Category: Millionaire Interview

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Meet The Man Behind The Cover Of The June 2021 Issue Of Global Millionaire: Steven Harold Jorchen

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Steven Harold Jorchen alias “Jorchen Borjigit” is a 36th generation heir of the Borjigin dynasty – a dynasty that was started by Emperor Genghis Khan in the 13th century. He immigrated to the United States in the 90s and with more than 20 years of experience in the USA, he has learned the American way of life. He has been an active member of various American social activities. He is the Chairman of the World Peace Commission, he’s also the CEO of Asia-USA non-profit organization alliances as well as the deputy of the New York Chinese Chamber of Commerce. On September 24, 2015, he held an audience with H.E. President Xi Jinping and other top Chinese politicians and leaders.

Steven has established close cooperative relations with the United States, China, Latin America, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East, and he plans to deploy specific cooperation projects related to it. As a community leader and a world social diplomatic activist for many years, his image has long been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. The fruitful results of his nearly two decades of continuous hard work have given him special influence and appeal in the community. His power is increasingly valuable; along with his prestige, fame, and even his name. Hence the reason why he has such a good relationship with senior Chinese leaders and senior leaders in Russia, West Africa, North Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. Furthermore, he has even participated in several banquets and galas held by President Bush, President Clinton, President Obama, as well as President Trump.

Global Millionaire magazine recently caught up with Steven to discuss his life as a 36th generation heir of the Borjigin dynasty and here’s what went down:

Tell us about a time in your life that you wanted something so badly that you were unstoppable in pursuing it. What obstacles did you overcome to get there?

My life was generally easy. I was brought up under the legacy of my family, so my earlier years were pretty much assured by some kind of political arrangement. My main obstacle was to start a life that’s decided on my own terms. You see, my dream was to be a world leader, not just confined by my birth in Kangba (SiChuan), the Chinese Tibetan autonomous region. I think that’s why I gave up my pre-destinated roles in China and came here to New York.

Tell us about a time you experienced what you perceive to be an injustice.

I have opened a museum in the 90s of the Tibetan culture here in New York with a partner. Later, due to the collection of a Tangka that is made of human skin, I was arrested. Tangka is a Tibetan religious relic often preserved to honor the Buddhist deities or Buddha. Often in ancient Tibet, people offer their bodies as a will after death. This is to show their confidence in the Dharma. You see, Tibetans, like the Indians (and unlike the Chinese) have a tradition of leaving human bodies out to be eaten by vultures. And they even hack the bodies to pieces; in some cases remove the skin.

However, the Americans have no understanding of such, and due to cross-cultural ignorance, I was arrested. I think people have to learn more about other people’s cultures. Particularly in the new world. I also think many of these countries have not grasped the old traditions. European cultures are very sophisticated, but the people of the new world have forgotten that, I am quite sure it is the same situation in Australia.

What is the toughest decision you had to make in the last few months?

That’s a good question. In the past few months, I was forced to decide if I still needed to carry on the noble mission of re-establishing the Borjigin legacy. You see, sometimes this can be a tricky endeavor. The DNA offspring of Genghis Khan has amounted to around 16 Million worldwide. But no one has seen this fact as a cultural asset. However, I see there’s a force behind these warrior people. Genghis Khan is known for war, but at the same time, his treatment of the captive women and children was very much mild and compassionate. I see the need of promoting global peace through both women’s and children’s welfare globally. I know there will be political obstacles in my work, in particular some fraction of different egos and interests. But I also know that someone has to do this in order to revive the inner spirit of Genghis Khan. The core of assuring world peace is actually to re-unite the Euro-Asian landscape.

Who is your role model, and why?

I put all my faith in Buddha, the enlightened one. What Buddha taught us was to maintain our own minds with peace and compassion. I mean, how else can we contribute to the world if our own minds are not tamed right?

I see life as a mirage of our own merits. There are certainly injustices and miseries of this world. But a lot of these are caused by our own wrong-doings. Cause and effect is the golden principle of life. In the popular sense, you can call it the law of attraction or whatsoever. You need to cultivate good deeds, so those good things will return to you.

What do you hope to see happen in the near future for small businesses all over the world?

With the rapid technological advances, our ways of life are also changed. The way how we run a business is transformed or you can say unrecognized sometimes for people of my generation. The material success of many nations has reminded us what is important for our future. I see more and more small businesses are now considering the social responsibilities. This means we are now more and more focused on our inner beings. In the new ventures in many places, I see there’s the trend of offering organic products, non-GMO to also assure healthy lifestyles that promote spiritualism. This is very good! I am sure we are entering into a new page of human evolution. That is also why I always stress the culture. We as humans, by the end of the day, need to deal with our inner-self. Culture forms that inner being in many ways.

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Entrepreneur Spotlight: Introducing Anjan Pathak, Co-Founder and CTO At Vantage Circle

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Anjan Pathak is a Co-founder and CTO at Vantage Circle – an Employee Engagement Platform. He is an HR technology enthusiast, very passionate about employee wellness, and actively participates in the growth of the corporate culture.

Global Millionaire magazine recently caught up with Anjan and here’s what went down:

1. Could you please tell our readers a brief background about yourself and how you started your business?

The foundation of Vantage Circle was set way back in 2011. Partha and I were two school friends who had a fledgling dream of starting our own company, and the manifestation of our efforts resulted in launching Vantage Circle.

With Partha and I, having worked in the IT and technology industry for almost two decades, we were confident that it was where we could benefit from utilizing our expertise while achieving the goals that we had set for ourselves. We were able to create, launch, and reach the success that Vantage Circle has today due to the right opportunities, guidance, and ideas implemented at the right time.

We started out as a deals and discounts program for employees at the start of our early days. However, as we progressed with time, we stumbled upon the concept of employee engagement programs which the Indian corporate culture was lacking. The main idea was to equip HR professionals with a channel through which they could manage the intricacies of providing a stellar employee experience.

We, at Vantage Circle, understand that managing human resources efficiently, satisfying their necessities, and surprising (not shocking!) them is a humongous task. To overcome any deviations in these tasks, we provide an integrated platform to the corporate community with a variety of options of unbeatable perks and engagement activities for their employees. Corporate discounts on exclusive and online deals and unique Vantage Points are the highlights of our platform.

2. When did your entrepreneurial flair first reveal itself?

It was back in 2003 when I came from the United Kingdom to India to set up a business. I recruited several software developers within a few days and also leased an office room. Sadly, though, things didn’t turn out as expected.

In the year 2011, I founded Vantage Circle along with my friend Partha, back in our hometown of Assam, over the years with more experience. I believe it is with time and practice that entrepreneurial skills are created. What stuck up for me was that, after my first loss, I didn’t give up.

3. How did your life look before being an entrepreneur?

I spent my initial 17 years of my career brainstorming, designing, and architecting multiple e-commerce applications. The knowledge, experience, and insights that I have gathered over the years have been invaluable in eventually doing what I really wanted to do in developing world-class HR technology solutions.

I have over two decades of experience in building and deploying cross-channel web applications.

I have spent a significant part of my career, 15 years to be precise, working in the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe.

As a fitness enthusiast, I am incredibly passionate about the need for corporate wellness. I believe that health & wellness at the workplace will be the primary differentiator companies will be ranked upon in the coming years.

In my spare time, I am always preparing for the next marathon or triathlon that comes my way. I have recently been introduced to two newer fields of wellness- meditation and yoga- and have been taking baby steps to improve every day.

4. As an entrepreneur, what is it that motivates and drives you?

A happy and content workforce builds up a healthy work environment. Seeing the employees happy doing their job are the best motivators for any employer and it is a peerless asset for an entrepreneur.

We have taken less than 1 Crores in external funding from like-minded people who believed in our goals. Witnessing the journey to becoming one of the top cloud-based employee engagement and benefits platforms in the world, encourages me to strive more. Vantage Circle has achieved over 1.5 million users’ support in the present day and is serving some of the world’s top MNCs. Surely a matter of pride and honour for a bootstrapped company like Vantage Circle.

5. In one word, describe your life as an entrepreneur and explain why it’s fulfilling.

I had 20 years of experience in the multinational technology industry before Vantage Circle. I have always had this dream to bring all my experience to my home country and give back. Today, we have managed to return through our business by establishing an employment channel. It is what drives us and keeps us motivated every day. So, yeah, it is a very fulfilling experience.

6. What were your top three motivations for starting your business?

1. Creating employment opportunities in my hometown
2. Health and wellness has always been my priority
3. Developing a product company in a service provider dominating sector

7. What would you say are the key elements for starting and running a successful business?

Let me answer this question in two parts. The key elements of starting a business are more or less the same for all. One needs to be very sure about the company that they want to start. In the beginning, your business’s passion and belief help you take risks and stay motivated. But it does not mean that you should not design a solid business strategy. That must be followed with the right marketing plan. The next important thing here is the experience. Every entrepreneur has some level of business acumen and lots and lots of experience. Use the experience in building your business.

For running a business, one must know the bits and pieces of people management. Or just say, have to understand the employees, to build a culture where people love to contribute happily. And it takes time and effort. If your workforce is not happy, you cannot sustain your business.

8. What are the three biggest challenges you have faced growing the business and how did you overcome them?

– Not choosing the right tools for mobile app development: Choosing the appropriate tool at the right time would have helped us be more user-friendly and accessible to a fast-paced audience.
– Ignoring the inception of the marketing team: It deprived us of reaching our core audience as efficiently as we could have through implementing the correct marketing tactics.
– Not streamlining the tasks of the sales team: The third big error was not to streamline the sales team’s tasks in a more strategic way and under a successful sales leader.

But I believe, making mistakes is an important part of how I have learned and ultimately accomplished a steady pace of continuous individual and professional growth.

9. What form of marketing has worked well for your business throughout the years?

A major part of our marketing strategy has been inbound marketing tactics and focusing on a more organic approach. I am happy to say that these measures have played a principal part in us getting over 1 million monthly users to the Vantage Circle blog.

10. As you grew the business, what have been some of the most important leadership lessons you have learned?

If you ask any entrepreneur or anybody in a leadership position, you would get more or less the same answer. People who are in a leadership position, do not control but lead. And leading your team means directing them throughout their journey. To understand their perspective by putting yourself in their shoes. It is a responsible job. You might be having a bad day or feeling low, but you cannot pass it on to them. Also, staying humble is so important. Humility may not be the forefront trait of leadership, but for me, it has always been a great trait. You must be willing to accept your mistakes, give credit, appreciate and learn from everyone in the room. Also, one must trust and be accountable when it comes to leadership. These are the few lessons that I have learned over the years.

11. What is the best advice you have ever been given?

A sleeping fox catches no poultry: Since childhood, my mother has always told me this quote that a sleeping fox catches no poultry. She likes to suggest that if I don’t take the gamble, someone else will. I won’t have anything if I don’t work for anything. I have been inspired by this proverb to wake up early and start my day early. I assume our bodies conform to the period of the sun. Synchronizing with the disciplined time to sleep and wake up helped me to find and use more time for my company. I don’t say that you need to compromise your sleep over this. To work properly, everyone needs to have enough sleep of a good 8 hours every day. I always believe that a healthy mind in a healthy body is a key to success.

12. What advice would you give to a newbie Entrepreneur setting up their first business?

Having experience of co-founding and operating three separate businesses, one in London and the other two in India, over a span of 10 years gave me the cognizance of how to make the most of the minimum resources that you have.

Another thing I have gradually discovered over the years is that if you do not plan the financial aspects on a priority basis, you don’t win in business (especially start-ups). Note that the sole emphasis should be on increasing (and sustaining) the company at the beginning of your entrepreneurial journey.

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Entrepreneur Spotlight: Introducing Vid Lamonte’ Buggs Jr., The Founder Of VLB/VBJ Enterprises

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Vid Lamonte’ Buggs Jr. is the founder and owner of VLB/VBJ Enterprises, LLC, and 4-U-Nique Publishing. He is also a bestselling author, a speaker, and a consultant. A modern-day “Renaissance man.” Vid is a man of diverse interests who directs his many talents towards bringing people together, encouraging them to look past their differences to unite to make the world a better place.

VLB/VBJ Enterprises, LLC. was created as an umbrella or a series for companies like 4-U-Nique Publishing. Vid wanted to establish a company that ventured into real estate; Public Speaking; Investing, Building Businesses, and Consulting. He patterned VLB/VBJ Enterprises’ mission to building communities up while delivering positive messages and helping others reach their potential and accomplish their goals.

4-U-Nique Publishing, LLC is a publishing company whose focus is on providing authors with a quality publishing service and allowing them to keep their publishing rights and provide them with higher royalties than other publishing companies. Global Millionaire magazine recently caught up with Vid to discuss his journey in the industry and here’s what went down:

When did your entrepreneurial flair first reveal itself?

I was in 6th grade when my entrepreneurial flair first revealed itself. A friend and I decided to sell candy and gum before, during, and after school. We figured out pretty early that we could buy a bag of Blow Pops for 3 dollars. We could sell an individual Blow Pop for 25 cents. Out of one bag of Blow Pops, we make close to 20 dollars. A profit of 17 dollars off of one bag of candy wasn’t bad for a 6th grader.

How did your life look like before being an entrepreneur?

Before becoming an entrepreneur, I was a basketball player who played at a high level (pro and semi-pro leagues). My life wasn’t stable at all. Although I received multiple degrees in college, I knew I wasn’t a person that would “waste” my many talents behind a desk. So, between basketball, writing my first book, and figuring out what job would fit me best, I was bewildered about where my life was taking.

As an entrepreneur, what is it that motivates and drives you?

What motivates and drives me as an entrepreneur is that my businesses support others’ dreams and goals. My companies help give a voice to those who feel they are voiceless. I have to keep pushing because so many people are counting on me each day.

In one word, describe your life as an entrepreneur and explain why.

Blessed!

I’m a black man from Hampton, VA, who has been excluded countless times. However, each time others have counted me out and even myself, I have been blessed with a blessing. These blessings have come in the form of inspiration, a mentor, a business opportunity, a new client, a new service, an interview feature, finances, or a new staff member. Each of these blessings has helped me and my businesses to continue to grow.

What were your top three motivations for starting your business?

1). The Most High. God has directed me to start my businesses. Before I started my businesses, if you told me that I would create an enterprise or a publishing company, I would have said you were crazy. However, the spirit of God led me to do what I am doing now. I know a lot will relate to what I am saying. And a lot will think I’m crazy for saying this. However, Glory goes to The Most High.

2). Helping others reach their potential so they can accomplish their goals and dreams.

3). To give a voice to the voiceless and articulate their story. Everyone has a story to tell, and they need a platform to speak their truth

What would you say are the key elements for starting and running a successful business?

The key elements for running a successful business are patience, focus, determination, goal-oriented, caring for your customers, time management, and a positive attitude. You have to be a student in the industry and understand your weakness and strengths. You got to know your target customers and humble yourself to lesson to what you are doing right and wrong.

What are the three biggest challenges you have faced growing the business, and how did you overcome them?

1). One of the biggest challenges I have faced growing my businesses was getting the necessary capital to help fund my businesses’ growth. I have one thing that stood against me, and that is my race. Time and time again, it is proven that financial institutions discriminate against minorities when loaning money. I overcame my challenge of gaining capital by creating other income sources, and my best friend invested in my businesses.

2). Trusting others to help grow the businesses. Having a business is like having another child. You become protective of your business. Being protective over my businesses, I was hesitant to allow others to help me grow the companies. However, when I realized that I was being stubborn and selfish and that the ultimate goal was to help others, I allowed others to grow the businesses. Knowing my weaknesses and hiring others who had strengths in areas that I am weak in permitted growth.

3). Knowing when to say “No”. I’m a stern person, but it is no secret that I wouldn’t say I like to disappoint people. However, I had to learn when to say no. Saying no to some opportunities was a challenge to me, but I knew that to grow a business, I would have to say no to specific requests.

What form of marketing has worked well for your business throughout the years?

The best form of marketing that has worked well for me has been word of mouth; what better way to recommend service by those you trust and have dealt with a company firsthand. When you provide quality service or product, it will become personable with your clients and customers. Therefore it brings a higher value to the company.

As you grew the business, what have been some of the most important leadership lessons you have learned?

1). Understand my weaknesses and strengths.

2). Hire those who have strengths that complement your weakness. For example, selling and marketing isn’t my strong suit, so I hired a marketing manager and a sales expert.

3). Trust and have confidence in who you hire until proven otherwise. Do not micromanage; this is healthy for a business atmosphere and staff morale.

4). Ask for and let others help you. It’s common for new entrepreneurs to wearing several hats when they are starting their new business. However, as the business grows, it is essential to hire and seek help. A company will not succeed when its leader is running itself thin by wearing too many hats.

5). Time Management. As a business grows, more responsibilities will arise and call for attention. It is essential to prioritize your time.

What is the best advice you have ever been given?

The best advice that I have been given is “Fire Fast, Hire Slow.

What advice would you give to a newbie Entrepreneur setting up their first business?

You want to have a sound business plan, and you want to know how you target customers. Draw up a strong marketing plan to reach your targeted customers. Keep your finances in check by hiring a bookkeeper or accountant.

Please make sure the branding and trademark are on point and you want to make it stand out. Make sure you have a business lawyer on the dial. Once you set up everything, tell all your friends, family, and everyone you know to support your business and spread the word to everyone they know. Much success to you and your business.

Find out more about Vid via www.vidbuggs.com.

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Entrepreneur Spotlight: Introducing James Hunt, Famously Known As The Celebrity Credit Guru To The Stars

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James Hunt is affectionately known as “The Celebrity Credit Guru to the Stars.” This multi-millionaire entrepreneur is responsible for helping the nation’s top celebs, athletes, and thousands of everyday people with their credit and finances. He also teaches young men how to become six and seven-figure earners through his company, THE HUNT. Formerly homeless, James has thrived not only due to the mastery of his industry, but his style, marketing, and persona continue to draw tons of people to him who also desire to be extremely successful.

