Happiness in Pursuit » business

Letter To Mom & Dad

Michael Michelini — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:04:59 +0000

I like to mix up my blog, not just talk about business…and today’s post will be a bit emotional and personal….read at your own risk!! I’m a lucky son, my dad motivates me regularly: poems and emails, and just from my memories as a child getting pushed by him.

I really miss my family back home, its been the hardest part of relocating to China / Asia. Friends and family…..that is it. If I could just teleport back and forth, then life would be ideal. But onwards I must go, and I’m in the middle of this bridging USA and China ecommerce / global ecommerce. Plus with technology mixed with my dad getting good at checking emails and reading my blog here to stay in touch. My mom, a different story, not into technology and only can get through to her by phone. I do make the occasional phone call back home but sadly, I am calling back to USA less and less these days….as I’m getting deeper and deeper into a pure China business world.

So one day on twitter…again, the power of social media! I am still amazed:

NotesToFriends Notes To Friends
@michelini great blog about an expat helping to connect the USA and China. interesting blogs. Go Michael! blog.michaelmichelini.com
27 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply

Which started a conversation, (hey, of course flattery of another is the best way to get attention) and I checked out their service….hey, for only a couple bucks, why not get off my behind and write a real-life letter back home to mom + dad. My mom has actually given up writing me letter to China, as I got about 75% of them (she is old school, and I did keep all those handwritten letters). I quickly went along to type it up on their interface (no, I am not paid to write/link this! I think they are a small company that needs a shoutout.).

Hey mom and dad,

Miss being home with you guys and friends….but am really doing a lot of cool things in China. I am trying to do things that seem to have never been done before. I am teaching Chinese about internet marketing….going to different cities in China every month next year.

I know it was probably hard to see me quit wall street back in 2007…I remember taking the trip down to florida for Christmas and having it on my list to talk to you guys about my wanting to leave. I just wasn’t challenged, and wasn’t happy. I wanted to travel more, do real things….not just work on spreadsheets inside of a machine.

Its been a wild ride since then, so many challenges. While I do get stressed out about it, I am much happier then I was….its something that I can never predict each day and always need to think creatively while under pressure.

Thought it would be cool to send this letter, I hope to meet again in 2012.
Mike

And within just a few days my dad emailed me he got it. For fun, I asked him to go out of his way a bit and scan it for this blog post….but I am thinking to use this more and more….the biggest question I have is, what return address should I put? A USA address?

NotesFromFriends.com seems like a small, friendly startup, and I am happy with their service and hope maybe this post can help them out a bit as well. It must be cool for them to also deliver these nice letters to friends and family around the world. It made my day, and my parents too I imagine. rock on!

Incoming search terms:

about me my personal blog international business - org - edu - info - gov - ca -news -magazine
letter what it means to me to have my mom and my dad in my life

Connecting Chinese to USA Agents – Latest Progress With Geekcook

Michael Michelini — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 09:39:16 +0000

I believe I am a connector, I enjoy doing it, and I seem to be getting better at it. Its just tough to build a platform to connect people between USA and China … still feel I need to gather research, pain points, needs from both sides.

But as I have said before, one of my good friends David Zhang wants to expand his Geekcook brand to USA and we have been discussing this since maybe August actively. He has decent sales in China, B2B and B2C, you can find his products in store shelves even.

During my latest USA trip I met a ton of awesome entrepreneurs and people that want to try something different in their daily lives.

One of those guys, Jimi Olaghere that I met at a Hoboken, NJ coworking space really loved the Geekcook product line since the minute he saw it. He has taken the initiative to do what it takes.

We have samples in the USA fulfillment center and Jimi has been pushing them out to distributors and online platforms, such as etsy.

Being a web designer by trade, Jimi made the English website and put out a PR release announcing Geekcook in USA as below:

We are pleased to announce the long awaited arrival of GeekCook on U.S soil! After
several years of diligently gratifying nerds and geeks across Asia & Oceania with our
meticulously crafted products, we have finally succumbed to the many requests to set
up shop in America. Products like our best selling DIY AT-AT cable organizer which
was featured on Gizmodo will now be available for purchase on our online US store
(www.en.geekcook.net).

David Zhang is master nerd behind GeekCook, his lab is conveniently tucked away
in the industrial region of Shenzhen, China. Here he sources the finest materials to
fabricate aesthetically pleasing concoctions that radiates “geekry” in it’s most refine
form. GeekCook is now available at our new online store (www.en.geekcook.net), as
well as other retailers, which will be announced in the near future.

Its been quite an experience connecting Jimi and David. Both having never been to the other’s homeland, having completely different backgrounds and experiences. There have been some URGENT, HELP emails from each side where I’ve had to smooth it over, and I enjoy this process.

The biggest question is inventory, who buys the inventory, where is it warehoused. Who owns what, who pays for what part of the USA market expansion.

David asked me to outline the steps necessary, and I am publicizing them below…..each point could be a book in its own right, but to understand the main idea this can be helpful:

International market expansion steps

1) send samples to USA
2) make english website
3) make sales calls, send samples to USA buyers, commission to sales agents, maybe 5-8%
3a) optional steps – get USA number, have USA time zone people for phone calls
3b) have more stock in USA – need to have enough stock so that if customer buy 1,000 pcs, can ship right away…can try from China to avoid sending many to USA
4) PR news release – announce your new product to everyone,
5) register trademark – maybe need to do this first to protect brand
6) USA trade shows – like alibaba and globalsources fairs in HK / Canton, in USA many provinces have these for gifts and premium products.
7) find sales agents, a lot of sales agents in different USA provinces to sell to chain and gift stores
register USA company
9) usa bank account – nice online banking
10) SELL to big department stores in USA? These stores do not want to buy cash upfront. they want to pay in 30 days after receiving the product, or even 60 days.

