Leveraging Business Skills To Launch an Artist, DJ Agency in Thailand with Davide Nicolucci

Today we are talking about lifestyle and living. A friend and a previous podcast guest – Davide Nicolucci shares about how he is holding up, living in Thailand doing Amazon consulting and starting a new business. He shares how he balances being an artist, a DJ, and amazon marketing in today’s world. Let’s tune in.

√ Davide’s first podcast interview on GFA
√ Howard Thai’s podcast on GFA
√ Amazon Agency: Wearegrowthhack.com

Thanks so much for coming on today Davide! It was a fun, funny and entertaining episode. I hope everybody’s getting a little kick out of this stuff.

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gfa327

[00:00:00] Episode 327 of Global From Asia kind of a lifestyle living category today with a friend and previous guest talking about balancing, artist, DJ, Amazon, marketing, and today’s world. Welcome to the Global from Asia podcast, where the daunting process of running an international business is broken down into straight up actionable advice.

[00:00:30] And now your host, Michael Michelini.  Happy mid-autumn festival. Have had a lot of dumplings and mooncakes, the fruitcake of Asia. Anyway, I like laughing at myself. I hope that got a little chuckle out of here. We gotta be a little bit light, easy on ourselves. You know, it’s it’s, this show will be going out right in the middle of golden week.

[00:00:57] You know, my parents, I just talked to them. They don’t even know what that is. And, been out here what, 13 years now. But it isn’t, it’s true. It’s not as popular in the West is Chinese new year’s and other Chinese holidays, but it is a week-long time of moon cakes and dumplings and family and some crabs and sunflowers seeds.

[00:01:26] And TV. Anyway, I’ve been trying my best to enjoy it up here. I’m getting cold and I got my father-in-law’s leather jacket on cause I’m just refusing to buy a whole new set of clothes cause I’m going to get my clothes back from Thailand and in the Philippines. They’re scattered in different countries in Southeast Asia, but let’s talk about this week’s show.

[00:01:49] I mean, it’s another, another one, another transformation from this COVID-19 the year 2020, the new decade. Friend of mine, previous guest Davide Nicolucci. He’s talking about lifestyle. He’s, he got stuck down in Thailand during all of this or chose to get stuck there. Well, we’re all choosing where we get stuck or we’re stuck where we are now.

[00:02:10] And he started up a pretty interesting new business, DJ and lifestyle and artist and, and, uh, in Thailand, which is amazing. And he might remember him earlier about his trip from his transformation, from moving from Italy, his home country to China starting up his Amazon consulting business. Now he’s in Thailand, he’s still doing Amazon consulting.

[00:02:33] It’s going really well. And he’s also starting this new business. So we’re talking about how to balance out or talking about learning business tech techniques and adding it to an artist business. So without further ado, let’s dive in and then after the show, if you want to hear my blog, blah, blah, I will share some of my thoughts too.

[00:02:51] Cause there’s lots to talk about, about being an artist and a business person. I have some of that in my sessions, in some of my consulting. So maybe we can talk about that after let’s dive in with Davide. We are doubling down on our community, our online community. We’ve been having some great online round tables, working at some online masterminds where some really cool various technology we’re using to make them, these events almost as cool as real life gfavip.com for different packages and opportunities.

[00:03:22] Okay. Thank you for choosing to listen to another Global from Asia podcast. This is a followup podcast, actually, man, there’s so much. I think it was only one year ago when I looked it up, we had Davide Nicolucci on the show, a really good friend of mine and the community, and, uh, always helping out with what we do here.

[00:03:39] So thanks. Thanks Davide for coming on. Hey, thanks Mike for having me here. Yeah, it’s uh, yeah, I think it’s been a year. Really dude. It really was. I was, what I was saying. I was in Thailand at the time. And, uh, I think you were in Hong Kong preparing to go to Thailand or something like that. In Thailand. In Thailand.

[00:04:02] Yeah, I think at that time I was going back and forth coming now, I would say. A back and forth to Thailand. We had no idea about what was,

[00:04:14] yeah. I was kind of planning my myself. Uh, approach and, uh, you know, moving to Thailand, I was thinking about that. That’s something I was considering. Definitely not for this year, maybe. Yeah. Yeah. So just a little bit of background in the last show, which I do recommend we’ll look it up on the show in us.

[00:04:33] But last interview we had with you, you were talking about your journey from, from Italy and into China and, you know, working with these big Amazon sellers and starting your own consulting agency. And it was, it was a really great show. We got great feedback. And, uh, and now this is kind of like a little bit of a followup.

