Another Big Step for Women

Rosa Parks, 1955

Manal al-Sharif, 1955

Since that day in December 1955 when one black woman refuse to give up her bus seat to accommodate the white passengers, many women have followed suit in defying convention. That lady was Rosa Parks, and her decision to say NO when the bus driver commanded her to give up her seat to white passengers, has given so many people - women and men alike - the courage to fight back for what they believe is their right.

We have inspirational women all around us - women who dare say no when needed, knowing well how much trouble it would eventually get them into.

Today, The Success Chronicles says Kudos to Manal al-Sharif, for saying no to the traditional Saudi belief that women cannot drive an automobile without consulting her male guardian. This belief, which also bans women from listening to music has been practised in Saudi Arabia for generations.

CNN.com showcased the story of Al-Sharif, who was trained to belief that listening to music was a sin. One day, she decided to, without a male guardian's permission, listen to her brother's cassette, and the Backstreet Boys song "Show Me The Meaning Of Being Lonely" playing at that time sounded like a message she had always needed to hear. No more isolating herself in a lonely world - get out there and do something.

That one song, that one instance, gave her the courage she needed to go one step further in defying convention. She drove a car. And just to rub it in, she posted her endeavor on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BT-3I5jg1xg)

I think it is a big step for women all over the world. We are a nation of our own. Women all over, of all nations have their own stories, no matter where they were born, how rich or poor they are, their choice of careers or their decision to start families. And together, we must know how to find strength from each other's stories.

Today, Manal al-Sharif is the strength many of us need. She is not merely a woman who dared to stray from the norm - she is a message to all us ladies out there, to be brave, be bold and to defy convention - because we can, and because sometimes, we must. Fight for what you believe is true. Fight for what is your right.

Thanks Manal - you have taken another big step for us women all over the world.
Thanks for being an inspiration.

Spain, in need of Savoiurs

Barcelona FB, Spain

Rafael Nadal, Spain

Lots of news enveloping the European nation of Spain today. CNN.com reported that the 100 billion Euro bailout of Spain's financial institution. This monetary aid could not have come at a better time, as this move could be the one that saves the Euro from diminishing from existence. The Euro, which has been in trouble since a few months ago, no thanks to the economic plunge which hit the European nations, could be in even more danger with the Greece elections just a week away, which could spell out the country's exit from the eurozone.

As we speak, Rolland Garros is currently a very heated up arena, now with Serbia's Novak Djokovic and Spain's Raphael Nadal currently at each other to win the French Open title. The world tennis numbers 1 and 2 respectively are going at it with all they have, with Nadal currently in the lead. If Nadal wins, it would be his 7th win on the clay court. Though Djokovic is not to be taken as a light competitor, Nadal is always somewhat extra motivated when playing the French Open. Well, if Nadal clinches the title, it's a much needed win for Spain, so despite my deep belief and support in Djokovic...I have to say Vamos, Nadal!

In about two hours, Spain will meet Italy to face off in the Euro Cup 2012. With Spain's super striker David Villa out of the picture, the fans are left wondering if Fernando Torres can carry the former champions to another win. It is always exciting to see players from arguably two of the best teams in the world - Barcelona and Real Madrid - work together to bring fame to their nation. With Iker Casillas as the goalkeeper, it's good luck all the way for Italy. Barcelona's own, Gerard Pique, Xavi Hernandez, Cesc Fabregas and Real Madrid's Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa will have to work together to provide Spain that much needed win - more as a motivation for the country than anything else.

Well, looks like it is an important day for Spain and Spaniards alike.

With all that negative financial news, one can use with a win or two.

Vamos Spain!

News Review : An Australianized Malaysia?

The Edge Financial Daily reported today that Malaysia and Australia signed their first free trade agreement recently. A lot of tariffs will be eliminated across a variety of sectors, benefiting the businesses of both nations.

Honestly, as a civilian, I simply cannot wait to see the changes that will occur come 1 Jan 2013, when the agreement takes effect. So as I sit here, I let my imagination run wild at the possibilities of this free trade agreement.

