Archive for November, 2007

Is social entrepreneurship growing in Malaysia?

November 27, 2007 at 12:25 am · Filed under Awesome Coaching

Greetings from Malaysia,

Dine and Deal with Dave met up with TEN ++ inspiring social entrepreneurs in the Malaysia capital of Kuala Lumpur! For details about what dndwd is all about check out www.dineanddealwithdave.com
Following an inspiring lunch, Dave met with 30++ social entrepreneurs for the XL Entrepreneur Life Shift program in KL.
A key question that I was asked was that set the tone for the weekend was:  If Entrepreneurs are going to be the major shift agent for the planet, to en-lighten the burdens of the past, to shift awareness from scarcity to abundance, and to really make a positive contribution in terms of the four main areas of
1) mother earth and the environment, 2) health and wellness, 3) education, and
4) peace & prosperity,

How is Malaysia doing and can I give any specific examples? (nice question!)
So to answer this question, I decided to borrow a phrase from one of my mentors and friends Paul Dunn and answer  the question starting out with a few WOWs!
WOW # 1 – Environment - Country managers Steven & Jackie Khong along with LiLian have arranged a XL Malaysia Eco Adventure Camp for friends, families and associates to learn more about the eco-systems and to experience some camping adventures. The dates are 15-16 of December and for more details contact Malaysia@resultsfoundation.com – a very nice way to learn about mother earth!  
WOW # 2 – Health & Wellness - with over seventeen years experience in the health and wellness industry, Jason has launched the first women’s only fitness centers in Malaysia. Three have been launched and this has caught the eye of a leading hotel chain who would like to get involved with Jason and his team. Deal Maker Sean has often to work with Jason and super supported LiLian to move the adventure forward. Investors are welcome and this good has global potential. Right next to Jason is Raul, with nine years experience in the fitness industry and he is looking to launch holistic centers and is busy building his team for a launch in 2008.
WOW # 3 – Education – what does an architect with a passion for learning do when he has decided to move from the architecture industry? He builds innovative, creative, board games that allows kids to find the magic in spelling, counting, and learning foreign languages. Hock is the man’s name and he is an award winning game maker! Looking to expand his ideas globally, Hock is looking to assemble a team that work together and make his vision of kids playing his game in 80++ countries a reality.
WOW #4 – Peace and Prosperity – we had another architect in the room and his name is Wong and he has a brilliant reputation, in fact he is now lecturing about architecture at the University of Malaysia. Wong was accompanied by his dynamic wife Lee Hwa and their two lovely daughters in the room for the weekend. With homes in KL and in Sydney, Wong is now teaching at the University of Malaysia and was “curious” about how we might start sharing about social entrepreneurship in the universities! His is convinced the education is part of the solution and that cross border sharing and social entrepreneurial initiatives are a key component. By sharing with his wife and his children and by encouraging change in the establishment, I feel that Wong has earned my WOW award for nurturing and developing peace and prosperity.
In a tie with the Peace & Property WOW #4b, I am pleased to introduce one of Malaysia leading female story tellers and famed blogger Sis Zabrina! With over 30,000 visitors to her website and representing more than 30 nations, Sis Zabrina at  http://wisdomthruwords.blogspot.com/2007/06/story-of-dog-called-faith.html is sharing inspiring stories on her blog and doing a wonderful service as she is sharing a platform for inspiration, discussion, and dialogue. As proud muslim, who is a leaders, and who is a social entrepreneur, Zabrina is making a difference through her healing and inspiring words! She is WoW!
It was a brilliant weekend in Malaysia and I left very inspired by the brilliance that shone after the Entrepreneur Life Shift program in KL!

