So from that paragraph, you may have gathered that I am still gonna be actively doing business in China, yup, now I’m talking about staying in China again! Well, it’s the Pearl River Delta…..I am gonna be all over south China region of Guangdong now – Dongguan, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong and then Philipines. Crazy, right?

Still heading to Manila, Philippines this Friday, working with Marie and the team there on the SEO projects, content writing, social media, and customer service for USA ecommerce newyorkbarstore and drop shipping programs…training, meeting, networking. But may cut the trip shorter then expected and come to Dongguan in early January.

The timing seems right….they are just setting up this warehouse and “Cash and carry” business….plus it’s a union of a domainer (Gary) and a internet marketer (me)….mass building domains, ecommerce projects, between USA and China. Sounds like Loadpipe, right? And that is exactly what I’m talking about.

Philippines will still be doing the English work, as well as the social media as Facebook, twitter, and all those fun things are blocked in China. And Filipinos LOVE SOCIAL MEDIA, I’m chit chatting to them on twitter and facebook all day long! Working on standardizing the package to better measure and manage it, but fate is going this direction.

So while I thought I w ould settle down….I think I am, and almost in a worldwide tour in 2010, bouncing with USA, Philippines, China, little Thailand, still seems the center is China for my business…..just the most entrepreneurial place, where the money flow is going. Listening to Warren Buffet and other big shot investors, and don’t they always say go where the money is….well that is obviously in China.

Really hope to get some exposure to real business in China too….selling on Tao Bao (China’s ebay), ecommerce websites, and even having people come in to the warehouse for pickup. Massive amounts of domains and websites…internet marketing day and night. Living in Dong Guan with not much else to do but work online. Going to Hong Kong and Shenzhen for weekends….doing some trading in Guangzhou. Everyfew months to Philippines, develop English social media there…
This is my passion, this is what I’ve invested my time and money into the past 3 fulltime years of my life, social media, ecommerce, China, and USA marketing.

I’ve been waiting to make a decision, because I don’t want to just pick something because it’s the only or best opportunity facing me at the moment, in 2010 I haven’t gotten excited about much, I’ve realized I need to focus, realized I need to work with complimentary people…..utilize my strengths and have others offset my weaknesses.

Rock on.

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But this is further in the development of LIFE! Not just the internet here, its affecting our lives…the way we decide what we are going to do, where we will go.

For me personally, its pretty freaking awesome, I have been checking into places all over the world….making my mark online. And at the same time, I see people around me in that area, both friends I already know, and meeting new people along the way. I have made friends in Philippines (MikeMo!) as well as re-connected with friends in NYC (Christina!) who saw me check in nearby on those locations. I remember meeting up with Christina a couple months ago and she said she saw me check into JFK airport in new york and got excited. She mentioned she keeps seeing me eating at taco bell in the Philippines….that is just hilarious to me.

People see where you eat, shop, how long you are at work. And you share this with your friends…..

This is one thing I miss in USA, more people use it there then in China, where its blocked by the chinese firewall (Well for some reason it works on my mobile phone via china mobile GPRS…but shhhhh, don’t tell the Beijing government) but not on the website. In America, there was a SWARM in the LAX (Los Angeles) Airport, which is when more then 50 people are checked into the same place at the same time.

I can only imagine this further evolving. I forget the name, but one system I heard that is developed or under development is a social system that shares your credit card transactions on your social media accounts. Imagine that! Makes you think twice before buying that mcdonalds food when you’re trying to lose weight right? Or imagine stores can give you discounts if you buy from them three times, or at certain times or seasons or days of the week.

My friend I met in New york, Billy Chasen, has another cool venture (he’s more of an entrepreneur then even me!) working on a mobile app called stickybits – which lets you scan barcodes of products and add them to your account. Why do that? See who else has scanned them, what they have to say about that product. Or maybe you can price compare, see what stores are selling it. How long its been on the market. This is an awesome idea. He just did a promotion that if you scan in mentos gum (I think that is the product) then you can get a coupon for a free one – something of this matter. How awesome is that. Imagine the marketing programs a business can run with this.

