[Liftoff Houston: Specialized Workshop - Innovation]
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WE WANNA WELCOME YOU TO THE 2023 SPECIALIZED WORKSHOP.
UH, TODAY'S CATEGORY IS INNOVATION, AND AGAIN, WE ARE LIFT OFF HOUSTON STARTUP BUSINESS PLAN, COMPETITION AND PARTNERSHIP WITH THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY.
AND WE ARE THE CITY OF HOUSTON, OFFICE OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY.
SO OUR LIFT OFF HOUSTON TEAM IS JESSICA DEL GRECO.
SHE IS OUR PROGRAM ADMINISTRATOR FOR THE OFFICE OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY.
I AM PROGRAM SUPPORT, ALSO WITH THE OFFICE OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY.
WE HAVE FROM THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY, BELINDA COX.
AND OUR IT SUPPORT, WHICH IS, UH, WITH US HERE TODAY IS KENNETH THOMAS, ALSO WITH THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY.
AND HERE WE HAVE OUR CHECK-IN QR CODE OR LINK.
THIS IS NOT A MANDATORY WORKSHOP.
IT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE IN THE INNOVATION CATEGORY.
SO THIS IS JUST A CHECK-IN JUST TO LET US KNOW THAT YOU ATTENDED.
UM, THIS IS JUST A ONE-TIME CHECK-IN FOR THIS, UM, FOR THIS WORKSHOP.
SO I'LL JUST GIVE EVERYBODY A MINUTE OR SO JUST TO GET CHECKED IN AGAIN.
UM, THE LINK IS IN THE CHAT BOX AND YOU CAN ALSO SCAN THE QR CODE.
OKAY, SO FOR TODAY'S SPECIALIZED WORKSHOP ON INNOVATION, WE HAVE OUR SPECIAL GUEST, LIN AND MICHAEL DORSEY, UH, OWNERS OF THE INNOVATIVE COMPANY, DUMPLING DUDES LIN AND MICHAEL DORSEY QUIT THEIR SIX FIGURE CORPORATE JOBS IN 2019 AND STARTED DUMPLING DUDES TO FOLLOW THEIR PASSION TO CREATE THE MOST FUN AND UNIQUE EXPERIENCES.
SO I WILL TURN OVER THE PRESENTATION TO THEM SO WE, UH, THEY CAN EXPLAIN, UH, THEIR FUN JOURNEY TO WHERE THEY, WHEN THEY STARTED AND WHERE THEY ARE TODAY.
WELCOME, AND WE'RE SO HAPPY TO HAVE YOU.
THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR, UH, HAVING US OUT TODAY.
UH, THANK YOU LIFT OFF HOUSTON FOR HAVING US OUT, UH, AGAIN THIS YEAR.
UM, DEFINITELY THAT PICTURE IS GREAT TO LOOK AT.
THAT WAS BACK WHEN WE FIRST STARTED.
HAIR'S CHANGED A LITTLE BIT SINCE THEN, BUT UH, THE MESSAGE IS STILL THE SAME.
UM, ANYWAY, MY NAME IS MIKE DORSEY.
UM, WE ARE THE DUMPLING DUDES, AND WE'VE BEEN AROUND NOW FOR ABOUT FOUR YEAR, FOUR PLUS YEARS.
UH, LITTLE BRIEF HISTORY ABOUT MYSELF.
I AM A NATIVE HOUSTONIAN, ALTHOUGH I DID TRAVEL QUITE A BIT WHEN I WAS YOUNGER.
UH, UM, MY DAD WORKED FOR OIL IN THE EIGHTIES, AND SO WE TRAVELED, UH, TO CALIFORNIA AND OKLAHOMA.
UM, BUT I DID, UM, IN MEETING THIS GUY IN AUSTIN IN 2007, AND WE'VE BEEN IN HOUSTON SINCE 2009, UH, ON THE EAST SIDE OF TOWN HERE.
AND, UM, I'VE JUST BEEN REALLY, UH, LOVING, LOVING HOUSTON, UM, AS, UH, AS ENTREPRENEURS NOW.
UM, I USED TO BE IN HOME REMODELING, CONSTRUCTION FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, AND IN, UH, 2007 I WENT BACK TO SCHOOL TO GET MY DEGREE AS A CHEMICAL ENGINEER WHERE I WORKED AS A PROCESS ENGINEER.
UM, UNTIL, UH, AS YOU'LL FIND OUT SOON OUR STORY, UH, WE JUMPED OUT TO, UH, CREATE DUMPLING DUES.
SO WITH THAT, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO CHI AND HE'S GOING TO GET US STARTED.
HEY GUYS, HOW ARE YOU DOING? IT'S KIND OF WEIRD BECAUSE YOU GET TO SEE PEOPLE JUST TALKING TO BUBBLES, BUBBLES ON THE SCREEN.
UH, AND I KNOW THIS IS NOT REQUIRED, SO I FEEL SO LOVED THAT YOU JOIN A NOT OPTIONAL CLASS, UH, TO LEARN MORE ABOUT INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP.
CONGRATULATIONS BEING IN THE PROGRAM.
WE WERE, UH, IN THE, WE WERE, WE TAUGHT A CLASS LAST YEAR.
WE WERE THE JUDGE FOR THE FINAL, UH, COMPETITION TO, IT WAS HAVE SUCH A BLAST.
UH, THANK YOU CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE LI THE HOUSTON LIBRARY FOR DOING THIS.
UH, WE AS ENTREPRENEUR, WE UNDERSTAND IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO HAVE SUPPORT.
SO THANK YOU GUYS FOR GIVING US A SPACE, UH, TO LEARN, TO GROW AND TO SUPPORT EACH OTHER.
UH, SO WHILE BEFORE I KIND OF TELL YOU WHO I AM AND OUR STORY, WANNA GIVE A LITTLE BIT INFORMATION ABOUT THE FORMAT TODAY, IT'S GONNA BE VERY CASUAL.
WE ARE GOING TO WALK YOU THROUGH OUR STORY, UM, AND THEN TALK ABOUT WHY WE STARTED THE BUSINESS, GO THROUGH OUR JOURNEY, AND THEN THROUGHOUT THE JOURNEY, WE HAVE 10 LESSONS LEARNED THAT
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WE WILL SHARE WITH YOU.UH, THIS 10 LESSON WE HAVE BEEN CAPTURING FOR THE LAST FOUR YEARS, YOU WILL PROBABLY REMEMBER AFTER THIS PRESENTATION, YOU WILL PROBABLY REMEMBER SOME OF THEM AND SOMETHING YOU'LL BE LIKE, OH, THAT'S NOT TRUE.
BUT JUST KEEP IN MIND ON EVERYTHING YOU LISTEN AND THEN TAKING IN WHATEVER YOU WOULD LIKE TO TAKE IN AND, AND, UM, THAT'S GONNA BE FUN.
AND THEN WE OBVIOUSLY, YOU'LL PROBABLY HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS.
SO WE GOING TO TRY TO SAVE SOME TIME, THE VERY, VERY END, AT LEAST 30 MINUTES FOR Q AND A.
SO FEEL FREE TO ASK US ANY QUESTION THAT YOU WANT.
UH, WE ARE GONNA TALK ABOUT INNOVATION, BUT WE ALSO GONNA TALK ABOUT A LOT ABOUT ENTREPRENEURSHIP.
AND WE ARE GONNA TALK ABOUT A LOT OF THE ENTREPRENEURIAL SKILL SETS THAT YOU WILL NOT LEARN IN SCHOOL OR IN CLASSES THAT MEAN THAT YOU CAN LEARN ALL TECHNICAL SKILL ANYWHERE.
BUT WE'RE GONNA COVER THE MINDSET, WHAT KIND OF MINDSET YOU NEED TO HAVE TO BE INNOVATIVE.
UH, SO, SO WE WILL TAKE YOU ON THE JOURNEY WITH US.
I WAS USED TO BE, I'M FROM TAIWAN AND MY FAMILY MOVED TO THE WOODLANDS WHEN I WAS 15.
UH, QUITE A BIT OF A CULTURAL CHANGE.
I SAW TEXAS WOULD BE FULL OF COWBOYS, AND THAT'S NOT TRUE.
ALL I SEE IS JUST WALMART AND KMART AND TARGET ON THE HIGHWAY.
WHEN I FIRST MOVED HERE WAS SUCH A WOW EXPERIENCE.
WHEN I FIRST MOVED HERE AT THE AGE OF 15, UH, WENT TO THE WOMEN'S HIGH SCHOOL, GRADUATED FROM U UH, UT AUSTIN WITH A MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEGREE.
I WAS AN ENGINEER FOR A LONG TIME AND I REALIZED I'M NOT A VERY GOOD ENGINEER, IS SUCH A HARD TRUTH THAT I'M A CM, BUT I JUST NOT LIKE IT AT MATH.
AND I JUST, NOT THAT DETAIL, DETAIL ORIENTED.
I'M MORE ON THE CREATIVE SIDE.
SO I KIND OF PIVOT MY CAREER INTO MARKETING AND THEN, UH, AND THEN MOVE MY WAY UP TO BECOME A MARKETING DIRECTOR FOR THE BIG OIL AND GAS COMPANY, UH, S AND PRY COMPANY.
SO ON THE OUTSIDE, AND THEN LIKE SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY, I MET MIKE IN 2000.
DON'T WE SEE I NOT VERY GOOD DETAIL.
2007 WE MET AND WE MOVED, WE WENT OUTSIDE, MOVED BACK TO HOUSTON AGAIN, CLIMBING THE CORPORATE LADDER.
EVENTUALLY I BECAME DIRECTOR OF MARKETING.
I WAS VERY, VERY HAPPY THAT I FINALLY HAD THIS AMERICAN DREAM.
UH, HAVE A BOYFRIEND, HAVE A HOUSE, HAVE A DOG WINDOW OFFICES.
UH, SO IN 2017, TWO YEARS BEFORE WE QUIT OUR JOB, UM, AT THE TIME, MIKE ACTUALLY GOT HIS, UH, MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEGREE ALREADY.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING DEGREE ALREADY.
AND THEN HE BECAME A SENIOR PROCESS ENGINEER.
WE WENT ON A TRIP TO CALIFORNIA.
AND ON MY TRIP I WAS TAKING PICTURES AND SELFIE.
YOU KNOW HOW PEOPLE DO NOWADAYS, RIGHT? LIKE LIVING MY BEST LIFE, LIFE HASHTAG LIVING MY BEST LIFE.
UH, BUT IN REALITY, I WAS VERY, REALLY MISERABLE.
AND I THINK THAT'S PART OF THE REASON SOME, YOU ARE HERE.
YOU PROBABLY WERE MISERABLE WITH YOUR JOB RIGHT NOW.
THAT'S WHY I DECIDE TO BE AN ENTREPRENEUR.
MAYBE IT'S A SIDE HUSTLE FOR YOU.
I HAVE A LOT OF SHARING IN MYSELF.
I REMEMBER WE HAVE A FABULOUS BEACH HOUSE, FULL STORY TALL.
WE WILL WALK OVER EVERY MORNING, I WILL GRAB MY COFFEE, WALK OVER TO THE BEACH.
I'LL LISTEN TO A SOUNDTRACK FOUND.
DEAR EVAN HENSON, UH, IS VERY GOOD MUSICAL.
I'LL LISTEN TO THIS SONG CALLED YOU WILL BE FOUND.
NOT ONLY I WOULD CRY EVERY SINGLE MORNING WHILE I WAS ON THE VACATION, I WAS SO ASHAMED OF MYSELF.
I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND HOW CAN I HAVE AMER THIS AMERICAN DREAM IN FRONT OF ME, BUT I'M STILL MISERABLE.
I HAD NOT, UH, BEING GAY, I COULDN'T COME OUT AT WORK.
AND THEN MY IDEA KEEP GETTING SHUT DOWN.
IT'S NOT THE ENVIRONMENT I WANT TO BE IN.
AND THEN AFTER THAT TRIP, UH, AFTER WE GOT BACK ON VACATION, I CONFESSED TO MIKE.
I SAID, YOU KNOW, I LOOK LIKE I'M SO HAPPY ON THE OUTSIDE.
I DIDN'T KNOW I HAD DEPRESSION.
I REALLY THINK I HAD DEPRESSION.
SO I SAID, MIKE, THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED RIGHT NOW, I WANT TO TELL MY TRUTH.
AFTER THE WIFE SAID, MIKE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO MARRY ME?
BUT LIKE, I FEEL I NEED A LIFE, BIG LIFE CHANGE, MAKE A COMMITMENT.
AND OBVIOUSLY I ASKED HIM THE SECOND QUESTION TO SEE IF IT'S TRUE LOVE, RIGHT? BECAUSE YOU KIND OF HAVE TO TEST YOUR SPOUSE A COUPLE TIMES,
SO I SAY, OKAY, GREAT, YOU WANNA MARRY ME? BUT THEN THE NEXT QUESTION I HAVE FOR YOU IS, WE ARE GOING TO, I I WANNA QUIT MY JOB.
YOU KNOW THAT SIX FIGURE JOB? I HAVE THAT FANCY CARD.
I WANNA GIVE IT ALL UP AND SEE IF I CAN MAKE IT MY OWN.
YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME TO JOIN ME IF YOU WANT TO.
AND IF YOU WANT TO WAIT TO MARRY ME UNTIL YOU'VE REALIZED I'M SUCCESSFUL, I'M TOTALLY
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FINE WITH THAT.SO, UH, THAT'S HOW I KNOW IT'S TRUE LOVE.
AFTER 10 YEARS, I MEAN, I KIND OF KNOW ALREADY, OBVIOUSLY, OTHERWISE I WOULDN'T ASK HIM TO MARRY ME.
AND THAT'S HOW HE KIND OF DECIDE TO JOIN ME AND WE'LL BE ON THIS JOURNEY TOGETHER.
SO SAYING THAT THAT'S THE BACKSTORY OF DUMPLING DUE.
AND THEN, SO NOW WE ARE JUST SAY, WE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW NOW, NOW WHAT WE WANNA START A BUSINESS, WHAT DO WE DO, RIGHT? SO FOR, WE'RE GONNA COVER THE LESSON THAT WE LEARNED AND WE ARE GONNA TAKE YOU THROUGH THE JOURNEY, HOW WE DECIDE WE WANNA BECOME DUMPLING DUE AND THE PROCESS WE HAVE TO DO TO GET THERE, RIGHT? SO WE'RE GONNA SHOW YOU THE SLIDE RIGHT NOW, AND WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH 10 LESSONS, LEARN WITH YOU, AND THEN WE WILL ACTUALLY COVER MORE STORIES AS WE GO.
OH YEAH, I DID, DID NOT DO THAT.
HOLD ON, TRY THIS ONE MORE TIME.
WHEN I DO SHARE A SCREEN, I HAVE TO CLICK.
WE FOR SOMETHING ALREADY? YEAH, WE'RE GOOD.
OKAY, SO TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE WANNA DO IN LIVE, WE ACTUALLY START WITH WHY.
IT'S ALSO A VERY, VERY GOOD BOOK.
UH, I HAVE TO, I HAVE TO AUTHOR DOWN THERE ASSIGNMENT, IF YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO CHECK IT OUT.
UH, WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, BEFORE YOU START BUSINESS, YOU GOTTA FIGURE OUT THE WHY FOR THE BUSINESS.
AND THEN SOME OF YOU MIGHT THINK IT'S MONEY, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT IT'S NOT MONEY.
IT'S USUALLY SOMETHING ELSE THAT YOU WANT TO DO.
BECAUSE IF YOU REALLY WANNA HAVE MONEY AND DO SOMETHING ELSE EASY, JUST GET A JOB.
YOU DON'T, YOU WOULDN'T BE WANNA START YOUR OWN BUSINESS.
SO WE TRY TO LOOK BACK INTO OUR WHY.
OKAY? SO THE REASON THAT I WANNA START A BUSINESS, BECAUSE I WAS VERY DEPRESSED.
I TRYING TO GET OUT DEPRESSION, I'M NOT HAPPY AT WORK.
SO MY WHY IS TO FIND JOY AGAIN IN MY LIFE, RIGHT? AND THEN NOT ONLY TO FIND JOY, AGAIN, I TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO FIND JOY.
SO AT THE TIME, MY THEORY WAS, IF I CAN BRING JOY TO OTHER PEOPLE, I WILL BE ABLE TO FIND JOY AGAIN.
SO NOW WE WENT ON A JOURNEY ON HOW DO WE FIND, HOW DO I FIND HOW TO BRING JOY TO PEOPLE? SO I LOOK BACK THE LIFE THAT MIKE AND I HAVE TOGETHER, LOOK BACK THE LIFE I HAVE MYSELF WITH MY FAMILY, FRIENDS IN THE PAST.
YOU ALWAYS COUNT DOWN TO CREATING EXPERIENCE.
THAT COULD BE COOKING, THAT COULD BE EATING, THAT COULD BE MAKING FOOD, THAT COULD BE TRAVEL.
ANYTIME I HAVE AN EXPERIENCE WITH SOMEBODY I LOVE SOMEBODY I CONNECT WITH, I ALWAYS HAVE A VERY GOOD TIME.
AND I JUST SO HAPPEN THAT I LOVE TO EAT.
UH, THE, IN FACT, THE FIRST TIME, UH, WHEN I INTRODUCED MIKE WITH MY FRIEND AND ALSO WHEN HE INTRODUCED HIS FRIEND WITH MY FRIEND, WE HAVE A DUMPLING MAKING PARTY.
THE FIRST TIME MIKE MET MY FAMILY, WE HAVE A DUMPLING MAKING PARTY.
