized something's not right.
00:03:13:10 - 00:03:35:10
Unknown
I need to take this trip. But so and that led me definitely to my love story, meeting my wife. She's here, but she's Filipino, born in the Philippines and went around and and amazingly, one of my daughters, we went visited a place called Isabela in the North, and that's where I have my eldest daughter is called Isabela will be a bit hard.
00:03:35:10 - 00:04:08:08
Unknown
It was a boy because I think it would be like either Manila chan or thing. But I look, I mean, gave me the purpose when going to Philippines was coming back. What can I do that I can go and travel, right? Like you mentioned, I was in the Philippines because nowadays I can probably have four trips in a year by Tuesday given I have an exclusion note from my wife is that I can go in and play play into giving back, working on my business, living the mission and doing a lot more.
00:04:08:10 - 00:04:39:14
Unknown
So when you ask the in terms of my mission today, it's really like today's themes, the legacy legacy in a sense. We often are so busy, whether it's recording your podcast or doing events or running your business, you're like, Go, go, go, go, go. How often do we sit back and have sessions like this and go, Hey, let's reflect, let's capture the essence of that story in that manner because yeah, and then not fabricate it because later on the older you might tell it a bit different when you're younger maybe.
00:04:39:16 - 00:05:02:12
Unknown
So it's really capturing the facts. What actually happened, what are the learnings? And then it's forever, right? So I'm so proud to have you guys to facilitate this session. And yeah, I was talking to my wife on the way she works in this building. It's like, yeah, you know, like go for it. There's a few topics which we'll be covering.
00:05:02:14 - 00:05:29:06
Unknown
I know we're deviating from what Alan does, but mainly what the lessons I've learned from GK was having belief, right? I mean, often nowadays because of COVID and including myself, where we're like mental health, no doubt it's one of the biggest, you know, areas. But I think it's having hope and visualizing, but not just hoping and believing. But, you know, is there anything that we can do about it?
00:05:29:06 - 00:05:51:04
Unknown
Right? Can we break it down? Can we talk to people? Can we eventually, eventually realize that dream? Right. So today is about not, hey, you can build a wall of China, but let's break it down to bite sized pieces. What do we need to do? Well, what's preventing us? Let's understand a bit more. So, yeah, so as energy is born as a result of charity.
00:05:51:04 - 00:06:17:05
Unknown
But, you know, I started with nothing. No clients. Yes. A bit of retail experience that an AB, but I tend to, you know, learn and really try the funny words where we try hard Right. But I think as a new work or trying smart right. So you try hard because often people go hey, I'm in business, I'm working so hard that's given, hey, I'm an athlete, I'm working so hard, that's great.
00:06:17:05 - 00:06:36:02
Unknown
But I think nowadays we need to learn how to work smart. So yeah, hot is essential. But you know, reflecting, I think that's a great skill and really realize more about yourself because like if you are saying, Hey, I never stuff up, I don't have any learning sets, a lot of I can swear it's a lot of bullshit, right?
00:06:36:08 - 00:06:55:11
Unknown
We need to realize, Hey, what's the truth? What can we do about it? And then if you have a different mindset, you have a different outcome. So yes, energy grown from myself, one man, and a few mentors along the way. You know who you guys are and really mold me to the person and and got my credit license.
00:06:55:11 - 00:07:16:24
Unknown
And and now we have, you know, eight brokers including myself and growing a six vessel, you know, onshore and offshore team which growing as well. So I've got bigger mission to kind of alleviate like you know the business mindset so people want to be in business. I and my mentor always says, hey, business is not, of course, easy.
00:07:17:01 - 00:07:39:12
Unknown
We say that, but it's like a gladiator sport. He talks about the bull chances. Sorry. The more times that you play, the more chances you're going to get killed. But if you win, it's going to be victorious. You'll get it. All right. So that's all we're practicing, right? So, yeah, that's that's why I'm here. Mike So, yeah, there you go.
00:07:39:14 - 00:07:57:16
Unknown
Well, so you mentioned that you had a couple of topics that you wanted to go over today. What were those topics? And is there first one you want to show? Okay, so I'll break down into, I think the key thing that I want to share. I'll just use this session as if I'm talking to my two girls right?
00:07:57:18 - 00:08:20:05
Unknown
So when we talk about like mindset, right, it's very important because if you have the same mindset, expecting a different result would never happen. And so often that moment that we go through an event, we talk to someone, we experience something, go, yes, you know, and then I really need to do things a bit differently. What's the leverage in doing that?
00:08:20:07 - 00:08:43:11
Unknown
That will be mindset. We'll be talking a bit about money management because one thing, financial literacy. So I'm very passionate about that. Like there could be some beliefs that, you know, I even had in the past that prevented me to have money. So for example, my parents never had a lot of money. You know, they migrated from Hong Kong, you may assume, they take all the riches and stuff of that.
00:08:43:11 - 00:09:05:17
Unknown
But I feel their mindset and beliefs and and if that's the learning and that we adopt, we may prevent you from having more money because you may feel as bad to accumulate money. Or if you had a belief that money's root of all evil, right, then you know, you may not accumulate a lot more of it, right? So therefore, it's really understanding that belief in terms of money management.
00:09:05:23 - 00:09:28:11
Unknown
For myself, I believe money is makes more of who you are. If you're a nice person, you're going to be doing more with the money, which you at the moment. Recently we've been giving back or understanding some of the gaps in in the poverty stricken villages. How can we close the gap? So versus if you have a not so nice person, you'll do bad things with money, right?
00:09:28:11 - 00:09:47:04
Unknown
So it just I believe money is a tool and make self more of your character. So money management, we're going to talk a bit on vehicles and I'm going to bring in some of the experts around the area called SMSF or Self-managed Super Fund. But more importantly, I think with the mindset and all of these, why are we doing it?