Inspiring the spirit of enterprise, 
Dave

 

 

Comments

Secrets of the World’s Greatest Deal Makers - Rupert Murdoch

November 22, 2007 at 9:32 pm · Filed under Awesome Coaching

Rupert Murdoch Way
Secrets of the World’s Greatest Deal Makers
Rupert Murdoch’s power and influence are matched only by his profits and ambition. His Company, New Corporation, has total assets of over US$30 billion and annual sales of over US$12 billion.The New Corp empire includes 780 businesses in 52 companies include BSkyB, New International, the LA Dodgers, 20th Century Fox and Star TV.
20 Tips to How To Succeed Like Rupert Murdoch
1) Start Early – no substitute for getting your hands dirty early
2) Move with the Times – ideas develop and evolve so must you
3) Have faith in yourself – business is action, nothing else
4) Network – you are who you know
5) Be Ruthless and Fair – manage people tough and straight

6) Play Hard – stand your ground
7) Compete to Win – no medal for second place
8) Play the Long Game – accept short term pain for long term gain
9) Move fast – you snooze your lose
10) Ask Questions – questions lead to tomorrow strategic answers
11) Lead from the Front – set an example
12) Envisage the Future – design your future
13) Forego Management Bullshit
14) Believe in Yourself – self confidence
15) Embrace the World – a deal is a deal
16) Embrace Technology – technology creates markets and economies of production and delivery
17) Keep Learning – learn new tricks
18) Make Mistakes – what can I learn from this?
19) Create Fear – let fear work for you
20) Take Risks – life and business demand risk to succeed
Quality Questions
1) What steps are you going to apply in the next 7 days?
2) What key action are you committed to starting today?
3) What will you biggest result if you take one learning from Murdoch and master it?

Comments

Social Entrepreneurs in Melbourne

November 18, 2007 at 12:25 am · Filed under Awesome Coaching

Melbourne - “The Wealth Dance “

Let’s review the Melbourne Entrepreneur Life Shift program from a perspective of the wealth dance. For me the wealth dance is a dance where we offer value to others and when we have delivered value, we then look to leverage that value. In wealth dynamics, value is often observed through the application, awareness and utilization of innovation particularly by our friends who are the mechanics, creators and stars value or timing which is often applied by our friends the deal makers, traders and accumulators. Leverage is brilliantly demonstrated either by systems and structured as implemented by our metal, wintery friends such as the mechanics, lords and accumulators or through magnification as illustrated by our summery pals the supporters, stars and deal makers. 

I would like to acknowledge all the wonderful folks who made the trip to Melbourne for the shift weekend, we had folks from Adelaide, Sydney, Perth and the Coast, Sunshine and Gold! Many thanks also to local support team of Jeanette X 2, Melissa, Cicara, Susan, Tony and Tom. In terms of the Wealth Dance, I would like to acknowledge three folks who delivered some terrific value and who also leveraged the value brilliantly (drum roll please….) #3 – all the way from the UK to launch her book, The Sacred Quest, Louise did not say much during the weekend though when she did share, her popularity and attraction increased. Louise has recently downloaded some amazing insights and distinctions about the cosmic shifts occurring on earth and throughout the galaxies will make this lady a household name in the coming months and years. #2 Peter G and his lovely wife Evdoxia – dynamic couple with Peter as the full on creator and Evdoxia as the accumulator/lord of the family demonstrated a playful and loving dynamic throughout the weekend. Peter with his get things started spring energy and Evdoxia with her respectful, engaging, and “sure go-ahead Peter position” allowed many of us to see how family dynamics can work brilliantly. #1 Kate – back after a eighteen month hiatus from XL , during which time she and her hubby doubled the size of her family from two to four with the births of her two lovely children. Kate’s willingness to show up, step up, and give back was greatly appreciated in the room and led to numerous opportunities for Kate to turn opportunity into abundance. What specifically did she do? SHOW UP - Even though Kate is already one of Australia’s top business coaches, during each one of the buddy coaching exercises she stayed with the task assigned and delivered incredible value to her coachees! STEP UP – during the open sessions for raising issues, questions, and queries, she asked questions and offered brilliant examples and personal stories to allow all of us to learn and share in the collective wisdom in the room. 