THE LAST TIME BEFORE MY GRANDMA PASSED AWAY, BECAUSE THE RECIPE IS ACTUALLY FROM MY GRANDMA.
THE LAST TIME BEFORE MY GRANDMA PASSED AWAY, WE HAD A DUMPLING MAKING PARTY TOO.
SO IT'S A BIG PART OF OUR LIFE.
UH, OBVIOUSLY WE LOVE THE DUMPLING ITSELF, BUT WE LOVE HOW YOU FEEL WHEN YOU MAKE DUMPLING WITH OTHER PEOPLE.
SO BECAUSE THE EXPERIENCE ITSELF, WE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, OKAY, GREAT, MAYBE MAKING FOOD WITH OTHER PEOPLE IS THE WAY THAT I CAN FIND JOY AGAIN.
I CAN BRING JOY TO OTHER PEOPLE.
NOW HOW, NOW HOW DO I MAKE IT MORE EXCITING, MORE INTERESTING? SO WE ARE JOURNEY ON USING THAT, CREATING THE MOST FUN AND UNIQUE EXPERIENCES AS OUR WHY.
AND THAT KIND OF START A JOURNEY OF DUMPLING DUE AND START JOURNEY.
NOW WE BECAME EXPERIENCE MAKER.
AND ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, STARTING WITH WHY, WHY IS THIS OUR FIRST LESSON? IT'S ONE OF THOSE LESSONS THAT REALLY KIND OF, UM, IS IN THROUGHOUT ALL OF THE FOUR YEARS, WHENEVER WE, WE FEEL DOWN OR WE'RE, WHENEVER WE FEEL LIKE, OH, WE'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, WE ALWAYS BRING IT BACK TO THE WHY.
WHY DID WE START THIS? WHAT'S THE WHY? HOW DO WE WANT PEOPLE TO FEEL? WHICH WE'LL TALK ABOUT IT IN A LITTLE WHILE LATER.
AND THAT REALLY HELPS US TO BRING US BACK.
IT'S KIND OF LIKE OUR COMPASS, RIGHT? IT BRINGS US BACK TO THE DIRECTION WE WANT TO GO TOGETHER, ESPECIALLY SINCE WE WERE MARRIED.
WE WORK TOGETHER, WE OWN THE BUSINESS TOGETHER.
THAT WHY IS REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US SO THAT WE CAN STAY KIND OF ON THAT, THAT UNIFIED PATH AS WE GROW OUR BUSINESS AND AS WE REACH OUT TO FOLKS.
SO NUMBER ONE, DEFINITELY START WITH YOUR WHY.
UM, AND LIKE YOU SAID, THERE'S A GREAT REFERENCE FOR SOME LITERATURE THERE FOR YOU TO CHECK OUT IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY.
AND OBVIOUSLY IF YOU HAVE A CO-FOUNDER OR YOU WORK WITH YOUR SPOUSE, YOU ARE GOING TO GET INTO ARGUMENT.
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GUARANTEE YOU THAT YOU'RE GONNA GET INTO ARGUMENT.YOU MIGHT LOVE EACH OTHER RIGHT NOW.
I MEAN, YOU'LL STILL LOVE EACH OTHER, BUT YOU ARE GOING TO GET INTO ARGUMENT
SO IN THOSE MOMENTS WITH YOUR SPOUSE, BROTHER, FAMILY, THINK ABOUT THE WHY AND WHY YOU START TO DO THINGS TOGETHER.
IT'S SUCH A CORE PART OF OUR BUSINESS THAT WE ALWAYS GO BACK TO THE WHY CAN YOU STEAL ME? ALL RIGHT? NUMBER TWO, LISTEN IS FOCUS ON YOUR DIFFERENTIATOR.
I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE LOOKING FOR DIFFERENT IDEAS TO START YOUR BUSINESS RIGHT NOW.
OUR CONCEPT WAS WE ARE NOT TRYING TO BE BETTER.
WE NEVER SET OUT TO MAKE THE MOST DELICIOUS DUMPLING.
WE NEVER SET OUT TO SAY WE ARE GONNA MAKE THIS BETTER THAN THIS RESTAURANT.
IF WE ARE BETTER, PEOPLE WILL COME.
BECAUSE BEING BETTER IS SO SUBJECTIVE.
AND IF YOU CONSTANT TRYING TO BE BETTER AND BETTER WITH EVERYBODY ELSE, IT'S LIKE A NEVER ENDING JOURNEY.
SO WE HAVE A DIFFERENT APPROACH.
WE TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO BE DIFFERENT.
REALLY, REALLY UNDERSTAND YOUR DIFFERENTIATOR.
IF YOU ARE GONNA WRITE YOUR BUSINESS CASE, YOUR DIFFERENTIATOR IS SO IMPORTANT.
AND THAT SHOULD BE THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF YOUR BUSINESS CASE.
WHILE YOU ARE DIFFERENT THAN YOUR COMPETITORS AND NOT HOW YOU ARE BETTER THAN YOUR COMPETITOR, UH, DEPENDING ON AREA YOU WANNA GET IN.
LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, FOR US, THE DUMPLING BUSINESS, RIGHT? IT'S QUITE COMPETITIVE.
IT'S NOT DUMPLING PLACES OUT THERE.
UM, SO WE DON'T WANT TO, WE REALLY DON'T WANT TO JUST COMPETE WITH PEOPLE WANNA SUPPORT EACH OTHER.
SO WE HAD TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO CREATE OUR OWN SPACE, RIGHT? SAYING THAT WE KNOW PEOPLE THAT BE TEACHING THE TEACH, DUMPING MAKING IN THE PAST AND PEOPLE HAVE BEEN DOING IT FOR GENERATION.
SO WE FIGURE OUT, OKAY, HOW CAN WE DO THIS DIFFERENTLY? SO WE CANNOT WITH IDEA, WE USING DIFFERENT DELL, DIFFERENT COLOR, MAKING A FUN ART CLASS MAKE DIFFERENT SHAPE LIKE THE ONE YOU SEE BEFORE.
SO THIS IS OUR INITIAL CONCEPT OF DAY ONE.
WE WANNA TEACH PEOPLE HOW TO MAKE ART THROUGH DUMPLING AND THEN NOBODY ELSE IN THE WORLD DOING IT.
WE ARE THE FIRST THEY START DOING DUMPLING ART CLASS.
WE ARE STILL THE ONLY ONE THEY DO DUMPLING ART CLASS.
SO WHEN YOU LOOK INTO YOUR VENTURE, WHEN YOU LOOK AT YOUR TECHNOLOGY, YOUR INNOVATION, DON'T THINK ABOUT HOW YOU CAN BE OTHER PERSON.
THINK ABOUT HOW CAN YOU MAKE A DIFFERENT, THAT WAY PEOPLE REMEMBER YOU FOR YOUR DIFFERENTIATOR.
NOT JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE BETTER THAN OTHER PEOPLE.
OBVIOUSLY YOUR PRODUCT HAS TO BE GOOD, BUT DIFFERENTIATOR IS, UH, MORE IMPORTANT THAN BEING BETTER THAN EVERYBODY ELSE.
AND ALSO, UM, BECAUSE WE ARE EXPERIENCE MAKER AND YOU GUYS, WHATEVER PRODUCT AND SERVICE YOU'RE TRYING TO SELL, ONE OF YOUR DIFFERENTIATOR, WHICH WILL COVER LATER IN DETAIL, IS HOW YOU MAKE OTHER PEOPLE FEEL.
RIGHT? SO YOUR BRANDING IS NOT JUST YOUR LOGO.
IF YOU'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, IF YOU SPEND A WEEK TO DECIDE WHAT YOUR LOGO IS, YOU ARE ALREADY BEHIND ON A LOT OF PEOPLE.
THAT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER IN REAL LIFE.
WHAT'S MORE IMPORTANT IS YOU HAVE A BRAIN AND THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF YOUR BRAIN IS HOW PEOPLE REMEMBER YOUR BRAND AND HOW YOU MAKE PEOPLE FEEL.
SO THAT MEAN THAT ALL YOUR CONTENT, EVERY SINGLE YOU CREATED, YOU GOTTA TIE BACK TO LIKE EMOTION.
I THINK WE HAVE A SLIDE TO GO OVER MORE IN THAT IN DETAIL LATER.
YEAH, WE DEFINITELY TALK A LOT ABOUT THAT, THAT FEELING THAT THAT PEOPLE GET WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY LOOK AT A PRODUCT, RIGHT? THAT'S, UH, THAT'S SUPER IMPORTANT.
YOU KNOW, THINK ABOUT ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE PRODUCTS.
IS IT THE LOGO OR IS IT THE FEELING OF THAT PRODUCT WHEN YOU HAVE IT IN YOUR HAND, RIGHT? THAT'S KIND OF THE THE MESSAGE WE WANNA GET ACROSS WITH, UH, THIS PARTICULAR HOW YOU TALK, RIGHT? RIGHT, EXACTLY.
WE COVER MORE DETAIL LATER, BUT DEFINITELY DO THINK ABOUT YOUR DIFFERENTIATOR AND HOW YOU ARE DIFFERENT THAN ANYBODY ELSE, RIGHT? NUMBER THREE IS DISCOVER YOUR SUPERPOWER.
SO STARTING WITH WHY, AND THEN WHAT IS YOUR DIFFERENTIATOR, RIGHT? WHAT IS THE MARKET YOU'RE GOING TO CREATE FOR YOURSELF SO THAT YOU CAN HAVE YOUR OWN MARKET, RIGHT? UM, BUT DISCOVERING YOUR SUPERPOWER IS IN THERE AS WELL TOO.
SO FOR MYSELF, UM, MY SUPERPOWER, I'M DEFINITELY A TEACHER.
UH, I'M VERY PROCESS ORIENTED, RIGHT? AND I GOT THAT A LOT FROM MY TRAINING AS AN ENGINEER, BUT ALSO WORKING IN LIKE HOME REMODEL AND CONSTRUCTION.
SO IT'S NOT THAT I HAVE TO DISCOVER THIS NEW SUPERPOWER, RIGHT? IT, UH, IT IS ALREADY INSIDE OF US THAT WE HAVE THIS.
UM, FOR ME, I DREW ON WHAT MADE ME HAPPY THROUGH ALL OF THE OTHER JOBS THAT I HAD HAD.
AGAIN, IT ALL GOES BACK TO THAT FEELING, RIGHT? UM, I, ALL OF THOSE JOBS THAT I HAD BEFORE, UM, AND HOW, WHAT SKILLS COULD I USE AND GLEAM FROM THAT TO APPLY TO THIS HERE? SO ONE OF THE THINGS HE TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, IS ALL OF THE FUN COLORFUL DOUGH THAT WE HAVE.
UH, THAT WAS DEFINITELY SOMETHING WHERE I WAS, YOU KNOW, USING TONS OF SPREADSHEETS AND ALL KINDS OF, UH, MATHEMATICS AND, AND STUFF TO REALLY, UH, COME UP WITH THE FORMULAS, RIGHT? AND SO THAT IS PART OF THAT CHEMISTRY BACKGROUND THAT I REALLY, REALLY ENJOY.
AND SO THAT LENT VERY NATURALLY TO BEING IN THE PROCESS ROLE IN MY JOB.
UH, SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE WANNA TALK ABOUT WHEN YOU'RE FINDING YOUR SUPERPOWER AND, AND FOR CHI, LEMME TALK ABOUT HIS FOR A MOMENT AS WELL TOO.
BEING A, A MARKETING DIRECTOR, UH, AS HIS, UH, LAST ITERATION IN HIS, UH, OIL AND GAS, UH, CAREER, UH, REALLY HELPED US TO, UH, GET OFF THE GROUND A LITTLE BIT QUICKER.
UM, HE HAD ALL THE KNOW-HOW OF HOW TO, TO
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DO THE MARKETING.UM, YOU KNOW, I ALSO TEACH YOGA RIGHT NOW AND I STRUGGLE WITH MY OWN MARKETING STILL, BUT YOU KNOW, WE, WE PAIRED OFF AND WE BOTH HAD OUR OWN CHANNELS TO WORK IN.
UM, BUT WE HAD THE SAME WHY, RIGHT? AND SO IT KIND OF GOES BACK TO, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE THAT WHY AND THEN YOU HAVE YOUR DIFFERENTIATOR FOR YOUR MARKET.
AND NOW HOW DO YOU WORK IN THAT MARKET? AND THAT'S WHERE YOUR SUPERPOWER COMES TO THE FRONT FOR US BEING TOGETHER AND THEM WORKING TOGETHER, UH, UH, SO CLOSELY, ESPECIALLY THROUGH COVID AND ALL THAT.
AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT, UH, MORE AS WELL TOO.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WHEN THE WORLD SHUT DOWN AGAIN, WE WERE REALLY, REALLY TIGHTLY KNIT.
AND SO HAVING CLEAR ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES WAS SUPER, SUPER IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY IN THOSE EARLY YEARS OF REALLY, YOU KNOW, GETTING OFF THE GROUND AND MAKING SURE THAT WE WERE, UH, GOING IN THE SAME DIRECTION AND WORKING ON OUR OWN PROJECTS, BUT STILL KIND OF KEEPING IT TOGETHER.
AND WHEN, WHEN TIMES COME UP AND YOU DO FEEL THAT DOUBT OR THAT, THAT THAT IMPOSTER SYNDROME, RIGHT? COME UP, YOU JUST GOTTA GO BACK TO THAT WHY, AGAIN, BELIEVING IN YOURSELF, YOUR MESSAGE, WHO YOU'RE TRYING TO REACH.
AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW HOW YOU WANNA MAKE PEOPLE FEEL WITH YOUR PRODUCT.
UM, THERE'S A LINE, I I LIKE FAKE IT TILL YOU MAKE IT.
I HEARD IT WHEN I WAS YOUNGER.
UM, I THINK THAT THAT'S A LITTLE BIT, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE NOT REALLY FAKING IT, REALLY, I THINK IT'S, UH, JUST KEEP TRYING UNTIL IT STICKS.
I DUNNO, MAYBE THAT'S A BETTER WAY TO PUT IT.
BUT YOU JUST GOTTA KEEP TRYING YOUR THINGS.
KEEP PUSHING YOUR SUPERPOWER OUT THERE AND, UM, THAT THAT MARKET WILL OPEN UP FOR YOU.
AT LEAST THAT WAS OUR EXPERIENCE WITH US.
AND I WANNA ADD THAT IS ALSO IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT THE PEOPLE THAT WORK WITH YOU, ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE A CO-FOUNDER OR MAYBE LIKE A TEAM OF PEOPLE.
TALK ABOUT EACH OTHER'S SUPERPOWER.
SPEND SOME TIME AND DISCOVER EACH OTHER'S SUPERPOWER.
AND YOU CAN HAVE YOUR ROLE AND RESPONS RESPONSIBILITY BASED ON YOUR SUPERPOWER.
THE MORE CLEAR AND DEFINED YOUR ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES ARE, THE LESS CONFLICT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE IN THE FUTURE.
NOT THAT THERE'S NOT GONNA BE ANY CONFLICT, RIGHT?
BUT THE EASIER IT IS FOR CONFLICT RESOLUTION, I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, THAT'S PROBABLY WHAT IT IS TO MITIGATE THAT, RIGHT? DEFINITELY.
AND YOUR SUPERPOWER IS PROBABLY NOT YOUR JOB TITLE.
I MEAN, FOR ME, I SHOULD EVENTUALLY, IT'S MY JOB TITLE.
BUT LIKE, IF YOU ARE AN ACCOUNTANT, OBVIOUSLY YOUR SUPERPOWER, IT'S PROBABLY, PROBABLY NOT ACCOUNTANT, PROBABLY LIKE YOU ARE SUPER ORGANIZED.
YOU GO WITH NUMBER DETAIL ORIENTED, YOU JUST HAPPEN TO BE AN ACCOUNTANT.
SO LOOK BEYOND YOUR CURRENT JOB TITLE AND DISCOVER OTHER PEOPLE'S SUPERPOWER.
WHEN YOU HIRE PEOPLE, WHEN YOU FINALLY SCALE UP, ASK THAT QUESTION.
YEAH, ASK THEM WHAT'S THEIR SUPERPOWER.
I CAN GUARANTEE YOU THAT ONLY ABOUT 10% OF PEOPLE WE INTERVIEW KNOW WHAT THEIR SUPERPOWER IS.
AND IF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW IT'S OKAY, HELP THE PEOPLE DEVELOP THEIR SUPERPOWER.
YOU'RE BUILDING YOUR OWN AVENGERS, I GUESS, IN A WAY WHEN YOU START A BUSINESS.
SO THINK ABOUT IN TURN OF SUPERPOWER AS VERY, VERY BENEFICIAL IN THE LONG TERM.
OUR NEXT LESSON IS VULNERABILITY IS THE BIRTHPLACE OF INNOVATION, CREATIVITY, AND CHANGE.
UM, WE'RE BIG FANS OF BRENE BROWN.
UM, SHE'S, UH, SHE'S INSPIRED US A LOT TO, UH, UNDERSTAND OUR OWN VULNERABILITY THROUGH ALL OF THIS.
WORKING WITH YOUR SPOUSE OR SIGNIFICANT OTHER EVEN BEST FRIEND, WHATEVER THAT LEVEL OF RELATIONSHIP IS THAT YOU'RE GONNA WORK WITH, THERE'S DEFINITELY A NECESSITY FOR VULNERABILITY.