Its all about sharing information online….the beginning of the internet was about sharing news, and forums to chat about topics….but now the internet is developing into your real life…..who your friends are, where you are, where your friends are, what you’re buying, how much you are spending.

Sure, there will be many people who resist all of this sharing of their “personal information”, but really, it helps people find other like minded people, get work done faster, and improve efficiency by allowing people to find the best deals, closest location, and tips from friends.

Incoming search terms:

• can people see where you are online?

I’m not gonna ruin the movie by going through it all, but I will take some takeaways from what I got out of it:

Mark being a “punk” – the movie shows that Mark Zuckerburg was more of an outcast at school, while a gifted computer genius who was offered to be bought out by Microsoft before even starting at Harvard in the first place.  Many mentions of him not being accepted into certain clubs seemed to make him jealous of other students.

location matters – As much as the internet and technology is advancing things, with online project management, chats, voice calls, NOTHING BEATS FACE TO FACE business work and negotiations. Facebook starts at Harvard (which is in the northeast USA, in Boston) but as it grows, it finds it needs to move to Silicon Valley where all the other dot com startups are. They go on to say that the networking, meeting like minded people who are in the industry and can grow off of, and support one another.
billion not million – MONETIZATION OF THE BUSINESS.  Again, this strikes me home, because so many people pressure you to monetize a new project so quickly, yet many of the biggest companies don’t have revenue models into well into the development.  Here Mark’s business partners want to quickly put up advertisements on thefacebook.com (before it was this) to pay back some of their investment, but Mark said that would  make it more tacky and had to develop and evolve more before having advertisements all over it.  One thinks of google this way, it was a simple homepage, without ads or annoying pop ups.  Google also didn’t make any revenue until there was the adwords model placing advertisements next to the search results.

programmer in center…. – Many times people say you don’t need to be a programmer in order to develop a great internet business…and can hire others to do it….but the more I notice it, the more I see programmers and technical people being the owners and founders of these massive internet companies.  Mark programmed it himself.
rich prestigious people – in the movie, its funny when there are the legal negotiations, and the Winklevoss brothers say they stole their idea, and Mark replies something like – you are just upset because the story didn’t end up like it normally is supposed to.  This is something implying his jealousy of the “fraternity” style clubs he didn’t get invited into while at Harvard.

idea stealing – this is always a hot topic.  Many people are so afraid to tell others their ideas.  It is nerve racking…I guess this is why its best if the programmer is either a founder or an idea guy…..as if you cannot make what you think up, then you do have a problem.  This makes me think of the issue of China / Asia manufacturing….you have to trust a factory that they will not steal your idea….and with everything overseas, American entrepreneurs must send their ideas directly overseas and hope not to be copied….a real problem if you ask me.

you gotta be in it 100%….- another original founder, Eduardo, feels leftout because he wants to intern in an advertising agency in New York. He isn’t able to / isn’t willing to, dedicate 100% of his time for the facebook startup….and is left out. Again, this is why its hard to do business with friends, as time goes on, people go in their own directions…..

But really great story, amazing to see the insides of how it got started. But we do have to keep in mind, just like getting in the NBA, not every gifted programmer will startup a facebook, google, or microsoft. But we can at least try, and dream.

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Quoted from his blog entry:

Don’t Be Chris Brogan

Don’t be anyone else. When I started, I didn’t look at any one person and say, “I think I’ll do what _____ is doing.” I said, “Where are they right now, stat wise? Where am I? Whoa, that’s a long way to go.”

Its true, we have to stop worrying about what other’s think, about being afraid that we are too small or too insignificant to even try to be great! WTF!

So I am gonna keep going, keep on blogging. I’m on a roll, I may even do 2 blog posts a day. And I’m making more content then ever for other sites. I’m thinking this is the most important part, to get content out there, ideas, connect people, motivate people, it makes me feel good.

Blogging, bloggin’ bloggin!

Incoming search terms:

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And the name of the blog – Happiness in Pursuit, it comes from the OPPOSITE of the Will Smith movie “Pursuit of Happyness” because that movie is about Will Smith (or whatever his name was in the movie) trying to GET INTO CORPORATE NEW YORK AMERICA / WALL STREET.  This blog is me doing the exact opposite-  TRYING TO GET OUT OF CORPORATE AMERICA IN NY!  haha, that was the idea of the blog’s name.  for the blog name, I do have the domain  happinessinpursuit.com but still just use my personal name for now, blog.michaelmichelini.com – thinking to use the happinessinpursuit.com as a blogger network of those with the same goals and ideas.