[00:04:50] It’s more like a, it’s a little bit different. I think. Uh, I’m still that in the title, I think it’s like leveraging business skills to launch an artist, DJ brand in Thailand. That’s kinda what I’m saying for today. What do you think of that? I think, I think this is sprint, correct. What I, you know, the cup that I want to give to my new business or new, uh, project, it will be not only for myself as a DJ and artist, but I really want to help

[00:05:19] Other artists, other DJs to develop their, their personal brand, and understand, um, to understand what they need to know in order to make a better business, you know, because yeah. It all comes back to that like what, what are, what is your average DJ or artist is missing? Why they can’t make it sometimes, you know, mostly.

[00:05:41] Why’d they end up being broke when they’re 40 years old and they’ve been following their passion. So I think I can really help them. Great, man. That’s really awesome. So, so yeah, just a little bit of a quick one. I think I just gave you gave people quick, quick, uh, rapid, you know, idea of the last show. But you were, um, I think, you know, you spent quite a few years between Hong Kong and China, you know, as a work with the sellers and indeed did some great training and you’ve spoken, been a really great contributor in Cross Border Summit.

[00:06:10] And our other, other events is, uh, thank you for, um, so what, what, what, uh, you know, what was the team, you know, Um, where, you know, where should we start? I guess from last time it was, you know, mid 2019, I think when we last talked. Yeah. And then, and then what what’s kind of happened in the last, uh, in the last year or so I guess if we could connect from there.

[00:06:41] To saying that how we actually were planning a lot of stuff together. You remember, man, we had this call, we were planning to do events and meet ups and then how it all fell apart and COVID-19 arrived. And it actually gave me the opportunity to settle in Thailand. Then take a step back, take a step back and think about what I wanted to do and develop more my artist side.

[00:07:02] Yeah, which is awesome. I know we, you did a great webinar with us and I think that was just in January and we were planning some more, some more things and then, Oh yeah. Remember that? Yeah. Um, so. So are you, but it wasn’t like your first time to Thailand, like you were already invested, you were making some smart, I think that’s also important, right?

[00:07:24] You’re you were investigating. Yeah. Yeah. That’s yeah, that’s really important. I actually bought the condo where I live right now in, uh, August last year. And, uh, this became actually my secondary business. Right. Real estate. I was, I was renting it on Airbnb. If you remember then even Howard Thai, he made this group of Airbnb investment.

[00:07:45] So this was something that was getting really big with other sellers as well, like a spin off investment of many sellers actually doing Airbnb. And I’m not the only one that’s doing that. For example, uh, Henderson, uh, I think it’s Harriet Gunderson, uh, from Sweden, who’s living in, um, in the Philippines. He has a bunch of Airbnb.

[00:08:02] So it’s actually, yeah, it’s actually, we could talk about that. Common thing for Amazon sellers to actually invest the money that they make on Amazon. And in my case consultants, uh, to actually buy properties. Or, you know, probably some of them, they also do some renting properties, but the best way, of course, if you buy the property and then you’re going to be a miss, or I think we could probably talk about that.

[00:08:26] And then how all, this whole thing faded up, blew up because of COVID-19. Yeah. Yeah. That does pop a hit. You know, obviously I think, uh, there’s that whole be a whole show in itself, but I think the real point is it’s another passive investment. I mean, nothing’s really passed, but it is another stream of income.

[00:08:46] It’s not a way to invest money, but even you now you get to live your own. You know, I think that’s even the best writers. I should do the same. I have a family and I’m always traveling and renting, but the best is, you know, you’re a guest you’re gonna stay where you invest too. Cause then you’re saving rent and other things.

[00:09:02] So, um, yeah. Bye. I still think, uh, Let’s focus on the DJ artist. And, uh, and so you were already doing, I think even on the last podcast, you mentioned that, right. So where, where did this art, where you all born artists, you know, high school, you know, grade school? Um, I, no, I actually, I never studied music, uh, itself, but I, I think I discovered my passion for music when I was, uh, I think it was 16.

[00:09:34] I. I was actually at browsing with, with my dad, you know, you know, some computer programs, computer, video games. At that time I was playing video games. It was, I was a teenager and then I wanted to do something different. I remember I. I, I got to know this, uh, music, making little studio for four young DJs, and I started making my, I start composed my first music and I really liked it.

[00:09:59] And then I dunno, I mean, definitely you would definitely remember that my space, I had really good feedback on my space. It was, you know, probably probably the, the very first bit large social networking, um, where actually. The users would share their own music. And it was, it was so nice. I remember I had great feedback and that, and from there I started, you know, uh, buying different softwares for making music and, uh, uh, starting my own parties and little events with my friends and learning about deejaying.

