I’m not updating this blog as much – SORRY. Seems people are actually reading it, as I’m getting reminders that I am not posting as much, and they enjoy reading it.
Put this photo from my roadtrip from Xiamen to Hong Kong last weekend….its going through one of the many road tunnels you drive through in China…and represents the endless feeling of being on the road I’m experiencing lately.
I have just really been more stressed then ever lately…so I may as well write down the reasons why I feel stressed and it can help me by getting it off my chest:
- newyorkbarstore hacked, no buyer found – I listed the website for sale but didn’t find a buyer, that I could accept, but maybe its good….It was recently hacked (zen-cart is hard to maintain!) and now am re-designing the whole site…maybe it inspired me to work hard on it again.
- birthday pressure – just had my 30th birthday and birthdays I always put too much pressure on myself to have a big party, blah blah…this year was in Hong Kong, and felt it was too complicated to try to organize anything. But still overworked due to point 1 above (newyorkbarstore redesign) over the weekend….draining on me.
- too much travel – I love the Chaos, the intensity…its what brought me to China in the first place…but it is just not slowing down…spent the past few days in Hong Kong (arriving Thursday night, though I almost went to Shenzhen first, after Dongguan, and then to Hong Kong after), heading to Dongguan tomorrow afternoon…just feel like a ping pong ball between Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Dongguan, and sometimes in Philippines or Guangzhou….but at least I have mentally decided I will be in Asia the next 5 years at least, so at least my mind is somewhat at ease.
- IT issues, need IT people – many projects I am working on need programmers and IT people…I am having trouble finding Hong Kong programmers…..and with all my travel above, its really difficult also to manage odesk and other platforms as I’m being more on the sales and marketing / social media side of the world.
- studying Chinese – I am finally somewhat applying myself to learning Chinese, bought Chinesepod subscription and listening on my mobile phone as I’m traveling…but it makes it hard to write my blog, as Chinese language study time kind of competes with blog writing time – both are during my personal development time.
But on the positive side…..need to look at the good things:
- Good traction for Fiveislands ecommerce warehouse – getting decent amount of inquiries for people who want to warehouse and sell into China, as well as control their supply chain further to the source. Also at the Xiamen SEO event last week, met some great contacts in Chinese ecommerce….developing nicely.
- Got solid SEO consulting clients – feel somewhat stable, good relationships and value from the few SEO projects I have going on….and its what I enjoy doing.
- Social Media is really developing, expanding, having fun – Its what I am passionate about, building a network, connecting people. This Saturday will be another Shenzhen ecommerce meetup, building up a good team of people to organize it. Boot hk coworking has been great to make relationships as well. I always remember smart businessmen telling me its not what you know, its WHO YOU KNOW….so I hope all this time and energy I’m making investing into social media pays off…but anyway, I am confident it will, and enjoy it anyway.
Anyway, its Sunday night…had a rather emotional birthday weekend, transition, server hacked….and maybe I’ll become a better, wiser person…because thats all we can do, live and learn…and try not to repeat those things which don’t make us happy, right?
Comments
test comment….trying to upgrade to new wordpress blog
Seems to me that you’d better prune some of these activities (that’s what you are doing with the bar products website) and refocusing on a couple of projects that you feel are solid (maybe SEO for stable income and warehousing for some nice upside).
I don’t know how you can keep traveling like this. I was doing it the 1st year when I launched my company, then I had no more energy for it.
nice to hear from you Renaud,
yea, this bar products biz has always been a headache for me, when i started it in 2004, i had my best friend and i shake hands and split roles,i was tech, marketinng, sales. he was operations, flow, supply chain….but over a year now it all fell on my lap and i thought it could be delegated…..
also the programming, that is not my cup of tea….finding new solutions now that i have committed to china again.
i do like the traveling, just need better operations and mamagement to support it…..i like the chaos
Chaos can be good and all these experiments might leed to a solid business, but after a certain stage chaos is just disruption… Anyway, if you like it… 😉
Yes….that chaos is what brought me to China, to find the “diamond in the rough”….maybe I got addicted to the searching.
Hey,its me,that new friend:))
I am read your blog again,i can know different opinions about you from it,your experience,your attitudes,your work your life etc.thanks!:))
and about life,i wanna to share you that life is just like a box of chocolate,you never know its’ tastes until you open it:) i think you had know .
then, i study Chinese language and literature,if you want to learn Chinese better,i think i can give you a hand:)))
hi Yang,
where in China are you? I would love it if you can help me learn the language better!
YES – that is one of my favorite quotes – LIFE IS LIKE A BOX OF CHOCOLATES, you never know what you’re gonna get! Thanks for reading!
Now i am a college student, my school is in Suzhou.
On the one hand,cause i can learn many things during your bolg,and my dream is travel around the world,although i don’t know if i can achieve my dream—no time/no money.I think it is enough to inspire me.So,as it should be,i think we can help each other.:)
on the other hand, to help others make us feel happy/happiness,that’s the most important!
so,if you have any questions about Chinese culture/language,or want to learn it systematic,just tell me:)))
Suzhou, taht is a beautiful city near Shanghai…i have always wanted to go! sure lets stay in touch and hope we can meet one day
yea,thanks.the city is beautiful.the bridges,the boats,the trees,the rivers etc.
hope that one day you can visit Suzhou and you will love here!
how to get there from shanghai, i plan to go to shanghai soon
you can by high-speed high-speed railway. about 30~40 minutes.))