For one, it will be particularly interesting to witness the dramatic transformation of the local education scene. The agreement allows Australian investors to hold 100% ownership in education services in Malaysia in 2015. Currently, a lot of PHEIs (private higher education institutions) in Malaysia offer 2 + 1 or 3 + 0 Bachelor Degree programmes in affiliation with universities in Australia. And it is quite obvious how many Malaysian parents prefer to send their children to Australia, because it is quality education, somewhat closer to home. Probably, we will be able to witness Australian universities setting up campuses here in Malaysia, making Australian education extremely affordable. Students who decide to further their education in Australia would not only have to fork out the college fees, but also accommodation and living allowances. So having Australian universities on home ground would definitely be an advantage at a fraction of the cost, now that they would not need to charge in AUD. 

Also, we would be able to see a change in the telecommunications industry. This is a fresh and welcome change. With the Australians injecting their investment into our telecommunications industry, we’d be able to enjoy more variety in telecommunication packages with companies like Telstra coming in. Oh, then again, might there be a conflict with Celcom because they share the same corporate colour? Maybe, just maybe, we’d be able to see a JV between Telstra and Celcom - Celstra? Just a thought.

For trainers and consultants, bigger job opportunities with internationalized options can crop up. With the Aussies able to hold 100% ownership in management consulting firms, Malaysian consulting firms should start pulling up their socks. The competition might be rocky. On the other hand, we’d probably be seeing more Malaysian-based companies go Australian. And since the tariffs will be eliminated for Australian automotives as well, we’d be able to see more Australian cars on the road. Some Holdens, perhaps? It would be a good addition to the current local automative scene, though I doubt Perodua would have to worry about any competition, with it’s expansive line of products. Another JV maybe?

Got milk? We civilians would probably realize some changes when we walk into shops and hypermarts to do our weekly shopping. With the tariffs for Australian milk and processed foods eliminated, we’d be spoilt for choices! Australian milk brands like Dairy Farmers would be sitting next to our very own Dairy Milk products. Well, then again, since most of Australia’s leading milk brands are controlled by foreign owned multinationals anyway, we’d probably have a whole range of internationalized milk products. How fun! 

Hmm, I think I very much welcome this potential change. Here’s to the possibility of an Australianized Malaysia, mates!

Podcast - Starting A Business Part-Time

Ever thought about starting a business? Is your full time job getting in the way? Fret not!
We have some tips for you on how you can do both!

Good luck!

Behind Every Successful Richard is an Eve

Eve and Richard Branson

I have had many parents call me up for the Young Entrepreneur Camp I organize annually, and ask if the camp can help their shy children. And based on the number of similar calls I receive, I'm guessing that there are a lot shy kids around.

So, if you are a mother of a shy child, what would you do?
Some parents apologize to people, saying "Sorry, my son is so shy" or "Oh dear, I'm truly sorry, she is just shy". If you approach this challenge this way, then read on.

Eve, mother of Richard was faced with this challenge years ago. She realized that her young child was extremely shy and would hide behind her dress and just refuse to speak to adults. It became so bad, it was disabling. One day, after a shopping trip, Eve asked her son to get out of her car about 3 miles away from home, and find his way home on foot. "What if I get lost?!" asked the bewildered child. "Well then, you'd have to ask for directions from the adults you meet along the way".

10 hours late, Richard came home. And his shyness was cured. He had asked many people for directions on how to get home (and stopped for awhile to play with bugs), but when he got home, he was a different child.

Today, this young boy is Richard Branson.
And he thanks his mother everyday for that experience he will never forget.

You cannot be an entrepreneur or a business person or succeed in any career if you are shy - or unable to share your thoughts with others or work in a team.

I for one, believe that an entrepreneurial attitude and business sense, if instilled in kids at a young age, will teach them the essence of life. Success come easily to whole-rounded individuals.

If you are a parent, here are some very important life lessons you can teach your kids:

1- Teamwork.
No matter what your child grows up to be, understanding the essence of teamwork if pivotal. Learning about teamwork is more than just listening to a lecture on why geese fly in a V shape. Theoretically, everyone is a good team player - but the raw truth is that many people cannot work in teams. A good way to start kids off in teams would be to put them in team sports.