With the year 2020 taking its toll on entrepreneurs all across the nation, James Hunt’s business continued to soar despite COVID-19. Among his high-powered clients are people like Kanye West, Akon, Tyrese, Ryan Seacrest, Shaq, Taraji P. Henson, and hundreds of other athletes, business leaders, and Hollywood figures. He maintains that ATTENTION brings MONEY, and all business owners who aspire to attain massive success must understand the sweet science of luring in clientele during any climate – anchored by results and an attractive brand.

Global Millionaire Magazine recently caught up with James Hunt to discuss his journey and here’s what went down:

Could you please tell our readers a brief background about yourself and how you started your business?

I am originally from Chicago. 8 years ago I was homeless. I used to walk up and down Lenox Road in the Buckhead community of Atlanta seeing the Bentleys and Rolls Royces and I told myself that one day that would be me driving one of those cars. I bought myself a cheap laptop and started my business in a Starbucks during the day, and I built a relationship with the local Fed Ex and worked out of there at night. When I got my first celebrity client and cleaned up his entire family’s credit, that helped me to grow my business and the word started to spread about who I was and what I did. From there, things really took off.

When did your entrepreneurial flair first reveal itself?

It was always there. I remember back as early as when I was in the 8th grade. I had my mother who was a seamstress to design this jumpsuit that I wore for the 8th-grade luncheon and I wanted it in a very specific way – something that no one ever had before. I was stressed about it being identical to how I wanted it. That is as early as I can remember. I was about 13. I always had a vision for how I wanted things to be and I was very serious about my expectations.

How did your life look before being an entrepreneur?

I saw life as looking through a glass ceiling, like employees that are at the graces of their employer who decides your salary, who decides the hours you work, and who decides whether you are hired or fired at any moment. You have to work hard but you don’t have real freedom. Entrepreneurship is about freedom. Looking back on it, that experience was worth it. Now, even though I own my own company, I still work 16 hours a day, seven days a week.

As an entrepreneur, what is it that motivates and drives you?

Shattering new glass ceilings and goals. Taking on new ideas and accomplishing goals is something that I set out to do on a daily basis. That daily challenge to get up and accomplish what you set out to accomplish for that day is literally what drives me that day. And tapping into what is inside of me. Discovering what is inside of me and being able to project that to the world.

In one word, describe your life as an entrepreneur and explain why.

Relentless – Because I understand that I cannot give up. I understand that failure is not an option and so I absolutely have to be relentless in my pursuit of every avenue that I have set out to accomplish. For me, it is not enough to just be successful, and the goal is to reach the top. If there is one word to be described, it is being completely relentless in my pursuit of success.

What were your top three motivations for starting your business?

1) Financial independence.

2) The ability to be able to help the people who will become my clients. To offer a real service that can help them in their pursuit of new homes, new businesses, new cars, and understanding the power of credit.

3) Recognition/ validation. I think there is nothing more rewarding than being validated by the people you look up to. 8 years ago everyone in credit repair was better off than me. They were my mentors. Today, to come full circle and become mentors of the people who mentored me is validation that I have chosen correctly and I have worked my way all the way to the top.

What would you say are the key elements for starting and running a successful business?

Identifying what your product is…what you bring to the table. Then, once you discover that, the next question is, is that product in demand? Is there enough of a demand to become successful in it? If the answer is yes, how can you maximize every day to make yourself a success in that particular field? Also, identifying who your competition is. If you don’t know your competition, you can be run over in your business. You should know why they are successful and what you can learn from your competition that can make you even more successful. Know their flaws. If you understand that, you would understand what drives their clients to you and how you can elevate in your industry.

What are the three biggest challenges you have faced growing the business and how did you overcome them?

1) Starting. Starting is always the biggest challenge. Many people will say they want to do something and because they never pull the trigger on it, they give themselves an excuse. Starting was like starting my company in Starbucks when it seemed like it wasn’t going to work or when I couldn’t even get one client.

2) Refusal to give up. The challenge was that the option of giving up was always in front of me. It was always door #1 or door to keep going or #2 to give up. I was given the temptation to give up but I chose door #1.

3) Once you gather a certain amount of success and you have outdone yourself and you don’t have any more competition, it is a challenge for an entrepreneur to not relax or take your feet off the gas. But, you have to press the accelerator and go further because you are in uncharted territory. Getting to another level that no one else is doing is also extremely challenging.

There are many times where I am challenged. Whenever I get overwhelmed, I go back to that same Starbucks and sit at that same table where I started and talk myself into success – because if I did it from the bottom level I can do it from another level. It’s about having a place of accountability. You should have a place where you can go to that is yours where you can hold yourself accountable for getting to the next level.

What form of marketing has worked well for your business throughout the years?

I did not go the normal route of marketing for years. In the beginning, I never pursued social media. I went the old-fashioned way of word of mouth. When you saw you had to get to the next level you saw that you needed to do word of mouth. When the celebs came along, then I figured out how I could utilize that to go to the next level. When we helped Tank (singer) and he put up a social media video on Instagram about his new house on Christmas, it took us to a level where our phones rang nonstop from Christmas day to January with a flood of new clients that we weren’t really prepared for. Every entrepreneur needs to be cautious because if you are not prepared for it, success can actually drown you.

Social media has really helped me. I use it in a way to showcase a lifestyle of success that credit brings with it. I show the celebrity clients we help who are purchasing cars and homes and showcasing that luxury lifestyle. That has opened up all kinds of doors. The phones just ring, all you have to do is get up. I think you have arrived when you no longer seek to chase clients or money, but the money and the clients chase you.

As you grew the business, what have been some of the most important leadership lessons you have learned?

Learning who to fire and who to hire. Understanding how to motivate your team and keep them upbeat with you. I have learned that you are no greater or no less than the team that you put in power around you.

What is the best advice you have ever been given?

It was from John H. Johnson, the founder of Ebony and Jet Magazines. When I was 17 years old, I went on a tour of Ebony and Jet and he was talking about the fact he always gave his employees free lunch. We were curious as to why he gave them free lunch. He said when you feed them that shows your employees that you care about their well-being. When they know you care about their well-being, you will get a better day’s work out of them. So, since starting my business, I have always fed my employees. That includes bringing in personal chefs or treating them every day to make sure they don’t have to worry about breakfast or lunch. Treat them the way you want to be treated yourself.

What advice would you give to a newbie Entrepreneur setting up their first business?

Never give up. No matter how dark it seems. No matter what the naysayers or haters have to say about you. If you really believe that you have something that the world needs and a real product that is in demand, then you have a responsibility to not give.

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Entrepreneur Spotlight: Meet Brian Rainey, The C.E.O. Of Production And Logistics Company Gooten

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Brian Rainey is the C.E.O. of Gooten, the globally distributed production and logistics company transforming how online brands manufacture and fulfill merchandise to their customers. As a “big picture” thinker, Brian elevates the organization through pivotal leadership and strategic direction while aiding in the expansion of financing, hiring, and global initiatives. Rainey previously served as a chief financial officer at Buzz Points, a fintech company, and held positions at Deutsche Bank and Deloitte. He provided accounting and audit services to startups preparing for potential I.P.O.s, private sales, or capital raises. Rainey, a licensed C.P.A, received a bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance from James Madison University and an M.B.A. from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia.

When did your entrepreneurial flair first reveal itself?

I have always been an entrepreneur. Since I was 12 years old, I assisted in running a baseball card shop. That spirit has been with me even when I was working more traditional jobs – I always saw things as an entrepreneur. After college, I worked for a finance and accounting firm to audit VC-backed startups. As part of that role, I had to look at what made these companies successful or not. I saw how they operated, and it made me hungry to want to dive in and build my own business. As an entrepreneur, you develop and create a business versus just trying to drive process improvement at a larger company. As an entrepreneur, you look at what can be improved globally and attack that problem. When I thought I have the right idea, I want to go and do it – and not let corporate politics get in the way. You see a future state, and you believe in it so strongly that you want to commit all in to go and bring it to life. I believe in my vision for Gooten and wish to execute on it.

How did your life look like before being an entrepreneur?

I want to be an entrepreneur and never look back to my days in finance. I did not fit into the corporate world. I went against the things that go with working in the corporate setting. As an entrepreneur, the best idea wins, and there are no politics. I love the instant feedback loop that exists as an entrepreneur.

As an entrepreneur, what is it that motivates and drives you?

The thing that motivates me is that I surround myself with the people I get along well. I want to work with similarly minded people – but with skills that complement my own. Working or running a startup has entrepreneurship running across the whole business. Being surrounded by ambitious people is a fantastic feeling because they are always highly driven and want to succeed.

In one word, describe your life as an entrepreneur and explain why.

The word that I would use is “unexpected”. Plans constantly change; every day is different. No matter how much I plan, new things always come up – and that is fun and exciting. It challenges me and keeps me on my toes. You also have to challenge your own beliefs and take in feedback from your team, your board, and your customers, and then find the path forward. I would also add that being an entrepreneur is ” rewarding”. I am excited about the opportunities that come my way. I find fulfillment in overcoming challenges as we grow as a business.

What were your top three motivations for starting your business?

I took over Gooten from an original set of founders, and it needed a path forward. So with that in mind, the following three motivations that come to mind are:
1. With Gooten, I saw that there was an inherent need that existed between 2 groups – that neither could solve on their own. Manufacturers need brands to fill their machines with orders, and brands needed high-quality global manufacturing. I saw the opportunity to be in the middle of these two groups and create the marketplace.
2. I had a desire to build a high power team with the best people I knew to solve this marketplace challenge
3. I wanted to know and feel that I was working for myself – instead of just working for layers and layers within a corporate world.

What would you say are the key elements for starting and running a successful business?

For me, it comes down to 2 things:

1. Act as if you are going to succeed. It would help if you planned to scale. Most startups plan for failure. My thought process is to focus on building the most successful business you can with a complete plan for scaling it out – if it fails, I know that I gave it more than 100% of my effort and skills.

2. Make sure that you are the right person to solve the problem/challenge that you are seeking to take on – assuming that you are the right person to lead the charge, then focus on who is the next priority #1 and #2 hires to complement your skills to address the needs of the business.

What are the three biggest challenges you have faced growing the business, and how did you overcome them?

The biggest challenges that I have faced with Gooten are:

1. Learning how to hire: People are what makes and breaks a company. I have to focus on attracting the right talent and retaining my staff to grow my business. part of the challenge here is that you do not always know who/what you need in a role – so you have also to be nimble to make the required changes as the business evolves and as you learn more of the needs.

2. Make sure to challenge my assumptions – I don’t like to have one idea and stick with it forever. I constantly challenge my thoughts and push myself to be open-minded. I have to reinvent a business strategy based on new data, new interactions, new market requirements, etc…

3. Building a marketplace is extra hard: Initially, you do not know how to start. The challenge is always to overcome the hurdles of convincing businesses to work with you when you do not have the other side figured out. I had to figure out how do I sell a product that I cannot source. At Gooten, this challenge led me to work closely with the manufacturers first, genuinely understanding their businesses and how they interact with brands.

A bonus challenge I want to mention is that you have to be willing to kill your darlings, meaning you might have adjusted and re-adjust what already works for you. It is hard in business, but you have to continually assess if you are doing the right things for your business’ future. And be willing to stop doing the things that you do not see value in the future. It’s challenging because you have to let go of things that already generate a tremendous amount of revenue, but sometimes, you might have to cut back before you grow bigger.

What form of marketing has worked well for your business throughout the years?

Content and SEO have always worked best. At Gooten, we make sure that we are the experts. The best way to do this is via content. I love to write bylines for various publications and have extended this practice across the team. The key with content is to engage with customers in a friendly manner where you are imparting knowledge and inviting them to deepen their relationship and engagement with you. Often, especially here at Gooten, we must sell our industry to potential customers before selling ourselves.

As you grew the business, what have been some of the most important leadership lessons you have learned?

The three most important lessons for me have been:

1. Learning to hire people with the right skills for the right roles.
2. Trusting my team all of the way 100% – if you hire someone to do a job, you have to have faith and confidence in them to do that job – you cannot hire them and proceed to micro-manage them. Why did you hire them in the first place then?
3. Be transparent – this is hard as you may feel that you want to shield people from various things going on within the business – in the end, this proves more difficult. If you are transparent with your team and then extend that to partners and customers, everyone will respect and appreciate your decisions. And they cannot come back and say that you misled them or otherwise.

What is the best advice you have ever been given?

The best advice I got was from a fellow entrepreneur – it is DROOM = Don’t run out of money. Pretty straightforward.

What advice would you give to a newbie Entrepreneur setting up their first business?

The key is to make sure that you are building a career as you are building a company. My advice is that you need to invest in the long-term. Take the lessons that you will learn along the way and understand and appreciate them. Make sure not to cut corners especially falls into the bucket of not having ethical lapses. Always be happy with who you are and do not become a different person.

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Meet The Man Behind The Cover Of The April 2021 Issue Of Global Millionaire: Mohanad Alwadiya – The Wolf of Dubai Real Estate

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Mohanad Alwadiya is the founder of Harbor Real Estate Dubai and is considered by many as one of the property industry’s most dynamic practitioners. He is an award-winning real estate professional and entrepreneur who, as the CEO of Harbor Real Estate, has set new standards in providing real estate investment and management solutions to Harbor’s clients, and has led to Harbor Real Estate’s winning the highly-coveted title of “Best Agency for Property Management” in the Property Times People’s Choice Awards 2015.

Mohanad’s achievements have emanated from his success in developing the industry-leading capabilities of Harbor, resulting in exceptional results for the multibillion dirham portfolios held by clients such as National Bonds Corporation, Investment Corporation of Dubai, Al Thani Investments, Daman Investments, Tadhamon Islamic Bank, Amlak Finance and Global Investment & Development.

Mohanad is also considered to be one of the most candid, insightful, and eloquent commentators in the UAE property market, whose extensive experience makes him a reliable industry resource. He is renowned for his professionalism, incisive analyses, and astute observations.

Global Millionaire recently caught up with Mohanad to discuss his journey as an entrepreneur and here’s what went down:

Could you please tell our readers a brief background about yourself and how you started your business?

I am fortunate and thankful to have grown up in the UAE, a land of boundless opportunities. People talk about the American dream. Well, I have lived the UAE dream.

I guess I realized what my personal possibilities and opportunities were when I was completing my Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a double concentration in Marketing and Advertising from the American University in Dubai. I remember those days very well because I really felt that the world was truly at my feet.

I started my career at Leo Burnett, a Chicago-based multinational marketing services group of companies with offices throughout the Middle East and I’m proud to say that I became the most-awarded Communications Director during my seven years there. This period of my career really prepared me for success because of the vast amount of learning that I received from, not only the Leo Burnett organization, but also from the excellent clients from various industries that it was my pleasure to work with. Those were happy times!

However, having descended from a real estate family, I soon realized that my passion was real estate so I launched my real estate journey and was soon Head of the Projects Marketing and Sales Division for the global real estate arm of Dubai Holdings. Once again, the knowledge that I absorbed and the experience I gained from being part of this great organization really gave me the confidence to start my own business launched as Harbor Real Estate Dubai.

Over the last 20 years, I have also obtained a master’s degree in property management from the University of Salford, published two books about real estate and one of them became the best-selling book in the Middle East, and hosted the top-rated radio and reality-TV property shows in the Arab World.

What are you currently doing to maintain/grow your business? 

I won’t bore you with a dissertation of the global economic carnage that COVID-19 created but in March of 2020, our initial objective was pretty basic … to survive in an environment with a set of dire circumstances that nobody in the industry had witnessed before!

We quickly realized that everybody was in the same boat and, in order to survive, we needed to maintain our competitive edge in the area of customer satisfaction. We knew our clients would require our assistance and that any recession, whether generated by a pandemic such as COVID-19 or by a financial crisis such as that in 2008, is all about being able to survive. It was tough and there were many sleepless nights during this period.

At Harbor Real Estate, we currently manage real estate portfolios with a total value of around AED 14.8 billion. So, there are lots of clients with lots of money invested that are relying on us. We take this responsibility very seriously indeed.

Obviously, we needed to adapt. This required a brutally honest assessment of our capabilities as individuals and the capability of Harbor Real Estate to continue to provide the services that our clients required during a pandemic and resulting economic turmoil on a global scale.

Thankfully, the country’s leaders showed great wisdom and resolve to enable businesses such as Harbor Real Estate to navigate their way through a very awkward period.

We realized early on that needed to make sense of the chaos and we determined that we required new solutions to meet new challenges and I think this is the greatest lesson that we learned at Harbor Real Estate during the Global Financial Crisis. Innovation and the ability to learn relevant to circumstances will always prevail regardless of what the circumstances are. This is the first time any of us had experienced a globally crippling pandemic and our experience, innovation and adaptability allowed us to keep serving our clients.

I recall the executive team discussing the Great Depression of 1929 whereby the first mistake that many companies made was to downsize their client servicing workforce. This action essentially compounded their problems because it affected service delivery and strangled revenue generation. This was one thing that we at Harbor Real Estate refused to do and during the course of the pandemic, we have actually grown our workforce by 38% and consequently managed to grow the portfolios we manage by more than 30%.

On the cost side, it was important to modify the business to reflect a more variable cost structure. Fortunately, we had always been conscious of overheads, particularly those that were fixed in nature and re-structuring the business to minimize those fixed costs was not too difficult to achieve. So, the focus was really on revenue generation complemented by realistic cost control measures designed to enhance productivity, not strangle operations.

Finally, it was about people. To develop and maintain a competitive edge any business must have a team dedicated to providing the best they possibly can for their clients. This includes not just generating the solutions but executing and delivering on promises as well. Harbor’s success can be attributed directly to the efforts of its people and I am so thankful to the Harbor Real Estate Team for their resilience and commitment during this difficult period.