[00:10:29] So, and then after a while I started, you know, taking things more seriously. Uh, so, and I remember I. And had a few international gigs because I’ve always been an international, as we said in the last interview. So I have, I’ve been studying in Germany and in Sweden, I lived there. Then I moved in Spain and I made sure that everywhere every country I lived, I would actually land some gigs as DJ.

[00:10:54] So that actually helped me to know more people in this industry and to increase my skills and, you know, diversify my, my network and my skills and my, my sets of, you know, Abilities, uh, in this, in this way. So yeah, I think that, you know, music has always been there for me. Awesome. That’s really great. And so now you’re doing, I guess we’re going to say like balancing both, right?

[00:11:22] You’re you’re so you’re, you’re going deeper into this COVID you know, being in Thailand, what was the trigger really to kind of get more involved. Actually, uh, I have to be very honest. So, you know, me, I, I really. Glad that I could contribute a lot to, you know, to your community and the speaker many times.

[00:11:43] Yeah. You know, that I’ve been involved. Uh, I, I was involved with, with my soul and with, with my blood and sweat, and that was really doing it, uh, 100%, 1000%. So while it was working so much. And so developing my own business, my consulting, yeah. Agency, I really didn’t have time to work in my music. And this is something that I was really missing.

[00:12:04] Um, starting from when, when I went in China, when I, when I moved in China and I started working with Chinese sellers. Cause so, um, what I didn’t say is it’s actually that they’re living in Sweden in Germany. When I moved in Barcelona, when Barcelona is a great city for artists. You have a lot of events, you have a lot of, you know, thanks going on.

[00:12:25] And yeah, so there, I actually leveled up my, my DJ skills, even more my personal branding, because I started collaborating with big names, such as fashion thing TV. We did some shows where the model management agency and we had support of . We were playing at hotel w and then I was playing with other big groups and those groups, they were organizing bodies at

[00:12:52] So, you know, one of the venues in the world. So I started gaining some more exposure, but then I. I consciously made the decision to give it up, to put it on the side because I wanted to focus 100% of my business. And I, wasn’t only doing it for money because the way we have to be honest, a lot of these just don’t make money, even though you might go very with those big venues, but you don’t make money, unless you start making your own parties or you have your own a record label.

[00:13:25] And it’s really, really going well. Uh, or you have your own booking agency for DJs, or you have your own club. So you’re, if you’re just a DJ, you don’t make money. So as an artist and, um, I realized that that’s and I said, okay, I want to, I want to invest more in my, in my marketing skills. Cause I was a marketing manager in the, in the daytime full time.

[00:13:48] So I moved in China and yeah, we would talk to the right about that. I worked a lot, then I made my own business and the, yeah, we discovered, we discovered I moved in Thailand where I already have this place that I bought with the money that I made with pretty much, two or three years of consulting on Amazon for Amazon sellers.

[00:14:06] So, you know, the business was square. Pretty good. I got this place. It was a, it was supposed to be an investment, but then no one really could rent this place on Airbnb. So I said, okay, I’m just going to live here. And I had, I had a lot of, a lot, a lot more free time. So I said, why, why don’t I just go back to making music and, you know, playing as DJ organizing parties.

[00:14:29] So, so I actually went back to the DJ live and the Fitbit was, was, was really good at the beginning. It is not easy, easy to actually reposition yourself after you’ve been out of the business for so long, because five years is really long. So. You know, also some of let’s say people in the same space, they might not look at your, uh, very happily.

[00:14:56] They would feel like they will feel this competition, or like, who are you, why you’re coming back now to this, you know, to the music industry, what do you want to do? You should start everything from zero. So it’s pretty much the same thing, but it was, it was appreciated. Overall. I ran the, landed some gigs in some of the most important clubs here in Paquette.

[00:15:15] Um, So, yeah, this actually gave me the opportunity to, so to start being an artist again. And the very interesting thing that that happened is that I realized that, um, I was approaching this thing in a very different way then how I used to do it. Uh, let’s say, five years ago when I was still very well positioned, I was having some, some nice places, but I wasn’t able to.

[00:15:46] So take a look at the, at the large picture, at the big picture, because I didn’t pretty much just an anything business about making good, good business relationships. Um, you know, how about how to generate more money with what you do. And I know that for an artist, this is something it’s like a taboo. You don’t really talk about.

[00:16:07] That goes artists. They are so proud of the fact that they make music because it’s a passion, but at the end of the day, you need to pay your bills. And also it’s um, I would say that it’s, it’s a kind of recognition to an artist. Just the fact that it’s getting more yeah. Money when he, when he goes to perform somewhere.