UH, VULNERABILITY ALLOWS, UM, ALLOWS US TO, UH, BE AUTHENTIC WITH OUR COWORKERS, RIGHT? IF WE'RE VULNERABLE IN TURN, IT LENDS THEM TO BE VULNERABLE AS WELL.
IT IS A KIND OF A OUR SIDE OF THE STREET THING, RIGHT? SO IF I'M VULNERABLE ON MY SIDE OF THE STREET, IT'S AN EXAMPLE AND WE'LL HOPEFULLY HELP OTHERS TO BE VULNERABLE ON THEIR SIDE OF THE STREET AS WELL.
UH, MINDFULNESS AND GRATITUDE PRACTICES HAVE BEEN REALLY, REALLY BENEFICIAL FOR US THROUGH, UH, THROUGH THIS AS WELL.
I'VE BEEN A YOGI FOR 16 YEARS.
UH, BUT UM, YOU KNOW, GOING THROUGH THAT MINDFULNESS PRACTICE AND EVEN JUST BREATH WORKSHOPS AND, AND WRITING GRATITUDE LISTS AND, AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT, UH, MAY SEEM KIND OF, UM, FLUFFY AND, AND CLOUD, UH, THEY REALLY, REALLY HELP KIND OF ANCHOR.
THEY'RE REALLY VERY POWERFUL AND THEY ANCHOR YOU INTO, UH, THAT SPACE THAT YOU'RE WORKING IN.
I WILL TELL YOU IT'S NOT AN EASY THING.
PUTTING PRIDE ASIDE IS A BIG DEAL, RIGHT? I MEAN, WE ARE VERY PROUD OF OUR PRODUCT.
THIS IS ME, IT'S MINE, DA DA DA, RIGHT? BUT AGAIN, WE'VE GOTTA BE VULNERABLE AND SAY, OKAY, I'VE GOTTA LOOK AT THIS FROM ALL THE ANGLES.
I'VE GOTTA BUILD TRUST WITH THE PEOPLE THAT ARE AROUND ME.
AND IT'S NOT A WEAKNESS, IT'S A STRENGTH.
BEING VULNERABLE IS SUCH A STRENGTH.
AND I THINK THAT WE ONLY LEARNED THAT LESSON BY PRACTICING VULNERABILITY WITH OTHERS.
SO FIRST OF ALL, I JUST LOVE THE NAME BROWN
I CAN SAY THAT OVER, OVER AGAIN.
WHEN, WHEN, WHEN I HEARD HER SPEECH ON YOUTUBE THAT ONE TIME I READ ALL HER BOOK, ALL HER BOOK WAS RECOMMENDED.
UM, IF YOU ARE IN THE TECH INDUSTRY, I, I SHOULD FOR ALL INDUSTRY, RIGHT? LIKE, THINK ABOUT YOUR EGO.
DEFINITELY DO THINK ABOUT EVERYTHING YOU SAY, HOW BIG YOUR HEAD IS.
DO YOU THINK YOU'RE THE BIG SHOT? OR LIKE,
[00:25:03]
IT'S, IT'S REALLY HARD TO BUILD TRUST FOR ANY KIND OF INDUSTRY WHEN YOU HAVE THAT EGO, WHEN YOU HAVE THAT BIG HEADED BY YOURSELF.BUT LIKE THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN BUILD TRUST WITH PEOPLE IS TO TO OPEN YOURSELF UP AND THEN TO OPEN YOURSELF UP FOR INNOVATION, TO HAPPEN, FOR CONVERSATION TO HAPPEN IS THROUGH VULNERABILITY.
THE REASON VULNERABILITY IS THE BEST PLACE FOR INNOVATION, CREATIVITY, AND CHANGE BECAUSE IT'S ALL BASED ON CONNECTION WITH PEOPLE.
IT'S ALL BASED ON TRUST BETWEEN EACH OTHER.
OKAY? THE MOST IMPORTANT THING OF INNOVATION IS TRUST AND IS HOW YOU WORK WITH PEOPLE.
YOUR INNOVATION WILL NOT GO EVERY FAR.
SO UNTIL YOU FIGURE OUT HOW TO WORK WITH PEOPLE, HOW TO CONNECT WITH PEOPLE, HOW TO BE VULNERABLE, IT'S REALLY, REALLY HARD FOR YOU TO MOVE FORWARD.
I MEAN, YOU CAN MOVE FORWARD, BUT YOU WOULDN'T GO VERY FAR FROM MY EXPERIENCE WITH ALL THIS OTHER COMPANY.
THE OTHER THING IS, UM, FROM FACT, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT LESSON LEARNERS WORKING AS A COUPLE ON LINKEDIN.
UH, BY WAY MY LINKEDIN IS ON THE CHI.
UM, WE POSTED SOMETHING AND TAGGED
SHE NEVER, UH, LIKED OR TAGGED BACK, BUT COUPLE WEEKS AGO SHE ACTUALLY HEARD ONE OF MY POSTS AND IT BECAME THE NUMBER ONE MOST ENGAGEMENT I HAVE ON A LINKEDIN POST IN THE LAST 15 YEARS.
I THINK I HAVE LIKE 80,000 VIEWS ON MY POST BECAUSE B BROWN LOVED THE POST.
I'VE NEVER SEEN YOU RUN DOWN THE STAIRS FASTER THAN THEY TELL ME IT HAPPENED.
SO ANYWAY, WE'LL MOVE TO THE NEXT TOPIC.
SO I REMEMBER THAT DAY,
IT'S JUST LIKE WHEN YOU ARE IN SCHOOL TAKING THE EXAM AS ENGINEER STUDENT, LIKE THERE'S NOT ONE EXAM, NOT EVER READY.
EVERY TIME I GO INTO THE EXAM I'M LIKE, OH, I'M GOING TO LIKE FAIL.
YOU'RE GONNA HAVE THE SAME FEELING WITH YOUR BUSINESS.
YOUR INNOVATION MAY NOT BE READY, YOUR TECHNOLOGY MAY NOT BE READY AND YOUR PRODUCT MAY NOT BE READY, BUT YOU'LL NEVER BE READY, RIGHT? LOOK AT APPLE, FOR EXAMPLE, RIGHT? THEY HAD THEIR FIRST IPHONE.
AND LOOK AT HOW MANY PATCH THEY HAVE TO DO EVEN THE NEW IPHONE.
THEY'RE GONNA COME OUT, UH, IN NOVEMBER, I THINK GUARANTEE WITHIN A MONTH THEY HAVE A PATCH GOING OUT.
AGAIN, IF A BILLIONS OF DOLLAR, TRILLION DOLLAR COMPANY LIKE APPLE CANNOT RELEASE A PERFECT PRODUCT, HAVE TO HAVE PATCH RIGHT AWAY, WHAT'S THE CHANGE THAT YOU GOT TO HAVE EVERYTHING READY, RIGHT? SO THERE'S A BOOK, IT'S CALLED THE LINKS START UP IS IN THE, ON THE SLIDE.
SO IF YOU ARE, UH, DEFINITELY A, A TECH STAR UP, DEFINITELY FOLLOW THIS BOOK.
UM, DON'T SAY ANYBODY REALLY THAT'S BRINGING ANYBODY TO THE MARKET.
SO THE WHOLE CONCEPT IS AS SOON AS YOUR MARKET IS READY, YOU HAVE A THING CALLED MVP, WHICH MEAN THE NOT MOST VALUABLE PLAYER, BUT MINIMUM VIABLE PRODUCT,
AS SOON AS YOU HAD THE MINIMUM VIABLE PRODUCT THAT DOES LIKE 80% OF WHAT I WANNA DO, GO AHEAD AND RELEASE IT AND TEST IT.
THIS IS ESPECIALLY USEFUL IF YOU ARE SOFTWARE AND TECHNOLOGY SET UP.
AND THEN AS YOU GO THROUGH THAT, THEN YOU JUST PIVOT, RIGHT? YOU, YOU HAVE ONE MONTH YOU CAN DO A, A, A RUN FOR ONE MONTH.
THEN YOU SAY, OKAY, LET'S GET FEEDBACK.
LET'S PIVOT AND RELEASE THE NEXT VERSION AND RELEASE THE VER NEXT VERSION.
IT'S BETTER IF YOU RELEASE SOMETHING THAT'S ALMOST READY, THEN YOU MAKE MODIFICATION FUND AND THEN YOU JUST WAIT FOR THE PERFECT TIME FOR THIS TO HAPPEN.
BECAUSE AS WE ALL KNOW, THE PERFECT TIME FOR ANYTHING IN OUR LIVES REALLY NEVER EVER COMES.
IT'S ALWAYS WHEN YOU LOOK BACK, RIGHT? AND WE GO, OH WOW, IT REALLY WAS A GREAT TIME.
WE DON'T EVER SAY IT WAS THE PERFECT TIME.
EVEN WHEN WE LOOK INTO THE PAST, RIGHT? WE SAY, OH, THAT WAS A GREAT LAUNCH, IT HAPPENED BACK THEN.
EVERYTHING WENT WELL, RIGHT? AND WE CAN ONLY DO WHAT WE CAN DO TO SET EVERYTHING UP LIKE THAT.
UM, BUT YEAH, IF WE WAIT FOR THAT, THAT 1E-05% RIGHT TO BE FINISHED, WE'LL BE WAITING A LONG TIME.
SO, AND NOT JUST THAT NOT EVERYBODY WILL LIKE YOUR PRODUCT.
EVERYBODY WILL LIKE YOUR SERVICE.
IN FACT, A LOT OF PEOPLE PROBABLY WON'T LIKE YOU.
WE HAD TO POST ON INSTAGRAM, LINKEDIN, WE ARE GETTING NEGATIVE MESSAGES BECAUSE WE ARE A SAME SEX MARRIAGE COUPLE.
PEOPLE CAN BELIEVE WHAT THEY WANNA BELIEVE IN.
BUT YOU JUST GOTTA BE YOU JUST BE YOU AND THEN JUST DOING THE NEXT BEST THING.
BECAUSE THERE ARE GONNA BE PEOPLE THAT WANNA TEAR YOU DOWN AND THAT'S OKAY.
AND THEN JUST DO WHATEVER YOU WANNA DO.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU ARE YOUR
[00:30:01]
OWN BOSS.THAT'S WHY YOU'RE DOING THIS, RIGHT? MM-HMM
SO BE YOUR OWN BOSS AND WRITE YOUR OWN STORY, RIGHT? TAYLOR SWIFT SAYS, SHAKE IT OFF.
ALRIGHT, SO OUR NEXT ONE IS FAIL PLAN, PIVOT AND REPEAT.
SO OUR GRAPHIC HERE IS, UH, FROM I BELIEVE THE END OF 2020, MAYBE BEGINNING OF 2021.
SO FIRST MY TIP, LET'S HOW WE GOT STARTED BUSINESS.
SO WE STARTED OUR, GIVE YOU A LITTLE BACKGROUND AGAIN.
WE STARTED OUR BUSINESS AND EVERYTHING WAS GREAT.
WE STARTED TEACHING CLASS OF SIX PEOPLE IN OUR, IN OUR OWN HOME EAST DOWNTOWN.
AND THEN EVENTUALLY WE MOVE ON TO DOING CORPORATE EVENTS.
WE EVENTUALLY DO CLASSES UP TO LIKE 30, 40 PEOPLE, 50 PEOPLE, UH, AT DIFFERENT PLACES, ALL IN TOWN.
AND SO, KEEP IN MIND, WE, STARTING APRIL 1ST, 2019, BY JANUARY, 2020, WE ACTUALLY THRIVING.
WE HAD SO MANY JOB AHEAD OF, UH, US.
WE HAVE SEVEN OR EIGHT DIFFERENT JOB LINE UP.
AND ACTUALLY THE OTHER FACT IS IN ABOUT, SO WE ARE PREDICTING IN MARCH, 2020, WE WILL HAVE TURNED OUR FINANCIAL FROM RED TO BLACK FOR THE FIRST TIME.
AND ACTUALLY AT THAT TIME, SEE WE WERE ACTUALLY MAKING DUMPLINGS.
WE WERE TRYING AN EXPERIMENT, RIGHT? SO YOU ALWAYS WANNA TRY THESE LITTLE EXPERIMENTS WHEN YOU'RE WORKING AS WELL TOO.
SEE WHAT STICKS, RIGHT? THROW EVERYTHING AT THE WALL, SEE WHAT STICKS.
SO WE WERE TRYING TO SELL DUMPLINGS AND WE WERE TRYING TO MAKE, BRING DUMPLINGS TO THE MARKET, YOU KNOW, FOR PEOPLE TO BUY AND EAT.
AND, UM, AND THAT'S WHEN, UH, THAT'S WHEN MARCH HIT AND, UM, AND COVID HAPPENED, RIGHT? RIGHT.
WE, WE KNEW WE HAD TO DEAL WITH FAILURE BECAUSE I'M NOT, I HAVE NO ISSUE DEALING WITH FAILURE.
I JUST DIDN'T REALIZE THE FAILURE WILL BE A PANDEMIC THAT THE WHOLE WORLD SHUT DOWN.
LIKE THERE'S NO WAY YOU CAN PLAN ON YOUR BUSINESS CASE.
I DIDN'T EVEN PLAN ANYTHING LIKE THAT IN MY BUSINESS CASE.
SO WE LIKE CRAP
WHAT, WHAT DO WE DO? RIGHT? SO WE GO BY TWO.
LESSON TWO, LESSON THREE AGAIN.
AND SO THEN WE, WE, WE PLANNED, UH, WE PIVOTED AND UH, WE REPEATED SEVERAL TIMES ACTUALLY OVER THE NEXT COUPLE YEARS, UH, TO COME UP WITH A PRODUCT THAT WE NOW HAVE TODAY.
UM, SO WE, UH, WE HAD A BUNCH OF DUMPLINGS SITTING AROUND BACK IN MARCH.
AND UM, WE, A BUNCH OF FUNCTIONS WERE SHUT DOWN.
AND SO WE COULDN'T BRING ANYTHING TO THE PUBLIC.
UH, WE COULDN'T TEACH CLASSES ANYMORE BECAUSE WE REALLY COULDN'T GET TOGETHER.
WE HAD SIX EMPLOYEES AT THE TIME TOO.
LEMME JUST SAY THAT WHEN WE FIRST STARTED, WE WERE JUST TWO.
WE WERE UP TO SIX EMPLOYEES, INCLUDING US, UH, WORKING IN THE KITCHEN.
AND, UM, IMMEDIATELY OUR FIRST THOUGHT WAS WHEN WE WERE SITTING OUTSIDE, IT WAS LIKE, OH MY GOSH, HOW ARE WE GONNA KEEP OUR EMPLOYEES WORKING? HOW ARE WE GONNA KEEP THEM GOING? RIGHT? AND SO WE WENT HOME AND WE SAID, ALL RIGHT, LET'S TRY AND GET THESE DUMPLINGS OUT IN THE MARKET BECAUSE WE HAD A LOT OUT THERE.
WE, UH, ENDED UP, UH, FREEZING THEM, SELLING THEM.
UM, WE DEVELOPED THE WORLD'S FIRST BANKABLE DUMPLING, UH, COOKING DUMPLINGS AT HOME CAN BE A LITTLE BIT TREPIDATIOUS.
I MEAN MYSELF EVEN INCLUDED BEFORE WE DID THIS ADVENTURE, I WAS ALWAYS LIKE, CHI YOU GONNA COOK THESE FOR ME? 'CAUSE I REALLY AM NOT VERY GOOD AT THIS
AND WE CAME UP WITH ALL THROUGH 2020, UM, USING INPUT FROM OUR EMPLOYEES.
UH, AND, UH, HOUSTON SHOWED UP AND SHOWED OUT AND BOUGHT OVER 50,000 DUMPLINGS THAT YEAR FROM US AND 30 DIFFERENT FLAVORS WE DEVELOPED.
AND THAT KEPT OUR EMPLOYEES WORKING AND KEPT US GOING DURING THAT TIME PERIOD.
AND WE FOCUSED ON, GUESS WHAT? DIFFERENTIATE.
AGAIN, WE DON'T WANNA JUST HAVE A FROZEN DUMPLING OUT.
THEY LOOK AND FEEL, REMEMBER, REMEMBER HOW PEOPLE FEEL.
THEY FEEL LIKE REGULAR DUMPLING AND LOOK LIKE REGULAR DUMPLING.
SO WHEN PEOPLE SEE THAT, THEY DON'T KNOW WHERE THE DUMPLING IS COMING FROM.
SO WE PUT OUR ENGINEERING HAT BACK ON.
WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S OUR DIFFERENTIATOR.
SO WE USE OUR ENGINEERING SKILLSET
SO WE CAME OUT WITH THE FIRST BREAKABLE DUMPLING.
IT'S ACTUALLY THE ONLY RAW BREAKABLE DUMPLING.
UNFORTUNATELY, WE DON'T MAKE DUMPLINGS ANYMORE, BUT WE HAD THE ONLY BREAKABLE DUMPLING IN THE WATER THAT PEOPLE CAN JUST PUT IN THE OVEN, WAIT FOR 20 MINUTES, HAVE A GLASS OF WINE, AND WHEN YOU READY FOR THE SECOND GLASS, YOUR DUMPLING IS READY.
I MEAN, HOW GREAT IS THAT?
RIGHT? AND WE HAVE 30 DIFFERENT FLAVOR, TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, ALL THE WAY FROM, UH, BASIC, MY GRANDMA'S RECIPE TO, UH, PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE, DUMPLING CHOCOLATE, LOT OF HOT CHEESECAKE, UH, THANKSGIVING DINNER AND A DUMPLING.
UH, THAT WAS ONE OF MY FAVORITES.