What social media platforms do you usually use to increase your brand’s awareness? 

I am active on all the key social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, Tiktok, Linkedin, and Youtube. I’m glad that my efforts in producing relevant content for my followers consistently have paid off and today I have over 2.5M followers across my official verified social media accounts.

What is your experience with paid advertising, like PPC or sponsored content campaigns? Does it work? 

There are so many variables that must be considered to determine whether a particular advertising approach is successful or not. What works for one organization will be totally different from what works for another organization. There are no set formulae for success.

At Harbor Real Estate, we believe that to really get to know our brand, you must meet it face to face. That’s why, in addition to my social media platforms and attendance at a wide variety of live seminars and conferences, we introduced the television program MEMAAR.

MEMAAR was the first-of-its-kind property reality TV show in the Middle East. The show is broadcasted exclusively on Dubai TV, part of the Dubai Media Incorporated and viewers can also follow the show online through awaan.ae.

The show was created to provide insights into the machinations of Dubai’s Real Estate industry in an entertaining yet informative way. We all know that Dubai is a preferred Real Estate investment destination with celebrities, successful entrepreneurs and the business elite from all over the world. The show allows the average viewer to appreciate the considerations, opportunities, and eventual decisions required to make a sound and lucrative purchase as the journey from the initial idea or need to the eventual purchase is captured on film and presented to the viewer in an engaging and entertaining format.

Even though the show features celebrities or high net worth individuals, it is interesting to note that many of the challenges and concerns that arise and are dealt with on the show are shared and relevant to the everyday property investor as well, whether they are a potential owner occupier or landlord in the making.

What is your main tactic when it comes to making more people aware of your brand? How did your business stand out? 

It’s all about credibility, consistency, and constancy. My favorite 3 C’s.

I have said many times that I believe my value as a professional who has built a strong communication platform is in the field of Real Estate. I am not going to profess to be an expert on cars or fashion. That would not be credible.

In addition, I must be consistent. There are principles that I conduct my business by and I must abide by them at all times. I must be consistent in that what I recommend to people is based upon my best judgment, not what I believe my audience wants to hear.

And I strive to be ubiquitous or omnipresent. I want to be there when my clients or potential clients need me. I will not be a friend only for the good times, but I will be with you during the bad times as well. In this way, constancy will enhance my credibility and consistency.

What form of marketing has worked well for your business throughout the years? 

Digital marketing including social media would be the obvious answer, but satisfying my clients and having them be advocates for Harbor Real Estate is by far the most valuable marketing medium that I have ever invested in.

What is the toughest decision you had to make in the last few months? 

Surprisingly, there haven’t been any particularly tough decisions. There have been many decisions and many challenges but, with great support from the executive team, decisions have been relatively straightforward once we applied logic and common sense.

What money mistakes have you made along the way that others can learn from (or something you’d do differently)? 

The biggest mistake I made regarding money in the early days was actually worrying too much about money. This can be debilitating and stop you from thinking creatively and logically.

Put simply, if you fully focus on understanding the problem, identifying the right solution, and implementing it properly, the money will take care of itself.

What new business would you love to start? 

I’m so in love with real estate which is why I’m always investing and expanding across various geographies and asset classes in the field of real estate. On the other hand, given the major improvement in technology that the world is witnessing, I have been investing in tech companies and I’m in the process of launching a real estate focused Fintech firm.

 If you could go back in a time machine to the time when you were just getting started, what would you do differently? 

SLOW DOWN! I know it sounds strange but the overwhelming urge when I started out was that everything had to be done in the next hour!

With experience, you realize that every issue, challenge, or roadblock needs to be carefully considered and there is usually time to do that. Sometimes, to ’sleep on an issue’ resulted in much better solutions.

Also, I learned very quickly to explore multiple solutions to a problem. There will always be a logical ‘first’ solution. I learned with experience to try and come up with multiple solutions and either choose the best or see if a hybrid solution might work better.

 What is the best advice you have ever been given? 

Listen actively. If you are talking, you are not listening.

Empathy is key in my business. If people are looking to me for leadership or counsel, I must truly understand them and their situation. I can only do this if I listen actively.

 What advice would you give to a newbie Entrepreneur setting up their first business?

The most important thing to do as a young entrepreneur is to be yourself.

Be yourself and be confident with who you are and what you can achieve. I believe that every entrepreneur must develop his or her own style to be consistent with who they are as a person and what they stand for. It’s virtually impossible to copy or emulate somebody else and maintain your credibility over the medium or long term. People are generally very astute at detecting someone who is not genuine.

I try to learn continuously. No person, entrepreneur or otherwise, is the encyclopedia of all subjects. I can learn from anybody as long as I am willing to. While I try to learn from others around the world, I recognize that the true assessors of my capability and success are my clients. It is their opinion that really counts.

Of course, there are fundamental personality traits and behaviors which must always be observed … honesty, transparency, consistency, good communication skills. But I still maintain that being yourself is your biggest asset.

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Entrepreneur Spotlight: Meet Nick Ron, The CEO Of House Buyers of America

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After studying Business, Economics, and Information Systems, Nick Ron began a successful career at CACI Marketing Systems, where he sold software and marketing systems. Out of a team of 12 salespeople, Nick brought in over half of all new business after only three years of being with CACI. His success at CACI gave him the confidence to launch into his next venture. Nick founded House Buyers of America in 2001 and has been running the company as CEO since it began. House Buyers has succeeded beyond Nick’s wildest imagination by leveraging tech, marketing systems, and operational excellence. House Buyers of America buys, renovates, and resells a high volume of homes, offering homeowners a way to sell their houses quickly and hassle-free. House Buyers has always been a high-growth company, going from $0 to $50 million in annual revenue in its first three years of business, and it is currently experiencing double-digit growth. Nick won the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year award and continues to reinvent the residential real estate industry with the latest technology and innovation.

Global Millionaire magazine recently caught up with Nick to discuss his journey as an entrepreneur and here’s what went down:

When did your entrepreneurial flair first reveal itself?

From a very young age, I learned the importance of being my own boss. I was one of four children, and my family was extremely poor – financially speaking. If I wanted to go to the movies or game-room, that extracurricular cost was my responsibility. At age nine, I started collecting five-cent cans. I did whatever it took to get those cans, even dumpster hopped! My business brought in $10-$20 each trip, and it was tax-free! At age 11, I started delivering newspapers before school at 5 am. Then I moved onto a landscaping business, and by college, I was waiting tables.

How did your life look like before being an entrepreneur?

Before I was an entrepreneur, as an adult, I worked for CACI, selling software. In my third year at the company, I brought in half of the new business on a 12-person team. I did not anticipate starting my own business until I read Rich Dad, Poor Dad, by Robert T. Kiyosaki. This piqued my interest in real estate. My success at CACI built up my confidence in my ability to lead and run an organization. My degree in economics and technology from George Washington University gave me a good baseline for using tech in business. In 2000, I began studying real estate and immediately dove in. When you grow up on welfare living in section 8 housing, you quickly learn that your hustle determines your survival.

As an entrepreneur, what is it that motivates and drives you?

My wife and four children motivate me through and through. Failure is not an option; I could never let them down. If I need to work 80-hour weeks, then so be it. Additionally, I will never give up on my church and Compassion International’s philanthropy work, where we sponsor children internationally.

In one word, describe your life as an entrepreneur and explain why.

Innovation – My entrepreneurial journey began with technology and the desire to reinvent an outdated market. Every day I think about how I can innovate traditional real estate tasks and industries beyond this market. Innovation brings the future into reality.

What were your top three motivations for starting your business?

Initially, my motivation was simply to buy rental properties for long-term wealth creation. Then as I navigated the industry, I realized two things. One, I was really good at doing real estate deals. Two, there was a huge need in the marketplace to offer a better alternative for homeowners to sell their homes. When I founded House Buyers, we wanted to be the Amazon of real estate. This meant fundamentally changing how real estate was traditionally conducted by offering an innovative alternative and leveraging technology. Our purpose was to make the process quick and easy for buyers and sellers. We always remained energized and focused on our vision by continuously upgrading our technology and studying the market to better serve our customers. Now, 20 years later, we are more focused than ever on making buying and selling homes easier and faster than ever for consumers by using the latest technology.

What would you say are the key elements for starting and running a successful business?

These are my top three key elements:

  1. I learned early on that you cannot be a jack of all trades and excel at everything. To be the best, you must hire outstanding people that specialize in the areas you do not. I have seen many real estate investors and business owners who become overloaded with trying to do it all. They never excel in the core functions of their business because they are spread too thin. Recognize your weaknesses and hire smart based on those inadequacies.
  2. Building your network of advisors is another key element. Your trusted advisors will become those you turn to for advice in areas of the inexperienced trade. They will save you from pitfalls and pull you through inevitable tough times. Gain wisdom from those who have been down the same road and do not try to reinvent the wheel.
  3. Always maintain healthy margins. Every day watch your costs and keep tweaking your process to maximize efficiency. If you operate on tight margins in a healthy market, you will never survive a downturn. Therefore, operate with extreme efficiency and always maintain healthy margins!

What are two of the biggest challenges you have faced growing the business, and how did you overcome them?

When I first started House Buyers of America, our first challenge was the lack of experience, which often caused mistakes. While the errors were painful and sometimes costly, we took them as growth opportunities. We would closely analyze the specific experience and develop a preventative system. You never want to make the same mistake twice. The second action we took to overcome inexperience included hiring industry experts in the areas that we lacked knowledge of.

The second challenge we underwent was the 2008 Great Recession. That time-period could not have been worse for real estate. Challenges included everything from housing inventory to financial constraints across the board. We literally went through two years of hell and do not ever want to go through that again. We learned all we could from this experience. We operated on sound principles that helped us get through future downturns with flying colors.

One of the biggest lessons learned through this period of time was to be conservative. Always apply Murphy’s Law when it comes to finances. There was no crystal ball to predict a market crash, and there is not one that will indicate the next one. You must keep your debts low and have healthy cash reserves to be well-positioned before the downturn to weather the storm. Always be cautious and conservative. Do not get into debt or try to invest significant amounts of money in unproven ventures. The second lesson learned was to always strive for excellence and continuously improve your business. If you do not improve your technology, your systems will become outdated, and you will lose customers and employees. They will see that your company is not evolving into the future.

What form of marketing has worked well for your business throughout the years?

We have always run a combination of marketing campaigns throughout the years, including TV, digital – social and Google Ads, direct mail, and even billboards. We realized that we could make many advertising mediums successful over the years, but we needed to test different ads and track, track, and track constantly. We diligently track the results of each campaign and constantly tweak them. We also regularly adjust how much to invest in each marketing medium. Each medium has a different point of diminishing returns, so you don’t want to overinvest. You must find out what that point is in each medium for your business. We analyze each campaign and determine how customers are responding. Each market has different consumers; therefore, the performance of each campaign will vary greatly. Success is seen when you analyze your ROI data and conduct multiple campaigns throughout the year. Do not put all your eggs in one basket because all consumers do not live and shop on one platform. Reaching consumers will vary based on market conditions, and your marketing techniques must evolve with consumer habits.

As you grew the business, what have been some of the most important leadership lessons you have learned?

  • Remain Humble and Always Ask for Advice

Pride comes before the fall. Know your limitations and realize you have blind spots that can only be corrected by getting advice from others around you and outside counsel.

  • Conduct Low-Cost Tests

The first few years in business, I over-invested in unproven ideas. This resulted in wasted money that could have been avoided had I done low-cost tests. Entrepreneurs are creatively optimistic at heart. Before you invest in a new idea, conduct small tests until the concept is tried and proven. I continue to be an idea maker today, as entrepreneurs always should be, but I have the experience now to learn from my earlier mistakes.

  • Persistence & Adaptability Pay Off

When the market crashed in 2008, some peers went back into IT sales or switched to commercial real estate. They had to start over in a new career and go after a completely different customer base. The grass often appears to be greener on the other side. These people had the mindset that when the tough get going, it is time to quit! This never made sense to me. Long-term, real estate is a promising industry if you adapt. I knew it would eventually recover. If you jump to an industry because it is hot right now, realize that ultimately, that industry will have a down cycle as well. Do not give up, instead be persistent and adapt your systems to consumer needs. Always be willing to try new things. Run multiple tests every quarter to see what works and what does not work.

What is the best advice you have ever been given?

I once learned from another real estate investor that you want to get your business model down to a science, so it almost becomes boring. Then at this point, you can expand. What keeps me excited about this business is that we can quickly scale our real estate business and launch into other markets because we have our system down to a science. We could get bigger by purchasing bigger properties like office buildings or buying other commercial real estate. But I’d have to learn a whole new game, and I wouldn’t be the best at it. So, I decided I could grow quicker by just buying a larger volume of houses in multiple markets rather than investing in different property sectors in one market.

What advice would you give to a newbie Entrepreneur setting up their first business?

Get your network of advisors in place! In January of 2001, when I started my company, I lined up my title company, attorneys, real estate brokers, contractors, and home inspectors. You do not need to know everything when you get started. However, you do need your network in place to help you through the process. Take the time to find the best people and learn from them as you go along!

A,Group,Of,Diverse,Entrepreneurs,Sitting,Around,A,Modern,Conference

Meet The Man Behind The Cover Of The December 2020 Issue Of Global Millionaire: Daniel Goodman

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Daniel Goodman is a Los Angeles-born successful real estate investor, stock market trader, soon-to-be life coach, and husband to celebrity real estate agent, Julia Jolie.

Daniel Goodman’s story is not that of rags to riches; rather, it borders on self-discovery, consistency, and battling addiction. Daniel is a progeny of an award-winning investigative reporter and a mum who is into television production. His maternal grandfather was a successful, and revolutionary merchant in furniture while his paternal grandmother is endowed with incredible wisdom. All figures had a meaningful impact on his life while growing up.

Having done many odd jobs in his twenties, Daniel’s sojourn as a real estate investor when in his very early thirties has opened his eyes to a lot of invaluable lessons. “The main lesson that I’ve learned in real estate, is to take your time before investing in a property. If it’s for long-term hold and income property as well, then hold onto it as long as you can,” he remarked.

Daniel, a successful day trader, started that venture in the summer of 2016. “Daytrading is a job. You get up in the morning and trade whatever stocks have the most volatility. Of course, it’s not only stocks; you could trade options, commodities, futures, cryptocurrency, ETF’s, etc. There are many ways to trade. Anyone with an Internet connection can daytrade. Anyone can trade,” he explained.

However, for all his success in real estate and stock trading, Daniel considers his greatest accomplishments as quitting drugs and alcohol. Daniel was addicted to alcohol for a good 17 years of his life. It was a daily struggle which he finally overcame 6 years ago. Having a lovely family means everything to Daniel. He has already achieved quite a lot and he sees himself in the next 5 years teaching and mentoring more and more people about real estate, the stock market, and life lessons.

Global Millionaire magazine recently caught up with Daniel to discuss his journey as a real estate investor and stock market trader and here’s what went down:

Could you please tell our readers a brief background about yourself and how you started in property?

When I was an early teenager, I eventually found out how much the house was worth that I was living in, and I found out how much my parents bought it for. That’s when I realized real estate goes up over time, no matter what. So right away I knew that if you’re going to invest in real estate, it’s not so much the price you get it at, it’s where you buy it and can you hold onto it for a long time.

For example, my house was in Venice Beach where I grew up, and I quickly found out that beach property holds its value and goes up much faster than a property somewhere in the Midwest. So that’s what basically intrigued me and lit my fire and got me started in real estate investment.

I found it fascinating that you can invest in something that pays off in three different ways: it provides shelter for someone, they pay you to rent which of course pays for your mortgage, monthly expenses, and a profit, and at the same time it increases in value. It’s a beautiful thing!

I also started quickly learning about leveraging by using equity in real estate. Meaning, if your house has plenty of equity in it, you can borrow off of that and buy more real estate. However, I learned that that’s only for a long term investment. That can be a dangerous plan for the short term. I found all of this very interesting!

What was the process for you to finding what you wanted to do?

Not until I was about 30 years old did I know that investing in real estate and being in the real estate business, was something that I wanted to do. It may not be the most exciting career or way of making money, but it’s extremely stable and if done properly, it makes you guaranteed money over time. Throughout my 20s I worked odd jobs, and all different fields, but mostly in sales. I worked at Best Buy, worked in the family business selling furniture, worked with my father selling semi-precious stones, worked in over the phone sales, worked in the legal field as a process server, and eventually went back to school in my late 20s. Basically, My 20s is when I figured out what I wanted to do. In my opinion, in your 20s is when you should try different things and by the time you’re around 30, you should have a good idea of what field you would like to be in. And also, there’s nothing wrong with changing your field again.

What has been the most memorable experience of being a real estate investor so far?

I bought a property in 2014 when everybody thought prices were not gonna go any higher. I sold it years later for a 100% return on my investment. Not only was that exciting, but once again it showed me the power of real estate! The fun part was not only watching the price go up and up every year but having people tell me you need to sell immediately if the prices are going to drop. I didn’t listen to them, and I’m glad I didn’t. However, would that property be worth more today than what I sold it at, yes a little bit? There’s nothing wrong with making a profit and reinvesting it.

Who have been the most interesting people you’ve met so far?

I’m lucky to have grown up with a very close family. And even luckier that the people in my family have been not only interesting but role models. My father was and is, an extremely interesting powerful person in my life. He was in the army, an avid hunter and fisherman, one of the countries best investigative reporters of all time, and my hero as well. My grandfather on my mother’s side started a furniture business called Levitz furniture, which revolutionized and changed the furniture industry forever. My mother working in television production always kept my interest in that field as well. She was another strong person in my life. She cared about other people, and always wanted to help people that were less fortunate than her. She shows me about caring for others. My grandmother on my father’s side, who is not only interesting but had wisdom that could stop you in your tracks. The way she lived life, was like no other person I’ve ever met. Happy every day, and could handle any curveballs that life is thrown at her.