[00:16:29] So this definitely has something to do also with realizing the value of the artists. So I actually do realize yes. You know, having this business background, having this, this is experience and experience with working with Chinese companies. And, uh, as I wrote in the article about Chinese sellers, this mindset that I actually learning in China, and a lot of us learn, and a lot of us have shared also during your events, the, the mindset of I can make it too.

[00:16:58] It actually really pushed me to do something bigger. So now I’m not just stopping myself of being in Egypt, but I’m already starting, you know, developing a business here and starting some new events. Yeah, it’s true. I totally, just to recap is great. That was some great insights there, but it’s true. I got most of my business chops here in, you know, in China and, uh, yeah.

[00:17:21] The school of hard knocks almost man and the knocks are, can be pretty hard. So, uh, just in deed, just in bargaining, right? Just in, you know, getting contracts and deals with Chinese sellers or Chinese companies is a, is a, is a strategy in itself. So I liked that, um, insights, um, and. It’s good that now you can apply those insights.

[00:17:46] This is what you’re saying is you can apply towards artists and DJs and, uh, for, you know, you’re doing it with your own business and you’re also helping other artists and DJs cause a lot of them, like you said, have no business background. I think I even fall in the artist side too. I think, you know, as an artist they like to create and they don’t like to, you know, sell or do business and a market.

[00:18:12] I like marketing, but you know, my marketing. Um, so, so, um, can you give us maybe some, some, you know, examples, I guess like, you know, I, some notes I have, or, you know, Doing it for a lot. Don’t do it for money. Right. Isn’t doing it for their passion and it’s like a hobby. Yeah. Yeah. So when I, when I want to restarted here, I, you know, I, as I said, I was looking at things in a very different way.

[00:18:39] It was, I was like awakened. I was looking at this artist’s world. Yeah, I was, I was, I was like, wow, I am the one I’m the chosen, because I was looking at everything in a complete, different way, different, very, very different frame in my mind. And for example, when a DJ plays his music, it’s sometimes even if it’s a good DJ, it doesn’t really like, it doesn’t realize that it’s making a mistake with the music selection, because in that particular moment, probably some of the people don’t like them.

[00:19:10] They would like to have a different kind of music. So actually this would make a big, a problem for the bar owner, because if the customers don’t like the music, they will probably, they could potentially leave so that the bar owner doesn’t make money. And of course, it’s not good in a business point of view because you need money to substainable.

[00:19:28] Yeah, of course. And you know, to, to bring on your business. So this actually the mistake from, from DJ point of view, because it could happen sometimes that, uh, that the customers don’t like that music or some of the highest spending customers, probably they want to have a different music selection. Yeah.

[00:19:45] And you would have to, you know, Make them happy by playing this music or even you would have to as D J uh, you would have to take care of your personal branding by, uh, trying to make, trying to work on this, uh, personal relationships. Not only with the club owner, with the other DJ is with the agencies, but also, and especially with the customers, because they are at the end of the day, those who give the money.

[00:20:10] To, you know, to bring this business on because without customers who will spend money on drinks, the business would not exist. So this is also something very important. And a lot of artists would say here, yes, but they come to listen to me, but this doesn’t. And apply to the majority of artists to 90% of artists out there, because you are not famous enough to have people actually really coming only for you.

[00:20:33] So as an artist, you have to evaluate where you are right now. Sometimes I see the artists because, because you know, they have an artist mind and the artists approach, they think that what they do is the best, but this is not the case. And this is something that you understand. In a humble way. If you start making business, because when you do business, you have an immediate feedback, money, how much money you’re making.

[00:20:56] Okay. We’ll just survive. It’s just startup, you know, able to survive with, or without investment. Are you actually making a profit or you’re making a loss and you know, a business can not sustain itself for a, for too long, uh, with making a law. Awesome. So that’s, this is the very immediate feedback. You need to make money to sustain your business.

[00:21:15] You need to always grow, but as an artist, sometimes you accept the fact that you’re not making money. Now you would maybe make money tomorrow and then you develop, you know, your work on your music and you hope that someone will find your music interesting, et cetera. So this is definitely one of the first advice that I can give to the artists.

[00:21:32] And then. Yeah. And then I have, I learn a lot about digital marketing. So I learn a lot about how to make a community, how to, how to get it, you know, Instagram page with more followers, Facebook page, how to work with Facebook groups. And this definitely helps. Um, so it’s, uh, It’s a different, uh, it’s very different skills, skill sets that I, that I, that I had acquired during the past years.