I have about 3 paper journals I have back in my Florida that I was writing since 1997!  I flipped back once, and it was pure emotional about crushes on girls, disputes with people over gossip, hating certain classes…..but writing it down helped me.

But those paper journals I wrote as if no one was EVER GOING TO READ IT.  I even wrote in the journal through my university years, but once I got into corporate america….I stopped.  Well, actually a girlfriend in summer 2003 read them while I was in my New York job orientation meeting….and hated me for about 2 or 3 days….so that knocked the wind out of me for a few years in keeping a journal at all.  So most of my corporate america days aren’t recorded in any journal.

But now that I am being reminded each day of people being touched by my blog here, it makes me feel good, but it also adds a bit of pressure on me – should I worry about what I write for offending someone? Or should I tone down what I am writing for fear of it getting misinterpretted?

I always tried to write this blog as if I were writing my own journal entry back in high school, but having it published on the internet has to make me hesitate a bit.

I just want to stay genuine with this blog, and have to realize the reason people like the blog is because its REAL.  It isn’t some covered up, generic articles.  Its my real feelings, my real experiences, in almost real-time.

Strange thing is, I rarely had comments or interaction on my blog until maybe a year or so ago, and even lately its picking up even more.

I have to believe a lot of that is because of social media – and I integrated this blog into facebook, twitter, linkedin, and others.  People love reading motivational ideas, getting real life analysis, and there are MORE PEOPLE ONLINE then ever before.  Its just so true, the world is truly going cyber.  Cyber friends, cyber business relationship, What is real, and what is cyber?

Anyway, just wanted to thank you guys for reading, and hope I don’t let it get to my head too much, and can try my best to keep this genuine.

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Since I can remember, I always wanted to have my own company, back in 2003 after graduating university and starting a new full time analyst job at Deutsche Bank, I met Greg Schwartz, also a fresh grad in the new hire training program who turned his university senior design project (mobile phone java app) into a business – Mobatech LLC. It was rather funny, as I randomly sat down next to him during 1st day orientation, we became great friends, business allies, and i was in his wedding party! During our training in London, England – I came on board in Mobatech as a marketing & sales consultant (it was his idea for me to do sales…I didnt think I could do it!!!). I remember finding ways to increase downloads (not really purchases, but shows “top downloads” on some of the reseller networks) – it came to be one of the top selling productivity mobile applications. Soon those channels started changing it from top downloads to top sellers….hehe. But ya, I love finding ways to get ahead. Later he showed me his website server logs and asking me to understand it and grow visitors…..it amazed me seeing people from all over the world coming to his website. Sure, I had made websites before, but never analyzed traffic and sources before…it truly amazed me from that day forward.

Researching more into ways to increase website traffic, in 2004 I attended a “free” online marketing class in a fancy NYC hotel. I brought my roommate, Andrew Moran, and we got pushed/sold into a “package” with all the tools to start your own online internet business.

We had no idea what we were going to sell!!!!! Andrew would do the writing, logistics, and operations, I would do the financial, technology, and marketing – both of course pushing sales and sharing customer support. A 50/50 split and a handshake, on a street corner in midtown Manhattan. A new company was born – Parallel Phenomena (started as a general partnership in New York, later re-organized to a corporation in the state of new jersey – Parallel Phenomena, Inc) The name Parallel Phenomena represented Andrew and I (2 people in parallel) and phenomena meaning following our “gut” and feelings.

Sold on ebay, tried multiple online stores (first was pimp guide – your bachelor pad store mixed with nightclub VIP list) – and found success selling bar products…..so much that it didn’t make sense to have a general “everything i think is cool” online shop and ebay store – so being in NYC and taking into consideration the party nightscene and the current “pimp guide” bachelor feel – it seemed newyorkbarstore.com was a fitting name / brand, and the online shop was born in early 2005.