And last but not least, my wife who is not only my soulmate and life companion is extremely interesting. She grew up in Russia and made her way over to Los Angeles where we met. Her story keeps me challenging myself and of course, she constantly challenges me! (laughs)

What has been the most valuable lesson you’ve learned while in the real estate industry?

The main lesson that I’ve learned in real estate, is to take your time before investing in a property. If it’s for long-term hold and income property as well, then hold onto it as long as you can. Keep generating the income from it. If it’s a short term investment or a flip, be as cold as ice when it comes to the negotiation process. For short term investments, the initial price that you buy the property is extremely important! That will determine your profit margin, and give you as enough cushion as possible. Because when flipping a house, lots of things can go wrong and the clock is ticking! And of course, it’s all about timing! We all know timing is everything, but it’s very crucial in the real estate market. If you buy a house to flip in a hot market, and it takes you too long, and the market gets Lukewarm or cold, you might be stuck holding that house for a while. And last, the more love and care you put into a home, the better it will sell or hold its value! Remember, this will be somebody’s home for possibly the next 10 to 20 years.

We also note you’re a day trader, what is day trading, and who can do it?

I started day trading in the summer of 2016. I’ve been doing it for over four years now, and it’s my everyday job. Daytrading is a job. You get up in the morning and trade whatever stocks have the most volatility. Of course, it’s not only stocks; you could trade options, commodities, futures, cryptocurrency, ETF‘s, etc. There are many ways to trade. Anyone with an Internet connection can daytrade. Anyone can trade.

How much expertise do you need?

I started daytrading with zero knowledge and zero experience of the stock market. I only knew the simple rule, “Buy low, sell high.“ I knew nothing about daytrading. So anyone can start trading with zero experience.

What are the advantages of day trading over other means of investing?

The advantage of daytrading over other types of investing, is that daytrading will give you an everyday income. We all know investing in the stock market for the long term, gives you fantastic returns over a 5 to 10 year period. Sometimes it can be much faster, like the last three or four years we’ve had in the stock market. The returns have been insane! But you need to have a career or regular job to bring you a paycheck every week or two. So you can pay your rent, put food on the table, etc.

Can you give us a little Day Trading 101?

If you are a day trader, the most important rule is to cut your losses immediately. It’s not about making big profits, or lots of profits consistently in the beginning, it’s about cutting your losses immediately and staying above water. And most importantly, you should trade on a simulation platform so you can get a feel for what it’s like to day trade before you use real money. I didn’t do this, and I got crushed! I highly suggest any beginning day traders to start with “fake money“ before using the real thing. However, don’t stick with fake money for too long, because your emotions are not the same trading with simulated money, compared to real money. You have to dive in eventually

What are some best practices for newbies?

For newbie traders, the best thing that they can possibly do, is take profit off the table no matter what. Consistently taking profits and build your account or consistently put money into your checking account from trading, it’s extremely important! I can’t stress this enough, take profits!

There’s an old saying, “you can never go broke taking a profit.“ every newbie gets FOMO, and they think that there’s never going to be another amazing trade to take after they have just exited the one that they are in. Do not have FOMO! There are thousands of stocks to trade every single day.

How much of an investment do you need to make to get started?

Well, you need $25,000 in your account to make unlimited intra day trades. That means, there is no limit to how many times you can buy and sell in the same day with stocks, options, and ETFS. If you have less than $25,000, you need to hold your trade overnight for at least one day.

However, the amount of money one needs to start with is irrelevant. If you are a retired multimillionaire, and you want to start day trading, obviously putting in $25,000 or more is no big deal. If you are a broke college student, $500 might be a lot of money to you. You can start with enough money to buy one share of a dollar stock. So don’t get scared if you only have $200 to start trading. Because You can grow that $200 into $25,000 very quickly if you are NOT greedy and have the patience.

What do you think are the most common mistakes novice traders make?

Again, I think FOMO and not taking profit are the most common mistakes beginning traders make. They buy a stock, it skyrockets, and sell it. And then they jump back in because they have the fear that they’re not going to get another trade like that again anytime soon. And that’s definitely incorrect! There are many many many stocks every day that can be traded to give you a nice profit. And also they become greedy very quickly. They make $100 in their trade, and they quickly want to start shooting for $300 or $500 for the next trade. Baby steps, one day at a time, an empire is not built overnight.

What kind of money management skills should you have before getting into day trading?

You should know exactly what your financial goals are before starting to day trade. How much money do you need to make and how much can you afford to lose. Before daytrading, you should have discipline with money. If you don’t have any discipline with saving your profits, then you should learn that discipline first. However, you can definitely learn it on the way. That’s what I did. I was not smart with my day trading profits, or the amount of money I lost. I really had to learn everything the hard and painful way. But the most important money management skill that you need to have, is not to be greedy! It’s The hardest thing to conquer in daytrading. Because the whole game is about money. That’s what took me the longest to conquer, but once I did, everything became easier and grew faster. If you can’t buckle down and be extremely disciplined about being greedy, your first couple of years of day trading are going to be hell! So work every day to conquer greed.

Tell us about something you are proud of – about your greatest challenge.

Ever since I was 14 years old I was heavy into drugs and alcohol. For the next 17 years that was my life. I struggled with it day in and day out. I just turned 37 years old, and I’m almost 6 years sober. This has been one of my greatest accomplishments! My other most important accomplishment, that will be ongoing for the rest of my life, is being a loving husband and father. I have learned over the last 5 years, to be a better father every day. To be more patient with my children, my wife, and my family. I continue to learn more about my children and myself every day, and every day that I am patient with my children and happy around them is a priceless accomplishment! Because naturally they learn to be patient, and they are happy!

What is the best advice you have ever been given?

The best advice that I constantly return to, is taking life one day at a time. I’ve heard that from all of my role models and heroes In my life. All we have is day. So keep your focus on today’s issues, challenges, goals, and happiness.

Not taking life too seriously, has also been advice given to me over my entire life. Mainly from my dad‘s mother, Lillian, or “Lakey” as her husband called her. My grandmother always told me not to take life so seriously, and make a joke about your problems. She would always tell me to accept what life gives you, and keep moving forward. Don’t live in the past.

What takes up too much of your time?

I think what takes up most of my time, is actually overthinking situations. One might not realize it, but overthinking is not a good thing. Take enough time to make a decision, and once you’ve made it, stick with it. Do not go back unless you have to. If I overthink the situation it could take hours, days, weeks of space in my head. And that turns into wasted time, and of course, wasted energy! Staying organized is extremely important to me. If I become unorganized, or my office gets messy, that takes up a lot of time to re-organize it. So staying on top of my organization is a key factor for keeping myself stable.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years’ time?

I see myself teaching and mentoring more and more people about real estate, the stock market, and life lessons. Life coaching is something that I would love to get into and help others as much as possible. And of course, not knowing where I’m going to be in five years is also very very exciting! It’s good to plan ahead, but DON’T forget to live in the present! As long as my family is healthy and happy, everything else will follow.

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Meet The Soul That Connects With Crna Gora: The Minister of Culture in Government of Montenegro, Aleksandar Bogdanović

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Aleksandar Bogdanović is a Montenegrin politician who is currently the Minister of Culture in Government of Montenegro and former mayor of Cetinje and representative of the Democratic Party of Socialists in Parliament of Montenegro.

Aleksandar was born in the Old Royal Capital of Montenegro – Cetinje. He attended a high school in California, and graduated from the Faculty of Management in Belgrade in 2000, as the best student of the generation. He completed his specialization at the Institute for European Policy in Berlin in 2003, while in 2004, at the invitation of the Secretary of State of the United States, he participated in the spokesperson training program in Washington. He started his career in the Ministry of Economy of Montenegro, where he worked as an advisor to the Minister and Spokesperson for the Ministry. In December 2005, he was appointed Advisor to the President of Montenegro in the field of economic relations, and in 2009 he took up the position of MP, the youngest MP at the time, in the Parliament of Montenegro. He performed the function of the Mayor of the Old Royal Capital of Cetinje from December 2010 to December 2017, when he was appointed Minister of Culture in the Government of Montenegro.

During his past engagement, he was also a member of the Permanent High-Level Group (PHLG) and a representative of Montenegro within the Athens Process. He’s an author and a co-author of several scientific-research projects and professional papers in the field of finance and economic relations. In 2006, he was appointed Youth Spokesperson for Millenium Development Goals in New York, on behalf of the United Nations System. From 2007 to 2011, he was a lecturer at the Faculty of State and European Studies in Podgorica, on the courses Public Sector Economics and EU Public Finance. He was also a guest lecturer at the University of Belgrade, the Diplomatic Academy, and the University of Sofia. Furthermore, he received several significant awards and recognitions, prominent among them being the prestigious award for the Best Mayor of the region in 2014, which he received at the ceremony for the selection of the best manager and the best company of the Southeast and Central European region. The President of Italy, Giorgio Napolitano, even awarded him the Order of the Knight of the Star of Italy in 2014, which is the most significant recognition awarded to foreign citizens for special merits in the promotion of the Italian culture. In May 2017, Aleksandar was named an honorary citizen of Miami Beach, Florida.

Global Millionaire magazine recently caught up with Aleksandar and here’s what went down:

What do you like most about being the minister of culture of Montenegro?

To perform this responsible function is a great honour, a great responsibility, and, at the same time, a demanding task, which I was entrusted with by President and Prime Minister, who I am immensely grateful to for the trust they placed in me. The fact that I have the opportunity to contribute to the prosperity of culture in Montenegro with a team of exceptional associates, with my wholehearted engagement, ability, and creativity on a daily basis, gives me the greatest satisfaction in performing my ministerial function.

What has been the most memorable experience of being the Minister of Culture?

Creating conditions for the Montenegrin society to be enriched with culture is certainly an invaluable experience for me. The Montenegrin culture has a long and extremely rich tradition, and it has always shared the challenges and successes that our society and the country have gone through. In this context, the opportunity to be, so to speak, “on the spot” when it comes to implementing a successful cultural policy based on clear and highly valued goals of the entire Montenegrin cultural being, makes me extremely proud to run this department.

What is the toughest decision you had to make in the last few months?

The past months have been and, unfortunately, still are, very difficult for the whole of mankind, as we are witnessing the relentless struggle of the planet with the COVID-19 pandemic, which has paralyzed all segments of society and human activity. At the global level, the pandemic has called into question the sustainability of many sectors, so the field of culture has not remained immune to these challenges. In order to protect human health, every day we witness that a lot of large and well-known world projects in culture are canceled, prolonged, or change their organizational and production form. The culture in Montenegro also shares the destiny of cultural events in the world, because we are in no way specific as regards the global epidemiological trends. In that context, at the end of March, in the first wave of the pandemic, in accordance with the recommendations of the National Coordination Team for Infectious Diseases, we were forced to decide to close the doors of theatres, galleries, museums, cinemas, libraries, suspend the implementation of projects. festivals … Although the decision was made in order to preserve the health of Montenegrin citizens, I must admit that personally, I find it very difficult.

To what extent were your notions of culture and cultural policy accepted by the rest of the government on an ideological and philosophical level?

From the beginning of my term of office, I have tried to affirm culture as a development opportunity for Montenegro – both in the field of further building the image of our country in the wider area, and in the fields, such as tourism. In that regard, I needed strong cooperation with all entities, especially with local ones, given that each part of Montenegro has unique cultural features that deserve wider recognition. In the implementation of such a defined vision of cultural policy, I had the undivided support and understanding of both the President and Prime Minister and the rest of the Government. In addition, on the philosophical level, as you say, we share the same notions of culture, which means that for the Government of Montenegro, culture represents much more than how most people experience it today – only through art. Culture is actually the most permanent foundation of the Montenegrin identity and collective memory of our country, one of the main pillars for building a more humane society at the general level, but also everything that makes us able to enjoy the complex diversity of human expression.

If you were to look back on your term and make an assessment, what were you pleased about and what left you disappointed?

In the almost past three years as Minister of Culture, I am primarily satisfied because we have increased investment in culture, improved spatial and infrastructural conditions in a number of institutions, but also detected potentials in the field of heritage that we have valorised in the context of cultural tourism, so now we have the first opened creative hubs in Montenegro in places that only yesterday were neglected buildings. Moreover, we have encouraged the development of creative industries, and in artistic creation, we have recognized the projects and authors whose creativity exceeds the local significance and whose poetics correspond to current artistic developments in the world. All this certainly represents a good impetus for even more dynamic and diverse development of the cultural and artistic scene in Montenegro. I believe that a healthy dose of self-criticism is a valuable driver to move forward, so I always think that things can and must be done better.

What kind of knock-on effects will the growth of the media sector have on the economy of Montenegro?

Any conversation on the topic of the media is naturally an adequate conversation on the topic of democratic organization of a society in which freedom of expression is a fundamental human right. Freedom of the media for the Government of Montenegro is the basis of a democratic society because only the free and independent media affirm what is a public good and the progress of civilization. In this context, the development of the media sector in Montenegro is a benefit not only for the economy but for our society as a whole. Since the field of media belongs to the Ministry of Culture, let me emphasize our direct contribution to the improvement of the media legislation in Montenegro. Namely, as a result of a well-thought-out media strategy, two media laws were adopted in the Montenegrin Parliament in August – the Law on National Public Broadcaster RTCG and the Law on Media, which represents a step forward in this area, since as an umbrella law, it guarantees the right to freedom of expression, freedom, and independence of the media in a pluralistic environment, and is based on the highest European standards and principles of transparency, inclusiveness, non-discrimination … I would also like to point out that in the past 18 years, since the last revision of the media legislation, Montenegro has been continuously evolving, in normative, institutional and democratic terms, on the path of creation and sustainability of the overall environment of media freedom, so the achieved level of media reforms and implementation of the European legal heritage, was generally assessed as a good level of legal compliance by international organizations.

What new actions are planned to further boost tourism in your country?

I believe that the health situation at the global level will stabilize soon and that we will all continue where we left off when it comes to tourism, because, as everywhere, the COVID 19 pandemic has had a negative impact this year on the tourist season in Montenegro. The recovery of the tourism sector is extremely important for the Montenegrin society because tourism is the most important component of the national economy. Given the existing potentials, especially natural ones, and the current level of development of the tourism industry, as well as the strategic direction of the development of Montenegro as an ecological state, tourism should be one of the most promising activities in the future economic development of Montenegro. The development of elite tourism, investments of foreign capital in infrastructure, intensive promotional campaign in foreign markets, and the entry of global brands on the domestic market have contributed to the positive trends in the tourism industry of Montenegro. To achieve even better effects, time and significant investments are required. The principles on which our strategy for further development of Montenegrin tourism is based are the highlighting of comparative advantages of Montenegro, differentiation of regions, standardization according to international standards, individualization of offer and differentiation of offering of each tourist resort, then increase in hotel accommodation capacity according to international standards of hotel units, which will satisfy the complex requirements of foreign guests. We have also recognized the great potential in further development in connecting the tourism sector with other economic activities, but also through cultural tourism, which the Ministry of Culture wholeheartedly advocates.

Deseasonalisation is one of the most important objectives for any tourist destination. Which segments and activities are helping to boost the number of visitors to Montenegro throughout the year?

Montenegro is a small country in the area, but it has an enormous wealth of natural resources: impressive mountain ranges and deep canyons, wide plains, fast rivers, Skadar Lake, and the magnificent coast of the Adriatic Sea alternate in just a few-hour ride by car. The coast and the mountains, due to their proximity to each other, are perceived as a single whole, and this is the main comparative advantage of Montenegro in the rich tourist offer among the competition, but also when it comes to deseasonalisation. Moreover, selective forms of tourism: nautical, rural, cultural, and eco-tourism, combined in a single tourist product, increase the number of visitors to our country throughout the year and, at the same time, contribute to the balanced tourist valorisation of all regions. In addition, Montenegro has a pleasant summer climate, similar to that on the Cote d’Azur, which makes it ideal for bathing tourism, while the winter in our mountains is characterized by excellent conditions for all kinds of winter sports.

Globalisation and new technologies have driven many of the changes in world tourism over the last decade. What other challenges will influence the future of the sector in your country?

In a relatively short time, Montenegro has proven itself in relation to competitive destinations in the Mediterranean region, owing primarily to the extraordinary natural beauty and favourable geographical and other climatic conditions, but also a prudent policy pursued by the Government of Montenegro in this area, as well as the efforts and achievements of tourism service providers. In this area, we have reached the international level of service quality, but also met expectations when it comes to valorisation and protection of natural resources, sustainability, and innovation. We are witnessing that globalization is rapidly changing consumer behaviour, developing transport and information technology, modifying forms of organization and labour, which all have a strong impact on tourism. In that context, the most obvious challenge of Montenegrin tourism in the future will be reflected in its ability to economically valorise numerous non-economic resources, but also in its generating and integrative function in relation to complementary sectors and non-economic activities. It is because tourism is defined today, in the global sense as well, by the desire to create partnerships in three sectoral levels (public, private and civil), with the goal of strategic development of the tourism industry and the use of resources for the economic growth of society.

Please could you also send us more information on Montenegro, in the following areas:

1) The most important places to visit.

The entire Montenegro is a genuine tourist pearl that you must visit. Beautiful mountain massifs, deep canyons of restless rivers, crystal blue sea with endless beaches, numerous lakes, but also the immense richness of its cultural heritage enable even the most demanding visitor to our country to find the best way to enjoy a quality vacation. In just one day, you can have a morning coffee on the Long Beach of Ulcinj, a tour of Kotor – a city from the UNESCO World Heritage List, lunch during a cruise on Skadar Lake, and finish it by a fireplace and with specialties of the national cuisine on the slopes of Mount Durmitor.