But this is what I am working on….connecting sales agents to brands. And I believe the better position for me is as China manufacturers need to develop their own brand, they need sales agents and distribution.

Bridging the divide. Step by step.

Merry Christmas From China, Expat Celebrating the holiday overseas

Michael Michelini — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 16:11:13 +0000

Many of my family and friends in back home in USA ask me how do I celebrate Christmas in China.

I have been celebrating Christmas in China for the past 4 years now (almost 5), well, technically last year I crossed over to spend Christmas in Hong Kong…as I almost was here in Christmas 2007, but Spent it with my family in Florida – I have kept up with at least a quick post each Christmas the past few years, some others:

http://blog.michaelmichelini.com/2009/12/2nd-christmas-in-china.html

http://blog.michaelmichelini.com/2008/12/merry-christmas-from-china.html

But yea, in China, Christmas isn’t recognized as a holiday, but each year, shops and city governments decorate more for it (they say sales go up in the shops that have Christmas decoration). The Chinese people respect foreigners here and they always check up on me in what I am doing. In 2009, I actually worked on Christmas day…but this year, it was a Sunday and I am getting better at relaxing a bit more.

So for the most part, foreigners here find a bar or restaurant that has some sort of Christmas dinner special, this year I hung out at my buddy Marshall’s bar, Jordans – below is the info:

Cheers & Jordans to host Christmas Buffet Lunch together on Dec. 24th

For those Shenzheners who are planning to be in town for Christmas, Cheers and Jordans bar in Shekou (rose Garden II) invite you to bring your family and enjoy a delicious Christmast lunch.

We will be serving buffet style on Dec. 24 at noon the following:

- Turkey
- Ham
- Stuffing w/Gravy
- Cranberry Sauce
- Mashed Potato
- Caesar Salad
- Broccoli
- Fresh Fruit
- and for dessert… warm Apple Pie!

Everything will be homemade and delicious and we hope to see you there!

Cost: Adults 150rmb and kids under 8 are 50rmb

Its all about spending good times with good people, maybe I am a bit bummed out seeing friends leaving China….but I still have quality friends and connections here.

I also just like to have a day of rest and emails slowing down from bombarding my inbox! Cheers!

Do You Think an commerce store #in shop.michaelmichelini.com

Michael Michelini — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 19:24:21 +0000

Been thinking more about about the direction of the business. And I am really thinking the above idea could have an interesting twitter to today’s ecommerce + social meda. Create an online store from my blog. Put my “personal brand” behind the products we are selling. I can cross promote thosse products on this blog have discussions on the products…show the chinese factory that is manufacturing them.

I will be tottally open about my team working on each part….during regular blog posts each week, we can have a company findings day show everyone how the shop is growing up and building. Explain the hardships of the blog….finding the right suppliers, installing the webshop.

Again this blog is all about being opne, and ecommerce. Having a shop that is connected to the blog I think is forward thinking. And I can talk about it openly.

Just afraid if bad quality, because people buying from my webstore will trust me as they see the blog posts and the adventures we are going through making the website, and learn who is in charge for what.

I am excited about this.

Social + Business continue to merge, this is the ultimate.

We Americans Are A Strange People…Food Stamps Can Now Be Used To Buy Starbucks Coffee

Michael Michelini — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 17:50:38 +0000

Sometimes my blog posts upset my fellow American readers here….I do have to suggest as many Americans that can find a way to travel abroad to do so…it really opens your eyes to how other people live and makes me appreciate the freedoms and benefits of being an American. Hopefully some of my contradictory posts to an American reader can be seen as a wake up call rather than slander or “Anti-American-ism”. I’m blogging because I care.

You know what I still gotta speak out about how embarassing it is to be overseas in Asia reading some of this news going on in America. Tonight I was scrolling through my facebook feed (yes, needing my VPN, as China blocks access to it no country seems perfect…. sigh) and I saw a friend Paul share the link below about

Paul Denlinger:
Ain’t that great?

Food Stamps Can Now Be Used To Buy Starbucks Coffee And Muffins
http://www.businessinsider.com/foodstamps-can-now-be-used-to-buy-starbucks-cfrappuccinos-and-muffins-2011-12
Companies fighting for a share of the $64 billion in benefits.

Suzette Xu
Wow.. that is nice! But do people who needs food stamps will really go into Starbucks to buy a cup pf middle class coffee? lol…

Paul Denlinger
The US is a very strange country…

Suzette Xu
lol..i think that sentence said it all… I agree for the most part! Maybe they can sell their food stamps for cash. who knows

Paul Denlinger
The funny thing about the US is that it has had its way for so long that most Americans think that they are normal and everyone else is strange

Gerald Zhang-Schmidt
Even when things are just plain crazy…

Alfred Lee Neuman
All program and system can be game. Social safety net are no different. Do we deprive all from getting this social assistant. We know there are waste and abuse in programs . The cost to control the last 5% of waste may take up 50% of your staff time. Today with with bad press like the about , I can guarantee the program will be adjusted before the end of the year. Social program safe lives. This is the cost of being a civil and compassion nation.