Taking it from there, working every night until we could keep our eyes open, and drinking beers on fridays watching TV (COPS TV show is still my favorite) and some Lower East Side bar hopping, Andrew and I kept on pushing to build up the online business. First we shipped products to our NYC apartment…knowing there wasn’t anyone to sign for it, I got the shoe shine guy downstairs (really cool guy, think Juan) to hold the goods for us till I got back from work. But that got out of hand quickly….so I got my younger university friend, George Couto, to help receive and ship products at the fraternity house while I had the dayjob. That got out of hand, so we found a UPS store….that was expensive and a nightmare – so George’s parent’s basement. Then I found a print broker (he printed the Pimp Guide book for us), Alan Kaufman, who had a storage unit for his business – so we rented a unit next to his, and he would receive and ship for us. Then that got out of hand…so we moved to Webgistix, a 3rd party fulfillment center – uHauled it ourselves on a weekend roadtrip.

That kept going on, a rollercoaster ride. I was the first, quitting the day job at Deutsche Bank in early 2007, with steadily growing online sales, toned internet experience, and a budding business network – it lead me to buying directly from China / Asia distributing into western markets. Started a UK company…but too many logistical problems…..maybe get back there one day

Frustrations trying to buy from China lead me to start Shadstone sourcing (Shadstone Associates, Inc) in mid 2007, spent some time living in San Diego, California w/ my good friend Piotr, I transitioned from the mind of a “9-5″ worker to the full time entrepreneur……..working on the beach, coffee shops, and couches via my laptop……it was cool…..but i wanted something more….it was kind of boring, I got a little lonely, and i wanted to expand.

in addition, I was still frustrated buying from overseas remotely, even though i was now a full-time entrepreneur so i had more time then when i was with a fulltime deutsche bank job, still so many miscommunications trying to buy from China while located in USA…..I felt could do it better if I was on the ground in China…..so I moved to Southern China (city Shenzhen) to have a better understanding and control of product development and supply chain – so I opened Hong Kong & China companies. Plus, China is where the future is, this is the emerging market – this is where the money is to be made, right??? Plus, I had my boys back in USA covering things there (Andrew, Alan, and other business allies), I would build up the sources and supply chain here in China / Asia. Get some ocean containers shipping out, automate order flow and marketing processes. Scale up. Life would be good, right?

Well….. I am not patient enough……and I learned I am not going to succeed in being that “white guy” who changes how business is done in China. I think thats the mistake us stupid foreigners make when we come to China. We think we can change the culture, change the history, change the world. What I have learned is, you have to learn how to go with the way things are, and adapt properly.

So, doing import/ export isn’t my thing. No patience, too crude, too much detail in specifications.

So, internet. But then there’s not just making websites for people (i’ve done that back since 1999). Can’t take that, because most people don’t know what they want (similar to buying products from factories overseas), the client constantly changes their mind. And the money isn’t big enough.

So, selling online, that is my thing, maybe that will work. ecommerce. I dont have to deal with people. I can scale it. I can automate it. Its a growing industry. I have sources and contacts now on various sides of the world – China, USA, UK, etc…..

But how to move forward from here. A lot of pieces in play…..

Just gonna keep on going with what worked and ride the wave. Never give up, keep your chin up, and don’t be negative.

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Unbelievable…
And there isnt anyone i can talk to…
And you know what is stupid, on the new domain website, i can never signup for a paid account, or if i do, i have to continue to pay baidu indefinitely, else they will remove me again…
so, if you start paying, you had better keep doing it……because once you start……
Comparing this to google, there is absolutely no connection with their paid (or sponsored) advertising program and their normal (organic) search results….
It just sucks that baidu had to play games like this….and its sad…
Sad because i am so often asked whats the differences between google and baidu….do i mention this in my answer…..????
Its just not fair to hard working chinese internet professionals….
i mean chinese government, so scared, they have to control information and manipulate search results…..why cant you play fair…it is embarrassing to the up and coming next generation of chinese professionals….
Times are changing….and hopefully baidu changes for the better too……
As i think its great to have a competitor to google, its market share is too big – but in thid case i have to route for google to continue to grow in the chinese market…..
And the other sad thing is, i can notice google.com search queries slow to respond or get a page not found error…and while i cannot confirm it, makes you think government is interrupting the service ….to swing people away from using it….
Facebook and twitter and others are blocked in china….imagine google.com
Then…there would be google.cn (g.cn)…..but…those results are monitored and filtered in china as well….but at least better than baidu
There….goes my complaining and whining….hope this blog doesnt get banned in china now for this….or punished by baidu and banned.