I hope you won’t mind, but I will also be a bit of a local patriot, so I will wish your readers, when they come to Montenegro, to visit its old royal capital, my hometown – Cetinje, located at the foot of Lovćen. The story of a town-museum, the centuries-old capital of Montenegro, and the origin of its spirituality and statehood has lasted for more than half a millennium, a town which, both with its cultural heritage and significance in artistic terms, transcends the national boundaries. Each stone of this small town has its own historical story or legend, and the patina of centuries deposited on the buildings of Cetinje carries freedom messages from past times, making it both great and famous. You will find evidence of this in the museums of Cetinje, which keep valuable testimonies of the centuries-old struggles of its defiant and proud citizens for freedom and for the rise of their own spirit through the written word and through tradition.

2) The main reasons and incentives for investors to invest in Montenegro.

Montenegro, as a small and highly open economic system, has the potential to flexibly fit into the global trends in FDI movements (Foreign Direct Investment), so it is continuously committed to improving its overall investment environment in this regard. Attracting foreign investments is one of our primary goals, taking into account their positive effect on the dynamization of production and the creation of new jobs, through the establishment of new companies. Here are a few reasons for investing in Montenegro – because of political, monetary, and macroeconomic stability; simple START UP; the liberal economic regime of foreign trade; favourable tax policy; international accounting standards; growth of economic freedoms and, above all, excellent geographical position and climatic conditions that make our country a rare gem in this part of Europe.

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Meet The Woman Behind The Cover Of The November 2020 Issue Of Global Millionaire: Abhijita Kulshrestha

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Abhijita Kulshrestha, is a Senior Director, Astrologer, Life Coach and Astro Gemologist with Gemstoneuniverse. She is a PGA and GIA certified Astro-Gemologist with additional qualifications from prestigious institutions like SSEF.

She is a mentor to several successful entrepreneurs who get benefited from her sage counsel and applying her Sacred Gemstone recommendations.

Abhijita is a communication professional and holds a Master’s degree in Mass Communication and Journalism besides being an NLP Master practitioner.

Prior to her soul-level engagement with the world of Vedic astrology, gemstones, and association with Gemstoneuniverse, she had a long stint in ‘wordsmithy’! She’s had professional stints at Mudra institute of Communications, Ahmedabad (MICA); RK Swamy BBDO, Bangalore, and Times of India. She currently contributes to Thrive Global, is a contributor at Huffingtonpost and Entrepreneur, and has been featured in several international publications of repute.

She is the author of two books – Cosmic Sutra, A Handbook of Healing (self-help/healing/spirituality), and Ambrosia Sides (Poetry) published by Har-Anand- A Leading publishing house in India.

She was the winner of the Ms. Super Brain of India contest 1999 conducted by The Competition Success Review.  Global Millionaire recently caught up with Abhijita and here’s what went down:

These are uncertain times and we would like to know about the most essential trait that businesses and leaders are talking about. How do you approach change?

When a business is established, there is always a vision behind it. I choose not to call it a dream, but a vision. Dreams are evanescent – they vanish. But visions are haunting and in a good way. They are more likely to stay until their manifestation. Good businesses are based on scalability and resilience, among other things. Basic as it may sound, it is the truth. Change is a constant and whether the founders or leaders do like it or not, it will happen externally- with paradigms shifting in terms of political, economic, social, cultural factors, etc. or through internal shifts on your personal trajectory – your own resourcefulness, age, maturity, circumstances, etc. will press on. At Gemstoneuniverse we understand the psychological and seasonal shifts that are inherent to all systems and beings, so there is relative ease in traversing changes. Of course, one cannot anticipate the nitty-gritties of the change but that there will be a requirement to change from time to time is understood well.

How has COVID -19 impacted your business?

COVID-19 has been a real eye-opener in terms of outlook – one’s own as well as what the customer wants and largely towards the environment and the superstructure that we function within. After these few initial tremors on the economic landscape, we pulled ourselves together – Gemstoneuniverse as a brand has been oriented towards providing a solution always – that is our core competency and that’s what we are known for. The very first thought was to care for our own team and I can say quite proudly that the entire team is still with us. We were not pushed into the zone of layoffs. In fact, we are in an expansion and hiring mode globally.

In fact, regrouping has been stronger and even as I say this there are initiatives afoot that will present a more responsive and empathetic team, along with consistent quality products, services and be the bankable presence that we always have been. There are efforts towards making the digital experience more rewarding for the customer, whether it is on the website or through online meetings /sessions. Gemstoneuniverse has been a consistent performer where exports are concerned, we are also looking at enhancing the experience of the local buyers as well, who now have to rely more on digital exploration and adaptation. It is all about the ease of the process and the seamlessness of it all.

Our esteemed mentor, Respected Guruji Shrii Arnav-the author of the magnum opus of Astro Gemology-The Secrets of Jyotish Gems has in fact laid the perfect example of turning adversity into opportunity by expanding into Thailand, a big gemstone hub globally. Truly, one can define reality by carefully choosing the meaning to give to the circumstances.

What are some of the key understandings that have emerged through this situation?

Amongst others, things that sound stand out quite emphatically are that loyalty, trust and credibility are irreplaceable treasures (if I may call them so) and these aren’t won overnight. You need to have the stamina to keep pushing through the years and a strong work ethic to earn them, along with a team that ensures no dilution of quality and promise. This has worked for us.

Two – People, especially clients don’t forget how you make them feel. No matter what the pulse of the time is, the experience that you provide to your customer including shared empathy, true concern, and compassion are never forgotten. This is what helps a business stand out and remain in the mind space of the customer, long after a crisis like this will have blown over.

Gemstoneuniverse is the biggest retailer of Gemstones Online and has attained the tag of Gold Standard. How do you maintain the pole position & what are some of the hurdles faced along the journey?

To have a business rooted in an ancient science like Indian Astrology/ Jyotish is a matter of pride for us and to be the pioneers of the Jyotish Gemstone Therapy an outrageously powerful system of healing with Jyotish Gemstones as developed by Guruji Shrii Arnav comes with a lot of responsibility.

We witness wonderful outcomes for people almost every day and this isn’t a one-off fluke. It is a consistent feature for us for the last two and half decades. However, we live in a world where people with half-baked knowledge or a skewed perception based on “rational/ scientific thinking” have only created confusion. In reality, if a person spends enough time studying – actually studying this discipline he or she will not be able to disprove or disregard it as they seem to, because of social proof or simply because they’ve had a bad experience with an unscrupulous person. As with any other choice, discernment and making intelligent decisions are always in the hands of the end consumer. For us, fortunately, we’ve had clientele we are equally proud of! However, shaking off the labels and perceptions takes time – the handiwork of centuries cannot be undone in a few years

The second challenge has been to have people understand the concept of precious gemstones and the value proposition that Gemstoneuniverse brings to the end consumer. The usual connotation of gems is in association with royalty or something that is typically out of reach. The gemstone industry especially the coloured gemstone market has little organisation and structure. There isn’t much knowledge and awareness about natural gemstones either when it comes to an average customer as well. We decided to put information out there – as comprehensive, open, and factual for anyone to be able to access it. To choose a precious commodity like a gemstone in a market where imitation and synthetic gemstones are aplenty, with sellers attaching impossible legends to trinkets in order to make a one-time fortune, with precedents of having been cheated in the past; buying a high-value item and investing highly valuable personal trust either, isn’t an easy job.

Gemstoneuniverse has educated, been consistent with its pricing, offered reliable, globally accepted certification by best labs and these are some of the factors that have managed to inspire confidence. The language of communication has remained consistent – this is the voice of trust and sincerity. Some of the transformations have been so dramatic that people with their official names and designations verifiable on LinkedIn & other social platforms have vouched for good changes on video!

You see it’s a slightly different business that hinges on privacy a lot, something like image consultancy – everyone wants it, takes help of it but wants the others to believe that one was born with it – the panache, success, and magnetism with no external aid in any manner. No qualms with that as customer privacy is an extremely high priority at Gemstoneuniverse.

As far as Gemstoneuniverse being the biggest source to buy Gemstones Online and being the Gold Standard in Planetary Gemology and maintaining the pole position is concerned we are constantly focussed on customer centricity, involved in relentless innovation & research, expanding our quality network to moving ahead in the Gemstone Supply pipeline so that our customers get the best quality at the least price. The philosophy of Respected Guruji Shrii Arnav is to make the customer win every SINGLE time. He says if the customer wins-we win and every single team member practices that philosophy in heart and spirit.

You are correct. The fact of the matter remains that fascination with gems and jewellery has been there in all human beings from as far back in time as we know. Can you explain this a little more?

It is no secret that all human beings are inherently drawn towards things that have beauty and those which have value to them. You can analyse your point of attraction vis-a-vis anything and these two will be the consistent factors that are invariably present in that equation. Gemstones are a delightful gift of Mother Earth that has both beauty as well as value and therefore it becomes a proposition hard to ignore.

Whether you have a luxury watch company or an exclusive phone maker or a couturier or any designer/ innovator looking at creating exceptional value in their product, they invariably use gemstones to enhance not only the visual appeal, commercial value, but also notional value and pride of ownership. Who wouldn’t feel pride in owning a real treasure!

How does one benefit from gemstones by using them in the way you seem to advise? Does it really enhance one’s luck and fortune?

There are several areas in which a person may be seeking help, a solution, or a breakthrough – professional life (gain of fame and popularity, business growth, partnership assessments, promotion, finding focus, battling odds, interpersonal dynamics, etc.); financial matters (trading, investments, increasing assets/ wealth, etc.), relationships in all their warps and wefts; health matters – (both physical and mental) and so many more things that come associated with the human condition and aspirations.

Vedic astrology helps in drawing up a map of human life that mirrors an individual’s life from womb to tomb – the horoscope or the birth chart. This in turn helps in arriving at an understanding of the planetary energies that will aid an individual and those that will play out the role of karmic teachers, whose lessons may not be easy. Planetary gem therapy is all about using natural, treatment-free jyotish quality gemstones/ Navratna Stones to harness the energy of planets that can aid us in our progress and growth. These are the top 2 percent gemstones in terms of quality.

Each of the nine planets has characteristic planetary energy and color transmitted through light, attributed to them. (Color is a component of light. A colour is energy of a specific wavelength and frequency.) Planetary gem Therapy works on the premise of the passage of light through the gemstone into the human energy system via touch. Natural gemstones are a powerful tool that helps harness the power of this solution. A person, when wearing the gemstone of an appropriate and powerful planetary energy can achieve all kinds of success.

What would you advise a person looking to create wealth?

Wealth is a very broad term and incorporates not just monetary wealth, but also one’s legacy, ideas, and human capital created and curated cautiously in one’s lifetime. In order to create true wealth, one has to have a vision – one must learn to think actively instead of being spoon-fed; must put a premium on one’s time and focus and most importantly invest in people. What also becomes imperative in terms of wealth is that it cannot be thought of without having a system that loops back into taking care of the environment we work within. Sustainability is the backbone.

Websie: https://www.gemstoneuniverse.com/

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Meet The Man Behind The Cover Of The September 2020 Issue Of Global Millionaire: The Amazing Rafah Hanna

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A veteran entrepreneur, Rafah Hanna specializes in financial technology, property, and security. He has built a career creating locally and globally diverse group of businesses that creates solutions focusing on three core values: sustainability, quality, and innovation. Having built, run, and managed financial technology and information businesses with the likes of the London Stock Exchange Group, the New York Stock Exchange, Euronext, and Deloitte, Hanna has built a strong reputation for delivery, execution, and market knowledge, creating an extensive network of contacts across various financial and data industries. He also owns a highly respected property investment company called NED Capital as well as a security company called Abchurch Group – a company that provides a global response to local and international clients’ needs in the fields of security, risk assessment, special equipment procurement, and specialist training.

Born in Iraq to a Catholic family with Chaldean roots that speaks Aramaic (the language of Jesus Christ), he views his parents as visionaries. After his parents saw the tide changing in the Middle East, they decided to come to London in the 70s to invest, contribute to the community, and build a powerful legacy. He was educated in Switzerland and the UK which gave him the skills and knowledge that enabled him to kickstart all of his businesses.

Fast forward to today and Rafah is now a successful entrepreneur with several businesses under his belt. Hanna has founded companies such as NED Capital and the Abchurch Group and his data consulting arm now serves a global client base as it continues to grow exponentially. Their clients include banks, brokers, regulators, stock exchanges, and the biggest financial website in the world.

His property investment company, NED Capital, is a unique, non-leveraged property investment company based in London that is entirely self-funded. It’s currently building a grade-one portfolio of exclusive residential and commercial assets in the UK. The goal of this company is to continue to grow their grade-one portfolio of investments via their intricate knowledge of the UK property market and unique sales approach, utilizing their fully staffed in-house team of skilled contractors, leading to becoming a publicly quoted company. His security company Abchurch Group, on the other hand, has helped to significantly reduce maritime piracy in the past four years using their specialist maritime protection team and sought after proprietary patented technology.

Incidentally, Hanna’s wife, Dr. Mahtab Hanna, is a successful entrepreneur herself hence the reason why Rafah and his wife are so compatible together. She has built, run, and managed her jewellery business for over 10 years. Her creations have appeared in numerous films and worn by various celebrities and even royalty. With her extensive qualifications (an MA from the Royal College of Art and a Ph.D. from Central Saint Martins) and a unique design approach, she has built a worldwide reputation as a jeweller of conscience.

The Global Millionaire magazine recently caught up with Rafah to discuss his journey to entrepreneurship and here’s what went down:

What are you currently doing to maintain/grow your business?

The business world is not run on “basics” anymore. It is all about innovation, evolution, and revolution.

I am spending time, effort, and money on highly specific marketing campaigns to engage prospects with the message that our trustworthy brands continue to lead their respective markets. We maintain our relevance and criticality in decision-making options and ensure that our quality shines through, not only in delivery, but in every email, video conference, and follow-up.

We have also taken a unique approach to delivery by slashing project times, as we look to act ever more in the best interests of clients. The faster we can deliver without losing any of our guaranteed quality, the sooner our clients realise the benefits of our services.

Two other practices remain vital: one, only hiring the best of the best, and two, even though the businesses are market leaders, acting like a hungry, prudent, and wise start-up.

What social media platforms do you usually use to increase your brand’s awareness?

Each business is unique and therefore needs thorough research and a detailed plan of action. I always correspond the marketing plans to a cycle of client behaviour, the cyclical nature of each business, discrete events, and budgetary matters.

The nature of my businesses does not depend on or utilise the power of social media. My focus has always been on growing businesses rather than engaging in social media.

Today, social media is an important and ever-growing tool in my companies’ brand awareness strategies.

For example, Instagram is driven by stunning visualisations and presentation and is, therefore, most suitable for businesses such as @mahtabhanna jewellery designs and collections.

LinkedIn serves to inform, educate, and engage, but it requires a more medium-term strategy rather than a short-term one.

YouTube is the perfect platform to provide a more in-depth story about a concept or business.

It is important for readers to understand that all these avenues need careful planning. Have a clear objective in mind and allow room for fine-tuning. Do not rush in and make the fatal mistake so many have made; namely, thinking that simply being “on” a platform guarantees success—the opposite is true.

What is your experience with paid advertising, like PPC or sponsored content campaigns? Does it work?

Paid advertising is growing and will only continue to do so.

I passionately believe that one of the best ways to create a market and opportunity is to educate, inform, and offer products and services that would not otherwise be marketed in a traditional way.

Sponsored marketing works! The evidence on social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn all support this assertion. These companies have grown to be some of the largest on the planet, and their revenues testify to it.

But we need to remember that their revenues are only part of the story. Paid advertising drives whole industries, fosters innovation, creates a better deal for consumers, provides massive tax income, and generates enormous employment opportunities.

What is your main tactic when it comes to making more people aware of your brand and engaging your customers? How did your business stand out?

The core tactic is to NEVER lead clients but to always be on their shoulders, taking the same journey, developing what they need in real-time, fine-tuning, and evolving.

Another primary tactic is always to deliver quality. Delivering anything less is an offense to the client, to you, your brand, your name, and those that work with and for you.

Brand awareness has changed; we use a myriad of tactics to stand out:

• Be first to deliver and announce innovation; remain relevant and borderless.
• Invert traditional marketing strategy by ensuring that every briefing contains in-depth details regarding competitor offerings – market intelligence is the antithesis of marketing.
• Utilise current affairs to progress the story.
• Utilise known figures in the industry to win, gain credibility with, and retain clients by association.
• Inform clients of changes that benefit them and illustrate the differences between the previous and the new.
• Maintain the very highest levels of investment in staff quality and ongoing training.
• Make staff the cornerstone of innovation – offer incentives to develop new products, processes, and services and reward them for trying, even if it fails.

What form of marketing has worked well for your business throughout the years?

There is no “best;” it is all about context and effectiveness. Throughout history, the most effective marketing tools have always contained three distinct elements:

1.Timing
2. Word-of-mouth
3. Recommendations

Our various businesses have what I call different routes to marketing. There is no silver bullet, but we think long and hard about spend cycles and regional and cultural differences. The biggest change has been the precision of strategic versus tactical online marketing.

For example, we ask ourselves whether we actually need to “sell” to the client directly, or if it would perhaps be better to act as their advisors. Create the conversation you want the market to have.

We no longer need to spend large amounts on general marketing; we can now target and pinpoint the exact right client or prospect base to inform and have the privilege to serve. Marketing is also not about an online presence. It might surprise people to know that one of my businesses does not even have a website yet is the absolute leader in its field.

What is the toughest decision you had to make in the last few months?