00:09:47:10 - 00:10:07:17
Unknown
Because there's so much noise in the media and social media. So I want to get to the crux now. Why we want to get to the crux because we're doing it. We're walking the road like, what's the difference between a coach and a mentor? Mike Do you know the difference? You No, I don't have a clear definition with.
00:10:07:19 - 00:10:25:19
Unknown
Yeah. So Michael Jordan may have a coach, Mike and Michael Jordan's coach may not necessarily have done the hard yards or done the championships that or achieved everything that Michael has, but he will push him to the limit. So that's a coach. And we often have coaches in life right, Whether as your parents, your, you know, your school and so forth.
00:10:25:20 - 00:10:44:03
Unknown
But, you know, I'm a believer on mentors. And what's the difference between a coach and mentor is not that coaches no good. They'll push more of who you are, but mentor someone that's done it right. That's Walk the Road. So why are we bringing these experts in? The area of SMSF or self-managed super fund is that we we invest in that vehicle.
00:10:44:05 - 00:11:10:14
Unknown
We understand the reasons in doing that. Of course you understand your risk profile. And and once I explained those concepts, which I will today, so we'll cover more things like return on investment. So ROI, we're going to talk about compounding choice, which is Einstein's perfect formula and wealth creation. And then you understand the ability or the ability to leverage in your self-managed super fund.
00:11:10:14 - 00:11:34:01
Unknown
Then we'll understand, it makes more it makes sense to invest in that vehicle. Now, it's no advice, right? So what we're talking about today is my personal experience, my journey, my ups and downs. So we're capturing that. So that's in the area of some asset and also upbringing. I was fortunate enough to now teach some graduates. So this girl, she's studied masters because I want to be relevant.
00:11:34:03 - 00:12:01:10
Unknown
I want to get into their will and some of the questions that they always wanted to ask in terms of area finance or business. So personal development, because they they like going in their master's degree. They get taught certain courses, which is great. But is that the real practical experience? A funny story. I shared this because the first day I did an induction with this girl, you'll be listening to her name's Maya and Paul.
00:12:01:12 - 00:12:21:06
Unknown
I've gone through like, you know, accounting in a way that was so easy. Understandable that they were like, Wow, I've learned so much in this day that I've ever learned in my master's degree. Now, this theory that you need to learn, the reason why I've conditioned myself in terms of accounting is that business will be talking a little bit.
00:12:21:08 - 00:12:41:02
Unknown
What is the scorecard when it comes to business? Right? We all run businesses here, but often at times when you're really honest about yourself, Hey, are we doing well? Are we not doing well? What are the typical scorecards? Just like in school, right? You know, you have exams, you have, you know, different areas like English. You you get a school.
00:12:41:08 - 00:13:02:21
Unknown
But in the area of business, what's the measurable outcome that you should be looking at all the report cards that you should be looking at, if not on a monthly basis, right. To see whether you're going well. What often happens with most business owners and I was like that in the beginning, right, is that hey, doesn't do well, let's have a drink and then if it's like, you know, have a profit, let's have a drink.
00:13:03:01 - 00:13:25:12
Unknown
But really understanding the numbers, right? Some of the mentors that taught me you can't you can't really manage anything if you don't measure. So therefore, like the scorecards I'll go through, I'm happy to share it today like it is your profit loss. Right. And then your balance sheet and then your cash flow statement. Now that runs in all areas and in which the girls are listening is because these are the three scorecards.
00:13:25:12 - 00:13:48:15
Unknown
It doesn't matter. Your engineer doesn't matter. You're a politician, doesn't matter. You're a, you know, banker. You need to know your numbers, right? Profit loss, simple words, your income and expenses, what's left of it, right balance sheets is your assets and liabilities. And lastly, your cash flow statement, right? What cash is coming in? What cash is going out, That cash flow statement, a bit more business.
00:13:48:19 - 00:14:10:21
Unknown
But if it's like a pay as you go, someone earning money will probably be your income and expenses and your assets and liabilities. Right. And reading those numbers, what are the dollars mean? Right. So we have some funny stories in there and to make it a bit more practical and exciting. So hopefully that's the day I can talk all day, but how does that sound like yet?
00:14:10:23 - 00:14:33:04
Unknown
Me Yeah, What did you want to touch on first? First, I think the key thing is mindset, right? So I think the key thing is often in life we, we, we need to, we get taught or like, you know from my parents or the school right. So these are the skill sets that, you know, maybe school hasn't taught you before, right?
00:14:33:06 - 00:15:03:02
Unknown
So why is it important? It's not about, hey, I need to wake up positive and thinking and all good every day. It's about like having visualization of what you want to achieve, right? So I would just go back and touch back in. Right? In 2020 ten, had nothing write what inspired me right into the going to Philippines, which I go very often or not just Philippines, just any way that's in a, you know, village very simply.
00:15:03:02 - 00:15:25:21
Unknown
Right. Was that even though despite they may not have the material things right, they still very happy, Right? So they always like very grateful or blessed. So for feel right. So that sense of hope and I know like in Philippines the majority is, you know, a Catholic by religion but if you had nothing right just imagine like what can you control, right?
00:15:25:23 - 00:15:44:15
Unknown
So you can control having faith, Right? Because, you know, life will get in the way. Right? They may not have food, they may not have money, but they can have faith, which is control and praying. Right. For better life or better lifestyle. Now, that's the beginning. I'm not saying that's it. But you know, what I learned is that, hey, I had nothing.