Michael Michelini
I gotta blog about this…this is unbelievable…..Starbucks coffee is not a necessity of life people! Its meant for those who have worked hard, studied, and maybe yes “were lucky” but they are privileged to get this non-necessary item

Paul Denlinger
Michael: If you are going to blog about this, you need to blog about how many Americans now rely on food stamps. The numbers living on food stamps has shot up through the roof. You can find the information online.

Reading deeper into this article….the key paragraph is here:

Natalie Brand of FOX 12 in Oregon took a woman receiving food stamps with her to a local Starbucks, inside a Safeway grocery store, and taped her buying a $5.25 Tall Frappuccino and a slice of fresh pumpkin bread with her Oregon Trail benefits card. The Trail card is part of the federal food stamp program.

And listening to Paul’s request that when I do blog this, I show how much more Americans are relying on food stamps now –> It is SAD, and AMAZING statistics, finding an August 4, 2011 CNN article, below we see 45.8 million Americans are on food stamps! The total population is about 300 million…..

That means 45 million out of 300 million total population = 15% of the total population is on food stamps!!!!

The number of Americans using the government’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) — more commonly referred to as food stamps — shot to an all-time high of 45.8 million in May, the USDA reported. That’s up 12% from a year ago, and 34% higher than two years ago.

That is outrageous….breathtaking….and freaking SCARY for me to read.

So I guess if you are Starbucks, or any food related company, as a business you want to get access to this 45.8 million (15% of USA) market group….and therefore you find ways to get access to the food stamp program.

And that is capitalism….trying to maximize profits, not thinking about others, and going to increase the bottom line for your company.

I am sure that the USA government will fix this….its all about checks and balances…but reading the facebook post, article, and comments underneath…overall its freaking me out about the current economic health in America….

Sure, there may be some people thinking “why can’t poor people get the nicer things in life”!!! Get REAL – seriously….food stamps are meant to keep people fed and healthy…not for extravagance….its a “lifeline”. They can use their money they earn elsewhere to get these luxury items – not with other taxpayer’s money.

Incoming search terms:

How many Americans on Food Stamps 2004
how many people are getting food stamps
number of working people living on foodstamps in us dec 2011

Welcome Doug! American SEO Joins the Team in Shenzhen, China!

Michael Michelini — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 15:07:54 +0000

NICE! Welcome Doug Pierce, aka Mr. Doug Unplugged to Shenzhen, China! He found me on this blog a while back and we had been emailing back and forth. When I announced I was taking a trip to America Doug saw I was going to be in Hoboken, NJ (nearby his place) and we arranged a meeting at a cafe to discuss China business and SEO. When I found the hoboken coworking space Mission 50 I re-arranged our meetup there (he is pictured there actually).

When we met, he discussed how he had studied abroad and spent time in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Macau – with a quick 1 day trip to Luo Ho Shenzhen, China for shopping.

He and I have many similar goals and interests, surrounding bridging Chinese and American / Western Ecommerce, as well as quality focus in SEO. We met a couple times while I was in NYC / New Jersey, and got a basic trust and understanding with each other.

We left off saying he would check into his lease and other arrangements in USA and plan to come to China early November.

I had just arrived back to Shenzhen 2 weekends ago and I received a mail from Doug that he was ready to start his re-location! Rock on! he stopped over friend’s places in Macau and Hong Kong. We arranged so that he arrived on Thursday night at 9pm at Shenzhen Bay border, I picked him riding my bike from SZteam. I really do enjoy seeing the “eyes opening up” of opportunity, getting Doug setup with a mobile phone plan, place to stay, and other bare essentials. Its added a bit to my daily insanity, but this is good stuff, long term relationship building and I know Doug will do great things in our ecommerce and SEO team!

Doug mentioned his pursuit and long term goals:

Building long term career in China / Asia – He’s not here for a 6 month program, he has spent time in Asia before and is here for the long haul! Sweet.
Marketing and building the “made in China” as a quality brand for select manufacturers / trading companies.
Helping American / Foreign investors audit Chinese websites, to ensure they are using “white hat” SEO practices, via his business Digital Due Diligence
Learn and implement Chinese ecommerce
Understand the “China direct” export ecommerce market – I will introduce him to a lot of companies here, there is a massive once a year Chinese ecommerce event Nov 19-20 in Shenzhen via the “hero to hero” Chinese organization.
Get involved and “networked up” in the China / Shenzhen startup scene – he likes what he sees with SZteam coworking and the StartupsCN.com startup community here.

This is overwhelmingly exciting to me….I believe more and more Americans (yes, Europeans and other expats too) will want to come to China for similar reasons, and hopefully as Doug and I work things out, we will build a program for this.

I’m talking to Jun and Gareth at SZteam about scaling this up, matching with more Chinese ecommerce and “product brands” that want western marketing experts, as well as Paul from HIWTO (hero to hero) Chinese ecommerce organization, so stay tuned

As Marie has said, she constantly sees herself on my blog, both in photos and in context, so you’ll see plenty of Doug over the next couple months.

Startup Tuesday Discussing USA coworking + Startup communities

Michael Michelini — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 06:39:02 +0000

Had been back in Shenzhen only a few days, but needed to come up with a presentation for Startup Tuesday. What better than to review the USA coworking and startup groups I met while on my travels! (slides here)

Trip To America! USA coworking spots

Startups Shenzhen
…. Bringing Together Shenzhen’s Startup Community!

Today’s Agenda

Intro – Round the room, name, industry, fave food.