We have had the distinct privilege of not having to furlough a single member of staff or put stringent work practices in place. Instead, we have fostered a feeling and community of trust. I entrust the leaders of my businesses to be servants. They are the decision-makers, but they are also (and I never let them forget this) there to serve. To serve means to accept responsibility for outcomes, and therefore the risks and dependencies of those outcomes.

The toughest decision has been a family one; business is never what affects me most. As I read to my children at night, I always remember that their future is dependent on my decisions, not mine. You cannot go wrong doing the right thing the right way.

What money mistakes have you made along the way that others can learn from (or something you’d do differently)?

Mistakes are more important, in my view than success. You learn instantly from mistakes, whereas success leaves a memory you hold onto as you try to retain the emotional attachment of misplaced hope.

Mistakes provide you with an experience, whereas success over-feeds the ego in the short-term.

Thankfully, I had two of the world’s greatest advisors who have taken my raw thinking and morphed it into phenomenally successful global businesses and ever-evolving vision: my amazing wife, Mahtab, and my late father. Their honesty and clarity blew holes in those thick brick walls in the shape of a heart!

My answers should not surprise anyone. Many years ago my greatest mistake was arrogance: I knew better than anyone; no one knew better than me.

That attitude, until I recognised and tore it from my psyche, cost me financially and resulted in lost opportunities.

Another mistake I made was to invest a little in long-term things that won’t change instead of investing more in the short-term things that will change.

However bright your name shines in lights; you must always remember that lightbulbs have a lifespan!

What new business would you love to start?

My passion lies in creating opportunities that were not there, to begin with. The next opportunity that would pique my business interest would be creating a tradable index and fund to benchmark countries, sectors, segments, industries, and governments’ use of plastics.

This venture would deliver an inverted investment opportunity whereby humanity itself is both the investor and the investment.

If you could go back in a time machine to the time when you were just getting started, what would you do differently?

This is a good question because we never remember the acts of kindness that got us here, but we remember the opportunities that got away!

I don’t have many regrets; every small and major decision I’ve made has spurred my personal and professional growth. I have been humbled by the blessings of life.

What is the best advice you have ever been given?

Do not dislike that which may be good for you, and do not like that which may be bad for you. This quote, for me, encompasses the essence of learning.

Fear and growth cannot exist in the same space. One has to leave in order for the other to flourish.

What advice would you give to a newbie Entrepreneur setting up their first business?

To a large extent, your mental habits will determine your success.

Build deep relationships with people who have accomplished the goals you want to accomplish. Protect your idea from the very start. Think about what could go wrong and how you will deal with it; plan for failure by not resorting to laziness, self-pity, or any of the mental defeatist tools that we all carry.

If you are selling innovation, be the first to market and create your own destiny. Learn from other fields and bring those insights into your own. Always be thinking about quality: implement it; deliver it. Once you reach that state of mind, you will never allow yourself to deviate from it.

One of the proudest moments of my career was when, sitting on a flight, I overheard two people mention one of my companies and described the service they received as “truly world-class.”

Research and know your market or segment as if your children’s lives depended on it. Make sure you recruit the absolute best candidates you can at every level, be it a janitor, a developer, a salesperson, or even a business partner—they will represent you in good times, and they will fight hard for you during the bad times.

Be proud of your mistakes. If we all said “no” to evolving, we would still be living in caves!

Finally, the greatest advice I can offer when it comes to business is this: it is impossible to imagine a business leader not looking after their health and families and still being successful. Your mind is where it starts; your body powers where it ends.

Part revolution, part evolution.

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Entrepreneur Of The Week: Meet Uyanga Boldbaatar – The Founder Of Cinderella Beauty Clinic

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Uyanga Boldbaatar has always wanted to become a doctor since childhood and her mother has been by her side since day one helping her to achieve her childhood dream. To achieve this dream, she studied Oral and Maxillofacial surgery in Mongolia, Korea, and the USA, and in 2013, she finally opened her beauty clinic in Mongolia as the culmination of all her hard work. Fast forward to today and Uyanga is now the founder of Cinderella beauty clinic – a clinic that performs cosmetic surgeries and non-surgical treatments and is currently one of the top clinics in Mongolia. Besides being an accomplished entrepreneur, Uyanga also happens to be a model and in fact, she is one of the brand ambassadors for the luxurious OOGII brand.

The Global Millionaire recently caught up with Uyanga to discuss her journey to entrepreneurship and here’s what went down:

What do you like most about being a surgeon?

Surgeons need good organisational ability and effective decision-making skills. We need to be intelligent, skillful, and wiry because we don’t have the option to fail. Usually, surgery is a male-dominated field hence I feel accomplished to be a female surgeon. My profession also makes people happy and self-confident – it’s just like giving them a new life every day and that’s why I love my job.

What is most challenging about what you do?

Plastic surgery is different from other types of surgeries. Usually, physically healthy people can get plastic surgery while people who are injured and functionally abnormal or have some type of congenital disease require reconstructive surgery. Sometimes, we feel bad that we can’t fully reach our goal because many factors can affect the surgical result, but these kinds of cases are few, this is more likely to happen after reconstructive surgery. That said, we’ve always tried to make sure that all of our patients are 100% satisfied.

What do you think is the appeal of surgical specialties as compared to medical specialties?

Plastic and reconstructive surgeons do restore function and normal appearance, as well as congenital deformities on the body. So this job requires medical knowledge and a sense of art from plastic and reconstructive surgeons.

What does it take to be successful and happy in your specialty?

When I make my patients look great and they end up looking exactly the way they’ve always wanted to look, I feel like I am the happiest person on the earth.

If you were to retire tomorrow, what is your most memorable moment as a surgeon?

What an interesting question! I’ve never actually thought about that because I am too young to retire (laughs). But I want Mongolia to be one of the top countries providing plastic surgery when I eventually retire.

How has your specialty changed in the recent past and where do you see it going in the future?

Plastic surgery is developing rapidly nowadays. It is associated with the development of the countries socio-economic growth, globalization, and the growth of the health and beauty industry. Nowadays we can choose any technologies, products, and surgical techniques that we want. It is an opportunity for a better tomorrow. I am quite certain that the things we can only fantasize about in the past will eventually happen in the future.

What advice would you give to medical students interested in your specialty?

Do not ever choose this profession based on your emotional dependency. Think well and plan early. Only consistent people become surgeons. Find out who you are first. Ask yourself if can you stand and take responsibility all the time in the operation room no matter how long the entire operation will be – after that, then make your choice.

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Inside The Mind Of Internationally Recognized Leadership Expert Chris Cebollero

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Chris Cebollero is an internationally recognized leadership expert, bestselling author, Emergency Medical Services leader, and advocate who’s passionate about helping people chart a new direction, even in the midst of the most challenging of situations.

His professional history is showered with process improvement know-how. This knowledge provides executive-level support to achieve aggressive business and personal goals. He brings thought-leadership and over 25 years of organizational design success and his career has been defined by slashing costs and exploding growth in the healthcare arena. In fact, he constructed his healthcare management and small business consulting firm on that foundation.

Some of his key areas of expertise include executive coaching, leadership development, emotional intelligence, change management, Kaizen, Agile & Lean methodology practice, relationship building, business plan creation, organizational process improvement, motivational and keynote speaking, and healthcare/EMS transformation. He has been recognized for his strategic leadership as the Chief of EMS for Christian Hospital, he has been delivering inspiration to international audiences for over a decade as a highly sought-out speaker and he has also been writing bestselling books on leadership.

The Global Millionaire magazine recently caught up with Chris to discuss his journey to entrepreneurship and here’ what went down:

Could you please tell our readers a brief background about yourself and how you started your business?

The foundation of my career was spent as a paramedic in leading EMS agencies. Being able to manage multimillion-dollar organizations with hundreds of FTE’s gave me the ability to learn the finer points of leading successful and award-winning organizations. As my leadership experience grew, people were now reaching out to me to assist them in developing their leaders and teaching them the finer points of organizational process improvement. In 2014, Cebollero & Associates Consulting Group was started, focusing on Leadership Development, Organizational Process Improvement, and Individual, Group, and Executive Coaching. I am recognized as an International Leadership Specialists, Multi-Number 1 Bestselling Author, and a dynamic and engaging Motivational Teacher.

What are you currently doing to maintain/grow your business?

John Maxwell calls it the Law of Process “Leadership Develops Daily, Not in a Day.” One of the biggest mistakes is that we do not invest in our own business and professional development. I am always on the lookout to engage with my mentors, and industry leaders to hear their philosophy, understand their conceptualizations, and analyse the next sets of strategies and directions. In the current pandemic environment, it is paramount to be as fluid and dynamic as possible. We have to polish our processes, become risk-averse, and change with the times.

What social media platforms do you usually use to increase your brand’s awareness?

It really depends on the leadership product or service that is being offered. If I am targeting the Executive, LinkedIn is my platform of choice, for the newer leader, Instagram, and the middle manager, Facebook. It is truly paramount for businesses to have a strong social media footprint for new business, bit more importantly brand awareness.

What is your experience with paid advertising, like PPC or sponsored content campaigns? Does it work?

I like the PPC model of advertising. Remember, people do no buy products or services. What they buy are solutions to their problems, and it is your products and services that are the solutions to their problem or needs. A big error is that we think the way we market is the way our clients or customers want to be marketed too. But the opposite is true, we have to find the marketing ad that resonates with their needs. If we put an ad online and it gets 5 clicks, we are not reaching our target market. This will cause us to go back to the drawing board and reinvent the wheel. PPC is a great tool for spot-on targeting to the ideal client avatar.

What is your main tactic when it comes to making more people aware of your brand and engaging your customers? How did your business stand out?

I love offering free content to my present and future clients. I host the Ultimate Leadership Podcast. We have just over 100k subscribers and see 10’s of thousands of downloads. This is a great way to stay relevant and bring brand awareness. If you’re not a fan of the show come on in and join the discussion.

What form of marketing has worked well for your business throughout the years?

I love that we get a majority of our customers and clients through word of mouth. We are a company that develops custom solutions for our clients. It is this service that is appreciated by organizations. Of course, social media platforms are great to share free and paid content.

What is the toughest decision you had to make in the last few months?

2020 has been an interesting year on many fronts. With the pandemic running rampant around the world, I lost over 50% of clients. When 2020 started, I developed a series of goals for myself and business. It was important to continue along these lines of completing the established goals. Many people are throwing 2020 away as a lost year. This is a big mistake, the businesses that will come out on top are the ones that have used this as a rebuilding, polishing, and setting a new course for future operations.

What money mistakes have you made along the way that others can learn from (or something you’d do differently)?

Everyone has a product and service to sell you. In my business and personal life is either investing in these resources that did not meet the caliber of quality they mentioned they would. I wasted lots of money trying to catch the net big wave. Pay more attention to where your investments and funds go.

What new business would you love to start?

I would love to develop a next-generation online leadership academy. In the current times we are in, we are leaning to a more online and virtual business. With that said, if we are to bring more live and virtual training to those who will need it will be a great future business.

If you could go back in a time machine to the time when you were just getting started, what would you do differently?

This is a great question and one that I have tried to remember to share with clients just starting out. My advice is to gain as much knowledge and education you can along the way. This is not just about your job or career, but really becoming a student of business and leadership. One of the most common mistakes by business owners is they do not invest in their own professional development to ensure they are going the best upper hand possible.

What is the best advice you have ever been given?

I have to be honest, when I was first starting, I was a wee bit egotistical. The belief of who I was and what I was capable of was blinding. A mentor took me aside and told me this one sentence that totally refocused my direction. Those magic words were, “you are not as important as you think you are. Shut up and listen more.” It was a rude awakening that I was replaceable and needed to earn my value to the team every day.

What advice would you give to a newbie Entrepreneur?

Become a student of your craft, your business model, and the art and science of leadership. Opportunity does not happen by chance, and it is vital for your success that when the opportunity is presented, you are able to first recognize it, second, you are able to analyze it, third, you are in a position to take advantage of what this opportunity means to your business and future success.

if you want to find out more information or contact Chris you can go to his website via this link or email him directly at chris@chriscebollero.com.

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Meet The Man Behind The Cover Of The August 2020 Issue Of Global Millionaire Magazine: The Inspirational Chris Graffagnino

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Imagine if you had a crystal ball that enables you to see into your future – wouldn’t you use this crystal ball to avoid making any mistakes and use every possible opportunity to achieve success? Well, guess what? There is such a thing as a real-life crystal ball – and it comes in the form of a person you can turn to for solid advice about your business… that person is usually referred to as a “mentor.” Having a mentor is a must for any budding entrepreneur because they’re a valuable resource who have already experienced most of the challenges that you’re still currently going through. So in effect, they actually have a solution to those challenges.

Chris Graffagnino is one such mentor. Chris is a well known New York-born entrepreneur, business influencer, innovator, and avid traveler who is widely recognized as one of the most influential mentors in the world. A former law enforcement officer and combat veteran, he has used his experience in the security and risk mitigation industry and he has applied it to the business sector. With his unique skill set, Chris was able to develop a niche market in crisis management.

Chris was recently named as one of the ‘Top 10 Most Influential People in 2020’ by Yahoo Finance alongside big names such as Gary Vaynerchuk and Lisa A. Romano and for good reason. He has several accolades under his belt; besides being named as one of the Top 10 Most Influential People in 2020, he was also included in Yahoo Finance’s elusive “Top 10 Mentors to Follow in 2020” list. He has effectively developed several global businesses on and off Wall Street and he has several successful entrepreneurial ventures under his belt including a successful global risk solutions company. Chris actually specialises in business development and his passion is to help monetize a budding entrepreneurs’ ideas through his very own non-profit mentorship program “Settle4Success.” Through this detailed program, he’s helping emerging entrepreneurs develop their own businesses. He is helping them monetize and learn the ins and outs of the industry when it comes to business development and risk mitigation.

The Global Millionaire Magazine recently caught up with Chris to discuss his recent success, and find out how he is planning to continue to inspire everyone who wants to lead their business towards success and here’s what went down:

Could you please tell our readers a brief background about yourself and how you started your business?

I am from Staten Island, New York and I guess you can say I am an entrepreneur (laughs). By experience, I’m a traveler and business developer. More importantly, I am a father to my two wonderful kids – Christopher and Chloe and husband to my amazing wife – Danielle. I started my career in law enforcement and took that same service with me to Afghanistan as an infantryman in the US Army. I have culminated all of that experience in security and risk management to the private sector where I’ve helped develop niche market areas in crisis management such as security evacuation and repatriation services. In 2016, I took my own risk (no pun intended) and co-founded a global risk management firm that provides cutting edge global security and logistics products and services. Most recently, I founded Settle4Success to provide mentorship to budding entrepreneurs.

Can you describe your journey to success? When did you start? Did you ever imagine you would become this successful?

I think my journey started when I was a teenager and my brother Michael and I started a landscaping company with our dad. I was 13 at the time and my dad was my mentor. He taught me about the importance of hard work and never quitting without me even realizing it. At the time, work seemed like a chore but I had no idea the impact starting my own business at that age would have on the rest of my life, even if it did take me a while to realize it. I believe everyone has success within them. It wasn’t until I was hurt in Afghanistan at 26 years old did I start wanting more out of myself. Furthermore, it wasn’t until I was 32 years old when I started connecting all the dots from different years of my life to finally realize what I was meant to do. This was the year I left working for someone else behind and promised to never be a part of the 9-5 grind ever again.

What are you currently doing to grow your business?

Social engineering is a critical aspect of business development. I take pride in developing my network and building relationships with my clients around the world. Settle4Success is my newest venture to help enlighten those struggling with finding success. I aim to mentor as many entrepreneurial minds as I can by sharing my experiences and knowledge in the hope that I can educate and motivate people into a successful business outcome.

What social media platforms do you usually use to increase your brand’s awareness?

Currently, my largest presence is on Instagram (@iamchrisgraff, @settle4success). I also utilize Facebook and Twitter as well.

What is your experience with paid advertising, like PPC or sponsored content campaigns? Does it work?

I am very aware of paid advertising; however, I still believe in old-school social engineering, more specifically, targeting industry hashtags and accounts and engaging in direct conversation to introduce yourself and connect through similar interests. This helps build stronger, longer-lasting relationships and can ultimately provide better business exchanges. I do not sell any products or services via the internet; however, I directly engage in conversation with hundreds of social media accounts daily to continue to drive brand awareness for my mentorship platform.

What is your main tactic when it comes to making more people aware of your brand and engaging your customers?

Settle4Success is new in the sense of it providing a free platform for entrepreneurs to connect, download educational material, and network with other likeminded individuals. It is a chance to be motivated and inspired to monetize one’s ideas and dreams. The uniqueness about it is that it’s free. I always say follow your passion, not money. If you follow your passion the money will come. My passion is to help others. In the case of Settle4Success, helping others achieve their version of success through business development is my goal.

What new business would you love to start?

I think starting Settle4Success allows me to see into many new business opportunities. Who knows, I may invest or become partners with ones that catch my attention!

If you could go back in a time machine to the time when you were first making a name for yourself, what advice would you give yourself?

I would tell myself to hold on to the days of having nothing to lose a little longer. When you first start you take big risks, you have nothing to lose and stress is minimal. When you start experiencing success, you can lose everything. That fear of going back to nothing causes hesitation. You’re not willing to take on such risks anymore because you have something to lose. Although I am by no means anywhere near my finish line, I do miss the beginning phases. Enjoy those moments because that is where history is made.

Do you have any favorite business-related or personal development related books that you can recommend?

I don’t want to sound bias, but I have a book coming out end of this year – Settle For Success. I think many people will enjoy it. As far as authors go, I like Jocko Willink and Gary Vaynerchuk. They both have several inspiring books published and I have bookmarked pages that I constantly turn back to for reference.

What money mistakes have you made along the way that others can learn from (or something you’d do differently)?