LIKE, WE HAD SOME, UH, SOME INDIAN, UH, FLAVORS THAT WE HAD LIKE, UM, UH, A SAMOSA.
[00:35:01]
VOOP, VEGAN RECIPES, UH, CHICKEN AND CABBAGE.I MEAN, ALL DIFFERENT KINDS, IF YOU COULD THINK OF IT.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID IS WE WENT BACK TO OUR SUPERPOWER, RIGHT? AND WE SAID, OKAY, HOW CAN WE TAKE OUR FAVORITE MEAL AND HOW CAN WE MAKE IT INTO A DUMPLING, RIGHT? AND SO WE ENGINEERED THAT DOWN.
WE REALLY EXPLORED ALL OF THE KITCHEN MATH.
'CAUSE IT'S NOT VERY LINEAR IF YOU, IF ANYBODY'S A BAKER OR, OR A COOK OF ANY KIND.
UH, IT'S NOT LINEAR WHEN YOU SCALE UP TO DO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, THOUSANDS OF DUMPLINGS OUT OF ONE RECIPE, RIGHT? SO THAT TOOK US A LITTLE WHILE TO DO SPREADSHEETS ON SPREADSHEETS, AS WE ALWAYS SAY.
AND, UM, WE JUST PUT THAT TO THE TEST AND IT REALLY, IT REALLY PAID DIVIDENDS FOR US.
SO JUST DIPPING BACK INTO THOSE BAG OF TRICKS THAT YOU HAVE, ALL OF THOSE, ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT YOU'VE GONE THROUGH ARE, ARE COLLECTIONS OF THINGS THAT YOU CAN APPLY TO WHERE YOU'RE GOING.
IT IS REALLY ALL ABOUT PROBLEM SOLVING.
WHENEVER YOU, IN CRISIS, WHENEVER YOU DEAL WITH PROBLEMS, TECHNOLOGY HAPPENS WHEN PROBLEMS HAPPENS.
SO ANYTIME THERE'S A PROBLEM, THERE'S A CRISIS, THERE'S ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY.
SO USE THAT AS YOUR VIEW FOR INNOVATION TO FIGURE OUT HOW YOU CAN SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO SURVIVE.
SURVIVAL INCIDENT, RIGHT? HOW DO YOU SURVIVE? HOW TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE? HOW DO WE SOLVE THIS PROBLEM TO SURVIVE, TO MAKE IT, BUT STILL FOLLOW OUR WHY, WHICH IS TO MAKE THE MOST FUN AND UNIQUE EXPERIENCES.
SO IN 2020, WE SOURCE 50,000 DUMPLING.
WE CAME OUT WITH DIFFERENT, UH, BEER VENDORS IN TOWNS, AND ARNOLD KNOWS EUREKA HIGHS WALKING STICK.
WE'LL DO DUMPLING AND BEER PAIRING THROUGH ZOOM.
AND IN 2021 IS WHEN WE FIRST STARTED DOING VIRTUAL CLASSES TOO.
LIKE THIS PICTURE THAT YOU SAW, I THINK THIS IS FOR KID.
SO, UM, THE, UH, THE PICTURE THAT YOU'RE SEEING HERE IS ACTUALLY FROM ONE OF OUR ZOOM CLASSES AND HOW THIS CAME ABOUT.
WE ACTUALLY HAD A COMPANY THAT HAD A BUSINESS ON THE EAST COAST AND AN OFFICE ON THE WEST COAST AS WELL.
AND THEY REACHED OUT TO US AND THEY WERE LIKE, HEY, WE REALLY WANT TO TRY AND CONNECT THESE OFFICES.
IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU CAN HELP US DO? AND SO AGAIN, WE WERE ASKED TO DO SOMETHING, UH, WE DIDN'T SAY NO, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE DO.
WE SAID, LET US PUT ON OUR HATS AGAIN AND SEE IF WE CAN COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT WOULD WORK FOR YOU GUYS.
SO AGAIN, WE WENT BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD, WE FIGURED OUT HOW TO MAKE THESE PACKS, AND UM, UNFORTUNATELY WE DON'T HAVE IT ON THERE.
SLIDE THE LITTLE BOX AND WE PUT AN APRON IN THERE.
WE PUT A ROLLING PUT IN THERE, A BAG OF FLOUR.
THERE'S FROZEN, UH, DOUGH, FROZEN FILLING.
AND WE WORKED OUT THE SHIPPING COSTS AND ALL THAT STUFF.
AND WE GOT PRODUCTS OUT TO NEW YORK AND TO CALIFORNIA FOR THIS, UH, COMBINED OFFICE, UH, DUMPLING MAKING PARTY.
IT JUST BECAME, UM, KIND OF OUR STAPLE FOR ALL OF ABOUT 20, 21 UP UNTIL ABOUT THE END OF THE YEAR WHEN EVERYTHING STARTED TO OPEN BACK UP.
AND FOR A WHILE WE DID EVEN LIKE A HYBRID.
SOME FOLKS WOULD BE WITH US, SOME FOLKS WILL BE ONLINE.
AND UH, IT REALLY, UH, HELPED US AGAIN.
SO THERE'S ANOTHER PIVOT FOR US AS WELL.
I DON'T REMEMBER WHEN WE TRYING TO SHIP, OH GOSH, A BIG ORDER.
LIKE THE 200 ORDER FOR, I WANNA DISCUSS THE COMPANY NOW.
A BIG CLIENT IS A TV COMPANY ON WEST COAST.
AND NOW WE, AND ALSO IT WAS DURING COVID, EVERYBODY'S SHIPPING STUFF DURING CHRISTMAS TIME.
SO 20% OF OUR ORDER DIDN'T GET THERE ON TIME.
SO EVENTUALLY WE ACTUALLY LOST MONEY ON THAT ONE PARTICULAR ORDER.
YOU FAIL, PLAN, PIVOT, AND RETREAT.
IT'S, IT'S, IT HURTS AT THE TIME, BUT I TRUST YOU.
ONCE YOU GET THROUGH IT AND YOU GET THROUGH THOSE PROCESSES AND THOSE STEPS AND YOU LOOK BACK AND YOU'RE LIKE, WOW, I CAN'T BELIEVE WE JUST DID ALL OF THAT.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY THE, THE COOL EXPERIENCE I THINK THAT I I STILL LOOK BACK ON THIS DAY IS LIKE, WOW.
OUR SLIDE IS A LITTLE MESS UP.
WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT LIKE, LOOK, WE'RE PIVOTING RIGHT NOW.
I'M NO, THE, THIS GOT REVERSED.
SO NUMBER SEVEN IS DEFINE OWN SUCCESS.
UH, I SPENT 20 YEARS, I GUESS IN MY CAREER TRYING TO MAJOR, TRYING TO GET MONEY AND TRYING TO GET TITLE AND NOT MEASURABLE.
NOT SAYING THAT IT'S IMPORTANT.
SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH THAT JOURNEY TO KNOW IT'S NOT AS IMPORTANT TO YOU IN LIFE.
AND SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, THAT IS ENOUGH, YOU KNOW? RIGHT.
AND SOMETIMES WHEN YOU GET INTO A GREAT JOB SOMEWHERE AND YOU'RE HAPPY.
YOU KNOW, FOR US IT WASN'T THE CASE.
AND SO WE WANNA SHARE WITH YOU HOW WE MEASURE OUR SUCCESS NOW VERSUS HOW WE DID IN THE PAST.
BUT THE LONG, THE OLDER WE GET, THE MORE WE CAN EXPERIENCE LIFE.
WE DISCOVER MORE THINGS THAN MONEY ENTITLED, LESS PHYSICAL HEALTH, LIFE EXPERIENCE, FAMILY INNER PEACE, LOVING WHAT YOU DO AND ALL THAT.
OH, AND KINDNESS IS SO IMPORTANT, WHICH IS VERY, VERY HARD TO FIND NOWADAYS.
[00:40:01]
TITLE IS STILL THERE.BUT LUCKILY AS ENTREPRENEURS, WE KIND OF GET TO DEFINE OUR OWN TITLES AND OUR OWN EXPERIENCE THAT WAY, RIGHT? SO THAT'S KIND OF FUN.
SO THE WHOLE IDEA OF THIS SLIDE IS DEFINE YOUR OWN SUCCESS.
DON'T, DON'T, DON'T DEFINE IT BASED ON SOMEBODY ELSE'S SUCCESS.
IF SOMEBODY LOOK LIKE THEY HAVE MONEY ENTITLED, BUT ARE THEY HAPPY IN LIFE? DO THEY SPEND TIME WITH FAMILY? UH, YOU GET A CHANCE TO DEFINE, TO WRITE YOUR OWN STORY, BEING ENTREPRENEUR.
SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO FOLLOW RULES.
AND YOU CAN DEFINE SUCCESS HOWEVER YOU WANT.
WHATEVER DRIVE YOU, RIGHT? I USED TO THINK, I WANT TO DO EVERYTHING THAT MADE ME HAPPY WHEN WE FIRST STARTED.
AND I REALIZED THAT'S NOT TRUE.
HAPPINESS IS REALLY SHOW LIVE.
SO NOW I LOOK FOR STYLE THAT MAY MAKE ME FEEL LIKE MINDFUL AND I LOOK FOR START LIKE GIVING ME A PURPOSE IN LIFE THAT GAVE ME MEANING IN LIFE VERSUS HAPPINESS.
BECAUSE IF HAPPINESS FAIL, NOW WHAT DO YOU HAVE LEFT? BUT IF YOU ARE AIMING FOR LIFE PURPOSE, MEANING YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY, YOU, YOU ANCHOR YOURSELF OUT TO GIVE YOU THAT FULFILLMENT IN LIFE, THEN YOU'RE MORE LIKELY TO BE ABLE TO STAY ANCHORED DURING THE UP AND DOWN WHEN YOU JUST BASED ON MONEY AND TITLE.
UM, SO WE HAVE A CONCEPT, IT'S CALLED RETURN ON, I USED TO CALL IT RETURN ON HAPPINESS VERSUS A RETURN ON INVESTMENT.
OBVIOUSLY YOU NEED TO KNOW YOUR RETURN ON INVESTMENT IS
YOU CAN MAKE MONEY, BUT I, WHO SAYS THAT WE, FOR CORPORATION WHO SAYS THAT I HAD TO INCREASE MY REVENUE BY 10%, 20% EVERY SINGLE YEAR, IT'S LIKE A NEVER ENDING CHASE, RIGHT? SO WE SAY WE ARE GONNA MAJOR ASSETS BASED ON HOW HAPPY WE ARE AND HOW FULFILLED WE ARE.
OBVIOUSLY WE STILL HAVE TO MAKE MONEY, BUT WE GAUGE OUR SUCCESS.
UH, ARE WE NOT HAVING A GOOD TIME WHEN I WAKE UP IN THE MORNING AND I AND I IN A GOOD MOOD? OR DO I JUST DREADFUL FOR THE WHOLE DAY, RIGHT? RIGHT.
AND THEN MAYBE NEXT YEAR I WANNA BE 10% HAPPIER.
I WANNA BE 10% MORE FULFILL VERSUS I'M GONNA MAKE 10 MORE PERCENT MORE MONEY.
THE MONEY DOESN'T GUARANTEE ALL THE OTHER STUFF WILL HAPPEN.
SO WE KIND OF CHANGE OUR MINDSET.
I DEFINITELY ENCOURAGE YOURSELF TO REFRAME YOURSELF, HAVE A GOAL FOR OUR I, BUT LOOK AT YOUR ROH TOO TO SEE HOW YOU'RE GONNA MEASURE THAT.
WHAT'S IMPORTANT IN YOUR LIFE IN CASE NOBODY TOLD YOU TODAY YOU SPECIAL IN CASE NOBODY MADE YOU BELIEVE, WELL, I'LL, YOU, YOU SPECIAL.
I'M SO GLAD THAT YOU'RE STILL WITH US BROKEN, BUT DAMN, YOU'RE STILL PERFECT.
COULD YOU IMAGINE A WORLD WHERE EVERYBODY'S THE SAME AND YOU COULD CANCEL A GIRL BECAUSE SHE JUST WANTED TO CHANGE? HOW COULD YOUR, HOWS PAIN? THAT'S WHY WE FEEL SO ALONE,
AND THAT LEADS US IN TO FOCUS ON HOW YOU MAKE PEOPLE FEEL.
I THINK, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS VIDEO REALLY, UH, KIND OF CAPTURES THE ESSENCE OF WHAT WE DO.
UM, WE BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER THROUGH THE JOY OF DUMPLING MAKING.
AND IF YOU NOTICED, NOBODY'S ON THEIR PHONES OR IF THEY ARE, THEY'RE TAKING PICTURES.
HOPEFULLY THAT'S ALL THEY'RE DOING.
UM, YOU KNOW, BUT NOBODY'S ON THEIR PHONE.
IT'S A MINDFULNESS ACTIVITY THAT WE'RE, WE'RE A MINDFULNESS SPACE THAT WE'RE CREATING FOR PEOPLE AND REALLY SURROUNDING YOURSELF WITH, UH, THESE LIKE-MINDED PEOPLE THAT, THAT YOU COULD SEE THE PEOPLE IN THE DUMPLING DUDES HATS.
THOSE ARE SOME OF OUR EMPLOYEES NOWADAYS, UH, THAT HELP US WITH THESE FUNCTIONS.
AND THEY EACH HAVE THEIR OWN SUPERPOWER THAT HELPS US TO ACHIEVE, UH, THIS FEELING THAT WE TRY TO GIVE PEOPLE.
UM, WE REALLY LIKE TO CALL OURSELVES KIND OF A PAY IT FORWARD ACTIVITY WHERE WE'RE TEACHING THEM A SKILL SO THAT THEY CAN FURTHER TEACH OTHERS THE SAME THING AND HOPEFULLY DESIGN THEIR OWN DUMPING, MAKING EXPERIENCES WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY AT HOME.
WE HAD SIX EMPLOYEES OF THE TIME ONLY ABOUT, I WOULD SAY ONLY ABOUT HALF OF THEM HAVE KITCHEN EXPERIENCE.
THE OTHER ONE HAVE NO EXPERIENCE.
THEY ACTUALLY ALL HAVE CORPORATE JOB, BUT TRYING TO FIND THEMSELF.
AND WE BRING IT IN TO HELP US TO MAKE DOWN PLAN.
WE MENTOR EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM.
BUT UH, BEFORE WE STOP OUR DUMPLING PRODUCTION, UH, PART OF THE BUSINESS, WE MENTOR THEM, GIVE THEM THE TITLE THEY NEED, GIVE 'EM THE SKILLS IN THEY NEED, HELP THEM FIND BETTER JOB BECAUSE WE ONLY WERE IN THE KITCHEN TWO DAYS A WEEK.
SO THEY HAD TO BE ABLE TO FIND A BETTER PAYING JOB TO MOVE ON WITH THEIR CAREER.
EVERYBODY GOT WAY BETTER JOB THAT'S FULL TIME.
AND EVENTUALLY THEY HAVE THEIR OWN JOURNEY MOVING FORWARD.
AND THAT'S, AGAIN, THAT'S THAT BACK TO THAT RETURN ON INVESTMENT, RIGHT? AND SO IT, IT'S NOT JUST A MONETARY INVESTMENT THAT WE REALLY PUT INTO THE COMPANY.
[00:45:01]
'CAUSE OF COURSE YOU HAVE TO DO THAT IN THE BEGINNING.YOU GOTTA HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF CAPITAL TO GET STARTED.
BUT THIS RETURN ON INVESTMENT INTO YOUR EMPLOYEES, AND AGAIN, THAT'S, THAT'S BEING VULNERABLE.
THAT'S REALLY GETTING DOWN TO WHAT IS IT YOU'RE REALLY LOOKING FOR IN YOUR LIFE.
YOU KNOW, WHEN WE ASK THIS OF OUR, OUR EMPLOYEES AND, AND WHEN THEY COME TO US, THEY'RE BEING VERY VULNERABLE.
LIKE, I REMEMBER, UH, ONE OF OUR EMPLOYEES WHEN WE WERE BACK WORKING IN THE KITCHEN DURING THE DUMPLING DAYS, AND UM, SHE, SHE CAME TO ME AND SHE SAID, I'M JUST, I JUST NEED A SPACE.
I, I'M, I'M, I'M GOING NUTS, RIGHT? I NEED SOMETHING TO DO WITH MY HANDS.
AND EVENTUALLY SHE BECAME OUR PR PERSON.
SHE'S OUT THERE, YOU KNOW, RECRUITING US FOR, UH, FOR FUNCTIONS AND, AND ONE OF OUR, OUR NOW LIKE GREATEST COMPANIONS AND FRIENDS THAT WE'VE GOT TO BUILD THIS RELATIONSHIP WITH.
SO THAT RETURN ON INVESTMENT THERE, UH, HAS, HAS PAID DIVIDENDS IN, IN MY EYES, MORE THAN ANY MONETARY VALUE THAT WE PROBABLY COULD HAVE GIVEN HER OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
BUT NOW SHE'S MOVED ON TO OTHER PROJECTS, BIGGER PROJECTS.
UM, WE'VE HAD SEVERAL, UH, SEVERAL, UH, UH, COOK SLASH CHEF IN TRAINING COMING AND WORKING FOR US.
WE'RE NOT CHEFS BY ANY MEANS OF THE, OF THE, OF THE WORD.
SO, UM, BUT YOU KNOW, THEY CAME IN AND AGAIN, THEY WERE, THEY WERE LOOKING TO, UM, HAVE A SPACE TO BE CREATIVE AND TO, TO ALLOW THEM TO CREATE RECIPES.