2- Support their Skills.
From a very young age, you will know what your child is interested in. I like to spend time learning about human psychology by watching TV shows - and one of my favourites is Jon and Kate Plus 8 (now just Kate Plus 8), a story about a family of one set of twins and one set of sextuplets. I like how Kate, the mum, knows exactly what her kids are into. One boy loves trying to make things fit. He loves Lego. Another boy loves to make sure everything is organized properly before he plays his games, and picks up after himself. One girl simply loves attention, and gravitate to people naturally. So when you see your kids have certain interests, support them. In an interview I had with Norman from KRU, he shares how his father bought him a guitar at a very young age because he realized his boys loved music. There are many stories out there that prove the important roles parents play in moulding their children into successful people.

3- Etiquette and Respect for Others
Once, during my camp, I had a very aggressive 9-year old. He would strive to win every challenge, but I began to realize something in him - he lacked the element of respect. He pushed the girls in his team around, would speak rudely to the facilitators, but would only do so when I was not looking. In front of me, he was an angel. When his team did not win the final challenge, he was really angry. He came up to me, and in the heat of things, said "If we lose everything, then I'll tell my father never to send me to this camp again!". Why is having etiquette and respect so important? It may be true that when you rudely swerve in front of others in traffic or use the emergency lane when driving may get you to work on time, it is plain rude. Why succeed on someone else's expense when there can always be a win-win. This is an extremely important lesson to teach kids - and the best way is through leadership by example.

Every successful individual has stories to share about their parents.
While some rave about how their parents have helped them succeed, others share how their parents never gave them any support.

Of course, in the current day and age that we live in, doing what Eve Branson did to her son might not be the safest thing in the world. It's not what she did, really. It's why she did it; and we can definitely emulate the way she thinks.

The ball is in your court, so choose wisely!

This post is dedicated to all mothers and fathers, all the Eve Bransons who defied convention and sometimes gone against what they believed, to support their children to become the successes they are today.
Happy Mothers' and Fathers' Day!

Think KFC Before Quitting

Have you ever felt like quitting? Throwing in the towel? Like you've just had about enough?

STOP!

Have you heard of the KFC story?
If not, you must read this before deciding to give up.

Harland Sanders was quite contended with his little restaurant, where he served his fried chicken for a living. Things were going so well, he added a motel by his restaurant. When he was 45, the Governor of Kentucky awarded him with a Colonel title for his fabulous cooking skills. Things were going so well!

Then, IT happened. The government decided to build an expressway just in front of Sanders' restaurant and motel, making accessibility to the restaurant, an impossibility. He had to shut down, in fear of irrecoverable losses. So, he sat at home and received government support in the form of a meagre $105 a month.

During this time, Sanders' felt that there was definitely more to life than just sitting at home doing nothing. It was then, that Sanders' decided to do something he knew how to do so effortlessly - fry chicken! He grabbed a pan, some oil and lots of chicken, threw them into his car and drove off, he didn't know where to.

Quite directionless, he decided to stop at the first restaurant he came upon - and he tried to sell his chicken. "Just take them" he'd say, "and pay me if the customers like them". The restaurant owner tasted the fried chicken, agreed that is was amazing - but said no to him. No to free chicken.

So, he went back into his car and approached the next restaurant. Here too, the owner loved the fried chicken - but said no thanks to Sanders.

So Sanders went back and repeated this to every restaurant he came across that day.
But the days turned to weeks and the weeks to months, and months to years - no one wanted to sell his fried chicken. He continued the same routine - sleep in his car at night, and sell chicken in the daytime.

Let me ask you a question now :
If you were Colonel Sanders, how many restaurants would you have approached before quitting?
How many NOs would have been too much for you? 10? 50? 100?
How many days would you have stayed in your car before you decided that you've had just about enough and drive home to that $105 a month pay check?
How many more people would you have approached?

Do you know how many restaurants Colonel Sanders approached before finally hearing a YES?
1009. That's correct. He approached 1009 restaurants persistently until a restaurant bought his fried chicken. And he kept on going!

This is not just a success story to read and feel warm about.
Think about it - this man almost quit. He could've been satisfied just living by with the $ 105 check he received. But he didn't.

It's all about how far you will go.

How far will you go to lose that stubborn kilos off your body? Daily exercise? Eating only healthy food?

How far will you go to get that job of your dreams, no matter what 'people' tell you?

Ask yourselves:
How far will you go before you quit..
And when you decide to quit, think KFC.

Good luck!