Entrepreneurship is a risky business. Working in Corporate America and on Wall Street, I’ve seen major companies lose millions of dollars. Fortunately, I was able to utilize my time on Wall Street to avoid many of those mistakes. To succeed on your own, you have to undoubtedly take risks, but those risks can and should be calculated. Start small and scale as you have some experience with success. This will keep your business and any losses manageable.

What have you learned in the process of becoming wealthy that others can learn from?

Being wealthy was never my goal. Like I said, pursuing my passion was and still is. I always wanted to provide for my family. The financial status sort of came once the market started positively accepting my work. That is a great feeling. But being wealthy is organic. It’s open-ended and you have to struggle with the reality that not everyone will like you. My advice to others is to stay humble and realize there’s always something to learn, regardless of the origin nor how big you get.

What form of marketing has worked well for your business throughout the years?

My background lies within the expertise in security and risk management. In this space, relationship building is the best marketing solution. It takes a lot of sweat equity to develop and foster relationships between individuals. However, those relationships will last a long time. In business, I don’t look for ‘one and done’ clients. Developing a trustworthy relationship ensues years of collaboration.

How did your brand stand out from the rest of the other brands out there that is similar to your niche?

Right now, Settle4Success is free and it offers opportunities to connect directly with myself and other business collaborators for one on one advice and mentorship.

What is the toughest decision you had to make in the last few months?

The global COVID-19 pandemic has been tough on everyone and I think many people had to make hard decisions. For me, the hardest decision was to double down on my Settle4Success mentorship and launch throughout this period of uncertainty. S4S requires time and financial resources to launch. I decided to continue moving forward and speed up the launch date because I know there are so many people out there contemplating their careers during COVID and need to consume my information to help them make the changes necessary to succeed.

What is the best advice you have ever been given?

The best advice I was given was to always try. Win or lose, you will never have any regrets for trying.

What advice would you give to a newbie Entrepreneur setting up their first business?

When you die, there are two numbers on your tombstone. The year you were born – the year you died. Pace yourself! It is a long, stressful, rewarding road. Enjoy the dash!

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Meet The Man Behind The Cover Of The Latest Issue Of Global Millionaire Magazine: The Amazing Deven Powers Aka Mr. Hollywood

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Around 18 years ago, Deven Powers had hit rock bottom. Beaten down by life, with shattered self-esteem – his past actions of breaking the law has lead to significant jail time. He was financially, mentally, and spiritually bankrupt. At the lowest point in his life, he eventually realized that a life of crime isn’t something he wants to do for the rest of his life. After months and months of contemplation, he finally decided to pursue a vision of becoming more. In 2003 he made the conscious decision that he’s going to turn his life around by becoming a successful entrepreneur one day – so he began studying and taking classes in business management and consumer science. While he was in jail, he managed to pick up several skills, and one of which is hair styling – he learned how to braid, cut, and style hair. He never in a million years imagine that this particular set of skills would eventually lead to a very lucrative business model.

Along his journey of personal growth and self-improvement, Deven saw an opportunity to disrupt the film festival industry – he somehow found a gap in an established market. There weren’t many festivals in Los Angeles that actually catered to African American Filmmakers at the time so he decided to create a film festival that not only screened independent filmmakers but also applauded them by giving them screening blocks.

Fast forward to today, Deven Powers aka “Mr. Hollywood” is now the CEO and founder of the Black Film Festival Los Angeles, Mr. Hollywood TV Show, Mr. Hollywood Blogs, Mr. Hollywood Magazine, and Discover My Music Radio. He has also been the host of the LA Live Film Festival from 2018 through to 2020. When Deven’s not gracing the cover of magazines or hosting red carpet events, he’s hosting the “Mr. Hollywood TV show” which airs on AT & T, channel 99 in U-Verse, and channel 32 in Charter Spectrum.

The Global Millionaire Magazine recently caught up with Mr. Hollywood to discuss his journey in the entrepreneurial world and here’s what went down:

Could you please tell our readers a brief background about yourself and how you started your business?

Hi, my name is Deven Powers and I’m The founder and CEO of the Black Film Festival Los Angeles, Mr.Hollywood magazine, Mr.Hollywood blogs, Mr.Hollywood TV show, and Discover My Music Radio. I built my first business “Mr.Hollywood Styles” 10 years ago, as an independent hairstylist mainly braiding and cutting hair. I saved almost every dime I made from the business for a period of 5 years. I was determined to save and I even became homeless at one point in time living in my car just so I can save money in order to be able to invest in The Black Film Festival Los Angeles. My sacrifices eventually paid off because now, my idea is worth millions.

Can you describe your journey to success? When did you start? Did you ever imagine you would become this successful?

My story is actually quite unique. My journey wasn’t an easy one, it began 18 years ago when I was just a young 19-year-old kid sentenced to a stint prison. During my incarceration, I turned my life around and realised that a life of crime wasn’t something I wanted to do for the rest of my life so I decided to make a career change by becoming an entrepreneur. Back in 2003, I began studying and taking classes in business management and consumer science to better myself. by learning the ins and outs of business marketing and consumer spending. Although I was originally trapped under unfortunate circumstances, I made the best out of the situation by turning my life around and becoming a better person and decision-maker. During my incarceration, I picked up several trades – one of them is becoming a hairstylist. I learned how to braid, cut, and style hair. Which would later in life help me to start and invest in my first business. I never in a million years would have imagined that a hairstyling trade would eventually lead to a concept that’s earning millions of dollars in revenue.

What are you currently doing to maintain/grow your business?

Online marketing such as adding SEO to my websites, Facebook promo ads, Instagram promo ads, Pinterest ads, TV and Radio commercials, as well as appearances along with magazine promos.

What is your main tactic when it comes to making more people aware of your brand? How did you stand out?

My main tactic is effective marketing and presentation. First I have to find a way to market my event to the right audience and I also have to make sure that my brand is appealing to that specific market. For example, if I’m promoting my music I’ll find out what type of music caters to people who are aged between 13-35. I even go as far as doing research and finding out what colour schemes appeal to the audience. I do that by researching other successful brands in my field.

One of my other main tactics is to approach things from a gorilla marketing standpoint. I find a void in a particular market and I target it by providing the need. For example, I would email blast and set up promo ads based on the age and demographics of the target audience.

What form of marketing has worked well for your business throughout the years?

Email promotion. I would gather thousands of emails and send clients up-to-date news flyers. I also use Facebook and the old school word of mouth mixed with building a powerful brand reputation.

How did your brand stand out from the rest of the other brands out there that is similar to your niche?

My brand stood out because for a while in Los Angeles there weren’t many festivals that catered to African American filmmakers. I created a film festival that not only screened independent filmmakers but applauded them by giving them screening blocks.

What is the toughest decision you had to make in the last few months?

Whether or not to run digital ads or to physically print flyers. Believe or not the old school way of marketing still works.

What money mistakes have you made along the way that others can learn from (or something you’d do differently)?

Early on in my career, I used to rely on my feelings when it comes to making an executive decision. But I soon learned that was a bad idea. I’m not going say to my readers and fans to not trust their gut instincts when it comes to making executive decisions because sometimes your gut feeling is right. But when it comes to investing, don’t take anyone’s word for it, please do your research. Take up a few online courses to find out what you can do to improve your business by successfully targeting a market. I can’t emphasize enough the importance of marketing and planning – you can never plan enough. I learned early on that if you fail to plan then you plan to fail. In the past, I failed to create the right business plans which in turn caused me to lose money. I .would have definitely written a stronger business plan so that my weekly, monthly, and yearly goals would have all been properly documented.

What have you learned in the process of becoming wealthy?

I’ve learned that it’s not easy. You’re going to have many sleepless nights and you’ll also run into several unforeseen obstacles. With most of my past businesses, the main issue I ran into was business planning and time management issues. Lots of businesses fail because they don’t market their business correctly.

What new business would you love to start?

I’d love to start a basketball league. I’m in the process of starting a league called the NSBA TOUR.

If you could go back in a time machine to the time when you were just getting started, what would you do differently?

I would do more business planning and organizing my business structure as well as more brainstorming.

If you could go back in a time machine to the time when you were first making a name for yourself, what advice would you give yourself?

I would tell myself not to listen to the haters and dream killers. Remove them from your circle and surround yourself with positive and successful people and spend your money wisely. So many times especially with newer business owners, we invest money in things that we want instead of things that we need. For example, I could purchase a new computer but then a good, used one with up-to-date software can easily get the job done anyway. Make sure you create a list to identify the difference between what you “want” and what the business needs.

What is the best advice you have ever been given?

To believe in yourself before others can believe in you. You have to believe in yourself first.

What advice would you give to a newbie Entrepreneur setting up their first business?

Keep God first and pray over your business. Ask God. or your higher power to lead you and guide you in making successful business investments. That’s a secret I’ve learned – you need to manifest your destiny successfully. All great ideas start as a thought first which becomes a word then becomes an action. Which is what I would call the process of creation. Everything in life is all energy so the energy you put out there is what comes back from the universe. Therefore, you need to expect the unexpected. You need to also sure that you have partnership contracts ready to pass on to future investors. I’m going to leave you with this quote: Never give up because if I can make it in business with the odds stacked up against me then you can make it too! To all the readers out there, I represent hope and I’m living proof that you can turn your life around.

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Meet The Man Behind The Cover Of The Latest Issue Of Global Millionaire Magazine: The Inspirational James Purpura

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Around 17 years ago, James had hit rock bottom – beaten down by life, with shattered self-esteem. His addictions had resulted in jail time. He was financially, emotionally, and spiritually bankrupt. At the lowest point in his life, he met his future wife and business partner, Steph, and together they pursued a vision of becoming more.

Along their journey of personal growth and self-improvement, James and Steph saw an opportunity to disrupt an industry that ironically appeared to be perpetually stuck in the dark ages – the personal development industry. As a rag to riches, a non-formally educated, successful tech founder with a serious interest in philosophy, James recognized the uniqueness of his position to disrupt the personal development industry for the better.

Together, James and Steph felt an urgency to pursue their life mission to inspire individuals to tap into their unlimited potential and push humanity forward through a personalized combination of philosophy, science, technology, and community. They agreed it was time to launch their next venture, Powerful U, The World’s First Personal Evolution Company. James and Steph and their team have published a book, produced an award-winning movie, developed a game-changing personal perception assessment, and launched the Powerful Universe, a global platform for teaching and learning personal evolution. James has built strong international partnerships and an influencer network that already reaches over 50 million followers. Onstage and on camera, James is compelling, authentic, riveting and has enriched audiences around the world.

The Global Millionaire magazine recently caught up with James to discuss his journey to entrepreneurship and here’s what went down:

Could you please tell our readers a brief background about yourself and how you started your business?

Only two years removed from solitary confinement in jail, I began my journey into the tech world. In 2007, I took a chance on a small construction software start-up called PlanSwift. I quickly ascended to Vice President of Sales and then, a year later, took over as President and became an equity partner in the company. Under my leadership, PlanSwift grew from $8,000 a month in volume to over $1,000,000 a month in volume and over 50,000 customers in 24 countries, becoming one of the most well-known and largest technology companies in the construction industry.

In 2013, I lead the M & A process to sell PlanSwift to a firm outside of Chicago called Textura. Shortly after joining Textura, I helped the company go public. Over the next few years, I ran four different business units at Textura and played an instrumental role in facilitating a $650 million exit of Textura to Oracle. I spent six months working as a Vice President at Oracle before negotiating the purchase of my original business, PlanSwift, back from Oracle. Again at the helm of PlanSwift, I quickly led the company to generate sufficient revenue to repay the purchasing costs, positioning PlanSwift as an attractive acquisition target. With PlanSwift firmly established, I negotiated a lucrative sale to a large competitor, allowing me to exit and pursue my dream of creating the world’s first personal evolution company.

Can you describe your journey to success? When did you start? Did you ever imagine you would become this successful?

I started my journey to success in a jail cell, solitary confinement as a matter of fact. As I was standing there envisioning what I would make of myself when I got out every night I would yell as loud as I could that I would make the greatest comeback of all time. So yes, I imagined it but believing it took a while.

What is your main source of income?

After selling my technology company, I made some fairly strategic investments, one of which was a large commercial real estate office which is currently my largest source of income.

What are you currently doing to maintain/grow your business?

Our business is a little different than most peoples. In an attempt to start a grassroots movement in the personal development space, we’ve spent a lot of time and money to build platforms and services to reach people at scale by facilitating access regardless of their social-economic status. Most of our focus to this point has been geared around impact, not revenue. We believe that by focusing on impact first, generating massive amounts of revenue will be a natural byproduct of the massive impact we create in the world.

What social media platforms do you usually use to increase your brand’s awareness?

Mostly Facebook and to a lesser degree Instagram. We believe Facebook still has the largest reach and impact for the population at large.

What is your experience with paid advertising, like PPC or sponsored content campaigns? Does it work?

In my original technology company, we did massive amounts of paid advertising campaigns but success in that area is always dictated by having a substantial number of people already searching and looking for your products. Another key piece is having a price point associated with your product that supports that type of advertising model. Lower cost viral type initiatives do not work without massive amounts of investment money to fund those types of companies in the early stages of their development.

What is your main tactic when it comes to making more people aware of your brand and engaging your customers? How did your business stand out?

To this point, in our new business, we don’t have one because we are just now starting to take our products and services to the market. In the early stages, it’s important to try all of the different tactics to see which ones resonate with your potential customer base.

What form of marketing has worked well for your business throughout the years?

In a business to business software technology with an established market, Google ad words seem to be the most effective. In the early stages of this new business which is direct to consumers, it’s looking like social media marketing is more effective.

How did your brand stand out from the rest of the other brands out there that is similar to your niche?

We strive to have the best quality products and services that are based on solid scientific principles at the most affordable price.

What is the toughest decision you had to make in the last few months?

In every business that I’ve ever been involved in, there is a point in time that tests your conviction about what you are doing to the ultimate test, and very often it is the difference between success and failure. When you can stand and make a commitment to put it all on the line or more than you ever thought, that is the true test of an entrepreneur. With my new business, that test has come in the last few months as it related to continuing the business in lieu of what is going on in the world with the pandemic.

What money mistakes have you made along the way that others can learn from (or something you’d do differently)?

Do not put all of your assets into things that cannot be liquidated easily in an economic downturn. The worst thing that can happen is something like a pandemic that comes along where you find yourself in a cash shortfall even though you have plenty of money tied up in different things like real estate projects.

What have you learned in the process of becoming wealthy that others can learn from?

Accumulating wealth is never about doing, it is only ever about becoming which is why so many start-ups end up firing the original founders. They focused all of their attention on what they needed to do rather than what they needed to become and their own businesses quickly outgrew them. The thing you need to know is that your business can never grow faster than you do and if it does you will no longer be a part of it.

What new business would you love to start?

I could tell you but I would have to kill you! No, good entrepreneur give their secrets away. Just kidding! I am already running the business that I have always wanted to start.

If you could go back in a time machine to the time when you were just getting started, what would you do differently?

Put simply, enjoy the journey more.

If you could go back in a time machine to the time when you were first making a name for yourself, what advice would you give yourself?

A simple understanding that not everybody is going to like you.

Do you have any favourite business-related or personal development related books that you can recommend to other entrepreneurs?

Its called “Perception: Seeing is Not Believing” by James & Steph Purpura. Outside of the book my wife and I wrote sharing all of the information we wish we had before learning the hard way, the “Optimal Leader” by Mark Hattas is also fantastic!

What is the best advice you have ever been given?

Success and all of the wonderful things in life were only ever about being of service to others. The way to get what you want is by helping others get what they want.

What advice would you give to a newbie Entrepreneur setting up their first business?

Fail early and fail fast. Don’t be afraid to fail.

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How to Develop a Millionaire Mindset in 5 Simple Steps

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To become a millionaire – this is what many people want to be in their life. It may seem to be too ambitious, but there is nothing wrong about having such a dream. However, as we all know, it is easier said than done. We can all dream of it, but not everyone can achieve it. Your journey towards financial success will not be easy, but if you know how to do it, such will be possible. With this, keep on reading and learn from the insights that we will be sharing on how to be rich. You need to develop a mindset that will help to fuel the realization of your goal.

Visualize and Claim It

If you want to be a millionaire, the first thing that you have to do is to claim it. You need to be focused on your goal and visualize it. I can do it, and I will do it – this should be your way of thinking. You should always stay positive. Emphasize the things that will happen once you have accumulated millions of money. Where should I go? What should I buy? What business should I establish? Thinking about these things will help for you to not lose track of your goal.

Surround Yourself with the Right People

Your external environment will also have a huge role to play. With this, if you are thinking of how to be a millionaire, choose your friends wisely. Be cautious about the people around you. Stay away from those who will drag you down. Be friends with people who will encourage you. Look for an inspiration. By being surrounded with millionaires, you will be more motivated, and you will gain insights that will help you achieve your dream.

Invest Your Money

This is one thing that may seem to be basic, yet ignored by many. To be a millionaire, you must know how to grow your finances. Do not just spend it on anything. You need to carefully choose where to put your financial resources. You need to brave enough to take risks, but make sure that every move is carefully calculated.

Never Stop Learning

Invest in yourself. Read books. Enroll in online courses. Attend seminars. These will provide you with insights on how to be rich, including financial strategies that can prove to be effective. Learn everything that you need to know about market and economic fundamentals.

Rise Up From your Failure

If you fail, this should not be a reason for you to give up. If you want to be a millionaire, you should consider failures as opportunities for learning. Ask yourself about what went wrong, and more importantly, what can be done to prevent failures in the future.

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Inside The Mind Of An Innovative Genius: The Top Secrets To Entrepreneurial Success By Madame Methven

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Meet the woman who has awakened the Dominatrix in every woman through her timeless and sensual lingerie line.

Kaila Methven is the brains behind possibly the world’s most expensive lingerie label, and she’s not only successful she’s also drop-dead gorgeous.