Startup scene in America

Went to a city, Googled “ [city name] coworking ”

Mission Fifty

Loosecubes

New Work City

Rally non profit coworking in San Francisco

Startup Weekend meeting Shenzhen nov 11 – 13

This Saturday, Hong Kong’s startup saturday

Coworking is new even in USA Major Cities Have It

Opening more in NYC, San Fran. “ secondary cities are opening now ”
Example. Hoboken, NJ
I explained how coworking is new even in America still, big cities have it, but now its growing into secondary and surrounding cities around large cities. And big cities are opening multiple spaces.

Was able to visit Hoboken, NJ’s Mission fifty coworking space as well as see Tony over in New York City’s “New Work City” Really cool to say you can work and network all around the world utilizing these independent spaces of freelances and startups. Exhilarating.

Coworking Directories

Book office space anywhere, anytime. Like an airbnb for office space.
Loosecubes – in Brooklyn I was able to visit, they are a startup connecting excess offspace to those who need flexible workspace in that cities.
Rent out extra office space, “ couchsurfing ” for office space

So for example, if an “normal office” has some open and un-utilized desks, they can list them on loosecubes and when there are individuals who want to use the space they can book it online via loosecubes and the space is rented out to that person for the agreed time (normally a daily rate)

Again, I love this idea, its the idea of flexible work, flexible living, globally.

Even coworking spaces for various groups

Industries and causes are coming together forming coworking spaces. For example, one I went to in San Francisco and found Rallypad when visiting Startups Weekend – this coworking space is only available for those who are working for non-profit organizations. They had all kinds of information about different “rallys” in America.

RallyPad
144 2nd Street
Lower Level btwn Mission & Howard
San Francisco, CA 94105
(888) 648-2220 Rally, San Francisco

It also made me think of #OccupyWallStreet and how these coworking spaces can help organically form groups to disrupt established businesses and industries. Its another extension of social media, except in the real, physical sense of office space!

This Rally! space even had a chef on site, with meal plans for the coworking members who wanted to participate! That is high class!

Official StartupWeekend Nov 11

While in San Francisco I was able to confirm Shenzhen’s first startup weekend, shenzhen.startupweekend.org

Fri Nov 11- to Nov 13

Similar to the bootup! Shenzhen event we had, except this is branded with the “Startup Weekend” crew. Again, build a startup in a weekend! Come on a friday night, make a team of 3-4 people, work over the weekend, pitches Sunday night to a panel of judges

Recap

So it was good to show the photos and stories from the coworking spaces I had visited. China will get there, seeing it happening in front of my eyes.

Reflections + Summary of 3 Weeks in USA

Michael Michelini — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 12:01:16 +0000

Traveling to a different American city every 2-3 days over a 3 week span is extremely exhausting…but it was again eye opening and ever expanding in my “life calling and purpose”.

I now more then ever feel I belong in China. I want to bridge Chinese and American internet and ecommerce…its such a challenge…and I love challenges!

Here are some revelations from various cities and meetings:

Los Angeles – visited the new LA fulfillment center that is initiated by a Chinese logistics company. really strange to fly to 15 hours on an airplane and still feel like I’m in China, eating Chinese food, surrounded by chinese workers…..through Chinatown. Just made me realize its happening….quickly…the bridge of the Chinese brand into the USA market directly.

New Jersey – my friend Julian’s Jewish wedding…leaving me as one of the last unmarried in my college “crew” of friends. Feeling a bit…different then everyone else at the wedding being an entrepreneur in a different country, whereas most of my friends have careers and living the married life.

Spoke at my old university, Stevens Tech (didn’t get to blog this one specifically, but did blog about it last year) but again, seeing students with wide eyes amazed at the travels and experiences I’ve been through is inspiring, and talking to professors I look up to getting their perspective helps.

New York Working deals…..bargaining and making strategic alliances for New York Bar Store, geek cook, talking to distributors and marketers all over the NY/NJ vicinity….running from meeting to meeting.

Seeing Various coworking offices in Hoboken, New York City, and Brooklyn….loving the idea of flexible work and living. Staying at a different friend’s house (couch, guest room, etc) again gaining life perspectives of my American friends back home while I’m over in China.

Florida – spent quality time with dad and mom, uncles and grandma getting acceptance in being in China. Talking to accountant about future of having a registered US corporation, meeting more bar product distributors.

Back to California, quick day in LA to see Piotr, his newborn son Jakob, talk to Sean and his wife Julie about my experiences in China. They had inspired me to even consider living in China, I never really fathomed it possible, thought I would only visit on business trips. Discussing ideas on how to bring more Americans to China

First real business trip to San Francisco (had driven through w/ Scott on a 2003 USA road trip) visiting more ecommerce fulfillment and IT companies, meet Startup Weekend to firm up a first ever Startup weekend in Shenzhen in November. Spending time with my old buddy Dave Tsang living here the past couple years doing bond trading. Met my Chinese friends from Angelhere, dinner and a web interview … just hyper active networking and business development. Had a couple calls with potential VCs on a new commerce platform (maybe Loadpipe)

So to summarize, I did a bunch of business development such as: ecommerce warehouse visit, and
ecommerce services considerations, distributor visits and alliances for the bar products business, finding sales agents and reps for various Chinese businesses looking to enter to USA market, intern exchange program ideas, also discuss at stevens tech, looking to find USA social media company, and China sales of USA products. I have to say also personal things like friend’s wedding, family, and friends. gotta always do business and personal on my USA trips…part of living the international business hat.

