Lonely, Hard Road Business Owners Often On

In now by Michael Michelini

What Mike Michelini is up to Now – Oct 23 – 29, 2022

Listen as audio here [2 minutes long] (or scroll down for text)

Photo: warehouse transition…

Working alone in my home studio and I realize – to be a business owner is a lonely road. Not like I didn’t know that – but last week put a toll on me with some hard transitions and realizing we all have a breaking point in relationships.

This week:
* Esatto brand LAUNCH (?) the FBA shipment was finally sent, so it is just a matter of how long it will take to arrive and process at Amazon. Still think early next week is more reasonable than this week – but regardless – now we can put a firm date on a launch date of batch 1 (container 1) with container 2 in USA already and container 3 may dispatch once we prove we have logistics under control again.
* NYBS show episodes – need to check status of episode 2 (do I need to do something?) and look forward to watching it myself!
* More products – EB new products, Akitai new products.
* More crowdfunding – wrapping up BeckyAi launch, also TLC onboarding, and new clients in the pipeline.
* Flamingo handshake – 6am Thai time Thursday morning. So many nice TLD and SLD, we have carved out a beautiful platform, thank you Anne and team.
* Shadstone team call – this Thursday night. Want to ensure our team is happy and growing. Believe it it is best yet, but cannot take pedal off the gas. Want to ensure all are learning and growing continually. It is our main investment and asset.

For those who want to hear the full week plan for Shadstone Limited, Mike’s company (removing sensitive info) – here it is:

Week Plan Oct 23 – 29, 2022 Shadstone Limited

They say success is often lonely – and the hard decisions you need to make define you as a person and as a leader. Last week took a lot out of me having to make a decision and put a huge stress on an old relationship and friend, to move our US warehouse for Esatto. But it left me, as a business owner, in a spot that felt had no choice – and the stock has successfully moved to a new warehouse and the FBA shipping plan.

But it took a toll on me. Still not sure the exact repercussions. But believe we did the best decision with the information we had. And that is – to launch in Q4 and ensure we make as best an ROI for us and our partners.

Another hit at the same time was my Uncle Bill, a top “fan” of what I am doing here in Asia, passed away https://mikesblog.com/unclebill . Many in my family do not agree I “left” America – but he has alway supported my “international buiness pursuit”.

Try to use these hard events as motivation. The saying goes “if it was easy everyone would do it” keeps ringing in my head.

We are building our empire, our dream. Our multiple cashflow streams to weather any economic storm. We are balancing the risks of (1) Amazon FBA shut down / consumer market and Facebook and Wechat / social media, with (2) web3 emerging markets with (3) media income and (4) consulting and service provider income.

Each of those has kept us afloat while others have dropped. The idea is we have each of these cashflow to balance the other out. Crypto up, Ecommerce down, and vice versa. One seem to balance off the other.

And it is a lot to do – which is why building an amazing team and management and leaders is something we have specifically been investing in (I put the milestone of Janette’s coaching in early 2021 as the formal start)

Loving the “ninja” of Shadstone. Been so proud to see everyone here grow. LJ’s leadership balanced with love and patience is a true blessing. Seeing all our management stepping up. To see meetings organized without even my awareness they are happening has been jaw dropping to me (I still feel guilty I am not involved in all meetings and discussion – and I know I need to further let go and delegate).

K – enough of the “high level” – let us talk about what we have done and what we are workin towards.

* NYBS show – interviews happening w/ our host Faith and organized by Sally and the client services and Katrina outreach specialty team.
* Esatto MUST go live in the next 1-2 weeks – the new warehouse already shipped the shipping plan but it takes time to be received and checked in. Maybe end of the week, but more realistically the week after? Then we can LAUNCH (we have so much on hold, the email newsletter, the influencers, etc) gotta be confident on a launch date and give birth to this baby that is years overdue.
* Indigitus hard calls – more migrations coming on this one. It is connected to warehouse move if you can believe it.
* Crowdfunding – BeckyAI will finally go live Nov 8, video wrapping up, influencers receiving goods, and more. Plus new projects discussed along with deeper partnership in InnoLaunch
* Excalibur Brothers / Blimp – Luciano doing us so nicely by helping develop thee next 4 products even without confirmed franchisees – as he is leaving China in November and wants to get them setup in advance. Christian studying more tools for launching.
* Akitai – new product line order processing, new photo shoot getting setup, launch plan discussed. Also A/B testing tools.
* Flamingo Handshake is this Thursday morning (Asia time) / Wednesday night – and the “battle of web3 domains” has been heating up.
* NowShenzhen – China policies of lockdown extending is really straining all businesses. Making creative discussions still.
* GFA kids – the “transition” to a healthy cashflow between Shadstone and GFA Kids “China” is sorting out and all parties are mainly on the same page.
* GFA Vip – had a nice mastermind last week, getting the community system back in place still since Aubrey’s sudden departure a few months back.

So much more.

CONTENT! Content – Content. All our businesses are around content, and I keep trying to remember our strengths are the 3C (content, community, consulting) – we need to find partners to compliment on the “deep tech” or “product heavy” side (logistics I hate so much – this is why I’m crushed with Esatto warehouse)

Let’ wrap up here – we are pushing ahead and making thing happen.

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