00:15:44:17 - 00:16:09:03
Unknown
I wish I could be this right, earn a lot of money or I can come back right. Sometimes I a lot of money is one thing, but, you know, do you have the time? So therefore, I think getting clear. So talking we live my life was like getting absolutely clear exactly what you want. Right. I work with a lot of clients in these 12 years and it was to ask them, hey, how much is it that you need to retire?
00:16:09:03 - 00:16:26:22
Unknown
Just as an example, no financial advice. And then they would have no clue, Right? Because they're not clear what it is that they want or they go to me. Allen I just want a lot of money. So what's a lot of money? I want more money. I got my keys. One extra dollar. That's more money. So get out.
00:16:26:22 - 00:16:46:00
Unknown
Right? So what I'm trying to say with that concept is that be careful what you wish for, because like if you're not clear in terms of projecting that mindset or that outcome, right, then you're not going to get what you want. You might go, Hey, I want to be a millionaire, but is that what you really want? Because the millionaire is not.
00:16:46:02 - 00:17:03:11
Unknown
It's just a number. And then, in fact, money. Is this a lot of dead people on a on a printed noise. Right. But I feel if you really get to the core of most people what the million dollars mean, it may mean, hey, I can, you know, take on a trip with my family. So that's love and connection.
00:17:03:11 - 00:17:31:16
Unknown
Or I can go by myself and explore. So you're into variety and adventurous, right? So it's giving you that freedom. So it's not never the million dollars, right? I mean, the energy where in housing and home loans, whenever into hey selling hope banks products and I am excited about this home loan with this interest rate no it's what the home brings to the home brings certain meaning it may be security, it may be comfort, it may be ability to hang my paintings on the wall.
00:17:31:16 - 00:17:38:16
Unknown
Right. Versus renting. Right. So it's a lot more emotional aspect that that resonates rather than the home itself.
00:17:38:16 - 00:17:54:02
Unknown
Now, coming back to that mindset and the concept, you've got to be absolutely clear. So often like we dream and it's okay to dream, but and it's nothing wrong with having a be go. But Alexis, why is it that you want to write in that the guy look they said bucket right.
00:17:54:02 - 00:18:12:02
Unknown
So why is it because often we've missed that element because we we write down, okay, I'm absolutely certain I'm going to be a millionaire or billionaire, whatever it is, or passive income of X, Why is it that you want it right? So I want it because I want to provide for my family. I want to because I want to give back to the community.
00:18:12:02 - 00:18:38:21
Unknown
Right. So the more wise that you have and especially whatever goal that you have, it's like a table. The more wise that you have. It's like those pillars right in the table. So it's one why? What's going to happen with that table? My it's going to be wobbly, right? Not stable. So it's not going to help you propel to what you're going to achieve or the persisted and the consistency at that perseverance to achieve that particular goal.
00:18:38:23 - 00:18:51:04
Unknown
Then you have the family, right? Then you have the giving back, right? Leaving a legacy you want to learn. You're on. I love what you do, right? The passion. Then there's more like legs to this table becomes very strong.
00:18:51:04 - 00:19:01:02
Unknown
So, you know, going back to GK recently, I would say the example you probably saw my social post is like, Yes, it's holding these tools.
00:19:01:06 - 00:19:25:14
Unknown
These guys look like they're having fun, but I'm telling you, it's frickin hot, right? What Instagram, Facebook, TikTok doesn't capture. It's a temperature, the environment that you eat it, it's so humid. It's 34 degrees. Right. And we had no tools besides this shovel. Right. And we're digging mud. And it was the hottest thing I've ever done because after 5 minutes, you're you're sweating.
00:19:25:14 - 00:19:46:04
Unknown
Right. But why is it that we do it? Yes. We're helping out the village. We're building this home, We're digging trenches and we're building houses. The foundation needs to be strong. So therefore, in here, what we're doing is like the why is your foundation in terms of achieving your goal, Right? I want to earn this. Okay. Why is it that you have a great right.
00:19:46:09 - 00:20:05:23
Unknown
That's the reason then because the goal is to be right. Like, you know, Wall of China is not built in one day. We need to break it down into bite sized pieces. If there's anything like, you know, my goals or, you know, people listening, the key thing is like, hey, how do you eat a big elephant, right? You just got to chop down into bite sized pieces, right?
00:20:06:00 - 00:20:26:18
Unknown
And give yourself that mindset and confidence that, hey, I got this one. Yes, I've eaten the leg. Now I'm going to eat the arm. I'm going to eat the ears, right? Because often we get overwhelmed. Right. And we were overwhelmed with that for lack of goal. Right. This voice comes in right? I have that right. It's called Who Do You Think You Are?
00:20:26:20 - 00:21:00:05
Unknown
Right? You think you're really good or what? Right. So that inner voice comes out. So we need to recognize that, Right? So, yes, you have you go, yeah, it's so big. And then this voice comes out, right? But, you know, it's as much as that inner voice. It's also that, you know, empowering self, right? The Allen that will make things happen the Allen that's confident that Allen that's courageous right And what's courage right I've learned from my mentor right if fear is running your life right which often happens right we need to identify it and then not eliminate it.
00:21:00:07 - 00:21:18:15
Unknown
But sometimes we need to learn to dance with fear. Right? And that's what courage is about, right? I mean, you hear like, you know, has been in a relationship. Put your hands up. Right? We all have. Right. Of those that have right. he has done the challenging aspect, you know, an event and then you decided to do it anyway, right?
00:21:18:15 - 00:21:39:08
Unknown
Hands up. Yes. We've all gone through that in the beginning. When you're focusing, if you make the fear so big, you'll never action it. But what's courage is you're shit scared, but you take action anyway. All right? Just like, hey, you know, when I first started, my wife, she said I was scared of getting rejected. Right. But you're courageous.