GIVE BACK – Kate willingness to shift into vulnerability, while gingerly dodging the ego trap, allowed us all to grow, learn and discover lessons from actual coaching experience. Her give back and willingness to meet up with XL Members was noticed by many. Honorable mention goes to some life members who did some marvelous work on adding value would be RICHARD – thank you, thank you, thank you for stepping up, for arranging the venue for Saturday night, for the special session, and for the special gift – U R Brilliant! And Karm, the wealth dynamics master practitioner for real estate for asking about Stepping Up and for the follow up, and to Grant for combining the enterprise with a social purpose that flows.  Make Magic Happen,  Dave  

 

Comments

Social Entrepreneurs in Melbourne

November 11, 2007 at 6:35 pm · Filed under Awesome Coaching

Melbourne - “The Wealth Dance “

Let’s review the Melbourne Entrepreneur Life Shift program from a perspective of the wealth dance. For me the wealth dance is a dance where we offer value to others and when we have delivered value, we then look to leverage that value. In wealth dynamics, value is often observed through the application, awareness and utilization of innovation particularly by our friends who are the mechanics, creators and stars value or timing which is often applied by our friends the deal makers, traders and accumulators. Leverage is brilliantly demonstrated either by systems and structured as implemented by our metal, wintery friends such as the mechanics, lords and accumulators or through magnification as illustrated by our summery pals the supporters, stars and deal makers. 

I would like to acknowledge all the wonderful folks who made the trip to Melbourne for the shift weekend, we had folks from Adelaide, Sydney, Perth and the Coast, Sunshine and Gold! Many thanks also to local support team of Jeanette X 2, Melissa, Cicara, Susan, Tony and Tom. In terms of the Wealth Dance, I would like to acknowledge three folks who delivered some terrific value and who also leveraged the value brilliantly (drum roll please….) #3 – all the way from the UK to launch her book, The Sacred Quest, Louise did not say much during the weekend though when she did share, her popularity and attraction increased. Louise has recently downloaded some amazing insights and distinctions about the cosmic shifts occurring on earth and throughout the galaxies will make this lady a household name in the coming months and years. #2 Peter G and his lovely wife Evdoxia – dynamic couple with Peter as the full on creator and Evdoxia as the accumulator/lord of the family demonstrated a playful and loving dynamic throughout the weekend. Peter with his get things started spring energy and Evdoxia with her respectful, engaging, and “sure go-ahead Peter position” allowed many of us to see how family dynamics can work brilliantly. #1 Kate – back after a eighteen month hiatus from XL , during which time she and her hubby doubled the size of her family from two to four with the births of her two lovely children. Kate’s willingness to show up, step up, and give back was greatly appreciated in the room and led to numerous opportunities for Kate to turn opportunity into abundance. What specifically did she do? SHOW UP - Even though Kate is already one of Australia’s top business coaches, during each one of the buddy coaching exercises she stayed with the task assigned and delivered incredible value to her coachees! STEP UP – during the open sessions for raising issues, questions, and queries, she asked questions and offered brilliant examples and personal stories to allow all of us to learn and share in the collective wisdom in the room. 

GIVE BACK – Kate willingness to shift into vulnerability, while gingerly dodging the ego trap, allowed us all to grow, learn and discover lessons from actual coaching experience. Her give back and willingness to meet up with XL Members was noticed by many. Honorable mention goes to some life members who did some marvelous work on adding value would be RICHARD – thank you, thank you, thank you for stepping up, for arranging the venue for Saturday night, for the special session, and for the special gift – U R Brilliant! And Karm, the wealth dynamics master practitioner for real estate for asking about Stepping Up and for the follow up, and to Grant for combining the enterprise with a social purpose that flows.  Make Magic Happen,  Dave  

 

Comments

Bangkok Times or Time to Avoid Bangkok

November 3, 2007 at 8:43 pm · Filed under Awesome Coaching

Bangkok Times or Time to Avoid Bangkok

 

Do you remember the best selling song about Bangkok?