Now I’m typing this from the plane from San Francisco to Beijing, going to post it once I am on my Beijing layover….Don’t try sleeping on these 15 hour flights anymore, read books, type blogs, make a huge to do list… motivate myself.

Plane rides are these strange forced transitions or “life events”.

My twitter friend Zee, self published author, airport book signing!

Michael Michelini — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 12:19:05 +0000

Another blog I’m typing up on my 15 hour flight from San Francisco to Beijing, I just finished reading Zee Gorman’s book “Snowdrops and the Night Warriors” book two of the Altethlon Chronicles.

I met Zee on twitter maybe a year or so ago, and we chatted about my being in China, and her being a Chinese now living in America. Its funny how many people I meet who “trade places” – Americans moving to China, and Chinese moving to America. Maybe its that saying “people always want what they aren’t” – the quest for “exoticness” or uniqueness in their life.

Well, Zee and I tried to meet in Guangzhou last year, that didn’t end up working – but this time she reminded me to reach out to her when I arrived in San Francisco. We had a lunch meeting in SFO international airport, social media and current mobile technology makes coordinating meetings so much easier than even just a couple years ago.

Zee is really amazed my transition to China, she moved to USA to get her Masters, and was able to stay after graduating. We had a nice lunch and then she gave me her book she just had self-published – its a fiction and I just finished reading it.

She even autographed it:

For Michael::
Living and working in a foreign country is a privilege few get to enjoy.
Thank you for your friendship!
Zee

It was a great read, a much needed break from my dry “business books” and “constant business thinking” I needed to have some time exploring a new world with gnomes and soldiers, dark lords, queens and princesses and spider caverns, gas city torture chambers. I also felt the China influence in the book, talking about the balance of white and black powers (resembling ying and yang), governments censoring and controlling propoganda, and the idea of different cultures trying to live in one world together peacefully.

What really excites me is Zee is successful self published author. I know another friend of mine, Rosemary, who wrote the book 42 rules of sourcing. Zee has also been in the internet world since 1995, buying domains and doing online business. I really do have a goal to write at least one book in my lifetime, I am blogging almost daily building it up and getting into the habit.

Social media continues to blow my mind, connecting with amazing people all over the world, finding people with similar goals…I’m so happy to have met Zee, its so awesome to read a book having met the author!

Incoming search terms:

dad i miss you poems from daughter
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Remembering Why I Became An Entrepreneur, Thanks Greg!

Michael Michelini — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 22:11:10 +0000

While I wish I could visit and see all my friends in America …this country is massive and as time passes friends and family move to different parts …..hometown friends, college friends, coworkers from NY, family moving to florida, roommates in California….

One of my entrepreneur friends I have always looked up to, Greg Schwartz, unfortunately I wasn’t able to meet this trip (picture in this blog post is from NYC in 2007). He is currently in Michigan (central USA) and I have no plans to go there this short (3 week!) trip. He is a lucky husband and father now, working full time in the mobile app world.

How we met is really funny, he and I were “buddied up” during Deutsche Bank worker’s first day orientation day August 2003 in New York City, paired to a seating section in a morning meet + greet exercise. From that day forward our strong friendship has developed. The next month we would be in DB’s London training program and bond more. He was in IT, I was in operations (I should have been in IT, but I fought during the interview process to be moved). During dinner one night, I recall he revealed to me his startup, Mobatech, that had stemmed from his senior design project….It was a mobile app for J2ME apps and his first product was a Mobile Checkbook for people to balance their bank account while on the go.

I was immediately interested to get involved in any way I could. I was always planning to get into a startup, and my plan was to learn, save money, and build a strong resume at Deutsche Bank in the meantime. I was amazing we had not yet even started in our full time job and were discussing startups and entrepreneurship

AWESOME.

He was the one who noticed my sales and marketing strengths…I remember wanting to program the mobile apps, not as effectively, and instead he saw that I should work on the email list, the marketing efforts, sales channel development.

I started looking at the server logs, understanding how customers found the site online….which lead me to study SEO, this is early 2004.

I attended a conference to learn how to sell online…which with my roommate at the time, Andrew Moran, signed up for the program they were selling, not sure what to sell, which developed into New York Bar Store in Oct 2004….which I believe my regular blog readers and friends know how that story goes.

Greg also is a full time entrepreneur, back in Michigan, dealing deeply in the mobile app space.

Greg and I try to keep in touch, I was in his wedding in Chicago a couple years ago, we chat on when I’m in China, and push to do regular calls. This past week we got a call in…

Really, for me, IT WAS A WAKEUP CALL! He discussed a great new opportunity he is entering and that he is pivoting and focusing his first startup, mobatech, so that he can move to bigger and better things.

Also during the call, we talked about our friend Billy Chasen, who was his roommate and college friend from Michigan. Billy, Greg, and I always talked business, startup, internet…Billy would always be moving from one business to the next, building, learning, growing. I remember when Greg and I would work a bout Billy, changing his web project every couple months….talking about so many projects he was working on….building one, and to me, seems like he would dump it and move on so quickly.

Greg feedback ->> THE FACT THAT HE COULD DEVELOP CONCEPTS, TEST AND PIVOT QUICKLY WAS INCREDIBLE – TRUE LEAN STARTUP (http://theleanstartup.com/). TURNTABLE.FM WAS AN EPIC PIVOT.

WELL, BILLY DID IT!!!! Greg told me he is the founder of turntable.fm – that just got 7 million use funding from Union Square ventures at a 40 million dollar valuation! Amazing! He pivoted his last startup (the last one I knew of was sticky bits) and this was has just exploded to be an overnight success!!