00:21:39:08 - 00:21:54:15
Unknown
You going to ask them anyway, right? What's the worst thing that can happen? Because in your head you're in the voice or she's going to reject you. She's never going to see you again. It's all the story you're making up, right? So therefore, you got to break that pattern. And hey, look, it's scary. I'm going to ask anyway.
00:21:54:17 - 00:22:13:22
Unknown
And she did say no, but guess what? We're married now, so we're persistent. So I'm sharing these sort of concepts. I know we all laugh at it. It's funny, but look, these are the crux of everything. But what prevents it from happening, you know? And I see it in the two girls, too. It's like sometimes is procrastination, right?
00:22:14:02 - 00:22:33:09
Unknown
So they like, this is I'll choose this way, maybe it's better. And then B is maybe better. But I always tell anyone, right? You never know you're going to walk A and B at the same time. Just decide, right? If A is not going to work and you try it enough times, then you change your approach. You go B and a B doesn't work.
00:22:33:09 - 00:22:50:03
Unknown
What do you what do you do? Change your approach. Go to see now, how many times do you have to change? Mike, What do you think? Until something sticks, until it works, right? It doesn't matter. It's gone to Z, right? Z To the power, to whatever that symbol that you got to do. And that's what business is about.
00:22:50:05 - 00:23:13:21
Unknown
And I feel it now. Generation, I'm generalizing a little bit like ly my wife talked about what is grit nowadays, right? Because now like hard work, right, may not be perceived or grit, persistent perseverance. Right. Because nowadays the school even I'm not saying any school, but I'm just saying you might be getting award for participation, but come on, man, you need to earn it, right?
00:23:13:21 - 00:23:33:22
Unknown
You need to try it. So therefore, you need to change your approach. If it doesn't work right, that's why the reflection is very important. Going through that experience is important. That's why Daddy's a bit of a try hard. But now it's trying smart, right? Because until it sticks, right? I'm sure in your business you've got many stories. Mike Rile Ahmed Right.
00:23:33:24 - 00:23:58:01
Unknown
Definitely. You know, you'll realize the hard work, but the question is when the hard work comes up, even for man, for business owner, whoever it is, right? Woman What are you going to do about it? Are you going to sit there and cry about it and get the violin and stop playing and being the victim? Or you're going to take some massive action or talk to someone or, Hey, let's break it down like that elephant scenario into bite sized pieces and taking massive action.
00:23:58:03 - 00:24:25:22
Unknown
So the cure all in all of this, if any, wants to write it, that is a massive action. But what prevents us in taking massive action is your mindset. And then we call it, you know, the inner voice, the limiting beliefs, right? Hopefully, maybe not. So is has it been useful yet? Yeah. Yeah. So I mean, yeah, I started my journey with, you know, mentor, which we all know Tony Robbins when I was 22.
00:24:25:22 - 00:24:48:00
Unknown
I remember I had nothing again, probably going for a GK and experience, but he gave me a book and I still have to write down everything, everything that I ever wanted and what number of houses that I want to, what's a lifestyle, what sort of family. Right. And guess what, Right. 12 years later, it's happened, right? And now you got to set bigger goals.
00:24:48:02 - 00:25:09:22
Unknown
So don't be afraid. Setting goals. The reason is that, hey, you're not progressing. Worry address is a limiting belief. So therefore, how do we break through it? So therefore, there's two things, right? If you want to write down or you find this useful right in my life, even the coaching that I do with businesses, two things. Pleasure and pain, right?
00:25:09:23 - 00:25:30:19
Unknown
And he talks about pain, but we always ourself hey, or be good or be nice. Pleasure will go so far right? Hey to my two girls. He's a caddy. If you do this right, you'll only go so far, right? I feel if we're more mature enough, we will need to use the other side with what's the pain? What's a costly not do it right.
00:25:30:19 - 00:25:56:03
Unknown
So you got to pay enough pain. For example. What's the cost in not invest? What's the cost in spending more than you're earning? What's the cost in not having the right leadership in running my business? What's the cost in being a victim right in my business or my relationship and not taking the next step. So instead of the pleasure which we all can pay, we're very good at selling ourselves on that.
00:25:56:05 - 00:26:21:04
Unknown
That may not be as sustainable and powerful as the pain, which is the leverage. So therefore, I feel at times I reflect to write, you know, I go in the room and it's like, Hey, what's it cost not doing right? So there's two things, right? There's the pain of regret sometimes. Like, Hey, I wish I'd done this. And by the time like 40 or 50, but there's also the pain of discipline.
00:26:21:06 - 00:26:42:01
Unknown
And of course, like when we go discipline, hey, going to the gym, it's not about going one night out like next week, right, Mike? And I'll let's just go to the gym and hit all the weights. Right. 24 seven And we should were going to have muscles like iron ore. Come on, man. It's about consistency. It's about every single week without fail, focusing on specific areas.
00:26:42:01 - 00:27:01:20
Unknown
Right. Where as your arms, your legs, your pair, your back, your core, and then repeat it consistently. And then one year later, what would look like two years later, what would look like ten years later? What would it look like? You definitely were stronger than you are today, that's for sure. So therefore, yeah, the pain and the pleasure and now use that a lot in the car.
00:27:01:20 - 00:27:30:07
Unknown
When I'm talking to the girls, it's like, Hey man, what's the costs? You know, it's. I think I hate that picture. So yeah, those are the tools and yeah, so we call it like, you know, the framing as well. So what's good is there, what's not good also are there. So therefore you better choose the right mindset or elements that's going to empower you rather than hey, elements that's going to make you feel fearful inside, right?
00:27:30:09 - 00:27:59:15
Unknown
Nervous, right. And preventing you taking massive action. Cool. How's that? I'm loving it. Yeah. So I think Yeah. So therefore I think also certain things. Yeah. When we recognize yes we like and I talked about resolving issues right. Challenges. Right. So one skill set I feel now because we're so reliant on like, you know, tools like from the internet, which is great, right?