Again, I think in China, its normal to say you need to have special relations with governments and large cooperations to succeed. But with today’s internet age, it challenges the exact idea….allowing small companies and startups to grow quickly….Seems china traditions aren’t letting up.

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“did you get my email about that notice”, “dont you read my email?”. Then there are the guys who write book-long emails…and expect people to read it…..

I mean, i remember when i made my first email account, maybe it was in 1995, i was in 8th grade and i had a 25mhz processor pc with a 1440 baud dial up modem. I got a CD for a free juno email account, installed the software on my computer and then could create a free @juno.com email account (actually cant remember the handle i picked). To get the email i would have to open their email software and dial up to their email server to download the messages. In exchange for this free email account, i had to watch banner advertisements and download extra email advertisements.

It was exciting. before that i remember dialing up to local bulletin boards (BBS) and posting messages there to communicate online.

And then there was the AOL craze, with the cool and famous “you’ve got mail” voice alerting you of new messages. I remember going through multiple free “10 hour” trial CDs acting like different people. I remember trying to convince my dad we should pay for AOL internet, but the $29.95 usd/month was too expensive…..so i kept finding ways to get online for free.

But back to email……i have maybe 10 active email accounts. Sure, that seems crazy, but mostly they route to my shadstone company account.

I try to push my friends and work colleagues to use twitter…..why, because its FAST, and forces the sending party to GET TO THE POINT. Plus, if the message is on the internet, other people can see it, and contribute to solving the question or issue….not just a 1-to-1 conversation. Plus, being an internet dude, those messages are archived on the worldwide web to be indexed by search engines and be found in the future….
Also, when sending an email, the person sending should consider, “what is the end goal on writing this message?”

Emailing shouldnt be a full time job! i read the book “four hour work week” by tim ferris, and he says we shouldnt check our email when we start work each day. That is because we are being reactive instead of proactive! So i have to wait for someone to email me for me to work? NO! I should have my tasks ready, get to the office, have my coffee and get to work NOT open emails and be responsive. Do your immediate to do tasks done first, and then check emails. Prioritize!
People think i am crazy when i say email will drop in usage over time. More people will talk through social media, such as twitter, facebook, and others. I have yet to play with it, but google made a new tool – google wave – and it will combine email and social media into publiv conversations….even contact form submissions can be treated as a conversation, no more needing to forward contact us forms filled out throughout a company.
And i try to dig out of unread email….i remember when i quit my job at deutsche bank, i had over 1000 unread emails, that i never read! I didnt have time to open them, i would scan the subject lines and from field to pick the ones i needed to open. Same in my hotmail now, thousands of unread messages…..i will never open them, just scan and open….

Sure, i am not very organized, and sure, i dont have good focus….but i think others out there will feel my pain…..

I look forward to the days emails become a less imprtant part of our daily lives. Thoughts???

the longer I stay in China, the harder for me to stay in touch with my family and friends in USA. Just the time zone, the startup of the business…and I don’t keep a US number anymore….I hope you don’t mind I reply in this blog entry, so that I keep everyone up to date in the friends and family network…

Here are your emails, and my reply below:

================================
Saturday September 12, 2009

DEAR MIKE,
I’M STILL WAITING FOR AN EMAIL FROM YOU IN RESPONSE TO THE LAST ONE I SENT YOU.
DIDN’T YOU GET IT? I’VE BEEN READING YOUR BLOGS WITH INTEREST.
HOW ARE THINGS? DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH LONGER YOU’LL BE ABLE TO STAY IN CHINA?
BARB AND I ARE DOING OK. WE PLAN TO GO DOWN TO FLORIDA THIS MONTH TO SEE ALICIA, HER HUSBAND AND OUR GRANDSON SCOTTY. I HAVEN’T BEEN DOWN THERE FOR A YEAR. SCOTTY WILL BE 3 IN NOVEMBER. I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU.
REGARDS,
YOUR UNCLE BILL