[00:22:01] And that definitely helping me in that. Um, and there are a few pages here where we’re asking me for help and I’m trying to help them as much as they can. But also for example, uh, just working on your own personal press kit, it’s something really important for an, for an artist to have a press kit, and you should really know how to make it.

[00:22:21] You should know how to, how to get good photos for yourself, how even to edit a bio, uh, make it a simple PDF. We, with the logos of the parties or the events or the clubs you work with, or with the other support. Or is that you have and how to write a good biography, how to showcase what you can do. So this is also also important in many, many artists, they have absolutely no idea of how to do this little thing.

[00:22:53] Okay. This is, this is interesting. So let’s talk about the, you know, this venture, do you know the name or the structure, or, you know, like, uh, how you’re, how you’re running it. Yeah. So I don’t have a name yet for my, for my new business. For my new project. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. It’s a, this is still in the back of my head.

[00:23:19] I do have a name for our first events because the first thing that I want to try. Uh, as we have, you know, the situation of COVID-19, you know, the clubs owners, the club owners, they, they, they are more open to try different events. So this is actually opening doors to new promoters like me. And so I try to, I, I, I thought.

[00:23:40] I could try with one event. So the first event we’re doing is called Ibiza vibes. I’m trying to bring the beads of style parties and promotion in, uh, in hearing Paquette. And, you know, the be the kind of music because I used to live in, in Spain, in Barcelona was going to Ibiza, you know, often. So I love the atmosphere there.

[00:24:00] Actually, my first time he made me, as I was, was even before moving to Spain. Pain. Cause I, you know, for us, like, yeah, it’s like the place to be. You have to be there. If you’re a leader, if you’re a club door, you really have to be there. So when yeah, actually came from the feedback that I had while I was playing my AB is a style of music and at other events and location here.

[00:24:21] So I said, okay, something like this is missing. So I’m going to recreate it. And, uh, but the, the, the name of the business, most of the agency is not there yet, but I’m thinking to open a company in Thailand by next year. Fear and, uh, to go more aggressively with that. So I would probably, you know, I’ll probably build a team I’m already starting to build team for my events.

[00:24:42] I already have some people helping me. I’m also hiring videographers, photographers, other DJs, uh, the events, but I will definitely bring. I will definitely make up a team of the one that I have in Hong Kong. And I will make a team here in Thailand to actually start up this new agency because, um, yeah.

[00:25:01] Also talking about opening a company in Thailand, it’s a little bit different than Hong Kong. It’s a little bit more complicated. Yeah. In theory, because you’ll have to hire a, what is it like four or five?

[00:25:19] Yeah, someone told me five. And then they said for each foreigner that you could into Thailand and today the, the, the board, uh, for a name you need the 2 million bucks investment. And this is not, you know, a little investment in Hong Kong. It was so easy, at least until I opened my company in 2017. And I know that it’s getting harder and harder by the time.

[00:25:44] But it was easy to get the company down. It was, it was not easy to get the bank account and to get my visa, but eventually I could make it in one here. I guess that the here is going to be a foster, but you have to spend more money at the beginning. So this is my, my, what I think about dialing right now.

[00:26:02] Mm, it is very, you know, I’m planning to go back to. And I was there almost a couple of years and I mean, that’s the, that’s why we talk about Hong Kong a lot. I mean, Hong Kong or Singapore is also very popular, you know? Yeah. They’re much more open to international and online business, but yeah, I mean, mostly everywhere else on not just in Asia, but around the world is not as international and, uh, opened, uh, for a company set up and immigration long term immigration is another, I guess you mentioned it a little bit with the visa and the foreigners.

[00:26:35] It is a very, very tricky one, but I don’t want to. Dive into this one too much for this show, but let’s, uh, let’s, let’s keep moving forward. So like let’s, cause this is really exciting to me and you’re yeah. You, so you got your obese, uh, BS of vibes, Asia. I’ve never been at a visa and I can’t believe that I’ve on my list, so many places to go, but, uh, but, but, uh, yeah, so that’s the first party and then you’re working on this, like a.

[00:27:05] Yeah, you’re going to have other DJs on, so other artists, so that’s kind of like the direction, right? You were kind of like managing parties, imagined DJs and artists, um, under like an agency. Uh, yeah, so technically, uh, the agency is my own agency. Gone that is taken care of everything, all the expenses, old management or even documents where we are preparing are officially signed by my age agency in Hong Kong.

[00:27:31] Uh, because you know, being a marketing agency for us is so different from our scope of work to actually make some events. And you know, when you have an agency in Hong Kong, when you have a business in Hong Kong, you can pretty much operate internationally. So it doesn’t really matter what you do where, so this is, this is really a benefit of having a company in Hong Kong.