00:27:59:17 - 00:28:23:22
Unknown
Is that the critical thinking? Right. So yes, we do use social and I say that a lot, but we're allowing the material to feed to us right. But what is that critical thinking mean? So, for example, right. Nowadays the kids like they faced with a challenge. What they do, they just ask and they get stuck. But, you know, are we going to be resourceful or having that resourcefulness to kind of go, hey, that's a challenge, right?
00:28:23:24 - 00:28:44:08
Unknown
What are we going to do to get around it? Right. So a perfect example in a village and I love right, going back in the Philippines is, you know, just playing toys. Right. What do people kids do nowadays? Like if they. I'm bored. Right. Let's grab the phone. Let's grab the iPad right straight away. But these kids will happily say, hey, I'm bored.
00:28:44:08 - 00:29:04:10
Unknown
They don't have an iPad. Then I have access to that. But what do they do? Right? They get a string with a plastic bag. They put it in the air. That's in the Philippines. They they use it as a kite. And then they they Santa like we do. And here's the bike. And then they got city and they stop playing like racing and things of that or they have a slipper Right.
00:29:04:11 - 00:29:24:14
Unknown
And then their shoes and then they have a kid and they start playing like games of that. So they become resourceful and you know, they come having fun right, in that sense. Whereas nowadays it's like, hey, I don't get what I want, hey, I just go to the iPad or do something, something right? So they don't really think about how to resolve the challenge, right?
00:29:24:16 - 00:29:42:12
Unknown
Or like how to be happy or this is the only way that I'm going to be happy is we have have more money or if I have this right. So the critical thinking now needs to be question right? Like, what else can you do? Right. like I only have one option. Is that really true? Have you spoken to Mike?
00:29:42:12 - 00:30:00:14
Unknown
Have you listened to other podcasts or YouTube? I've got to. That's great. That's a dilemma always. There's more than two. If you brainstorm with enough people or you talk about your challenges, it may be, Hey, someone started before a mentor, It's three options. Then it's a good choice. So then you work out the eight doesn't work, he doesn't work.
00:30:00:15 - 00:30:24:20
Unknown
He right. And you keep trying, right? I think I often we see the challenge bigger than it is, right? So. So don't see it worse than or better than it is. See it as it is. That's why I feel in business and in our mindset relationship, any area, we often don't reflect enough and be truthful with ourselves. But you know, let's say business in the beginning, hey man, I'm not doing enough sales, right?
00:30:24:20 - 00:30:42:21
Unknown
That's all honesty. That's why there's no income. Not because of the market's not good, not because interest rates are high, not because there's not enough houses. But what happens in the beginning when your mindset is not equipped is that you blame everything, right? You're pointing the finger at someone. And I think you even mentioned I saw light or materials.
00:30:42:21 - 00:31:02:07
Unknown
They fall fingers pointing back at yourself. Right. So it really reflect, hey, you know, what is the true issue here? And then let's be resourceful, right? and again, jumping a little bit to like, poverty, we're trying to eradicate poverty, but it's not about lack of resources. We don't like to go there and just give your money and build a house.
00:31:02:13 - 00:31:22:01
Unknown
That's not the sustainable thing. It's about resourcefulness. So how can you think of ideas, right? That you can provide employment, teach them the skills, what we're doing today. That's why it's also my purpose. The skill set that they got are I mean, I want to start a business, right? Does it matter in the Philippines, in other country? Right.
00:31:22:03 - 00:31:44:08
Unknown
As long as they better themselves and more skills nowadays is not about the number of degrees that you have, which even though is studying is important and I'm for that, learning is for that. But I feel more important as you guys are business owners is more skills, right Skills in marketing, skills in communicating, skills on influence, skills in negotiating the skills never stop.
00:31:44:10 - 00:32:04:08
Unknown
But that's what I feel. It's good. It's it's there may be a gap because yes, you need the numeracy and literacy and we'll talk about the financial literacy or the essence that we need to learn to build your wealth or build your money machine. But I feel the business skills in terms of people skills like we need a lot more to, to kind of achieve what we want to do.
00:32:04:10 - 00:32:32:16
Unknown
So therefore, yeah, going back the theme was pain and pleasure, critical thinking, right? So a lot I think what in the space of an hour is. Any questions, Right. I'm just curious. Yeah. What's been, what's been the most impactful lesson that you've learned in business in terms of pain and pleasure. Ah, right. Yes. let's go through. Yeah, of course.
00:32:32:16 - 00:32:55:03
Unknown
Yeah. So I'm at a very young age. The biggest lesson that I learned was and this is a bit relating to my parents and, and if your parents are listening to this, they probably know the idea. So I'm generalizing here in a sense because they're Asian parents and they were fortunate enough to be given a property by my parents.
00:32:55:03 - 00:33:14:15
Unknown
Right. So to but you know they've always been argue about money, right. Since a very small age. Right. So that's why again my decisions in life was my love for my parents. Right. And we respect and love. I want to care for them. And unfortunately, they do see us and see myself as part of their retirement plan, unfortunately.
00:33:14:15 - 00:33:35:14
Unknown
But that's a that's a fact. But, you know, I still look after them. So long story short, they given the house to me and yeah, I said I was working in a bank, so I was able to there's no loan on it. So they hey, they always argue about money. Let's, let's go refinance and get the equity out or use OPM, which I'll talk about later.
00:33:35:18 - 00:33:58:23
Unknown
Other people's money. So got a credit line started investing. And the biggest lesson I learned is because I'm doing it for the family. So I use that money. But then understand at an early age of the risk, right? So I was using that money. Six figures, 100 K True story in 2007 or eight couldn't remember. It was definitely February.