I WOULD SAY OUT OF THE 30 PLUS RECIPES THAT WE CREATED, I WOULD SAY PROBABLY 25 TO 30% OF THOSE WERE FROM OUR EMPLOYEES, RIGHT? THEY WERE, THEY WERE.
AND IF THEY WEREN'T INITIALLY FROM THEM, THEY HELPED US TO DESIGN THEM.
THEY HELPED US TO PUT THEM OUT.
SO GIVING THEM THAT SPACE IS ANOTHER RETURN ON INVESTMENT, RIGHT? THAT'S A RETURN ON TIME FOR THEM.
AND SO THAT GIVES THEM THE ABILITY TO, TO BUILD UP THEIR RESUME.
AND NOW THEY ALSO WORK AT SOME REALLY, UH, TOP NOTCH KITCHENS HERE IN HOUSTON.
UM, WORKING WITH SOME WORLD RENOWNED CHEFS AS WELL TOO.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER GREAT THING, UM, THAT UH, THAT CAN BE DONE AS WELL IN YOUR BUSINESSES TOO, IF YOU ALLOW THAT VULNERABLE SPACE FOR PEOPLE TO GROW AND FOR PEOPLE TO REALLY, UH, REALLY OPEN UP.
SO EVERYBODY, THEY HAVE TAKEN OUR CLASS.
WE TAUGHT OVER THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ALREADY.
THEY MAY NOT REMEMBER WHAT THE DUMPLING TASTE LIKE.
THEY MIGHT NOT REMEMBER WHAT THEY MAKE, BUT THEY'LL REMEMBER HOW THEY FEEL.
AND THAT SHOULD BE YOUR SECRET SAUCE.
THINK ABOUT YOUR PRODUCT AND SERVICE.
HOW DO YOU MANY PEOPLE FEEL, NOT JUST YOUR PRODUCT AND SERVICE, YOUR EXPERIENCE HAVE TO GO, UM, EVERY SINGLE INTERACTION WHEN THEY CALL YOU, WHEN THEY COMMENT ON YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA, WHEN YOU COMMENT ON THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA, LIKE HOW DO YOU MAKE PEOPLE FEEL IS PART OF YOUR BRAIN.
IN FACT, HOW YOU MAKE PEOPLE FEEL IS THE IMPORTANT PART OF THE, YOUR BRAND THAT NOBODY EVER TALK ABOUT.
IF YOU CAN NARROW DOWN YOU HOW YOU WANT PEOPLE TO FAIL, YOU ARE HALFWAY THERE TO BE SUCCESSFUL FOR YOUR BUSINESS.
YOU'RE AHEAD OF THE, YOU'RE AHEAD OF THE MASS.
AND ARE AHEAD OF EVERYBODY ELSE.
AND YOU CANNOT FAKE TO BE A NICE PERSON, BUT JUST BE AUTHENTIC, RIGHT? LIKE, JUST BE REAL.
AND I THINK PEOPLE APPRECIATE THAT BECAUSE IT REQUIRE NO WORK FROM YOU.
JUST BEING YOURSELF AND PEOPLE.
THEY ARE GONNA BE PEOPLE THAT LIKE YOU JUST FOR BEING YOURSELF.
AND YOU KNOW, WE LOOK AT IT AS, YOU KNOW, INSTEAD OF BUILDING A COMPANY, WHICH I MEAN IT IS A COMPANY, RIGHT? BUT, UH, UH, WE THINK ABOUT IT AS BUILDING A TRIBE.
YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WHO WORK TOGETHER, PEOPLE WHO ARE LIKE-MINDED, UH, PEOPLE WHO HAVE COMMON GOALS IN LIFE.
MAYBE NOT, YOU KNOW, DUMPLING DUDES AS THEIR COMMON GOAL, BUT JUST BEING CREATIVE, EXPRESSIVE, AND WORKING IN THIS, THIS MAKER SPACE THAT, UH, THAT YOU ALLOW PEOPLE TO WORK IN.
SO FOCUS ON HOW PEOPLE WANT PEOPLE TO FEEL.
AND ACTUALLY, WHENEVER WE HAVE A NEW CLIENT, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I ALWAYS ASK THEM IS, HOW DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO FEEL AT THE END OF YOUR EVENT? BECAUSE THAT'S HOW WE'RE GONNA GEAR, THAT'S HOW WE'RE GONNA DESIGN THIS FOR YOU, RIGHT? 'CAUSE AGAIN, WE'RE GOING BACK TO DESIGNING THE MOST UNIQUE, THE MOST FUN AND UNIQUE EXPERIENCE, RIGHT? DUMPLINGS IS NOT EVEN IN OUR, OUR MISSION STATEMENT, RIGHT? IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT.
SO THAT WE CAN EXPAND THE COMPANY AND WE DON'T, WE DON'T STAY IN THIS ONE, ONE SPECIFIC PLACE.
SO I JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT IN THERE AS WELL.
AS FOR HELP, IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT YOU INVEST IN TECHNOLOGY.
I, THERE A COUPLE THING THAT WE USE RIGHT HERE.
I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS HAVE A QUESTION.
SO DEFINITELY SAVE IT FOR THE Q AND A PART.
THE OTHER ONE, JASPER, I HAD, I USE BOTH CHARGE GBT AND JASPER FOR CONTENT WRITING.
BUT WHEN I SAY CONTENT WRITING, IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU JUST SPELL OUT EXACTLY WHAT THEY SAY.
YOU ACTUALLY HAVE AN IDEA OF WHY YOU WANNA SAY FIRST.
SO I WILL CREATE 80% OF MY CONTENT AND I'LL ASK CHARGE GBT TO GIMME FEEDBACK AND THAT WILL GIMME ANOTHER 20% OF WHAT I NEED TO WRITE TO KIND OF GROUP EVERYTHING TOGETHER.
THEN, THEN IT, IT'S BACK AND FORTH FOR LIKE AT LEAST 10 MINUTES, RIGHT? YEAH.
I WOULD SAY, NO, I DON'T LIKE THIS.
COULD YOU GIMME ANOTHER IDEA TO MAKE IT MORE FUN? THEY WOULD SAY SOMETHING BAD.
AND I WOULD SAY THIS IS GREAT.
BUT, SO I USED TO US, WHEN I USED TO HAVE WRITERS AS A MARKETING DIRECTOR, I WILL
[00:50:01]
GIVE THEM THE SAME PROMPT I WILL GIVE TO MY WRITER AND THEN WILL THEN THAT WILL GIVE MY FEEDBACK BACK.SO USE IT AS A WAY TO COMPLETE YOUR THING.
BUT I WOULD SAY 80% OF THE CONTENT STILL HAS TO COME FROM YOU.
YEAH, IT'S A GREAT, ANY OF THE AI SYSTEM, IT'S A GREAT LAUNCHING LAUNCH POINTS.
IT'S A GREAT PLACE TO START, BUT IT'S GOTTA COME FROM THE HEART.
AND THAT ONLY COMES FROM YOU ONLY COME FROM YOU.
SO THE HEART PIECE IS GOTTA COME FROM US.
ALSO, EVERYBODY USE CHARGE GT.
YOU JUST SAY, I HAVE A TECHNOLOGY COMPANY.
YOU DON'T THINK OTHER PEOPLE START DOING THAT.
YOU'RE GONNA HAVE THE SAME STRATEGY OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
SO BE ORIGINAL AND USE THAT TO HELP YOU NOT TO DO EVERYTHING FOR YOU.
UM, MARKETING SOFTWARE, THERE'S A LOT OF AVAILABLE OUT THERE.
I'LL DEFINITELY RECOMMEND THAT IF YOU HAVE A GREAT, A LOT OF CUSTOMER BASE, HAVE A EMAIL AUTOMATION SOFTWARE, UH, THAT WAY YOU CAN SCHEDULE YOUR EMAIL OUT.
PEOPLE CAN SUBSCRIBE AND NOT SUBSCRIBE.
IF YOU MEET WITH CLIENT, YOU DO ZOOM CALL OR ANYTHING THAT'S SCHEDULING SOFTWARE RIGHT NOW.
A LOT OF REAL ESTATE COMPANIES ARE USING IT.
PEOPLE CAN SCHEDULE TIME WITH YOU.
I, ON THE 82ND HOUR DAY, IT'S SO EASY TO CREATE STUFF.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE MONEY OR TIME TO GET A DESIGNER, CANVA WILL GET YOU 80% THERE.
BUT AGAIN, YOU GOTTA HAVE SOMETHING, YOUR VISION AND THEN USE CANVA TO HELP YOU, UH, TO GET THERE.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF TECHNOLOGY OUT THERE, DEPENDING ON YOUR BUSINESS.
I CAN GIVE YOU SOME RECOMMENDATION IN THE Q AND A SESSION.
ASKING FOR HELP IS IMPORTANT TOO, IN THE BEGINNING, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, WE ARE ENGINEERS, UH, WE ARE NOT BUSINESS OWNERS.
WHEN WE FIRST STARTED, MUCH LESS, UM, I MEAN, I DID WORK IN KITCHENS WHEN I WAS YOUNGER, UM, BUT I HAD NOT RUN A KITCHEN OR I HAD NOT DONE A RECIPE DEVELOPMENT.
AND SO ASKING FOR HELP, UM, ON HOW TO GET STARTED, HOW TO, HOW TO PAY EMPLOYEES, YOU KNOW, HOW TO DO TAXES, UH, ALL THOSE THINGS.
GO TO THOSE SEMINARS, ASK THOSE PEOPLE SOFTWARE.
WHAT WEBSITE DO I USE TO BUILD WITH, RIGHT?
THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION OUT THERE.
SO DEFINITELY DO YOUR RESEARCH.
TALK TO PEOPLE THAT HAVE SIMILAR BUSINESS TO SEE WHAT THEY USE.
AND DON'T HAVE FORMAL
LOOK AT YOUR BUDGET, LOOK AT WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO YOU, AND SEE WHY YOU CAN AFFORD.
AND WITH TECHNOLOGY NOWADAYS, I MEAN, WE, I USED TO SPEND A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR ON THE MARKETING AUTOMATION SOFTWARE FOR MAJOR COMPANY.
NOW YOU CAN GET THE SAME FEATURE AND EVERYTHING FOR LIKE $50 PENNIES YEAH.
A MONTH, RIGHT? SO IT'S WAY CHEAPER.
A LOT OF INFORMATION IS OUT THERE.
JUST BE SMILE ABOUT, AGAIN, BASED ON THE PROBLEMS YOU HAVE, AND YOU USE TECHNOLOGY TO SOLVE YOUR PROBLEMS. ONE MORE TIME.
I THINK THAT WITH ALL OF THE THINGS, WHY WE PUT THIS AS NUMBER 10, EVEN THOUGH WE THINK THIS IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSONS, IT WOULD DEFINITELY BE IN MY LIKE TOP THREE.
IF WE HAD TO, IF YOU HAD TO REMEMBER ONE THING ABOUT TODAY GETTING STARTED ON YOUR JOURNEY, TELL YOUR STORY, RIGHT? I MEAN, TELL THE UPS, TELL THE DOWNS.
TELL ALL THE INBETWEENS HOW YOU GOT STARTED AND WHY YOU DID THIS, HOW YOU DID THIS, HOW YOU OVERCAME THAT.
PEOPLE WANNA KNOW THAT PEOPLE WANT TO HEAR YOUR STORY.
I, I THINK ABOUT SOME OF THE BRANDS AS, UH, LET'S SAY BACK IN MY TWENTIES, AND I THINK ABOUT SOME OF THE BRANDS THAT I REALLY, REALLY ENJOYED AS THE, UH, IN MY TWENTIES, AND I CAN'T REMEMBER WHY I LIKE THEM.
I THINK IT WAS PROBABLY A STATUS THING.
AND NOW I'M REALLY ATTACHED TO THIS STORYTELLING FROM PEOPLE.
I WANNA HEAR HOW THEY CREATED.
I WANT TO HEAR, YOU KNOW, THE WHY BEHIND IT.
IT, IT RINGS TRUE TO ME MORE THAN JUST BUYING A PRODUCT.
BECAUSE AGAIN, MAYBE, MAYBE IT'S A FOMO, FOMO PURCHASE, RIGHT? SO STORYTELLING IS SUPER, SUPER IMPORTANT.
IT'S WHAT CONNECTS YOU TO EVERYBODY ELSE.
IT LETS PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT YOU, NUMBER ONE.
WELL, WE ARE VERY LUCKY AND GRATEFUL.
WE, OUR, WE, OUR STORY, WE HAVE OVER 30 MEDIA PUBLICATIONS OUT THERE, VIDEO, PODCAST, TV SHOW, DOCUMENTARY.
BUT PEOPLE DON'T ASK US TO BE ON THE SHOW OR ALL THAT BECAUSE OF OUR DUMPLING.
THEY ASK US BECAUSE WE SHARE OUR STORY.
AND WHEN I SAY SHARING OUR STORY, BEING AUTHENTIC, RIGHT? NOT JUST OUT OF NOWHERE, WE COME WITH THIS PERFECT DUMPLING RECIPE.
WE TALK ABOUT HOW WE FAIL OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
LIKE IF YOU CREATING A SOFTWARE OR SOMETHING THAT YOU FAILED 10 TIMES, YOU HAVE 20 REVISION, DON'T BE, DON'T FEEL LIKE SHANNON.
YOU CANNOT SHARE A STORY THAT'S LIKE, GO TELL PEOPLE HOW YOU LEARN EACH TIME AND SAY, NO, IT TOOK ME 20 TIMES.
MAYBE IT TOOK YOU A HUNDRED TIMES.
MAYBE YOU TALK TO A HUNDRED INVESTORS, ONE SAY YES.
LOANS ARE THE STORIES THAT PEOPLE WANT, NOT THIS PERFECT LIVING
[00:55:01]
INSTAGRAM LIFE, LET'S SAY HASHTAG LIVING YOUR BEST LIFE.BUT GO CRY AT THE, AT THE BEACH THAT NOBODY KNOW CAN FEEL ASHAMED OF YOURSELF.
I HAD LEARNED SO MUCH FROM MY OWN EXPERIENCE THAT NOW I JUST TELL THE TRUTH.
I DON'T JUST HIDE MYSELF IF I MISERABLE.
I TELL PEOPLE WHY AND HOW I GET OUT FROM IT, RIGHT? SO, BE YOURSELF.
THAT'S ANOTHER, BESIDE HOW YOU MAKE PEOPLE FEEL, WHICH IS NOT AN IMPORTANT BRANDING, TELLING YOUR STORY IS ALSO SO IMPORTANT BECAUSE THAT'S HOW PEOPLE CAN FEEL AND HOW PEOPLE CAN CONNECT WITH YOU.
BEING RELATABLE IS, IS SUPER IMPORTANT, I THINK NOWADAYS TOO.
AND, YOU KNOW, I REALLY SAW FOR MYSELF, UH, IN, IN MEDIA AND IN THE WAY PEOPLE SHOPPED AND IN THE WAY PEOPLE, UH, POSTED AND RELATED, ESPECIALLY WHEN EVERYTHING SHUT DOWN THROUGH COVID, WE SAW A LOT OF MAKERS COME UP AND START TO DO THINGS ON INSTAGRAM AND START TO DO THINGS ALL OVER THE SOCIAL MEDIA.
AND, UM, WHAT WAS THE THING THAT REALLY DROVE A LOT OF THE, THE POPULARITY WAS THEM TELLING THEIR STORIES OF WHAT THEY'RE GOING THROUGH.
HOW DID WE RELATE TO PEOPLE THROUGH ALL OF THAT, THAT MADNESS.
THAT WAS, THAT WAS ON US FOR A LITTLE WHILE, RIGHT? HOW DID WE GET THROUGH THAT? WE TOLD STORIES, WE CONNECTED WITH PEOPLE, WE FOUND COMMON GROUND, AND THAT'S REALLY HOW WE ALL STAYED RELATABLE.
AND, UM, AND WE STAYED, UH, UH, SANE FOR, FOR MOST OF US, RIGHT? I THINK WE ALL WENT THROUGH A LITTLE DIP IN OUR, OUR MENTAL HEALTH THROUGH THAT TIME, WHICH IS SUPER IMPORTANT TO TALK ABOUT AS WELL TOO, RIGHT? WE BOTH HAVE, UH, UH, MENTAL HEALTH THINGS THAT WE WORK ON OURSELVES, YOU KNOW, THROUGH ALL OF THIS.
AND THAT'S PART OF OUR STORYTELLING AS WELL.
NOT EVERY DAY IS THIS BEAUTIFUL BUBBLE OF DUMPLINGS, RIGHT? I MEAN, I WISH IT WAS, BUT IT DEFINITELY IS NOT.
YOU KNOW, THERE ARE DEFINITELY PEAKS AND VALLEYS, UH, THROUGH THE PROCESS, JUST LIKE THERE ARE IN ANY RELATIONSHIP THAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR LIFE.
LISTEN, I'LL LEAVE MY COVER LIST.
SO ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BRANDS.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PRODUCTS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT POSTING, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TECHNOLOGY, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ALL THOSE THINGS.
BUT ONE THING I WILL, WILL HIGHLY RECOMMEND TO YOU IS DON'T FORGET TO FACTOR IN FUN, RIGHT? AND I THINK THAT HAVING FUN AND, UM, AND SHOWING THAT YOU CAN BE SILLY, SHOWING THAT YOU CAN BE TRICKY, SHOWING THAT YOU HAVE A PERSONALITY OUTSIDE OF JUST THE BUSINESS, I THINK IS ANOTHER THING THAT'S REALLY SUPER IMPORTANT FOR BALANCE IN YOUR LIFE.
