As I pack up on my last day leaving China, it is bitter sweet to read the final chapter of Scott Adams’s (author of the Dilbert comic series) book “How to Fail At Almost Anything and Still Win Big”. I took highlights in my Kindle, and wanted to come back and type it out – hope this can help inspire …
Quick Informal Going Away Party from Shenzhen
1 year back in Shenzhen – and it is time to move on. Processing the visa for the wife and kids was a true nightmare – and something I will not even begin to explain until all 4 of us are approved to leave the exit border at China customs. So with just a couple days left – I invited …
Art Gallery Show in Dafen Artist Village, Shenzhen, China
My friend and business partner in Excalibur Brothers brand, Luciano, has a lot to celebrate – he has his art pieces on display at an art gallery – alongside blue chip artists’ work! As I prepare to leave China, I wanted to make sure to support Luciano and attend this art gallery beforehand. It took place in the DaFen oil …
Moderating a Panel for HKTDC : Dialogue with Insiders – Insights into Sourcing like a Pro
On Thu, Aug 18, 2022 Mike will be a moderator and host of a HKTDC (Hong Kong Trade Development Council) event Thu, Aug 18, 2022 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM HKT TWO Asia-Pacific sourcing professionals will open a dialogue to share their experience and insight about Sourcing in Asia. It will cover the following areas: • Identify profitable products for …
Join Our Amazon Hustle Meetup in Shenzhen, China August 10
Planning First In Person Meetup in a While – Amazon Hustle – at Mambo Bar in Shui Wei area of Futian district. Literally writing this blog post from my locked down apartment (can’t leave for the next 3 days) – but hope by next week we are able to be released! The event is mostly going to be networking – …
Hustling and Launching – New Products Coming to Amazon (a story)
Still here in Shenzhen, China in the hot July heat! And it is hot for sure – after almost a year of hard work re-positioning Excalibur Brothers to a product brand, trademark, and tweaks in the product line. Back story, the original founder of Excalibur Brothers, Lawrence, and I had been friends since 2004. We met in ecommerce marketing forums …
Getting a Body and Heart Checkup
We are all under huge stress and pressure these last few years. Kids home from school 1+ week, constant changes in business and workflows, moving, the list goes on and on. Finally, I felt I had to pay attention to the pains in my chest and get it looked at (well Wendy is the one who insisted). Monday, July 4 …
Fathers Day 2022 – This is What Matters
And as a father of an 8 and 6 year old – this is what matters. The time I spend with them , support them, and encourage them to be good human beings. Maggie made a paper tie for me (in the photo) and insisted I wear it as soon as she returned home from school on Friday. Snapped a …
Proposal Party for Chris & Cindy ZhuZhu
It was a pleasure to be part of Chris Davey + Cindy “Zhuzhu”s wedding proposal party. Finally! After a few re-scheduling (I think mostly due to lockdown and COVID restrictions for the first half of 2022) it finally happened on Saturday June 11, 2022. Up in Mission Hills of Shenzhen (originally Huizhou but the rainy season changed that plan) – …
Our Family’s 2022 Living Situation (Visa/School)
Hi friend, I’m thinking why not just make it a blog post: So quite a few friends have been curious why am I still in China. And what is the plan. Last weekend the family took a trip to Huizhou city to look for options, but I think we need to step back and share the full story: July/ Aug …
Trip To HuiZhou (Hunt for Next Home)
On the hunt, again. Wendy and I want to stick in 1 place longer than a year – but covid and current events have made that close to impossible. We move down to Shenzhen from Shenyang the end of last summer (August 2021) to get our kids into school for the Fall Semester. Also I had gotten an opportunity to …
Leather Factory Visit For The New Amazon Project
I took the vlog camera with me to the factory to keep myself active on the video blogs, ha! Luciano and I are working on Excalibur Brothers brand using the Blimp Method (Brand Licensing Improved) with the Global From Asia community. We have a very patient and amazing franchisee group with all the China lockdowns and delays to get these …
Speaking On Going B2B To D2C at the Benelux Chamber Event in Shenzhen, China
With Shenzhen opening up a bit, finally time to get out and network and speak. Well funny thing – this event was scheduled to happen in March but got pushed back due to the lockdowns (in 2022!) I was invited by Bob to speak at the Belgium, Luxembourg, Dutch Chamber event at Brass house bar in Futian, China on Friday …
Another Notch on the Tree, Happy Birthday to Me!
Well another year, and a third birthday in lockdown life. But like throws you curveballs, you need to adjust your batting position. From one lockdown to another (david’s home to my home with wife and children) – just amazed at how well the team has grown. Just letting go, and trying my best to provide safety, encouragement, and positive culture …
Visit to 1 Factory (But Rejected in Another Due to COVID)
Mid-February 2022, and we are grinding along as best we can, right? Luciano and I are upgrading / re-building a product brand that started in 2003, and bringing a new product line that we are launching on Amazon. It is called Excalibur Brothers (https://www.excaliburbrothers.com) and we have gotten great support from franchisees in the community via the Blimp Method. Now …