00:33:59:00 - 00:34:21:05
Unknown
Place A in the instrument in these investment vehicle call options. So for those that don't know what options, it's just a risky instrument, right? So it was betting on the market for a particular share. So if the share price in the US finish and I said in price, I remember it was $50, then I'll lose all my money.
00:34:21:07 - 00:34:49:12
Unknown
If it's still above $50, I'll keep not only 100 K but also 10%. So it was a third Friday. So us of course they run behind, so I wouldn't know the result what the market closed on Saturday. So I still remember that day because you know, it's good that you ask that question when an event with so much emotion, whether it's joy or sadness and anger, disappointment, you'll remember it, right?
00:34:49:14 - 00:35:13:18
Unknown
You know, so that day on Saturday, of course, I bet it on a company. It's part of the Lehman Brothers Company. So it's a company, Bear Stearns rights investment company. How could it closed below $50 US. And guess why close that? $49.50 US Which means all my 100 k Australian dollars. I don't know. For inflation. Now what it's worth, probably like 200 or something in one night gone.
00:35:13:20 - 00:35:37:23
Unknown
Right? So that was the biggest lesson I've ever learned. Like what is greed? What's your risk appetite? And also doing it like you're making decision because you feel like you're doing it because of the family, but not and being blind at what sort of risk that you were putting your family if you were to lose it. So the risk reward ratio, it wasn't right there.
00:35:38:00 - 00:35:57:03
Unknown
So they well, I let haven't I don't play in options anymore Right. I wasn't good at it. but yeah, I told my parents I was very sad and, but guess what You know, you the victim and or you what? What is it going to make it? Me? Right. So of course, since then, I've changed my vehicle to invest in property.
00:35:57:05 - 00:36:22:08
Unknown
So I bought a property in St Kilda East, to be exact, at a very low price. I could remember by early three hundreds an apartment. I don't think you can get that sort of price anymore, but over time it's gone up and I still remember because that's before I got married. because of course this share loss at 100 K and, and this investment property where my wife lived married me like, Hey, yo, million dollars bond.
00:36:22:08 - 00:36:45:07
Unknown
Go, baby, I got assets, I got, you know, investment properties that produce that income. So, you know, she learned a lot from me through this journey as well because, yeah, lost a lot of money. I didn't quit, so I was working hard, like, you know, to to pay for my mistakes. Right? Or learnings there. I don't call it mistakes or losing or whatever.
00:36:45:07 - 00:37:07:06
Unknown
I changed the language to kind of my learnings. My learning is that I need to pay off this debt. So working like, you know, not owning the bank, I was working as a deejay, which I love the right. You know, I was working as an emcee and tutoring, so doing a lot of different things. But I think, yeah, we, we learn to combat that and then you have more skill set then led to business and so forth.
00:37:07:08 - 00:37:34:22
Unknown
But when it comes to business, I feel, is the limiting beliefs like understanding yourself, right? So I've learned through, you know, the master. Tony Right, but also a different mentors. What's the difference between a business owner and a business operator? Right? So business operator is what we call an artist, right? And we usually come into business because we're good at what we do.
00:37:34:22 - 00:37:55:06
Unknown
For myself, it was like I was being good at home loans, I'm good at clients. So I started with that. But now, like of course, my life stage of the business is changing because I'm asking a bit of question on how to become a business owner. So therefore develop more skills like leadership skills, management skills, accounting skills, every skill that they got right.
00:37:55:08 - 00:38:12:00
Unknown
I'm not saying I'm good at it. I've got experts looking at that too. But you still need to know as a business owner to kind of like what are the levers? I see it as flying a plane, right? I mean, I don't know if you guys mean, but I was fortunate enough to go into the cockpit of a pilot.
00:38:12:02 - 00:38:42:03
Unknown
How many dollars of it is a measure for this? This this? There was probably 50 of them. Right. Besides that, it's the auto pilot, of course. Right. But how often business owners, including myself, in the beginning, we just switch on the autopilot and not really understanding how what each dog does or having that ability. So I feel as a business owner, it was as any distinction is learning certain skills, not that you need to master it, it's more understand it and what's the benefit and the consequence.
00:38:42:05 - 00:39:07:24
Unknown
Yeah. What's your skill in accounting? Well, the benefit is that you can run your cash flow better. The consequence of not doing it is that you don't even know if you're making money or not, Right? You having a drink when it's not making money or you're having a drink because you're really making money. So that is the distinction that the biggest learning I mean, there's a lot of golden nuggets, but I would say from a personal investment and then business perspective, they're the lessons.
00:39:08:01 - 00:39:38:15
Unknown
Good question. Any more questions? I mean, okay, cool. Right. We'll talk about a bit, you know, plug in. So if you like, you know that stuff that you're hearing. I do do a bit of business coaching because I don't just runs energy. So I do like, you know, help some other businesses in this industry. Brokers and even financial planners just to, you know, get them to where they are and at their peak, run their business, operate out of their business.
00:39:38:18 - 00:39:58:09
Unknown
Now, what are some of the tools right, or distinctions? Because sometimes if you're talking to a business owner and I'm sure I'm learning something from yourself and vice versa, is that we don't often see our blind spot, right? So we're so busy doing this. And, you know, we, we talk and bounce ideas. What would if you did this and then some suggestions lead to obviously that two
00:39:58:11 - 00:40:18:14
Unknown
Shift whether you call it mindset limiting belief and then the massive action takes off and then the results speak for itself. So that's the coaching piece that I do. and that's why I'm recording this, because I feel like as business owners, right, we may not see that blind spot as said in life stages and we will go for it.