I'M NOT EVEN GONNA TALK ABOUT HOW IT MIGHT AFFECT YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, BUT THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT ALLOWED US TO KEEP GOING THROUGH SOME OF THOSE STRESSFUL TIMES.
HAVING FUN, HAVING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS WITH PEOPLE, GETTING OUT INTO THE PUBLIC SPEAKING, TALKING, OH, THERE GOES
YOU KNOW? SO HAVE A GOOD TIME.
AND, UM, AND JUST REMEMBER THAT THAT'S PART OF THE MENTAL HEALTH THAT, UH, THAT'S SO IMPORTANT GOING THROUGH ALL OF THIS.
IF WE JUST WORK, WORK, WORK, ARE WE NOT JUST BACK IN THE SAME PLACE THAT WE WERE TRYING TO LEAVE? SO, FACTOR IN THAT FUND FACTOR IN THAT TIME THAT YOU NEED TO SPEND WITH OTHERS, THAT IS SO IMPORTANT, SO, SO IMPORTANT.
FUN WITH YOURSELF AND LOVE YOURSELF.
AND YOU CAN ENJOY OTHER PEOPLE AS WELL, TOO.
LET ME TELL YOU, THIS IS THE HOTTEST ONE FOR ME.
I'M NOT A, I FEEL LIKE I'M MORE SERIOUS THAN FUN.
SO THIS ACTUALLY GOT, I ACTUALLY GOT BURNED OUT MAYBE A YEAR AGO BECAUSE I DIDN'T TAKE ENOUGH TIME FOR MYSELF.
I DIDN'T TAKE ENOUGH TIME TO HAVE FUN.
I DIDN'T TAKE ENOUGH TIME TO LOOK AT MY OWN MENTAL HEALTH.
SO HAVING FUN IS VERY IMPORTANT.
YOU MAKE IT AS IMPORTANT AS THE HEALTH OF YOUR COMPANY, RIGHT? THAT'S MY RECOMMENDATION, DEFINITELY.
AND I THINK THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, IF YOU CAN DEFINE THAT AS IT, THE ONLY PURPOSE OF IT IS TO BRING YOU JOY IN THE ACTION OF DOING IT WITH NOTHING AS A PAYOUT AT THE END.
THOSE ARE THE IMPORTANT ACTIONS THAT WE HAVE TO TAKE AS HUMANS IN THIS LIFE TO HAVE THAT HUMAN CONNECTION.
SO, THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR LISTENING TO OUR, OUR TIPS AND TRICKS AND OUR OUR 10 LESSONS.
UM, WE'D LOVE TO, UH, KICK IT BACK OVER TO YOU GUYS, AND IF YOU GUYS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, WE'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU.
QUESTIONS, ANYBODY? I KNOW IT'S A LOT TO TAKE IN ANY QUESTION.
I WOULD ACTUALLY LIKE TO ASK YOU THE FIRST QUESTION.
SO WE, UH, FIRST THANK YOU FOR THAT AMAZING STORY.
WE ALWAYS ENJOYED LISTENING TO YOUR JOURNEY.
SO WITH ALL THAT YOU'VE SAID, MY QUESTION IS, IF YOU COULD GO BACK, WOULD THERE BE ANYTHING THAT YOU WOULD DO DIFFERENTLY FROM WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED YOUR BUSINESS? DO YOU HAVE A ANSWER? OH, YES.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE'VE ASKED EACH OTHER THIS QUESTION BEFORE.
I, WHAT I ALWAYS SAY IS, UM, I WISH WE HAD STARTED SOONER.
[01:00:01]
THE THINGS THAT WE WANT TO DO, TO DO THE THINGS THAT BRING US JOY.SO I ALWAYS WISH THAT, UH, WE HAD WORKED ON THIS SOONER.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE ROUTE THAT WE TOOK WITH DUMPLINGS WAS, UM, WAS VERY SPECIAL TO US IN OUR LIVES BECAUSE OF ALL THE CONNECTION POINTS THAT WE HAD WITH MAKING DUMPLINGS, UM, BEING WITH FAMILY, BEING WITH FRIENDS.
UM, AND SO I THINK, UH, YOU KNOW, IN THE BEGINNING I SAID, OH, WHY NOT CAKES? WHY NOT SOMETHING LIKE BIG AND BOISTEROUS, RIGHT? AND, AND SO CHOOSING DUMPINGS FOR US WAS, I THINK REALLY LOOKING BACK WAS LIKE, LIKE THE RIGHT THING FOR US TO DO.
I THINK FOR MYSELF, I JUST WISH WE HAD FOUND OUT THAT THAT'S WHAT WE WANTED TO DO TOGETHER SOONER.
UNDERSTAND IT IS IMPORTANT TO BUILD YOUR OWN BUSINESS, BUT YOU REALLY HAVE TO SPEND SOME TIME TO UNDERSTAND YOURSELF FIRST.
I GOT BURNED OUT LAST YEAR BECAUSE I DIDN'T SPEND LOT TIME TO TAKE CARE OF MYSELF.
I WORRY TOO MUCH ABOUT THE BUSINESS AND, AND, UH, KIND OF LO LOSE MYSELF A LITTLE BIT.
FOCUS SO MUCH ON, ON ALL EVERYTHING.
I KNOW I SAID THE SUCCESS GOTTA BE ALL THAT, BUT IT'S REALLY HARD TO DO SOMETIMES.
SO I REALLY SPEND, AND I HAD TO SPEND ABOUT FOUR TO SIX MONTHS TO REALLY REDISCOVER MYSELF TO DO A LOT, WRITING ALL THE MEDITATION, TO WORK ON MY MENTAL HEALTH COUPLE YEARS INTO THE BUSINESS.
SO I WOULD SAY THAT IF I QUIT MY JOB THE FIRST TIME, I WOULD PROBABLY WORK ON MY MENTAL HEALTH FIRST.
INSTEAD OF STEPPING RIGHT INTO A NEW ROLE THE NEXT DAY.
I REMEMBER WHEN WE FIRST STARTED, I WAS LIKE, ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GONNA TAKE A LITTLE BREAK.
WE'RE GONNA TRAVEL MAYBE A LITTLE BIT.
AND IT WAS LIKE DUMPLINGS THE NEXT DAY.
WE WERE LIKE, YOU KNOW, SO DEFINITELY TAKE THAT TIME TO, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IF, IF YOU'RE UNHAPPY AT YOUR JOB, IT CAN BE LIKE A BAD RELATIONSHIP, RIGHT? WHEN YOU BREAK UP, THERE'S THAT TIME OF HEALING THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN OR OTHERWISE WE GET INTO THOSE CYCLES, RIGHT? WE GET TO GET BACK INTO THAT CYCLE, AND THEN IT JUST DOES BECOME THE EXACT SAME THING AGAIN, RIGHT.
SO THE TIME IS NOW, AS LONG AS WE'RE HEALTHY
SO ANYONE, UH, ELSE WOULD LIKE TO ASK A QUESTION? FEEL FREE TO OPEN YOUR MIC.
IF I MAY ASK THE NEXT QUESTIONS, PLURAL.
UM, AS FAR AS THANK YOU ALREADY FOR JUST SHARING YOUR STORY, IT'S DEFINITELY MOTIVATING AND JUST INSPIRING AND JUST ALL THE ABOVE AND JUST A GREAT REMINDER OVERALL BECAUSE, UM, IT'S A STRUGGLE TOO SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, AND, UM, BUT IT'S GOOD.
I APPRECIATE YOU, UH, YOUR TIME TO SHARE.
UH, BUT I DO HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS.
UM, THE FIRST ONE IS, UM, HOW DO YOU EXACTLY KNOW THAT YOUR BUSINESS END UP BEING MORE OF INNOVATION VERSUS SERVICE VERSUS PRODUCT? THAT'S A REALLY GOOD QUESTION.
SO I THINK IT KIND OF GOES BACK TO WE REALLY WANTED TO STAY IN A SPACE WHERE WE COULD BE MOBILE AND WE COULD BE AGILE, RIGHT? WE WANTED TO BE ABLE TO BE ABLE TO PIVOT AS EASILY AS WE COULD WHEN THINGS DID ARISE.
AND SO KIND OF FOLLOWING THAT LEAN STARTUP, UH, REALLY HELPED US TO DO THAT.
HELPED US TO STAY AGILE IN, IN WHAT WE WERE DOING.
AND SO, UM, AT ONE POINT IN TIME WE THOUGHT ABOUT GOING INTO LIKE ONLY PRODUCTS, AND WE THOUGHT ABOUT GOING INTO HAVING A BRICK AND MORTAR SELLING DUMPLINGS.
AND, AND WHEN WE BOTH THOUGHT ABOUT THAT VERSUS LIKE HAVING THIS EXPERIENTIAL SPACE WHERE WE COULD TRAVEL AND CREATE THESE EXPERIENCES FOR FOLKS, UM, THAT REALLY, THAT REALLY TIED US DOWN TO A POINT WHERE WE DIDN'T REALLY WANT TO BE TIED DOWN TO A LOCATION.
SO FOR US, THE CHOICE WAS DO WE WANT BE MOBILE AND AGILE, OR DO WE WANT TO BE LOCAL AND STATIONARY, RIGHT? AND I THINK FOR ME, IT REALLY LENTS ITSELF MORE TO BEING INTO THAT EXPERIENTIAL SPACE FOR MYSELF.
SO I WOULD SAY OUR INNOVATION IS BASED ON OUR BUSINESS MODEL AND BASED ON OUR BRANDING.
WE HAVE A VERY INTERESTING BRANDING.
IT'S MORE OF STORY OF US VERSUS THE DUMPLING ITSELF, RIGHT? SO LOOK AT YOUR DIFFERENTIATOR.
YOUR INNOVATION HAS TO COME FROM YOUR DIFFERENTIATOR.
THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU DO DIFFERENT, NOT JUST HOW YOUR PRODUCT AND SERVICE ARE DIFFERENT.
MAYBE YOUR BUSINESS MODEL IS DIFFERENT.
MAYBE EVERYBODY IS BUYING, BUT YOU HAVE A RENTAL BUSINESS AND LIKE YOUR INNOVATION, YOU, YOU HAVE A RENTAL BUSINESS.
SO THINK ABOUT, LOOK AT YOUR COMPETITOR, LOOK AT WHAT YOU'RE DOING DIFFERENT, AND PAY ATTENTION NOT JUST ON THE PRODUCT AND SERVICES, BUT HOW THEY DO THEIR BUSINESS.
SO A LOT OF TIMES I THINK THE BEST INNOVATION IS THE BUSINESS MODEL, AIRBNB BUSINESS MODEL, UBER BUSINESS MODEL, EVERYTHING IS THE REALITY.
SO YOUR BUSINESS MODEL COULD BE MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOUR PRODUCT AND SERVICES.
AND THAT'S WHERE INNOVATION SHOULD COME FROM.
[01:05:01]
SURE.IS ALSO, UM, I KIND OF LIKE RELATE THIS LIFTOFF COMPETITION SIMILARLY TO SHARK TANK.
ALSO KIND OF, UH, SEE IT THE SAME WAY WHEN YOU DID THE SAME.
AND, UM, PARTICULARLY MY QUESTION IS, UM, DID YOU FIND ANY LIKE IP OR SPECIALTY RELATED? I WAS, I'M, I'M ASSUMING YOU MENTIONED DIFFERENTIATOR.
UM, BECAUSE SOMETIMES I FEEL LIKE, YES, WE LOOK AT COMPETITORS AND SO FORTH, BUT THEN, UM, I FEEL THAT MAYBE SOMETIMES IT MAY BE THE SAME, IF THAT MAKES SENSE, LIKE MM-HMM
UM, OR IS THIS SOMETHING WHERE, LIKE, DOES IT MATTER? UH, EVEN IF WE HAVE SIMILAR CONCEPT OF OUR COMPETITORS, JUST GO FOR IT.
LIKE, JUST 'CAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE'RE IN THE VISUAL, WE HAVE OUR DIFFERENT BUSINESS PLAN MM-HMM
AND SO IP IS AN INTERESTING THING, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE'RE, WE'RE IN, WE'RE, WE SAY WE'RE IN THE EXPERIENTIAL SPACE, BUT WE DO WORK WITH FOOD PRODUCTS, RIGHT? AND FOOD STUFFS.
SO FOR, FOR OUR PRODUCT, IP COMES INTO PROCESSES, RIGHT? AND SO YOU LOOK AT LIKE, UH, THE DEVELOPMENT OF YOUR PROCESSES MU UH, MUCH MORE THAN YOU LOOK AT, UH, THE DUMPLING ITSELF, RIGHT? DUMPLINGS ARE A PRIOR ART.
THEY'VE BEEN AROUND FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS, RIGHT? AND THEY'RE IN EVERY CULTURE.
SO IT'S REALLY, YOU CAN'T REALLY HAVE A A RIGHT TO A DUMPLING ITSELF.
SO WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO IS, UM, USE THAT AS KIND OF YOUR POINTS OF, OF INTEREST AND THEN DESIGN EVERYTHING KIND OF AROUND THAT, THAT EXPERIENCE.
SO STAYING IN THAT EXPERIENTIAL SPACE, EVERY, EVERY EXPERIENCE THAT WE CREATE FOR SOMEONE IS UNIQUE.
AND SO WITH THAT, THERE'S, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF IP THAT WE HAD TO GATHER.
NOW, WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING OUT INTO THE MARKET, OF COURSE YOU GOTTA DO MARKET RESEARCH ON WHAT YOUR PRODUCT IS, RIGHT? AND SO OUR PRODUCT, IF WE WANNA BREAK IT DOWN TO ITS ESSENCE, IS A DUMPLING, RIGHT? SO WE'RE, WE'RE SAYING THAT WE'RE, WE'RE CREATING A FEELING AROUND THESE DUMPLINGS.
WE DO LOOK AND SEE WHAT OTHER PEOPLE ARE DOING FIRST, DEFINITELY, YOU GOTTA SEE WHAT'S OUT THERE BEFORE YOU PUT YOUR PRODUCT OUT THERE.
'CAUSE YOU DON'T WANNA DUPLICATE SOMEBODY ELSE'S PRODUCT, RIGHT? THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT YOU DON'T WANNA DO.
AND SO THAT'S HOW WE KIND OF CAME UP WITH, OKAY, HOW CAN WE MAKE THIS COLORFUL? HOW CAN WE MAKE THIS FUN? HOW CAN WE MAKE IT AN ART CLASS? BECAUSE THEN AGAIN, YOU, THERE'S NO IP FOR ART, RIGHT? AND SO, UM, HAVING KIND OF GOING IN THAT DIRECTION FOR US ALLOWED US TO KIND OF STAY OUT OF THAT, I GUESS DANGER ZONE OF INFRINGING ON OTHER PEOPLE'S IP.
IF YOU CAN GET AN IP, DEFINITELY GET AN I.
IF IT'S, IT'S IF IT'S IN YOUR MARKET, FOR SURE.
BECAUSE WHEN YOU ARE STILL GONNA, WHEN YOU START ASKING FOR INVESTOR IP, IT'S QUITE IMPORTANT.
IF YOU HAVE AN IP, IF YOU DON'T HAVE AN IP, DON'T LET THAT STOP.
YOU LOOK AT LYFT AND UH, UBER, SAME THING, RIGHT? AND THEN ALSO HAS THE OPTION, RIGHT? SAME TECHNOLOGY, NOBODY REALLY HAS AN IP, BUT, BUT YOU JUST COMPETE ON HOW, HOW ON YOUR BRANDING, WHICH ONE'S MORE WELL KNOWN? WHICH ONE'S MORE POPULAR, WHICH ONE PEOPLE TRUST.
SO BRANDING IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS IP.
IF YOU HAVE A SIMILAR PRODUCT IN YOUR COMPETITOR, RIGHT? AND WHAT ARE YOUR BRANDING? IS THERE BRANDING, TRUSTWORTHY? CAN YOU MAKE IT MORE TRUSTWORTHY? WHAT'S YOUR SUPERPOWER? MAYBE YOU ARE A FUN PERSON, RIGHT? THEN MAYBE YOUR SUPERPOWER IS TO MAKE YOUR PRODUCT MORE FUN.
WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE AN IP, YOUR BRAND IDENTITY BECOME VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.
AGAIN, GO BACK TO DIFFERENTIATOR.
HOW DID YOU MAKE A DIFFERENT, HOW DO PEOPLE REMEMBER YOU? RIGHT? SO THINK ABOUT ALL THAT AND CREATE YOUR OWN IDENTITY BASED ON YOUR SUPERPOWER.
IF NOT, THAT'S VERY HARD FOR PEOPLE TO COPY YOUR SUPERPOWER AND YOUR BRAND IDENTITY BECAUSE ONLY ONE OF YOU IN THE WHOLE WORLD.
AND ALSO AS YOU CAN LOOK AND SEE WHAT THESE COMPANIES ARE DOING TOO.
AND IF THERE, IF YOU, IF THERE ARE OTHER COMPANIES THAT ARE VERY SIMILAR, WHAT PROBLEM ARE THEY NOT SOLVING? RIGHT? AND THAT'S, THAT MAY BE THE SPACE WHERE YOU CAN GET IN AND SAY, OKAY, WELL THAT MAY BE A DIFFERENTIATOR FOR YOU.
RIGHT? MINE IS SOLVING THIS PROBLEM WHERE THESE ARE LACKING IN, IN SOLVING THAT PROBLEM.
AGAIN, THAT GOES BACK TO YOUR BUSINESS MODEL.