Entrepreneurialize Your Life

I have been an entrepreneur for some years now, and the most amazing thing about being an entrepreneur is how much I have learnt about myself!

It's so true! When I embarked on this journey of entrepreneurship, I was wondering about what I would really learn, with business skills topping the list. But never in a million years would I have guessed that being an entrepreneur would open my eyes to who I really am as a person.

So, am I suggesting that everyone should drop everything they're doing, quit their jobs and become an entrepreneur to learn more about themselves? On the contrary, and as my fellow entrepreneur pals would agree, we do not need to be an entrepreneur to practise living an entrepreneurial life. All we'd need to do is be open to adopting an entrepreneurial mind and attitude and assimilating these into our daily lives.

Here are some priceless lessons I've learnt and would like to share with all of you.

1- Get up in the morning because no one is going to wake you up!
This is a very fundamental lesson I learnt in the early days of my entrepreneur life. Before being an entrepreneur, I used to dread the awful ringing of the alarm, in its (futile) attempts to snap me out of my sweet, sweet slumber, to get dressed for work. Because most entrepreneurs don't have specific work hours, we must learn to rely on ourselves to discipline our minds and bodies. Just because we do not have a punch card system and no boss to glare at us for strolling in 2 minutes too late, does not mean that we can sleep in. WE become our motivation. So whether or not the alarm rings waking up is a MUST! Else, there will be no business, and that means no moolah, and no retail therapy! Boo-hoo...

2- A pivotal lesson on money
Speaking about all that moolah, I think it would be the right time to say that at some point in most entrepreneur's life, they reach a point of having an absolutely or almost dry bank account - it happens, trust me. And when this happens, all hell starts to break loose! Everything we have ever believed in starts to crumble. We will start doubting ourselves and everyone around us. It is at this point in life, where we will learn to appreciate the finer things in life. And more importantly, it is at this point where we'll learn how to move on without money. We learn to accept this extremely insecure feeling, because we know that we can't get any worse than this, we know we've just seen ground zero - and we become filled with a hope that things can only go up from here. And after this point, money stops becoming something we cling on to. And that's a good thing. Want money, don't need it.

3- The Colonel Sanders attitude to selling fried chicken
I'm guessing you know who Colonel Harland Sanders is? He's the smart guy (with the really white hair) who invented KFC. But did you know that he was turned down 1009 times before he successfully managed to find a buyer for his fried chicken? (Full story on blog post entitled : Think KFC Before Quitting). And that's the reality of being an entrepreneur - people WILL say NO to you. They will. There is no doubt in that. Believe me, being rejected can make one feel extremely low about themselves. But instead of the chin-to-floor reaction, we must learn to pick ourselves up, and with all we have, take one step forward - because if you don't, then accept that that will be the death of your business. Just remember, that while some people love coffee, others get migraines just by walking pass a Coffee Bean or Starbucks. One's person's medicine is another man's poison. It is impossible to have a clientele of 'everyone in the world'. But we learn. We learn to keep on keeping on. Differentiating, strategizing, advertising - but most importantly, just keep on keeping on. And get that chin off that floor!

4- Be the Burger Ramly to the McDonald's
When we first start up as entrepreneurs, we were motivated by the Big Dreams, the Huge Possibilities, the "I Can Definitely Do Better That That Guy" attitude, the Success Stories. But it is only when we're knee deep in our business will we realize that it was not as easy as it was when we were thinking about starting up. One of the problems, stiff competition. Funny how these competitors seem so harmless and trivial when we were Dreaming Big, huh? Well, time for a reality check. Competition is an inevitability. It does exist and it is real. Trick is, to find a way to differentiate. How do you think Burger Ramly's founder would have felt about McDonald's? But he differentiated - we simply cannot get a Burger Ayam Special in McDonald's - even till today, can we? Don't ever be afraid or intimidated by competition - there is always something you can do better. If it's international competition you're worried about, think local. I remember what Resh Monu said in an interview, about how he got to where he is. "Always remember, that there is a Malaysian local market". Never give up just because you're not big enough or smart enough - you have something special to give. Spend some time finding that.

I hope these tips will help you entrepreneurialize your lives.
You don't have to be an entrepreneur - just adopt an entrepreneurial mind and attitude.

Good luck!