00:40:18:14 - 00:40:44:02
Unknown
I'll use this opportunity to talk about that, there's, there's definitely reasons why you're starting the business, as we mentioned, but sometimes if you don't understand yourself, right, and Tony talks about the 60 minutes, are you really starting a business because you want to have that growth and contribution mindset or is it driven by significance, right, that, hey, I'm telling my friends that I've started a business, it's not making a profit, but I'm starting a business.
00:40:44:02 - 00:41:05:08
Unknown
So that assumption that, my God, and that's what happened in the first few years. My parents thought, Hey Alan, start a business. You must be doing well. It was the toughest first five years in my life, right? Arguments, the base setting, the foundation, digging really hard, working long hours, questioning yourself. Hey, why am I doing this? Is it really worth it?
00:41:05:09 - 00:41:23:05
Unknown
What's the light at the end of the tunnel? You name it, It was there. But anyway, got back in here. It's really. Are you driven by significance to tell someone, Hey, I'm starting a business, but what is your true outcome? The key thing is to make a profit. But you know, there's other areas as well. Are you doing it because you love?
00:41:23:10 - 00:41:40:20
Unknown
You love being the artist, right? But you don't want to be bound by the politics in in a corporate world that I don't like being told. I just love serving my clients. It's of my clients are happy, right? I get to know and talk to them. That's why some cafe owners, they just love what they do because they love connecting with clients, understanding, Hey, what's happening at work?
00:41:40:20 - 00:42:00:10
Unknown
What's happening? Family, right? So that's the driver. And then certainty, of course, for those real business owners, of course they want to make a profit. And then the uncertainty maybe driven. It's like, hey, we've got a lot of challenges. I'm there. I love business because how many challenges can I have resolved today? Right? I'm sure you guys have experience.
00:42:00:10 - 00:42:22:05
Unknown
It's not only one. That's plenty. How to set up an ABN. How do I pay my boss? How do I make my GST and I have to run and sell and do everything as well? Yes, you're a business owner. In the beginning you have to do everything. So therefore I feel what is a driver in in going to business is understanding yourself, but also understanding life stages, right?
00:42:22:11 - 00:42:42:06
Unknown
We've been fortunate enough to have kids like when a kid, right? It's a baby, right. Do you think you're going to have more time or less time? Like, what do you think when you have a baby? Zero time, right? Borrowed time. Right. Any help that I could get right. Do you think you're going to go in Fiji and sip of pina colada?
00:42:42:06 - 00:43:00:18
Unknown
Come on, man. No way. If you think having a baby, you have more time in the world, think again. Unless you have a helper in the Philippines. Different story. Like a guy. But anyway, then it's a baby. Then we become like, you know, toddlers, right? So the crying, right gray. It's a systemic light. They will cry. There's only three things.
00:43:00:18 - 00:43:18:16
Unknown
Why they cry. The hungry, the heart uncomfortable, right? The sick, right. That's why they cry. Just like a business in the beginning. Is cashflow an issue? Yes, because you need to. So that's the life stage of a business it goes through because if you have all the marketing in the sales, you won't be in the baby stage, right?
00:43:18:18 - 00:43:40:23
Unknown
And that's where you kind of evolve as an infant and, you know, teenager. Then you go into young adult and then you go into a prime optimization, right? You know, and I think like, you know, you guys all almost we're almost there right now, forties, fifties. Is that prime optimization, right? Having kids running your business, right, Living the moment, right.
00:43:41:03 - 00:44:03:06
Unknown
So I guess, you know, we need to understand the life stages, right? Very important, whether it's business, whether a relationship where there's a man as whether as some other thing like they go through cycles. Right. Even Wolf Right. They talked about hey, you'll accumulate. You will. Right. If you're a young person. Right. You're maybe if you're spending all your money living life, that's great.
00:44:03:06 - 00:44:19:06
Unknown
That's your life stage. But if you're saying, hey, I want to be a millionaire, I want to create my world, but I still want to be in that teenager stage. Come on, man, it's not going to happen. So I think it's knowing where you are because if you don't know, it's like, Hey, why am I bumping my head against the wall?
00:44:19:08 - 00:44:39:10
Unknown
But you're in the toddler baby stage. It's supposed to happen. Is that making sense? Right? It is a life stage. So I think once you identify the life stage and then you you need a certain skill set. Because if you're going to watch your prime and young adult, you definitely need accounting skills. Whereas in the beginning you may not necessarily need that because you're just taking every sale that you can.
00:44:39:10 - 00:45:02:22
Unknown
Right? And just surviving, not thriving. Right. So I think hopefully this session is giving us that mindset legacy, right? Maybe finish off a little bit. The consultancy that I do is teaching you like you probably learned a few things. So today's around legacy. So that's why we're capturing. But also what we cover in the business consultation or or mentoring is like, what?
00:45:02:22 - 00:45:20:17
Unknown
What is it that I need to learn, right, whether it's in business. So I'll say a few things like your accounting will be good, your marketing, your sales, your client journey, processes of your recruiting. Do you have a and responsibility who you're looking for. So you need to learn, right? But again, you need to love what you do, right?
00:45:20:18 - 00:45:47:23
Unknown
I think as business operators, we love it right? But later on, if you love it more, it's ability to scale your work, right? And that requires people and that requires like management, write stories, right? Understanding more about yourself, but you love what you do. And then and then another. So I'm using all these else is leverage. So leverage, you might think, hey, you know, ability to leverage money, very important in business.
00:45:48:00 - 00:46:08:22
Unknown
So I'm not the king, but as I say, I have certain skill set to to leverage, right? So accessing money for business or using assets, using OPM, other people's money or leverage networks. Right. So I think without your parents, I wouldn't have known yourself. Right. And now we're doing great work and appreciate it. We're a company in terms of photos.