BUSINESS MODEL IS AND YOUR MISSION STATEMENT AND DIFFERENT, YEAH.
AND THE FIRST MARKET, EVEN IF YOU HAD THE SAME TYPE OF PRODUCT, BUT IF YOUR BUSINESS MODEL IS THE FIRST ONE ON THE MARKET, THEN AGAIN, MAYBE THEY'RE THE FIRST ONE TO DO THAT.
AND THEY BECOME SUPER SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE PEOPLE TRUST AND KNOW WHEN THEY THINK OF RENTAL, THEY GO TO AIRBNB BECAUSE I THE FIRST ONE NOW BECAUSE OF THEIR BRANDING.
IT DOESN'T MATTER WHICH COMPANY I THINK OF, I'M ALWAYS GONNA SAY, OH, LET'S GET A AIRBNB.
AND MAYBE I MAY YOU LOOK AT ALL THE OTHERS, BUT BECAUSE THEY WERE FIRST TO MARKET, THAT BRAND IS STUCK IN MY HEAD.
RIGHT? BECAUSE IT WAS UNIQUE IN THE MARKET OF FIRST TO BE MARKETED, BECOME WELL KNOWN.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, MIKE AND JANE.
TRISHA'S ASKING IF SHE CAN HEAR YOUR MISSION STATEMENT TO CREATE THE MOST FUN AND UNIQUE EXPERIENCE.
OH, SO WHEN YOU TO MAKE YOUR MISSION STATEMENT,
[01:10:01]
DO YOU THINK ABOUT HOW YOU'RE GONNA SCALE IN THE FUTURE? YES.UH, YOUR MISSION STATEMENT, GOTTA BE FOCUSED ON YOUR WHY.
ALSO, YOUR BUSINESS MIGHT CHANGE IN THE FUTURE.
UH, WE KNEW WE WANNA USE DUMPLING AS OUR STARTING POINT BECAUSE WE LOVE DUMPLING, BUT WE ALSO WANNA OPEN UP THE OTHER IDEA.
LIKE MY DOING YOGA NOW I ALSO DO MARKETING CONSULTANT, BUT THE WHOLE STATEMENT MISSION IS STILL THE SAME.
IT STILL CREATE THE MOST FUN AND UNIQUE EXPERIENCES.
SO KEEP SOMETHING BIGGER THAN WHY YOU SELL THAT WAY.
AND THAT WAY YOU FOCUS ON THE WHY.
KENNETH, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? UH, I PUT IT IN THE CHAT.
HOW DO YOU HANDLE PEOPLE WHO DON'T BELIEVE THAT YOUR BUSINESS WILL THRIVE? OOH.
ALRIGHT, WE'LL GIVE YOU, OKAY.
PEOPLE GOING TO, THEY ARE PEOPLE THAT IS GOING TO NOT LIKE YOU.
YOU'RE NOT DOING THIS FOR NAN.
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT YOURSELF? YEAH.
WHO CARES ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE SAY? LIKE IF I CARE ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE SAY, WE WILL NOT HAVE A BUSINESS.
WE FIRST POST, I DID A POST ON LINKEDIN ABOUT WE SELL A BUSINESS, WE USE OUR WEDDING FARM.
UH, WE DID, WE HAVE A SMALL WEDDING WITH EIGHT PEOPLE IN OUR SON.
US AND OUR FRIEND RAN LAKE HOUSE TOGETHER.
EVERYBODY BOUGHT A DISH, OKAY? WE DIDN'T PAY FOR ANYTHING BESIDES ONE EIGHTH OF THE ROOM.
AND SO WHY SHARE THE STORY ON LINKEDIN? AND BECAUSE WE ARE SINCE COUPLE GETS WHY PEOPLE COMMENTED, PEOPLE SAY, YOU GUYS ARE GROSS.
TEXAS IS NOT A PLACE FOR YOU TO START BUSINESS.
UH, HOW ARE YOUR PARENTS THINKING ABOUT YOU? LIKE ALL THOSE KIND OF STUFF.
BUT GUESS WHAT? I'M NOT DOING THIS FOR THEM.
PEOPLE WILL ALWAYS HATE YOU FOR LIKE, NO RANDOM REASON.
FOCUS ON HOW IT MAKE YOU HAPPY.
FOCUS ON THE PEOPLE THEY LOVE YOU.
YOU'RE GONNA BE MUCH HAPPIER WHEN YOU DO THAT.
IT IS NOT EASY, BUT YOU SHOULD DO THAT.
AND DON'T GIVE INTO THE BULLYING.
AND I'LL SAY WITH THAT, THAT SAME STORY I WANNA ADD ON THERE, I, I MEAN, SHE WAS LIVID, RIGHT? HE WAS LIKE, HOW DARE DA DA DA DA DA.
AND I WAS LIKE, I WAS LIKE, LOOK, DON'T, DON'T, YOU DON'T NEED TO SAY ANYTHING.
YOU DON'T NEED TO GO BACK OVER THERE.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO PUT ANYTHING.
AND SURE ENOUGH, THE NEXT MOMENT, ONE OF OUR FOLLOWERS AND NOW GREAT FRIENDS WAS LIKE, HEY, HOW DARE YOU, DA DA DA DA.
PEOPLE WILL STAND UP FOR YOU IF YOU'RE A STANDUP PERSON.
YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? SO THAT TRIBE THAT YOU CREATE AND THAT PRODUCT YOU CREATE THAT FEELING HATERS ARE GONNA HATE, MAN.
THERE'S ALWAYS TROLLS OUT THERE.
THE SKY IS BLUE, THERE'S A TROLL TELLING YOU IT'S PINK, RIGHT? SO JUST REMEMBER, STAY TRUE TO YOUR MESSAGE.
STAY TRUE TO WHO YOU ARE AND KEEP THOSE PEOPLE AROUND YOU THAT, UM, ARE GONNA LIFT YOU UP AS WELL AS YOU LIFTING THEM UP.
SORRY, THAT WAS A LITTLE HARSH.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? HI, THIS IS TIFFANY AGAIN.
YOU LIKE ME? I USED TO ANSWER A LOT, ASK A LOT OF QUESTION TOO.
UM, IF ANYTHING, IT'S MORE OF, UM, MAYBE SOMETHING TO CONSIDER.
I REALLY LOVE YOU TWO ALREADY AS FAR AS LIKE THE VIBE AND JUST THAT AUTHENTIC AUTHENTICITY AND MAYBE, UH, SOMETHING TO CONSIDER IS EVERY NOW AND THEN AS PART OF YOUR MISSION STATEMENT TO MAYBE EVEN HAVE LIKE AN HOUR OR TWO EVERY MONTH OR SOMETHING.
AS FAR AS JUST LIKE A, ALMOST LIKE A SESSION, UH MM-HMM
UH, JUST, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE JUST TALKING OR
ALMOST LIKE A HAPPY HOUR, BUT LIKE A
UH, JUST A THOUGHT AND MAYBE SOMETHING, UH, I'M DEFINITELY HANDS DOWN ALREADY, THE FIRST PERSON TO, UM, ME, YOU KNOW.
IT'S FUNNY THAT YOU SAY THAT, UH, WE HAVE, UH, WE'VE BEEN BATTING THAT IDEA AROUND FOR SOME TIME NOW, UH, TO DO SOMETHING THAT WAY, BUT YOU TOO AND PODCAST.
SO WE'RE, I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO CONVINCE MIKE TO DO A PODCAST.
I DON'T THINK IT'S CONVINCING.
SO
YEAH, IT'S, WE DO LOVE TALKING TO PEOPLE AND HELPING PEOPLE.
AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTION ABOUT LIKE TECHNOLOGY, WHAT SOFTWARE TO USE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT FOR YOUR BUSINESS, SHOUT IT OUT.
UH, I'LL BE HAPPY TO HELP YOU OUT.
AND AS AN ALLY, I REALLY LOVE LISTENING TO YOUR STORY.
AND SO, UM, I, MY MAIN QUESTION IS ABOUT,
[01:15:01]
OKAY, SO THIS IS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT FINANCING.I ALSO QUIT MY JOB BECAUSE I WAS, UM, I HAD, UM, BECOME VERY DEPRESSED AND I ACTUALLY GAINED A LOT OF WEIGHT.
SO I REALLY GOT UPSET AND SCARED, AND I HAD TO TAKE SOME MEDICINE.
SO NOW THAT I DECIDED, OKAY, YOU KNOW WHAT? I LOVE MY STUDENTS AND I'M GONNA QUIT AND I'M GONNA START MY OWN JOB, USE MY OWN MONEY, AND, AND IT'S GOOD.
SO THE BANK, LET ME TELL YOU, THE BANK SAID NO, BECAUSE I DID NOT HAVE A PARTNER.
SEE HOW YOU GUYS HAVE TO EACH OTHER? SO THEY, THEY UNDER, I UNDERSTAND WHY THEY SAID NO, BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T THINK THAT I COULD GET, UM, YOU KNOW, I CAN REPAY THE LOAN, BUT IF YOU LOOKED IN THE BANK AND YOU SAW MY BANK STATEMENTS, YOU WOULD'VE SEEN, OH YEAH, SHE CAN PAY THIS MONEY BACK.
RIGHT? BUT THEY DIDN'T TRUST IT.
SO NOW I WANTED TO KNOW, HOW DID YOU TWO HANDLE, UM, YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU SAID YOU HAD TO PIVOT AND THEN, YOU KNOW, COVID HAPPENED.
SO HOW DID YOU DEAL WITH THAT? LIKE, YOU HAD EACH OTHER, BUT WAS THERE INCOME COMING IN? WERE YOU AFRAID OF IT? AND MM-HMM
HOW DID YOU DEAL WITH THE FINANCIAL STRESS OF STARTING YOUR OWN BUSINESS AND VENTURING OUT WITHOUT A JOB?
WE ACTUALLY SAVED FOR TWO YEARS.
THAT'S WHY I, SOON AS AFTER THAT LA TRIP, I, UH, ASKED MY TO MARRY ME, WE DECIDED WE ARE NOT GOING TO HAVE A WEDDING.
WE USED THE WEDDING MONEY, WE ALSO SAVED FOR TWO YEARS.
SO WE WANNA OBVIOUSLY HAVE A LOWER BUDGET MOVING FORWARD.
AND THEN WITH THAT BUDGET, WE HAVE SAVING FOR ABOUT TWO YEARS.
THAT WAY, IF ANYTHING HAPPEN, WE CAN STILL SUPPORT OURSELF.
AND BY THE WORST CASES, JUST TO GET A JOB, YOU KNOW, LIKE, AND PAYS FOR SOMETHING, IT'S NOT TOO BIG OF A DEAL.
UH, BUT THAT'S WHEN, WHEN YOU HAVE YOUR MVP IS SO IMPORTANT, RIGHT? YOUR MINIMUM, MINIMUM, MINIMUM VIRAL, MINIMUM VIABLE PRODUCT.
I CAN NEVER SAY VIABLE, MINIMUM VIABLE PRODUCT.
CHECK OUT THE BOOK LEAN STARTUP.
THE WHOLE CONCEPT IS YOU DON'T HAVE TO START WITH A LOT OF MONEY.
FIGURE OUT WHAT'S THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENT FOR YOUR BUSINESS, AND THEN START DOING THAT.
SO LET ME ASK YOU, TRICIA, WHAT, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO? OKAY.
SORRY, I HAD TO PUT MY MIC BACK ON.
SO, YEAH, I, I'VE, I'LL, I'M LIKE, I'M 95% THERE.
MY STORE IS BEING COMPLETED RIGHT NOW.
SO I HAVE A BOOKSTORE THAT SELLS ALL BOOKS WRITTEN FOR ABOUT AND BY THE AFRICAN DIASPORA.
AND IT ALSO HAS AN ART GALLERY BY MY AUNTIE WHO WAS PART OF THE L-G-B-T-Q COMMUNITY.
AND SO IT IS DEDICATED TO HER BECAUSE I WANT TO MAKE IT A SAFE SPACE FOR A LE BLACK LESBIANS WHO RIGHT.
YOU KNOW, DIDN'T HAVE HEALTHCARE.
LIKE SHE DIDN'T, SO SHE ENDED UP DYING OF A, A BRAIN, UH, TUMOR BECAUSE SHE DID, SHE WANTED TO WORK ALL DAY AND SHE DIDN'T WANT TO GO TO, TO, UH, THE HOSPITAL 'CAUSE SHE DIDN'T HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE.
SO I WANTED TO MAKE IT A SAFE SPACE WITH A LITERACY CENTER SO I CAN TEACH PEOPLE ABOUT EVERYTHING.
IT'S JUST A, A, A LEARNING CENTER FOR THE COMMUNITY.
BUT THE MAIN THING IS IT'S A BOOKSTORE THAT HAS BOOKS THAT HAVE BEEN BANNED BY, YOU KNOW, THIS COUNTRY
SO IT, IT, IT'S A BOOKSTORE AND A LITERACY CENTER, AND OBVIOUSLY IT HAS A SMALL LITTLE ART GALLERY.
WE SHOULD BE, MY CONTRACTORS WILL BE IN THERE AT THE END OF THIS MONTH OR MAYBE, UH, THE BEGINNING OF OCTOBER.
THEY'RE JUST DOING THE ELECTRICITY WORK.
SO I USE MINE, LIKE YOU, I SAVED FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS AND I HAD A, A GREAT AMOUNT OF MONEY TO SAVE.
SO I ONLY ASKED THE BANK FOR 60, AND I ALREADY GOT ONE 16.
SO CLEARLY IF THE BANK
SO, SO MY MY ADVICE FOR YOU TO BE WHATEVER YOU WANNA DO, OR MAYBE YOU WANNA MAKE EXPANSION LATER, DO, DO THINK ABOUT WHAT'S THE MINIMUM THING YOU CAN DO TO MAKE IT HAPPEN? BECAUSE I THINK FOR, FOR THE BUSINESS, THE MOST IMPORTANT PART IS TO BUILD YOUR BUSINESS, BUILD YOUR BUSINESS BASE, BUILD YOUR FOLLOWING, BUILD YOUR CUSTOMER.
AND THE, I THINK THE ASSUMPTION FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE IS YOU HAVE TO HAVE A BIG SPACE, A BIG STORE, OR YEAH, ALL THIS BUDGET BEFORE YOU CAN BUILD COMMUNITY, BUT THAT'S NOT, NOT TRUE.
THINK ABOUT HOW YOU CAN ENGAGE PEOPLE, HOW TO GO TO THIS OTHER, MAYBE OTHER COMMUNITY EVENTS.
UH, START TALKING TO PEOPLE, START TO PEOPLE IN THE SAME SPACE HAVE THE SAME BELIEF AND TO BUILD YOUR FOLLOWING.
BUT THINK ABOUT HOW YOU DO THAT IN A LOWER COST RIGHT WAY, RIGHT? LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, FOR YOUR MARKETING BUDGET, YOU PROBABLY DON'T HAVE TO RUN ANY, IF YOU DON'T HAVE TO RUN ADS TO SAVE YOUR MONEY INITIALLY, THEN THEN GO OUT THERE AND TALK TO PEOPLE.
I MEAN, JUST LISTEN TO YOUR, I LOVE YOUR ENERGY.
GO TO PLACES AND TALK TO PEOPLE.
GO TO NETWORKING EVENT, TELL YOUR STORY, TELL PEOPLE WHAT'S GOING ON YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA BEFORE YOU SPEND ANY MONEY.
UH, DO THINK ABOUT WHAT'S, IS THERE ANOTHER WAY TO DO THIS FOR FREE? AND BUT TO STILL TO HAVE THE SAME EFFECT.
[01:20:01]
ON, ON TIKTOK.I'M LIKE, DUDES, ARE Y'ALL GONNA COME AND, AND WATCH BOOKS? BUT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR OTHER THINGS, OBVIOUSLY.
BUT THE REALITY IS, I, I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING YOU SAID.
NOW, BECAUSE I AM A DYSLEXIA THERAPIST, MY MISSION UHHUH IS TO INCREASE THE JOY OR TO INSPIRE THE JOY OF READING.
SO I, I, YOU KNOW, THAT'S MY MAIN THING.
LIKE, YOU COME IN, I WANT YOU TO READ AND, AND FEEL LIKE THIS.
I NEED SOME NEW STUFF, AND I WANT YOU TO FEEL SAFE IN THIS SPACE BECAUSE THEY HAVE MADE OUR BOOKS, THEY HAVE BANNED OUR BOOKS.
SO I WANT THEM TO BE IN A PLACE THAT'S SAFE FOR US.
AND YOU'RE RIGHT, MY STOREFRONT IS ONLY 1400 SQUARE FEET.
IT'S TWO BLOCKS AWAY FROM MY HOUSE, SO I DON'T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING.
I CAN RIDE MY BIKE OVER THERE.
I'M, HEY, I'M GONNA SEND YOU GUYS A MESSAGE ON, ON, UM, WHAT IS IT, INSTAGRAM, AND INVITE YOU I'LL ACTUALLY CHECK IT OUT.
THERE'S, UM, I'M NOT, I, I DON'T WANNA ASK WHERE IN HOUSTON YOU ARE, BUT, UH, THERE'S A, I KNOW THERE'S A GREAT SPACE HERE, UH, CALLED ESH COWORKING, AND IT'S A WOMEN OWNED, WOMEN LED, UH, COWORKING SPACE IN, UH, IN HOUSTON IN MIDTOWN.
AND THEY DO A LOT OF THINGS TO HELP SUPPORT WOMEN'S BUSINESSES AND, AND ALL THAT.