Where were you when you first heard it? Who sang it? (answer to the questions at the end along with a little surprise)  

 

 

When I first visited Bangkok in 1986 , as a twenty something international business student studying at the International Institute of Studies and Training “IIST” in Shizuoka, Japan, Bangkok was part of our extra-curricular Asian studies.
  At the time, the Japanese makers (Toyota, Nissan, Isuzu, Matsushita, Hitachi) were spending millions expanding their global production facilities with an aggressive Asian wide expansion plan. Japan was still growing into their role as the economic dynamo and visiting Bangkok gave me a perspective of what could happen when people and businesses might take their successes to extremes.  
  For us students, it was fascinating to explore Bangkok in 1986, as it was known as a city of cheap copies, the city where you could buy a knock off Rolls Royce if you like and where fake watches, shoes, bags, golf clubs, and clothing was readily available on most street corners.
Bangkok was the place where dreams were realized and the shopping illusion was made a reality for anyone who wanted to play the game. It was a Disneyland for Adults, especially adults of the consumer generation.
  

I was blown away by the number of folks that were involved in the industry and i rationalized much of my shopping for fake watches, tailored suits, shirts, and shoes (my feet were thrilled), and numerous human experiences as a ways and means to support and assist this developing nation.


Let’s fast forward to 2007, I was in Bangkok as the key speaker for the XL Entrepreneur Life Shift program and yes my priorities have shifted to an area called social entrepreneurship (www.soe.org.sg). In walking the streets of Bangkok (it was my 30th time in Bangkok), I was wondering how is Thailand doing towards their Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)?  
The MDGs are eight goals to be achieved by 2015 that respond to the world’s main development challenges. The MDGs are drawn from the actions and targets contained in the Millennium Declaration that was adopted by 189 nations-and signed by 147 heads of state and governments during the UN Millennium Summit in September 2000.  
The 8 MDGs break down into 18 quantifiable targets that are measured by 48 indicators. For details about the UNDP activities inThailand please visit http://www.undp.or.th/mdg/index.html
Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education
Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women
Goal 4: Reduce child mortality
Goal 5: Improve maternal health
Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability
Goal 8: Develop a Global Partnership for Development
 Despite what most people might think about Thailand, Thailand is doing rather well, for example, having already reached the international MDG target of halving the proportion of people living in poverty between 1990 and 2015, Thailand has set an MDG-plus target of reducing the proportion of people in poverty to below four percent by 2009.  If successful, this will represent a stunning four-fifths reduction in poverty since 1990. 
 MDG-plus targets have also been set for education, health, gender equality and the environment. It appears that the Thai government, with the support of UNDP and the World Bank, are on track in Thailand and it is being used as an example of how the MDG framework can be successfully adapted to a middle income country.
 On the one hand, well done Thailand and on the other hand, what can be done to work more collaboratively with entrepreneurs to shift the entrepreneurial spirit into action throughout Thailand.
 

During the Entrepreneurship weekend in Bangkok, more than 60% of the participants noted that the upcoming election and the health of the King are the two big uncertainties for Thailand.
 

In discussions,
1)    Government make it easier for entrepreneurs to establish businesses and make the “rules of the game” easier to follow – key question – what can we learn from Singapore about transparency, technology, blending the two in our governmental operations?
 

2)    Attracting Talent  – middle managers and upper executives are not keen to make the move to Thailand creating a vacuum for top level talent – key question – what are Hong Kong, China, India, Singapore and even Dubai doing to make themselves attractive for talent?
 

3)    Volatility & Market Opportunities – the only thing that we can be certain about in Thailand is the uncertainty and the potential for higher volatility in the next twelve months.  Recommendation is to look for investment opportunities selectively in Thailand and with investment horizons that can be stretched without undue pain or agony. Risk premium up and eyes and ears open.
 

Answers to quiz, I was in Toronto, selling cars and dreaming of doing my MBA and moving to Tokyo, Japan
Originally released 1984 by Murray Head – One Night in Bangkok  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vgg2Aj9vfiM

 

Comments

« Previous entries ·