Kaila’s family once upon a time owned The Rainbow Unlimited Chicken Company (RLC), which used to supply 90 percent of KFC’s poultry. After inheriting her family’s sale of RLC shares back in 1991, Kaila decided to step away from the fried chicken business and focus instead on a much sexier line of work: a luxury lingerie company.

At just 16 years old, Kaila interned at her first Paris Fashion Show and went on to earn a Master’s Degree from the International Fashion Academy – Paris. She completed advanced training at Polymodo in Florence.

Kaila has so far been featured in Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, and Maxim and she has dressed some of today’s sexiest stars including the likes of Demi Lovato, Katherine McPhee, The Kardashians, and more.

The Global Millionaire Magazine recently sat down with Kaila to find out more about her entrepreneurial journey and here’s what went down.

How did you become an entrepreneur? Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I’ve always loved negotiating. My parents told me I would probably grow up to be a lawyer, I’ve always had a lot of momentum and drive even as a small child I was always very competitive. I have always been used to calling all the shots, which is something I enjoy even today as a business owner. The creativity involved in running a corporation is something I greatly enjoy on a daily basis as is seeing the ROI (Return on Investment) on all my investments.

How did you get your idea or concept for the business?

I always loved to draw and I was inspired by the fashion industry. When I went to University, I majored in costume design and lingerie, the business was the next step in me working as a designer for myself instead of a worldly corporation.

As an entrepreneur, what is it that motivates and drives you?

Art inspires me. Love inspires me. So do sensuality and passion. Passion for everything you do is a must otherwise it’s a waste of your time and money.

In one word, describe your life as an entrepreneur.

Divine.

What would you say are the key elements for starting and running a successful business?

An amazing team is the key, plus flexible internal infrastructures and key devotion to time.

How do you generate new ideas?

The world is my canvas. I use everything I encounter as momentum to generate out of the box content. I’m normally the one on my team pushing the envelope and I do this by being open to change.

How did you build up an entrepreneurial spirit, do you believe you were born with it or you developed it?

Both. I was always competitive as a child, but developing real-world experiences definitely helped me perfect the art of winning the game.

What is unique about your business?

I sell a fantasy! Wearable art is the art of seduction and I’m promoting female power with everything I sell to motivate my clientele. My brand grew from couture custom made stage wear into five new contemporary priced collections for mass-market which now includes lingerie, swim, sequins, lace and festival wear.

What sort of marketing do you do to make your image and brand more appealing to the audience?

We do a bunch of stuff from social media, Amazon, ads, parties, and other PR work.

What has been the most rewarding part of your business?

Dressing celebrities and having high-profile clients appreciate my talent as a designer. The pay-off is in my heart and soul. Collaborating with other successful CEO’s is also something I greatly enjoy. I’ve recently been in talks with edm.com and I Want EDM as I prepare to launch my new EDM festival wear collection for 2020.

What was your mission at the outset?

To design couture lingerie, art for the bedroom that induces love and admiration for single people and couples.

What do you hope to see happen in the near future for small businesses in the US?

More female entrepreneurs are something that the USA really needs to succeed. For far too long America has been dominated by men and we women have a lot of talent that is ready to be seen. Men are the tip of the iceberg.

Has your business been recently affected by the COVID-19 crisis?

Thankfully no, but the severity of the effects of COVID-19 worldwide and with the medical industry unable to find a cure for it at the moment has encouraged and motivated me to invest in finding a remedy to help. This is a cause I am so passionate about, as are millions of other people around the world. I want to channel my philanthropic efforts into helping find a cure and potentially saving the lives and livelihoods of millions of people. My charity, “PLUR Association” is also here to help combat the outrageous unemployment rate.

What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs who are starting out?

Be passionate about your goals and dreams, do your market research and hire a driven team that adds value to your master plan.

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Meet The Woman Behind The Global Millionaire Magazine’s Latest Cover: The Amazing Brianna Rooney

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Brianna Rooney was initially hired as a recruiter, a career she knew nothing about, yet somehow she managed to thrive in it and even enjoyed every second of it. Two years later, she came to a point where she didn’t feel that the company she worked for was doing her justice. Eventually, she decided to walk out of her job with no plan whatsoever because she just knew she wanted to do better, more quality work – and that’s how Techees was born. Techees is a team of recruiters that collaborate well together and help connect companies and candidates.

Today she’s 34 years old, she owns her own company called Techees, she also has three houses, as well as a  top 100 restaurant (www.mouthfuleatery.com). We recently caught up with Brianna to talk about her company and her entrepreneurial journey and here’s what went down:

Could you please tell our readers a brief background about yourself and how you started your business?

I am a bundle of energy! No coffee has ever entered my body unless you count Dreyers coffee ice cream. I played soccer, swam the butterfly and wrestled in high school. Wrestling was definitely my favorite. I am very competitive, I love playing games, I enjoy dancing crazy and I’m a huge Disney/Disneyland fan.

I was originally hired as a recruiter, which is something I knew nothing about. I thrived in it and enjoyed every second. Almost two years later, I came to a point where I didn’t think things at my current company were being handled the way they should’ve been. I realized how much lives we were changing by recruiting. Before, it just seemed like any sales job. Eventually, it hit me like a ton of bricks – it was so much more. So I walked out with no plan. I just knew I wanted to do better, more quality work. My boss at the time was going to fix the situation and reach out to me by the end of the day Tuesday. I woke up Wednesday morning, there was still no phone call. I was at a crossroads and I felt that I had nothing to lose. I decided to start Techees a couple of hours later. By noon on Wednesday, my old boss called with a solution. I told him it was too late and here I am.

Can you describe your journey to success?

It’s been a long road but it seems to have passed with a blink of an eye. I have made a ton of mistakes. Some financial, some employee hires, managerial issues and I have also been overwhelmed almost the entire time. When I say overwhelmed, I don’t mean that as a bad thing. I was never trained or prepared for my journey. Everything I do, I do with my gut and my instincts. If I misstep, I get back on track as fast as I can and don’t worry about the mess I made. 85% of the time I have been incredibly happy with how Techees has turned out. Most of the time I make decisions lightning speed. There have been a couple of times where took me too long and those are the ones that take up that 15%. I love what I do and I’m so lucky to be surrounded by the people I have in place. The journey to success is more fun than challenging. I think it’s all about how you look at things. You create your positive and everything will go your way, just sometimes you might have to intervene with some hard work.

When did you start?

I started recruiting when I was 22 years old, in 2007.

Did you ever imagine you would become this successful?

I always knew I’d be successful. I always assumed I’d be rich and famous. I don’t know if that’s just something all kids think. Either way, I didn’t only think it, I believed it. I think that’s how things happen. You need to believe you can, and then you will.

What is your main source of income?

My main income is from recruiting. It has been for the last 10 ½ years.

What are you currently doing to maintain/grow your business?

I make sure I always do quality work. That’s how you grow your business in recruiting. I have hired up to 8 people. I think that’s a perfect size. We collaborate well and there’s no voice that’s lost.

In the last year, I have been asked a few times to train in-house recruiters of clients I already work with. I have always known that recruiters as a whole, aren’t trained well. That’s why Techees always had the upper hand. I very much believe in the fundamentals. My colleagues, Emily Stellick, Ben Markowitz and I, all decided this was happening too often. It was good money and great exposure for us. However, we didn’t have enough time to do what we love; and that’s recruiting. We decided to make our training accessible to the masses and change an industry for the better. In about two weeks, our 3-hour e-course will be available for the World.

What social media platforms do you usually use to increase your brand’s awareness?

Recently I have been using Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to get The Millionaire Recruiter name out there. That’s where we’re featuring the e-course, the book I wrote, articles I’m featured in, and other fun things.

#2

What is your experience with paid advertising, like PPC or sponsored content campaigns? Does it work?

I actually haven’t done any paid advertising or content campaigns.

What is your main tactic when it comes to making more people aware of your brand and engaging your customers? How did your business stand out?

With Techees, our reputation has been through word of mouth. Really there is so much business out there for recruiters, we have never had a hard time. Either they find us, or we find them. When you do great work, especially within an industry that has an awful reputation. It seems to be fairly easy to stand out. We make sure to get recommendations on Linkedin and we have a nice client list we don’t mind sharing.

What form of marketing has worked well for your business throughout the years?

Again, we haven’t done any marketing. I know with The Millionaire Recruiter we will start that soon. With getting my name out there as The Millionaire Recruiter, that will surely get Techees name out there as well. Techees is the foundation The Millionaire Recruiter was built on.

How did your brand stand out from the rest of the other brands out there that is similar to your niche?

Techees doesn’t spam resumes, we don’t force companies down candidates throats and we make sure to keep in touch throughout the process on both sides. Techees is great at finding the specific candidates our clients are looking for. We don’t compromise quality with quantity. We’d rather send one amazing resume a week than 8 “just okay” resumes.

What is the toughest decision you had to make in the last few months?

The toughest decision I’ve had to make is the one to go forward with being an influencer. I’m putting myself out there, my work, my beliefs and so much more. I love my industry and I love what I do. I have developed a phenomenal company, fantastic employees and an overall great culture. I have industry “secrets” that I’ve kept close. Yet, now I’m releasing them. I have mixed feelings. At the end of the day, I want to give back to an industry that has treated me so well. I believe in what we do and I want to make an impact in the lives of current recruiters and in the lives of people that I will be getting into it.

What have you learned in the process of becoming wealthy that others can learn from?

I wish I lived somewhere in between the Brianna at 24 and the Brianna now, at 34. Each year I make more money, therefore, each year I spend more and more money. I do have 2 kids now so I blame them. I wish I saved like I didn’t have money. I know many people in my life that on paper, doesn’t do as well financially. Yet, I’m sure they have a lot more money saved. The problem is, I’ve always been a spender. Even when I didn’t have money to spend. So now that I have money to spend, sometimes I don’t make the best choices. However, I do believe in “living”. You only get one try, so you might as well go for it. You can’t take your money with you. My advice is, don’t live like you’re broke, but don’t live like you’re rich.

What new business would you love to start?

I have many businesses I’d love to start. I get itchy to do things. I would say right now, the one I really want to do is a Nerf Gun Play Place. My son is 4 and he loves nerf guns. It’s really fun. We set up forts, targets and also have drawing contests of the Nerf guns we want to invent. He gets really creative with all of it. I think it’s great for kids to be able to get wild, think strategy, and build teamwork in an environment that is safe. We’ve done the laser tag thing which is fun. Paintball is too dangerous and expensive. So the in-between for us, and I think ages 4-Adult, would be Nerf. Fun for the whole family. Plus, I’d be the coolest mom in the World.

If you could go back in a time machine to the time when you were just getting started, what would you do differently?

If I could have gone back in time, I wouldn’t have made my business partner a full partner. I also would have had a well thought out buyout agreement. We parted ways almost two years ago.

If you could go back in a time machine to the time when you were first making a name for yourself, what advice would you give yourself?

If I could go back in time, I would have branched out and made my name known earlier on. I would have met with more and more clients in person and gone to meetup groups. I was either shy, lazy or both. I never liked technology, even those it’s the industry I work in. Or I should say, I don’t like social media. Yet, social media is so powerful and I should have taken advantage of it a long time ago. Networking is crucial, and I wish I would have told myself that years ago.

Do you have any favorite business-related or personal development related books that you can recommend to other entrepreneurs?

I stumbled upon Grant Cardone’s “Millionaire Booklet”. It’s a quick, no BS read. I like how he addresses our society not being in favor of talking about money. Yet, that’s what makes the world go round. People think lower of you if you flaunt your money. Or want to dislike you if you’re super successful. Really, people just want to make themselves feel better for not reaching the success you did. I don’t know why people can’t just be happy and motivated by you. This booklet put a fire under my ass that I was very much needing. You go through your career in waves. This is my high tide and I’m ready.

What is the best advice you have ever been given?

My stepdad has had his own business for 30 years now. He always says, “What’s the worst thing that can happen? You can always make more money”.

What advice would you give to a newbie Entrepreneur setting up their first business?

Just do it! Don’t let fear get in the way. Channel that fear into the drive you need to get things done. Set your dreams/goals right away. Pick five things you want to accomplish this year and have laser focus. Write them down daily, put them on a post-it for you to see often. Repeat your life goal in your head over and over again. It’s all about making sure you yourself, believe in what you’re trying to accomplish. Never ever worry about making a mistake and failing. You will make many. Just make sure you learn and never make the same mistake twice. Last but perhaps the most important. Make sure you celebrate and acknowledge your accomplishments. If you don’t celebrate the highs, you won’t know what a low is.

A,Group,Of,Diverse,Entrepreneurs,Sitting,Around,A,Modern,Conference

How This Man Made The Leap From Factory Worker To Multi-Millionaire

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Confident businessman standing on the building rooftop while looking at the silhouette of cityscape at dusk time

Justin Wang is the CEO of The Property Investors Alliance (PIA) and is a wealthy individual in more ways than one. This is in terms of both his financial acumen and his deeply philosophical base of personal knowledge – gained as an offshoot of his Chinese heritage and cultural influences.

He built PIA at the time where he realized the profitability of the Sydney residential property. His considerable charisma would go on to spearhead a veritable empire of altruistic financial freedom. Now that he is on top of his game and sitting pretty, Wang takes a moment to share his story.

From his humble beginnings as a factory worker when he migrated to Australia to his ultimate prosperity as a property mogul, what follows are some gems on entrepreneurial endeavour – ‘the teachings of wealth’ – direct from the man behind the success.

The humble beginnings

Wang associates his accomplishments with always insisting upon his dream, despite his humble origins. “I always believe as a child that if you have a dream, that if you can keep it and be ambitious, that you will eventually achieve it,” he says.

He credits his grandmother with instilling the crucial discipline for fostering his innate abilities. His upbringing was greatly influenced by the Chinese tradition. Speaking about his grandmother he recalls “she always taught me how to be useful and to accumulate good karma”.

It was this fortuitous and fruitful approach – of understanding the process of giving and receiving – that would prove to be of great importance in Wang’s professional life. “My success is measured in two folds – one is financial freedom and the other is helping people,” he explains.

Finding a calling

When Wang became a teacher, he noticed his colleagues struggling with money concerns. It was here that he found a way to ‘give back’ and to ‘find his calling’ – all in the one serendipitous instance. He was able to align his spirit of collaboration with his skill for finance to ‘break the mould’.

Wang explains that only ‘a few people work for fun’ whilst most work ‘for the bread and butter – for survival’. Luckily, in his lifetime he was able to transcend a mediocre existence for one that met loftier goals – but, it was an experience that was not without its fair share of trials and tribulations.

He elaborates “I resigned from being a high school teacher, I wanted to try something else and eventually I came to Australia – because I wanted to find financial freedom. However, I found it very difficult at first to make money in this country, even though the income is higher here than in China I could only save a few dollars.”

Making the dream a reality

Even though Wang initially felt frustrated with his lot in Australia, he quickly found a way to remedy the situation. This was how PIA was born. ‘Ever since I created this concept it has been going well,” he says with an easy sense of confidence.

Wang, once more, credits the realization of his dreams to his two-fold approach to prosperity. “To illustrate my definition, I invest in a business and then I advise others to do so. If I didn’t do that, I probably would not have achieved so big a portfolio as I currently hold today,” he divulges.

He always tells his staff to “make an investment yourself and then share with other people”. In this way, Wang likens the process to a turbomachine, or to an ecosystem. “By doing this information will spread quickly and it will leverage the property,” he says.

The wheels in motion

Now a firmly established enterprise, Wang’s business is a thriving entity built on three symbiotic branches. The keyword here is ‘alliance.’ “What we’re doing is all related to property for the investors. In today’s language, this corresponds to the concept of a ‘platform.’ I believe that the whole industry must be integrated,” he attests.

The modern digital world and its propensity for networking is the perfect facilitator for a collaborative environment – one that works greatly in Wang’s favour. “The more and more that individuals use the PIA platform to start their own portfolio and business, the more everyone wins.”

Wang adds “my business partners don’t actually work for me, rather they engage in the platform and set up their individual businesses. The internet provides and connection for everyone and it makes the connections almost feel physical.”

Entrepreneurial advice

For Wang, the priority of a business owner always lies with the stakeholder/s. This includes all parties to the arrangement, as well as the interests of society as a whole. He gives an example: “in looking after my real estate agent, I also must consider the investors and their client’s interests, aka the purchaser. It goes beyond this, extending to the developer and the entire community.”

This holistic approach is the cornerstone of Wang’s success, and functions as a valuable lesson in entrepreneurial tactics. “If we consider all sides then the business won’t encounter any undue difficulties. If you are not taking care of all sides, you would think that this would jeopardize one parties’ interest – and, then you would most likely find this would cause trouble for your business,” he elucidates.

In engaging his customers, Wang is very focused on listening to his people. This comes down to transparency. “We deliver the truth about the Sydney property market through the thorough knowledge that is easily digestible. We provide the best strategy to assist them with investing,” he says.

It’s also about anticipating needs, saving customer’s valuable time and ‘going the extra mile.’ Wang explains “in hiring a PIA consultant, you are provided a flexible service. We are prepared to go to people’s homes after hours, and we always handle things in an efficient and hassle-free manner.”

Concluding thoughts

Justin Wang is the embodiment of the self-made businessperson. From unassuming beginnings to a life as a property magnate – he now personifies the paradigm for financial freedom. It always comes down to abundance as generated by collaboration. “Life is not about yourself, your wealth and your fame. Sharing and inspiring other people is more fun than being successful by yourself,” he says.

Wang’s favourite quote? A line from a book by Zig Ziglar. “If you can help other people achieve what they want, you can achieve everything you want.” It’s certainly a poignant ‘teaching of wealth’ with many applications – especially for those seeking out their own future as an entrepreneur.