[00:27:51] I mean, it’s, it’s, it’s really, it’s really having, you can do a lot of things. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, so many people use it in business in China or Southeast Asia, like you and, and trading and you know, online and offline business, for sure. Yeah. Yeah. So I think this is, this is amazing. I can still, you know, do my operations, using the name of my company and also this getting back at, you know, difference between me and a normal artist.

[00:28:17] This puts me in a much better level than a random DJ who introduced himself with his name and surname. I mean, I’m coming here. I’m presenting myself as an agency owner. And when I, when I send the documents like a proposal for an event, it’s a, it’s signed by this agency. And then if they go look at this agency to see, okay, they’re doing eCommerce, it doesn’t really fit with events, but they are.

[00:28:40] I mean, we are our official partner with partners of Amazon advertising. So we have big names. We have big, big clients. So this is definitely giving us a better recognition, uh, than just being in our Asana. I’m wild who could come out of the blue and present himself in introducing stuff, just with name and surname.

[00:28:58] Okay. You played here and there, but it has definitely the good positive aspects too, to work with my company from Hong Kong. So, yeah, that’s great. Yeah. And yeah. So the first event is ideas of vibe. It’s a vibe. So you want to say that, but this is not going to be the only one because I want to recreate different events for different kinds of vibes and atmospheres.

[00:29:24] So it means a vibes more for house lovers. I was music and I wanted to do something with techno music and something different with them in different locations. So this is just the beginning, I think. Okay. Very exciting. Very exciting. Yeah. So I think we talked about this last show, but I always like to ask this, you know, I think again, you’re probably amazing a lot of listeners and so many people world that still there.

[00:29:49] I don’t want to offend them if they’re that person, but you know, they’re still like waiting or wondering or, um, preparing or learning, you know? To take that jump to take that leap. You know, you came, you left Italy or you came to China of now you’re going into Thailand and this and this second agency going, what would you say , you know, I guess you also have been learning and applying what you learned to the next thing and growing, right?

[00:30:16] I mean, what would you say is somebody wanting to kind of do, to follow in his footsteps to do, do something like this? Uh, I would say, uh, just don’t wait, uh, you know, I have so many friends or, you know, just people on my social media asking me, how did you do it? What should I do? What is, you know, the skills that I should develop or when should I make it?

[00:30:42] Or, I dunno if I’m ready, if you feel like you want to do it, just go for it. And this says, this is actually something that I always had in my own character. I, I never been a kind of person would wait for something to happen. I would rather push it myself and I would rather fail than wait for the miracle to happen.

[00:31:05] Wait for something to fall down from the sky. So I would just say, just go for it. Of course. Don’t expect. Big steps, uh, at the beginning or, you know, something, something too big to happen to you, but yeah, go step by step and do things little by little. Don’t be afraid. And, uh, you know, the only person that can prevent you from doing anything is yourself.

[00:31:27] So I am a strong believer in, in this. So, um, so yeah, this is, this is my encouragement. Anyone who, you know, who’s listening or is looking for inspiration to do something. To finally start something even the side business. So just go for it. Yeah. I love it, man. I love it. I think we’re obviously we are similar, you know, take taking action and doing it.

[00:31:54] And, but of course there’s obviously so many failures and mistakes and probably, you know, things you or I could have done better in this path, but the point is we’re taking action. We’re moving forward. We’re learning or we’re adjusting, right? I mean, I think. I literally talked to somebody yesterday.

[00:32:09] That’s trying to get into e-commerce actually, it’s really experienced business owner, a more traditional B2B. And I even called them out on it. It was, it was their, one of the GFAVIP calls. And I just said, Hey man, like. We just do it, you know, like he’s trying to have every, I guess it’s also Nicole engineering guy, you know, and a really nice guy.

[00:32:31] He’s like, I can tell he’s like, kind of like writing it down and taking a checklist, trying to make it, you know, I don’t know. Maybe we, maybe, I don’t, I’ll speak for myself maybe a little bit too extreme about doing things so fast, but I do think you gotta have the right balance, um, as well. Okay, so, all right, David, I think that’s really all I had.

[00:32:53] I know you’re super busy, man. Running two agencies. How has that been? How has that been? I mean, do you feel, you know, you’re, you’re a, you’re a hustler you’re making you make things happen. You always got so much energy. Um, It’s it’s it’s, uh, I’m really happy for you, man. It’s it’s, uh, I wish you the best.

[00:33:11] How can people connect with you or find you online or, you know, we could link it up. Yeah. Um, I, I guess, you know, people already know me for my business, so we are growthhack.com. Uh, that’s still my main business. What keeps me busy at least six hours a day. Uh, it’s, it’s going great. I have you guys with me and my team.

