We’re approaching a year and a half here in Shenyang, China. And, the school situation is the main topic. The whole world has been locked down and we’re doing various forms of online and home schooling. We did find an in-person school in our neighborhood for the kids. But it is only for kindergarten. They call it a kindergarten prep …
Got A Second Dose of Sinovac Vaccine
Yes, still here in Shenyang City of China. I have been trying to make a trip down to Shenzhen (the south of China) for some Amazon FBA acquisition broker deals and general meetings. But now, the south is on a lockdown again due to an “India strand” of the Covid virus. So may as well get my second dose of …
Father’s Day 2021, Missing my Dad, Being Best Dad I Can be
Writing a quick letter to my dad (well, Facebook message…) and as this is Mike’s Blog purpose – it is a place to share and let others connect and relate with me on a personal level. I miss my dad and mom and family. Living overseas in Asia – the hardest part is being separated from your family and friends. …
Snacking in China with the Kids
Just enjoying the Saturday “cheat day” and family day. Camille on the team inspired me to just have a laid back video blog today. We are all stressed STILL about lockdowns and other mayhem. But the family snuck out to a nearby mall that has a sauna/pool lounge we head to on a regular basis. Loaded up the bag with …
May 1 Holiday – Local village + Culture Shock
It’s been a while since the last vlog that I did. But with all of us locked down, there’s not much to vlog. I have barely left the 2 block radius of this apartment, ha! But we did take a TRIP! We took a 2-3 hour normal drive (4 hours with the holiday traffic) to a lake / beach near …
Adjusting to New Normal – Online School For Kids (and your kids?)
One year into a new post-covid19 world, we are preparing to launch a new online school. This will be under the brand of our cross border business community, Global From Asia. A small pilot summer program is coming in June and we even did a podcast about it. You can check the GFA podcast here. In this short clip, Mike …
Happy Birthday To Me – Turning 40!
Jeez, I feel I just posted on this blog when I was turning 30! And 31 And 35 Now I am here on this earth (aka blockchain) for 4 decades. Using that “AliveFor.com” daily and believe I am about halfway done. But I do believe medical technology is improving and may be able to double that. Or, put my brain …
Top Tip For Sourcing From Factories
“Be the expert for your product.” That was an important tip that Rico Ngoma gave when we talked about sourcing from factories. It’s true, a lot of entrepreneurs rely on the factories for expertise on their products when they should be the first and foremost experts when it comes to their own products. One must conduct research on how a …
Virtual 40th Birthday Shot
My buddy Andrew and I were born in the same city hospital, 2 weeks apart. Our social security numbers are super close! He is turning 40 today. I’ll be 40 in a couple of weeks. We are getting old, we don’t even use Facebook or Whatsapp. We’re sticking to old school SMS (lucky I have Google voice). So, I shot …
Listed Top 100 Asia Business Influencer
I was listed as one of the Top 100 Influencers in Asia. With all the chaos and all the hustle and grind, we need to step back and sometimes reflect. And, be recognized. I was excited to see that I was listed as one of the top 100 influencer in Asia business by Growth Asia: https://twitter.com/growthasiahq/status/1372013579520589825 https://growthasia.co/experts Listed as number …
Tip for Those Working Online
How will it work? Will it really work? These are just some of the questions being raised about working online. Yes, it’s not the typical office set-up. But, with everything that’s going on in the world right now and more and more people are getting in on this work-from-home set-up, you just have to make it work for you. Here’s …
Alignment and Being on the Same Page
“The biggest problem about communication is the illusion that it has already taken place.” – Alexander Avanth This is definitely true! In the world where many are working online, communication is key. Always over inform as what Alex added. I mean, he’s right. We should always seek for our team, clients and all other parties involved in our business transactions …
Looking Back on Episode 100 of China Business Cast
Came across China Business Cast and I can’t help but do a throwback to when all the hosts of the show, past and present, came together to do the 100th episode. Jons, JP, Shlomo and I looked back on the early days of China Business Cast and how each of us transitioned in our lives that also meant a transition …
Working With Uncertainty
Uncertainty equals opportunity. This is what Alexander Avanth of Alpha Rock and I talked about before at the onset of the pandemic. There really is gold to be found in problems, especially online. Here’s more of what he had to say about this:
Daughter Turning 5, Birthday Again in Lockdown
Getting towards the end of Jan 2021, and preparing for Chinese New Year (mid Feb 2021 this year). And, it is always our daughter’s birthday during this time. She was born on the coldest day on record in Shenzhen, China in 2016 (watch that vlog here) And her last 2 birthdays have been in lockdown up in cold Shenyang, China. …