WE WORK REALLY CLOSELY WITH THEM AS WELL.
UH, THEY'RE ALSO PARTNERS WITH THE L-G-B-T-Q CHAMBER, UH, UH, OF HOUSTON.
SO, UM, REALLY GREAT RESOURCE TO MAYBE REACH OUT TO, AT LEAST TO FIND SOME, MAYBE SOME FAMILIAR FACES OR SOME THAT WITH, UH, SOME OF THE, UH, SOME SIMILAR ASPIRATIONS AND GOALS AS WELL.
SO THAT WOULD BE A GREAT RESOURCE TO REACH OUT TO AS WELL.
TELLING YOUR STORY, EVEN IF YOUR STORY IS NOT READY YET, HAVE YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNT READY, START GETTING PEOPLE ENGAGED, START MAKING OTHER FUN TIKTOK TO, TO PROMOTE IT OR TO REBRAND HOWEVER YOU WANT TO DO.
JUST YOU, IF YOU CAN CREATE TIKTOK AUDIENCE ALREADY, YOU CAN CREATE ANOTHER ACCOUNT ABSOLUTELY.
TO HAVE THE FILE IF YOU WANT, OR JUST USE YOUR ASSISTANT ACCOUNT, LIKE DOESN'T HURT YOU.
SHOWCASE AND PROMOTE YOURSELF.
KENNETH IS ASKING IF, DID YOU EVER HIT THAT WALL WHERE YOU DIDN'T THINK YOUR BUSINESS WAS GOING TO SURVIVE? AND IF YOU DID, HOW DID YOU GET THROUGH IT? OOH, I THINK THAT THE FIRST WAR IS COVID.
RIGHT? THAT, THAT'S WHEN WE REALLY HAVE TO GO BACK TO OUR LESSON TWO, THREE, AND FOUR TO, TO PIVOT AGAIN, TO, TO FIGURE OUT THE ATED, TO USE OUR SUPERPOWER, UH, TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM, RIGHT? AND THEN ONCE WE, WE SOLVE THAT PROBLEM, YOU KNOW, IT, IT WORKED FOR A LITTLE WHILE AND THEN THERE WAS ANOTHER WALL, RIGHT? WHEN WE WERE SELLING ALL OF THOSE DUMPLINGS AND WE GOT TO KIND OF THE MAXIMUM PRODUCTION LEVEL THAT WE COULD ACHIEVE WITH OUR RESOURCES THAT WE HAD, UM, THAT WAS KIND OF ANOTHER WALL.
IT WAS LIKE, OH MY GOSH, YOU KNOW THIS, IT'S NOT SCALABLE AT THIS POINT.
WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO? HOW ARE WE GONNA GET BACK TO WHAT WE LOVED? WHICH WAS TEACHING PEOPLE BEING AROUND PEOPLE, RIGHT? AND SO BEING THAT EXPERIENTIAL COMPANY, HOW DO WE DO THAT? AND SO, UM, WE KIND OF, UH, THAT WAS, THAT WAS A POINT WHERE WE HAD TO GO BACK AND, AND LOOK AT THE DRAWING BOARD AGAIN ONE MORE TIME, RIGHT? AND SO WE DEVELOPED THAT, UH, THAT VIRTUAL CLASS, WE WERE ABLE TO FINALLY SHIP OUT TO FOLKS.
SO I THINK AGAIN, IT'S LIKE YOU DO GOTTA TAKE THAT MOMENT TO STEP BACK AND KIND OF LOOK AT THE BIGGER PICTURE AGAIN.
IT'S ALL ABOUT CONNECTING BACK TO THAT WHY AND TO YOUR SUPERPOWER.
AND GOING BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD AGAIN.
AND, AND AS ENTREPRENEURS, WE'VE HAD TO DO THAT SEVERAL TIMES.
AND DON'T BE AFRAID TO DO THAT.
DON'T BE AFRAID TO REFRAME WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE PROBLEM THAT THAT IS AT HAND.
I THINK THAT'S THE BIGGEST THING, UM, IS, IS AGAIN, TAKING A STEP BACK AND, AND, AND MAYBE EVEN HAVING SOMEBODY ELSE LOOK AT THE PROBLEM WITH YOU AS WELL TOO.
UM, HAVING A FRESH SET OF EYES IS ALWAYS A BIG THING.
YOU KNOW, BEING AN ENGINEER AND DOING LIKE CALCULATIONS ALL DAY, ALWAYS HAD TO HAVE THAT COLD EYE CHECK IS WHAT WE CALLED IT.
YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY WHO HADN'T SEEN IT BEFORE.
SO THEY CAN SAY, YOU KNOW, WHAT DID YOU THINK ABOUT THIS? DID YOU THINK ABOUT THIS? THIS COULD BE SOMETHING REALLY POPULAR THAT PEOPLE MIGHT WANNA DO.
SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, HAVING, AND LUCKILY I'VE GOT SOMEONE THAT I'VE WORKED WITH REALLY CLOSELY, BUT EVEN THEN WE HAD TO HAVE SOMEBODY THAT WAS NOT US TWO TAKE A LOOK AND SAY, DOES THIS MAKE SENSE? YOU KNOW, DOES, IS THIS VIABLE? JUST SECRET? IS, IS IT'S YOU, YOU THE WALL.
OKAY? THERE ARE DAYS I WAKE UP, I FEEL LIKE A SUPERHERO, SUPER MOTIVATED.
I WANT TO GO WORK OUT FOR TWO HOURS AND DO DEEP WORK FOR FIVE HOURS.
BUT THERE ARE DAY I WOKE UP LIKE, OH MY GOD, I'M A FAILURE, I'M AN IMPOSTER.
LIKE, BUT I'M THE SAME PERSON.
AND THE BUSINESS IS THE SAME, BUT IT'S ALL IN HERE.
SO I CAN GUARANTEE 75% OF THE TIME WHEN YOU HIT A WALL, IT'S A MENTAL THING.
SO FIGURE OUT HOW TO, HOW TO FIND JOSEPH AND UNBLOCK THAT MENTAL BLOCK.
ONCE YOU CAN UNBLOCK THAT, UH, IS REALLY ALL IN HERE.
ALL THE BUSINESS THAT WE ARE GONNA TEACH YOU, ALL THAT STUFF IS ONLY 25%.
HOW YOU DO FINANCES ALL THAT, IT'S 25%.
THE COMPANY THAT LASTS A LONG TIME IS BECAUSE IT'S IN HERE.
THEY HAVE THAT DRIVE TO GO IN DAY AFTER DAY AFTER DAY.
WE SEE THOSE POSTS ALL THE TIME.
IT'S LIKE, DO IT WHEN YOU FEEL GOOD.
DO IT WHEN YOU DON'T RIGHT IT WHEN YOU'RE SICK.
SO CLICHE, YOU KNOW, IT IS, BUT IT'S, IT'S HERE AND YOU'RE NOT ALWAYS
[01:25:01]
GONNA FEEL GOOD.WHICH SOUNDS EASY FOR ME TO SAY.
KEEP DOING, KEEP DOING IT EVERY SINGLE DAY AND THEN THE PROBLEM WILL SOLVE ITSELF.
SO WE HAVE ABOUT FIVE MINUTES LEFT.
DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY.
SO I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS,
BEING THAT THIS IS THE INNOVATIVE CATEGORY, WAS IT DIFFICULT TO START A BUSINESS FOR SOMETHING THAT IS CONSIDERED NEW AND INNOVATIVE? HOW DID YOU GO ABOUT CONVINCING OTHERS THAT YOU HAD A GREAT IDEA? I'M GONNA START THE ANSWER TO THIS AND I'M GONNA LET YOU FINISH IT BECAUSE IT REALLY WAS YOU THAT DROVE ALL OF THAT IN THE BEGINNING.
BECAUSE I WAS COMPLETELY LOST HOW WE WERE GONNA DO THIS.
I CAN TAKE YOU FROM POINT A TO POINT B AND GIVE YOU ALL THE INDIVIDUAL STEPS, BUT FOR MYSELF, I HAVE A, I HAVE A ISSUE SEEING THE BIG PICTURE, RIGHT? WHAT AT THE VERY END, WHAT IS THIS GONNA LOOK LIKE? RIGHT? AND, AND SHE IS VERY, VERY GOOD AT ABOUT MAKING THE BIG PICTURE AND UNDERSTANDING HOW ALL THE PIECES FIT TOGETHER.
AND SO, UM, SO FOR ME IN THE BEGINNING, I DEFINITELY NEEDED SOMEBODY WITH THAT SKILLSET TO HELP ME GET INTO THAT INNOVATIVE SPACE.
BECAUSE FOR MY, LIKE I SAID, FOR MYSELF, I'M VERY PROCESS DRIVEN.
LET'S GO A, B, C, D, E, F, G, RIGHT? AND I'M GONNA LET YOU TAKE THE NEXT PART.
STORYTELLING,
I MEAN, THAT'S A REASON I CHANGED MY TITLE.
FOREIGN CEO TO CHIEF STORYTELLING OFFICER.
BECAUSE TELL YOUR STORY, BE VALUABLE.
THINK ABOUT HOW I WANT PEOPLE TO FEEL.
WHEN YOU GO OUT THERE, YOU SEE ALL THESE NEW APARTMENT COMPLEXES, RIGHT? THEY'RE TRYING TO SELL IN THE, SELL THEIR ROOM.
AND YOU LOOK AT ALL THE PICTURE THEY PUT OUTSIDE OF THE NEW APARTMENT.
IT IS NEVER A PICTURE OF THE APARTMENTS INSIDE.
IT'S ALWAYS ABOUT A GIRL DOING YOGA, DRINKING COFFEE, EATING YOGA, A GUY WALKING FROM HOME WITH THE DOG RIGHT NEXT TO IT.
DEPEND A PRETTY PICTURE ON WHAT IT IS LIKE USING YOUR PRODUCT AND YOUR SERVICES AND HOW YOU WILL FEEL IF YOU USE YOUR PRODUCTS AND SERVICES.
SO INSTEAD OF TALKING ABOUT YOUR BENEFITS AND TALKING ABOUT YOUR FEATURE, PUT YOURSELF, YOUR CUSTOMER'S SHOES AND HELP THEM UNDERSTAND WHAT WILL HAPPEN AND HOW THEY WILL FEEL BY USING YOUR PRODUCTS AND SERVICES.
APPLE DOES IS REALLY, REALLY GOOD.
THEY DON'T HAVE, I MEAN, PEOPLE DISAGREE HERE.
THEY DON'T HAVE THE BEST PRODUCT.
I DON'T THINK APPLE HAVE THE BEST PRODUCT, BUT THEY HAVE A GREAT CULTURE THAT PEOPLE BELIEVING HOW THEY WILL FEEL IF THEY USE THE APPLE PRODUCT, HOW PEOPLE WILL PERCEIVE THEM WHEN THEY USE THE APPLE PRODUCT.
AND OBVIOUSLY IT'S PRETTY EASY TO USE TOO.
SO PERCEPTION, HOW YOU MAKE PEOPLE FEEL, GET YOUR CUSTOMER TO UNDERSTAND IN ADDITION TO FEATURE BENEFITS, WHAT DO THEY GET FROM WHAT'S THE NEW LIFESTYLE THEY COULD BE GETTING? SO FOCUS ON YOUR CUSTOMER AND FOCUS ON HOW YOU MAKE THEM FEEL.
ACTUALLY MATTER IN THE BEGINNING, WE, WE DIDN'T TEACH A CLASS UNTIL I THINK IT WAS MAYBE, UH, JULY.
YEAH, JULY WAS OUR FIRST CLASS THAT YEAR.
SO WE OPENED, WE SAVED FOUNDERS' DAYS.
APRIL 1ST JULY IS WHEN WE HAD OUR FIRST CLASS.
BUT THOSE FIRST COUPLE MONTHS, ALL WE DID IS MAKE DUMPLINGS IN THE HOUSE, SHOW PICTURES OF DUMPLINGS ON INSTAGRAM, TALK ABOUT HOW DUMPLINGS MAKE US FEEL, HOW THE MAKING OF IT MAKES US FEEL AND HOW PEOPLE REACT WHEN THEY EAT DUMPLINGS.
EXACTLY HOW PEOPLE, WE, WE GOT OUR FRIENDS INVOLVED, RIGHT? WE GOT OUR FRIENDS INVOLVED TO DO IT.
AND SO KIND OF PAINTING THAT PICTURE AGAIN OF THE FEELING OF HOW IT'S GONNA BE TO MAKE DUMPLINGS AND THEN WE INTRODUCE THE CLASSIC AND THAT WORKS FOR ANY KIND OF PRODUCT SERVICES AND TECHNOLOGIES OUT THERE.
SO FOR THE FINAL QUESTION, A LOT OF US ARE STARTING BUSINESSES WITH PRODUCTS OR SERVICE THAT ARE PROBABLY SIMILAR TO OTHERS.
SO HOW DO YOU DO MARKET RESEARCH FOR PRODUCTS THAT ARE SIMILAR TO YOURS? HA, THAT'S YOU BUDDY
OKAY? NUMBER ONE, THERE'S A FREE SERVICE ON GOOGLE CALLED GOOGLE TREND.
YOU CAN SEARCH ANY KEYWORDS AND SEE HOW THE TREND IS UP AND DOWN.
NOT ONLY THAT, YOU CAN SEARCH ANY KEYWORD WITHIN CERTAIN LOCATION.
TO LOOK AT HOW YOU GO UP AND DOWN.
GOOGLE TREND IS WHAT YOU WANT TO USE.
LET'S COVER A LOT OF A CEO STUFF, RIGHT? AND THE OTHER THING IS, LOOK AT SOMEBODY WHO IS VERY, VERY SUCCESSFUL IN YOUR BUSINESS.
OKAY? IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE IN YOUR CITY.
YOU CAN, WE ARE IN HOUSTON, BUT I CAN LOOK AT SOMEBODY IN NEW YORK AND CISCO, SPY ON THEM.
NOT ONLY ON HOW THEY POST AND AND HOW THEY POST, BUT SEE HOW HOW PEOPLE COMMENT AND SEE HOW THEY RESPOND TO COMMENT, UNDERSTAND THEIR CULTURE.
UNDERSTAND WHAT MAKE THEIR POSTS SO POPULAR.
STUDY THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA, STUDY THEIR WEBSITE, LOOK AT THEIR TRAFFIC, SEE HOW MANY FILES THEY HAVE.
LOOK AT THE PERCENTAGE OFF LAYER FOLLOWER VERSUS THE, LIKE IF SOMEBODY HAS 1 MILLION FOLLOWER BUT ONLY HAS
[01:30:01]
FIVE LIKES, THEN THAT'S A HORRIBLE ACCOUNT.YOU KNOW, THAT'S A FAKE ACCOUNT BECAUSE NOBODY LIKE THE PRODUCT.
IF SOMEBODY ONLY HAS A HUNDRED FOLLOWERS BUT HE HAS, HE OR SHE HAS 50 LIKES EVERY SINGLE TIME.
AND THAT'S A REAL SUCCESSFUL ACCOUNT.
SO DON'T JUST BASED ON THE FOLLOWING ACCOUNT, LOOK AT EVERY SINGLE DETAIL.
UH, LOOK AT IF THEY HAVE A FACEBOOK ACCOUNT, DO THEY ALSO HAVE INSTAGRAM? DO THEY ALSO HAVE X? DO THEY ALSO HAVE THREAD? DO THEY ALSO HAVE TIKTOK? JUST DO A STUDY AND SPY ON YOUR COMPETITOR.
ALL THE INFORMATION THAT AVAILABLE OUT THERE.
IF THEY HAVE A NEWSLETTER, FOLLOW THEIR NEWSLETTER.
SUBSCRIBE AND SEE WHAT THEY SEND YOU WHEN THEY SEND YOU SOMETHING.
THINK ABOUT HOW YOU CAN DO DIFFERENT, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE SOCIAL MEDIA, ALSO THINK ABOUT HOW YOU CAN DO DIFFERENT, LOOK AT WHAT'S LACKING AND HOW YOU WOULD DO DIFFERENT.
SO STUDY EVERYTHING THEY DO, BUT FIGURE OUT HOW YOU CAN DO DIFFERENT THAT'S MORE YOU AND MAKE THAT PRODUCT MORE YOU THAN YOUR COMPETITOR.
SORRY, THIS IS A LOT OF INFORMATION AT ONE TIME, BUT IT'S RIGHT.
THIS IS A TOPIC I'M SO EXCITED ABOUT.
I'M SPEECHLESS BECAUSE THIS WAS AMAZING.
LIKE, THIS WAS SO MUCH GREAT ADVICE.
WE ARE REALLY CERTAINLY GOING TO REMEMBER HOW YOU MADE US FEEL,
UM, AND WE WANNA THANK EVERYBODY FOR JOINING IN.
WE KNOW THIS WAS NOT MANDATORY, SO WE YOU FOR PARTICIPATING AND I'M SURE THAT YOU'LL BE HAPPY THAT YOU DID.
SO, UM, THANK YOU AGAIN, DUMPLING DUDES.
UM, MAY, MAY, MAY I SAY ONE THING REAL QUICK? THERE WAS A QUESTION.
SO WHAT WAS THE ORGANIZATION I MENTIONED BEFORE? IT'S CALLED SES COWORKING.
I'M GONNA PUT IT IN THE CHAT THERE.
AND PLEASE FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT TO US ANYTIME AT DUMPLING DUDES, UH, AT GMAIL.COM, ON OUR INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK, ALL THE THINGS.
WE HOPE TO SEE YOU NEXT YEAR AGAIN,