I’m so happy for Billy….he is a passionate entrepreneur, never afraid to try something new. I haven’t been in touch with him for a year or so, we had talked about me helping him manufacture a fingertip onto of a glove so you can use your iPhone in the winter, we had talked about a NYC club card to get discounts at bars and restaurants in NYC, tshirt design “I am away from my computer right now”

He just never gave up!

Greg and I are just so happy for him…I really just got that feeling of satisfaction “he did it”

And then I look at myself in the mirror and I think, I can do this too! I have to let go, keep moving forward, keep looking for what I can do that is gonna have a big effect. Not settle, not hold on.

Greg is doing that too, moving on to a new startup (I have to keep it private at this moment per Greg’s request)

And knowing my 2 entrepreneur buddies doing it, I have to get myself back on track, back into gear, and catchup!

Greg’s feedback ->> YOU CAN DO IT. YOU’VE ALREADY DONE MORE THAN MOST BY BUILDING THE BUSINESSES THAT YOU HAVE BUILT (NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT IT). YOU CAN DO IT AGAIN.

Motivated again!

Finding Acceptance Being In China, Quality Visit with Mom + Dad

Michael Michelini — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 08:38:00 +0000

Many of my friends ask me, what do my parents say about me being over in China. It has been a bit of a transition, honestly when I first came to China, as I have said in previous blogs, my parents had a hard time…..I left a quality highly sought after job on Wall Street, and I moved to China without much of a plan…..

But I have “survived” 4 years now in China (Asia – Philippines) ….and last year I was reflecting on what to do, where to go, thinking I would live in New York ….but deciding to take the Hong Kong return flight afterall last year….

I see my calling is in China….….bridging Chinese into USA market…and bringing Americans into China…

In the main photo of this blog, you can see me and my mom and dad wearing Geekcook shirts….which is a project I am helping my friend in China enter the USA market…

I explained to my parents this great task of bridging Chinese to USA, and Americans into China….it was funny, my dad is always talking to everyone, in restaurants, parking lots, golf courses, and he started spreading the word….passing out my business card (he has a stack of them) telling our waiter that “if you want to go to China, talk to my son“.

Walking through shopping malls, talking China, talking different cultures and business mind perspectives…my parents have realized the value I have gained being overseas.

Maybe this will help America they think, and I think. I have many friends and people reading my blog who want to come to China. Bands who want to sing there, internet gurus who want to verify websites there for American investors, tons of people who want to sell there.

China….as so many say, the American Chinese relations are the future for the next 100 years….we are bound between debt and currency agreements.

For the first time EVER, I heard my parents discuss maybe visiting with my sister! I won’t get too excited yet, still a lot of planning, but this is awesome.

I have to bring people to China, I have to explain to Americans and Chinese the differences between these cultures, knowledge is power and it seems both sides greatly misunderstand each other….

Stay tuned…but I am in talks with a few extremely qualified Americans who want to come to China and learn….grow….experience….

The bridge is now.

Walking Through a Shopping Mall …Market Research For Chinese Factories

Michael Michelini — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 08:29:00 +0000

Man….its hard to shop in America after spending four years in China! Everything I look at I try to calculate the manufacturer’s price and landed cost!

One of the things some of my friends and business colleagues in China asked me to do was to go to a shopping mall in America, snap photos of products along with price tags, and let them analyze it to see how much stores are marking up products they manufacture.

I thought it would be a good blog post, and I like this kind of research project. While taking photos in various mall shopping centers, I was asked to stop taking photos, that photographs are not allowed in their store. Hey, while America is a free country, these are private stores and they have a right to set policies on their property.

Felt like a spy. So I would snap my last photo in that shop and move on. I tried to get various shops of products from clothing to products.

You know, its always easier said then done….

Chinese factories think Americans just buy and sell for a quick profit…..

while ….on the other side…..

Americans cannot understand how the Chinese factory can so easily misunderstand their email or order instructions.

I moved to China just because I thought it was soooo easy, how can they keep mis-understanding me?

I have been in China talking to factories for years, and when they quote prices, they sometimes think they can look at the retail price to calculate their manufactured price.

And many Chinese factories think all the American buyer does is buy their products and put it on the internet or put it in a store marked up 4 times and sit back to collect the money….so they try to maximize their profit….hey, you can’t blame them…

Lately, I’m gaining the perspective more on the Chinese side, as you know I have been working with Chinese factories and ecommerce businesses to analyze how they can sell in the Western world.

Many have tried themselves, some realize it is a completely different ball game, and want an expert.

I have also heard from many online sellers who sell fake products and think that its not fair these “big bad brands” in USA and Europe can exploit there workers and buy for $1usd and sell for $80usd

Let me talk neutrally on both sides….

A store, you see the prices – I remember since being a kid listening to my dad talk about how cheap X product is to make and that this store is crazy to add so much profit to it.

But there is tons in the middle of the factory to the retail store…sure the internet is reducing the amount of “middlemen” in the process, I’m not going to use today’s blog to go into the supply chain between China and USA, but I will show some products that I saw in the American malls with my best guess how much they cost to manufacture.

Clothing – Actually this is cheaper to buy in America, for the same quality / brand. At the mall today in Florida, there were tons of Asian and European shoppers, buying luggage just to carry the clothing out of the mall! I believe this is because of low import taxes and volumes of goods America is buying from overseas…driving the price down. China has a high tax on its consumer goods that many people don’t factor into. Girls in China beg me to buy Levis jeans for them, since its sooo much cheaper in America.