00:46:09:03 - 00:46:25:21
Unknown
So if there's any podcast and I'm Ed Right. So really seek out to them so leveraging your networks and last but not least, learning how to live right? One that mentor taught me is what's the point of making all this money if you're not going to enjoy it? So what is it that you love to do to live, right?
00:46:25:21 - 00:46:47:19
Unknown
So, for example, I love going to the Philippines, right? I like to have this set amount that, hey, are going, I serve, I donate, right, I eat right, and then just leave it up. Right. And I'm fortunate enough, like in six months time I'm organizing a family mission for my two girls. And that's kind of another milestone that I want to do because I talked about the iPads.
00:46:47:21 - 00:47:09:23
Unknown
So we did last year. I went without the kids, was to donate some Christmas presents. And I kind of this year imagine a exercise for them. It's like Toy Story. I don't know if you guys have watched Toy Story three like and really like, you know, giving the toy and really immersing with the villagers saying, this is how you played the toy, This is how you play Mr. Potato Head.
00:47:09:23 - 00:47:36:06
Unknown
Right. And then vice versa, they'll learn how to play their games. And it's kind of like a moment that I want to kind of create the environment. So it's really living so all the way like business owners, how to spend on their credit card and maximize their points, right? How to travel, not for free, but yeah, it's minimum costs changing from nondeductible to deductible expenses, right?
00:47:36:08 - 00:48:05:14
Unknown
I know it's a accounting topic, but it's it's amazing, right? What you could do as a business owner. So yeah. So they the five right love you do learn legacy leverage and live. So that's what our consultancy is about people want to take right to my mind I think. Yeah, that's exciting. It is. Yeah. So there's more than you said, like the Philippines of like, yeah, I'm just going to.
00:48:05:16 - 00:48:33:03
Unknown
But you been a trip as well right. Emotion with your you have it when are we going to go be able to set myself and family up to be able to make the time that was really that's a really important piece. Yes because we often just go, go, go, go, go. Because we love what we do and we know that we service the clients that we we have in a certain way in that fulfillment.
00:48:33:03 - 00:48:52:20
Unknown
But then it's like, yeah, that, that, yeah. And yeah, it's still recording, right? So yeah, we get so yeah. So the living piece. Yeah. No, for sure. So they see things right And I know relating Tony to like Tony stuff like I'll tell you my journey like I missed one year with him, I learned so much with my wife and he takes two things.
00:48:52:20 - 00:49:10:11
Unknown
One is the sense of achievement. So this business mastery, wealth, mastery, it's a science. You go to school, you get a degree, you're going to be a lawyer. Yes, it's a science, but they don't teach in school, To be honest. It's the art of fulfillment, Right? What's out of fulfillment there are. That's why it's different to different people.
00:49:10:11 - 00:49:34:00
Unknown
I can't give you what you're fulfillment is like. Appreciate what my fulfillment is like. I love it when there's no reception because there's no, like, contact, right? Or like, you know, we're doing this podcast. No one can access to me because as a business owner, you know, there's so much noise and interruptions and stuff. So in the Philippines, especially in Bulacan or some way, Baguio, Batangas no reception right in our island better.
00:49:34:02 - 00:49:56:21
Unknown
And you're there. You're just in the moment with a village. You're eating great food like organic, whatever, like the teachers and teachers and then cooking and then you have a nap, you're building. Wow. It's it's like, have a to log, have a sleep and wake up. So that's my art of fulfillment. My mom's art of fulfillment is to cook a really good soup.
00:49:56:23 - 00:50:17:18
Unknown
Right? There's Chinese. We've all the Adidas, the chicken feed, right, and everything inside, and we just say, Hey is really yummy. And that's kind of makes she feel successful because we we love what she cooked, right? So that's her out of fulfillment. It wasn't $1,000,000. It wasn't a house in Leppington. It wasn't a place elsewhere. It's just cooking a soup.
00:50:17:20 - 00:50:33:10
Unknown
That's a lot of fulfillment. So I think in life that we get disappointed where we're climbing this line of, Hey, we achieved this, and then you say, there is. That's why learning to live and you do it with the two boys. I see it, my two girls, I have these date nights with them, like something that I create.
00:50:33:16 - 00:50:56:23
Unknown
They get really excited where we're going to go. Let's dress up like, you know, one one thing the mentor said to me today is the youngest version of yourself, so leave it right. You're not going to be any younger. All right. So that's why I always say a reminder why, hey, let's they're going to be six and they're so, like wacky and fun.
00:50:56:23 - 00:51:17:17
Unknown
And imagine the 18 types of that go somewhere else, right? We all laugh. I feel it's just treasuring that moment and living it. So therefore, you make all the money. What's the point? Right? Is it that trip that you always want to is at that restaurant that you always wanted to try? Is that that, you know, motorbike that you know, or a ride to the Blue Mountains that I always wanted to do.
00:51:17:19 - 00:51:35:20
Unknown
So it really, you know, I sit down and think, what's the art of fulfillment? And sometimes when you really think about that, you may not need a lot of money to achieve that anyway. But me going to the Philippines with no reception, I just need to buy a ticket, right, and just be there. Great. I love it. not even kids, maybe.
00:51:35:20 - 00:51:57:07
Unknown
No kids? No. What? Distracting me. I just want myself. Because sometimes when you're painting, I don't know. You had in a man that was not going to tell you. Hey, man, you painted this shit right? It's just a horror. It's my style, right? So, yeah, hopefully it gives you a sense, a bit of fun, like, yeah, fine. So we can all do.
00:51:57:07 - 00:52:04:20
Unknown
And then the art of the building. All right, we'll take a break. All right. Good fun.