[00:33:33] They are learning a lot, so I’m really grateful. So you can connect with me through my websites. You can find me at linked in. You can find me on Facebook. The big struggle of actually dividing myself into two people that are not, I mean, now you understand the link in between those two figures, but if someone sees my Instagram, for example, they would say, this is not really a person who’s doing Amazon consulting because I’m dividing my social media channels.

[00:33:59] And I should probably do a better division. I’m using Instagram for events and artists and DJ related stuff. So I even put both my beat boy channel, for example, so where people can buy music or about music, music labels, who release my tracks. And so that’s my Instagram personal Instagram. Then I have Instagram for my consulting business.

[00:34:21] We are Growth Hack, and then I have an Instagram page for my events, So Asia, you can find that on Instagram. It’s also linked to my center profile and on my Facebook, my personal Facebook, I’m just keeping it for business for, for Amazon consulting, for marketing and Facebook. Yeah. Facebook page LinkedIn.

[00:34:39] Yeah. No, I think I’m just, I’m like YouTube man. Like now it’s true to your personal brand and having, I do a lot of businesses as well, and it really does confuse people, I think that is probably one of the biggest challenges. Got it. You’re doing it though. You’re integrating it, you know, and I think cool.

[00:34:57] Yeah. You know, you’re, some people try to separate and keep one total, like you have split personalities, but you’re, you’re just embracing it. And I think that’s made to do it in my opinion. Yeah, that’s awesome. Yeah. Yeah. I, I actually had someone asking me, so are you still working in your business? Are you just being a DJ right now?

[00:35:18] Of course not. Come on. I still have to pay, pay my bills. And you know, when you used to have the kind of life as an agency owner, living in Hong Kong, your bills are much higher than a DJ who lives in Thailand. So I want to keep the same standard of life. So I’m definitely going on with my business. So yeah.

[00:35:35] I had this kind of questions. Are you still doing it or not? Of course I’m doing it. So I, I think like it’s, it’s better to a little bit, do a little bit of separation for just two things and then maybe make some different pages in the future. True. True. All right. They really always appreciate you, uh, sharing out a podcast and in the community.

[00:35:55] Thanks so much for coming on today. Yeah. Thank you, Mike. Do you enjoy this? Showed a lot of you, you know, we all need content. We all need creating. And you know, this is an artist show. And if you want us to help creating your content, we help others with their podcasts, with their blogs, with their creation projects, contentinvestments.com is the best place to check it out.

[00:36:19] And you can see some different practice packages, or we can do some custom deals with you. Talk to our client services, their content investments.com. Thank you, David. That was pretty funny. You know, that was fun and funny and entertaining. And I hope, I hope everybody’s getting a little kick out of this stuff.

[00:36:33] I mean, We had a pretty cool webinar last week. We US time friendly and an Asia Europe time friendly one in the middle of the week. Last week. The best way to find out about those who’s is subscribing to our newsletter at globalfromasisa.com/subscribe, because it’s really hard to keep everybody on the podcast up to date about, you know, these kinds of webinars and other things we’re doing so that newsletters where you get that kind of updates.

[00:37:02] And there was some people we were talking in a Q and A, we have some of these virtual round tables and discussions. And you know, a lot of my friends back in the US just asking, like, how was it in China How’s, how are things? And I think we’ve got it to like, be less hard on ourselves. You know, we’re all, there’s this whole pent up anger or energy, or, you know, lives are changing.

[00:37:26] Businesses are changing. And I just said, you know, I’m trying to not be too hard on myself. You know, I’m getting a lot of work done, honestly, but let’s talk about what I said at the intro with some of my experiences as being an artist. We talked about this with eCommerce a lot, or I talk about it. I was an organizer, a facilitator, a startup weekend, China, help, help to get that going in China quite a long time ago, maybe over 10 years ago now.

[00:37:53] And there’s team building in tech startups. There’s usually a tech cofounder and the business co-founder maybe there’s a designer. You I, or a growth hacker, cofounder, maybe. But I think in the eCommerce business, there’s two there’s. I call it the artist and the garbage man. I’ve kinda made it up. I mean, maybe even hurt me, sit down and one or two other podcasts, but.

[00:38:19] The artist is the one that knows the product likes the, maybe knows the user knows the industry, but might not be good at the Excel. The number of crunching the financials, the cashflow, that’s usually the garbage man and the garbage man can actually be a great e-commerce seller without the artists because garbage man can just look at data and look at numbers.