Electronics – Again, cheaper in USA. *** I have talked about buying iPhones and selling in China…. this is because of Chinese taxes….and also because Americans buy sooo many consumer electronics that containers and containers of electronics are shipped from China to USA every day that the turnover and volume is so high, pushing profit margins so low….that America is the marketplace to BUY electronics.

Plastic “stuff” gadgets – This I believe is mostly cheaper in China…..not exactly sure why, maybe because there isn’t much brand recognition on it, but in stores in USA the prices are much higher then I can get it for in a Chinese store….maybe also because Wal Mart is in China….maybe Chinese tax is lower, but definitely I would buy injection mould plastic products in China directly to save a decent amount of money. Maybe also the shipping cost per unit is higher.

Gift / Novelty – this stuff is highly marked up….why? Because it is not as “high volume” as clothing and electronics, so it is probably going to have to sit on the store shelf or warehouse longer. Plus people are less selective about price when shopping for a gift or a joke for a friend, or coworker, etc. They see it at a shop, they laugh, they buy. This includes Spencers Gifts stores, Hot Topic, and Halloween shops.

Another thing to keep in mind is – WILLINGNESS TO PAY – this means that customers don’t buy something based on how much it costs to make, but instead on how much they think its worth, and how much VALUE it is to them.

People pay more for a brand because they TRUST that brand. They know that they are less likely to waste their time with a product that will break or get slow, noisy over time.

Its also IMAGE, what images does the brand give you – when you wear it, do you connect with a certain “group of people” like sports players (Nike), sailors / crew (Nautica), and a cause…a community of people who buy those products you are connecting with. Apple is a perfect example, Steve Jobs marketed it as “think different”, be a unique, rebel consumer and pay way more for a product with a better experience….and don’t conform and settle to evil Microsoft or IBM.

I have the below photos of products found in New York, Connecticut, and Florida shopping malls….got kicked out of some for a few of these, so enjoy.

Maybe in the future can take video! Podcast is coming once I’m back to China!

Reflections On Steve Jobs Death….Losing a Great American Entrepreneur

Michael Michelini — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 03:07:14 +0000

I have blogged about looking in the mirror every morning which is from Steve Jobs….we have to live each day like it will be our last, we have to look into the mirror in the morning, when we are washing our face and thinking about what we will do that day. I still try to force myself to think that way…every single day…when I am stressed out, emotional….feel like the world is against me….I think…live like today is my last day and I will look back and wonder if I did the best I could and lived for today.

Steve Jobs has been an inspiration for me as well as so many people….almost everyone I talk to.

While I resisted his products, because I consider myself “open source” and anti-”walled garden” (forcing me to buy Apple specific equipment and software)…last month even I broke down and got a Mac Air…..and am typing this blog today from it.

I have looked at him when I consider what kind of personality Tech CEOs need to be ….with his image as a perfectionist and a relentless “pusher” for greatness…..”hot head” and micro manager.

I also wonder if, in order to be a great technology leader, you need to be a programmer ….while I see he is a techie in some regards, I see him as a master marketer ….. as well as EVERYTHING…he has mastered all parts of business….

He has come back to Apple and saved it from bankruptcy…..making it the most valuable business in the world.

His death today makes me wonder if I am on the right track. I have to keep challenging myself. I cannot give up.

I also have to say – Silicon Valley, and American entrepreneur … I just wonder….as the world become “flat” and as China and other countries continue to develop their creativity and business skills and capital markets…I wonder where the next Steve Jobs will rise from….

In a way, I wonder if I am bailing on America…as an American in China…building a business based in China…..

But I believe the world is becoming global much more than during Steve Jobs generation, and the future businessmen will be global.

http://blog.michaelmichelini.com/2009/11/why-cant-we-be-the-next-donald-trump.html

Incoming search terms:

moral lesson of the pirates of silicon valley

USA is making me focus, and realize –> I belong in Asia, feeling…guilty

Michael Michelini — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 02:38:00 +0000

Coming back to America always is a reflecting point for me, meeting my friends and family, seeing where they are in their life, their goals, dreams ….and of course they always ask me “what is it you do, exactly”?

And I have been lectured to, as a friend, to get a focus… some read this blog (Ken!), and they do not see what I am really doing to…telling me to focus and MAKE MONEY… and see me losing focus and direction.

But I will be honest, a lot of business developments and revalations have happened in just over a week being in America….and they are in China….and when I get back and firm them up, I will update everyone.

Last year I was searching a lot more than this year, this year I am committed to coming back to China, committed to ecommerce

Its really sad to talk to so many of my friends who are laid off, getting laid off, afraid to lose their jobs. The feeling of helplessness…

So many mixed feelings….living away from friends and family, growing away from one another, people focusing on different things…..

Its been emotional, and like many of my expats (people living “overseas” from their home country) that this feeling is normal…..but I have pivoted to realize the opportunities and the future is in China and Asia….and that is where I will stay.

As I talk to my American friends as about the rapid growth of China, the new subway lines being built, the buildings coming up, the inflation, the job opportunities….

But again, I think back to history, that some people have to be willing to make changes to build opportunity, to build a business…

I just cannot say I see business opportunity by staying in USA. In a way, I wish I could…

I wish my mom didn’t cry to me over the phone asking why I need to be in China in order to get opportunities…

those are the hard phone calls to make.