[00:38:37] And especially on Amazon and marketplaces can just find opportunities and they don’t need to really know the product. And I don’t know, maybe you’re not agreeing with me. But I, I feel like you can make a really good amount of money without really, even really caring about the product. And, uh, I don’t like to say that, but I think that is very important in eCommerce to know your numbers, know your markets [00:39:00] and finding holes in the marketplace too.

[00:39:04] Hmm. Just thinking of the word I’m thinking, exploits, you know, maximize that opportunity, fill that gap. But I’m definitely on the artist side, you know, even David talking about talking about it there, I’m thinking. I just do what I like to do. You know, I like to know the user. I like to know the market. I like to create these podcasts, create content, but like he says, you have to have a business either.

[00:39:34] You have to do it yourself, or you have to have a cofounder. Like I remember Gary Vee talking about this once. Like if you’re not willing to sell and to, uh, get yourself out there, then you’re going to give up half your company. It’s just somebody that’s willing to do that. With like a tech co-founder I’m not business co-founder.

[00:39:51] Um, so I think here is a similar thinking, right? If you’re a DJ and artist podcast or a blog or author or creator, which I feel like I mostly am, you know, you have to start to switch yourself into the other side of your brain. You have to kind of. Do that, do that work, you know, asking for money, asking people to, you know, like support what you do or join what you’re involved with or being part of what’s happening, you know?

[00:40:22] But I think a lot of creators, even programmers or creators or artists, they’re the ones making the thing. They don’t like. I don’t like to ask. I don’t like to try to get somebody else to, you know, I have to justify it to them and prove to them that what I’m making or what I have is worth their time or money to do, you know, like I think we just like to create and make, and if people like it, hopefully they like it.

[00:40:50] We want people to like it and then use it or pay for it or, or, you know, get involved with it. But, um, I think what Dave is saying is thinking of as an artist, as a creator, thinking of the business, as you make it thinking of how are people going to use it? How are people gonna pay for it? Why would somebody want it?

[00:41:14] You know, how will it support you and the team that is needed to create this. Right. And I’ve been off, I’ve been growing up 40. Now, if you can believe it. I know I sound like, I sounded, looked like a teenager. Some people say are 20 year old, but you know, we have to, you know, kind of suck it up as an artist, as a creator, we have to be willing to put ourselves out there and show what we’re making and ask people to support it.

[00:41:41] You know, financially because that’s really the way to make it a business. And honestly, I’ve been, I’ve been breaking through, I mean, if you’re on a webinar last week, a few of you actually joined our membership after, which was really awesome. Um, you know, I have unlucky to have great people on our team now helping us with, um, the community and the, the sales and the business development and client services.

[00:42:05] So that’s been helping me too, because. I still have issues asking people to help me or give me something know. I think that’s maybe why that’s probably what an artist is, you know? Um, my middle name is Angelo I’m Michael Angelo, that Ninja turtle. No, not the Ninja turtle. The artist in Italy. That’s my, uh, the theory there is my, uh, my grandmother was an artist, a painter.

[00:42:36] See, we have some of those. I think my parents still have them in their house in Florida painting a lot. She’s from Russia on my Russian side and I got the Italian name, but, uh, my grandmother was Italian. I mean, not a time was Russian and my grandfather was Italian that’s. Uh, and my mother’s side is French Canadian.

[00:43:01] If you’re interested in that. Okay. But a nickname. My dad after, because my grandma’s such a great artist, her, his friends named him, Michael Angelo. And so that name moved on to me. And, you know, I do feel like I’m the modern day internet artists, you know, creator, this podcast, blogs and videos and events and community.

[00:43:22] But we know we have to suck it up as artists and we have to think of business and you have to make money. And this was a long roundabout way to save. Maybe you guys can join us and support us with our membership and our events. We’re really, really investing a lot, working really hard to make more online events, more online community, online membership.

[00:43:40] For those that really want to gain insight, I’ve kind of been adding gfavip.com in our little ad slots on these shows. And it’s been a, it’s been great though. Some of you have been taking me up on that offer and it’d be awesome if you could cause just kind of following the, ending the show with what Davide says, you know, you have the artist, but you have to have the business and we have to make the business and to support this show or over 300 shows now 327, you know, A great way is to become a, a member and support it.

[00:44:12] And there’s a couple different pricing options and different. Yeah. But I think I’m gonna like leave it off at that. Thank you so much for tuning in and listening to this show. Michael Michelini here or Michael Angelo Michelini signing off. To get more info about running an international business.

[00:44:32] Please visit our website at www.globalfromasia.com. That’s www.globalfromasia.com. Also be sure to subscribe to our iTunes feed. Thanks for tuning in.