I think about how my grandfather must have felt when he left Italy to work in New york, to earn money for him and his current family and his future family with my grandmother and my father, uncle and aunt….

I wish I knew my grandfather on my father’s side…

My uncle Bill even comments this blog, and says how sad it is in America currently…how he is on a fixed income and inflation is growing, etc etc….(((update))) My uncle Bill was born in the Bronx, NY by my grandmother who came from Russia through Harbin, China….she also came to America for a better opportunity than the country she grew up in.

I think my grandfather Gelindo Michelini would know how I feel now…..(my grandfather came from Italy to NYC and motivates me). Sadly I never got to meet him…but he was an entrepeneur who left Italy to build his future and business in New York….

and this trip to USA has made it clear, I belong in China….

and during this trip, other Americans have approached me wanting to come to China too, and I’m working on that too.

Incoming search terms:

stephen schung rocket internet

Hustling NYC, Too Much, Too Little Time

Michael Michelini — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 23:30:52 +0000

Seriously, I overextend myself and then get all crazy (emotional roller coaster) . This year’s USA trip was much more organized and planed than *** last year’s mania. But still, I overbooked myself, and feel like I let a bunch of people down….rushing through meetings and trying to get too many people together at the same time.

Here is a list of things I did in NJ / NY this week:

Got into Hoboken Sunday afternoon, drinks with my boys (see photo) from the wedding
Met with my “NY mom” Nornale who is a top blog reader….she is going to the Philippines for the first time this October! I sooo wish I could meet her there..
Met with my good buddy Andrew Peranick, who I used to work with on Deutsche Bank wall street, and his wife Nicole to discuss her website With Love From the cupboard and new business selling high end pastries.
Monday back in Hoboken, saw the first Hoboken’s coworking office and met some awesome new people for SEO, web design, and commerce.
Tuesday back to the Coworking space, and then more meetings and SEO audits and China business. Then met one of my favorite professors, Dr Ann Murphy, to discuss what I’ve been unto and talking about twitter and social media.
Rushed into NYC Tuesday evening, passing by Union Square park, Flat Iron district, Empire State building, making tons of phone calls along the way. Had dinner with a Stevens Tech buddy Ish in 34th street Penn Station, talking real estate sales in Hong Kong and Asia, as well as investment opportunities
Comedy Central had a sponsored beer pong tournament in Upper West side on 109th street and Amsterdam, finally met Billy Gaines from bpong.com and caught up on all our business experiences, stayed over in Upper West side that night.
Wednesday morning up bright and early, walk through Central Park West, tweeting and emailing, met Mark Kozhin who is opening his second health food cafe in NYC , Dvida
Late Wednesday morning met fab.com on 38th street to discuss selling Chinese brands like *** geek cook. and long term cooperations ideas. Got some Chinese fast food on 34th street, showed off my limited Chinese to the staff
down to China town to the New Work City coworking space (blog coming soon) to see Tony and catch up on emails. Talking about the Chinese brand huawei phone, discussed the Asia / USA coworking alliance. Also tons of phone calls wheeling and dealing, booking as many meetings as I can.
Wednesday evening down to Wall street, see my Deutsche Bank buddies Justin Ramos and Brian Sharkey… My fraternity brother, James also meets up – and we discuss Wall Streets bad investments in shell Chinese companies like Sino forest that lost investment companies and hedge funds millions.
after a few pints at the local irish pub, James and I head to the NYSE to grab beers and braughts…
4th Annual Blocktoberfest

NYSE is the world’s largest single venue for block trading with 265 million daily shares of block volumne on average.

Please join us in celebrating block trading with festive food, drink and live music at the NYSE Block!
Details

When
September 28, 2011
5:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Eastern Time

Add to Calendar

Where
New York Stock Exchange
2 Broad Street
New York, New York 10005

Planner
NYSE Euronext
Left my bags at James (aka Ohio!) apartment on 70 wall street (dude, he has a nice place!) we head up to midtown to go to meet my friend Jonny from the bronx. Jonny works at the UN and invited us to a bar fundraiser for a NYC marathon runner. I had invited a few other good friends like Gerry Chan who does equity research and I met in Hong Kong a few months ago (worked with him in Deutsche Bank too) and Josh Whiting, my twitter friend who helped me tons last year with the NY bar store NYC warehousing nightmare… we all had been to China before and are interested in China business. I met a guy in the bathroom of the bar and he emailed me about buying into China!
Head up to the Bronx to crash at Jonny’s place, early Thursday morning I go to Bronx factory of bar products, and talk about the future of New York Bar Store, and combining old fashioned B2B with new age commerce.
Rush out of the morning meeting in the Bronx, take the 5 subway all the way down to Wall Street, meet up James and get my bags from his apartment (that stayed there overnight while I was staying in the Bronx)….rushed to Hoboken via Ferry from Wall Street.
This afternoon (thurday) I spoke at Stevens Tech (again like last year’s talk) about Selling in China (blog coming soon) and always seems to get some jaws dropping each year with the stories and experiences….mixed with my real straight shooting talk about how I see it.
Currently typing this Thursday evening at a bar in Hoboken, waiting to meet up a few friends and business contacts….

Tomorrow is my last day in NYC before I head to Connecticut….trying to meet up Shipwire to discuss commerce online solutions, then my affiliate marketing buddy Ken Chen, and the electrapour patent holder Mike…..

Rush via Grand Central station to Connecticut, meet my hometown and high school buddies for the weekend…monday off to Florida.

Ok, Lets go!! Can’t give up, can’t get exhausted.