================================
Thursday, August 20, 2009

DEAR MIKE,
DID YOU EVER RECEIVE THIS EMAIL THAT I SENT YOU IN JULY.
I’VE BEEN READING YOUR BLOG WITH INTEREST.
DROP ME A LINE WHEN YOU CAN.
LOVE,
UNCLE BILL

===================================
Friday, July 24, 2009

DEAR MIKE,
HOW ARE YOU DOING? I’VE MISSED SEEING YOU ON YOUR BLOG. HAVE YOU JUST BEEN BUSY, OR HAS IT BEEN BLOCKED? THE SUMMER HERE IS STILL COOLER THAN NORMAL AND WE ARE STILL GETTING MORE RAIN THAN USUAL. THIS YEAR REALLY STINKS AS FAR AS WEATHER GOES.
I’M GLAD TO HEAR THAT JOCELYN IS THROUGH WITH HER SERVICE. SHE MUST BE HAPPY. NOW FOR HER TO FIND A JOB. MAYBE SHE COULD VISIT YOU IN CHINA?
I HAVE TOLD YOU THIS BEFORE ABOUT MY MOTHER, YOUR GRANDMOTHER LIVING IN HARBIN, CHINA AS A CHILD FROM 5 YEARS OLD TO 9 YEARS OLD. HER FATHER AND MOTHER RAN A SMALL BUSINESS THERE. I THINK IT HAD TO DO WITH ORDINARY ELECTRIC DEVICES AND SMALL APPLIANCES USED BACK THEN. MY GRANDMOTHER HELPED MY GRANDFATHER IN THE BUSINESS. I HAVE A PICTURE SHOWING THEM WORKING IN THEIR OFFICE. MY GRANDMOTHER USED TO REPAIR SMALL TABLE LAMPS FOR THE CUSTOMERS ALSO.
I JUST THINK THAT IT’S SO IRONIC THAT YOU, THEIR GREAT GRANDSON, IS NOW RUNNING A BUSINESS IN CHINA. I ALSO TOLD YOU ABOUT MY UNCLE OWNING AN IMPORT BUT MOSTLY EXPORT BUSINESS WITH AN OFFICE AT 11 BROADWAY IN NY. HE EXPORTED MOSTLY APPLIANCES TO ARGENTINA, WHERE HE HAD LIVED FOR A WHILE BEFORE THE SECOND WORLD WAR. HIS SON JAMES WAS BORN IN BUENOS AIRES AND COULD SPEAK SPANISH FLUENTLY. IF THERE IS ANYTHING MORE YOU WOULD LIKE TO KNOW, LET ME KNOW. KEEP IN TOUCH.
BARBARA AND I SEND YOU OUR LOVE.

=====================================================

My reply

I wish I knew more about the Harbin, China business – I remember you telling me about that, and how the family then moved to Seattle, Washington…and some to San Fransisco, while my grandmother went to NEw York City… thats about all I know….

I am trying my best here in China….its definitely a completely different culture, and I have to learn to adapt more and more.  But I think that is a true test of my ability, to grow a business in a completely foreign land.  And this is where the future is, and will be for the next 100 years.

I would love to see the photos you have…maybe I can post them on this blog.  I try to share all my experiences here so that others can learn and feel what I am seeing.

How much longer I will be in China

That is a question I am commonly asked, as both sides want to know – my new friends in China want to know how long I will remain with them, and my old friends back in the state want to know when I shall return.  I really don’t have a clear answer, but it seems I am to stay in China for some time.  As far as how long is possible, the passport visa seems to be an issue, but I am learning ways around it, and now with my own company here, I will apply for more formal residency.  Still doing a lot of research – not very clear as even the government is hesitant to tell me exactly what the rule is. (it keeps changing!)

You mentioned your uncle importing from South America before, I wish I had known these family businessmen more.  I always think of my grandfather, Gelindo, and wish I had known him more.  I can imagine him doing his route in New York City, sharpening knives, building his customer base and managing his business.  I feel a bit alone, but realizing there were family members in the past with successful startups give me hope and confidence.

I do miss home, and the USA, and the food, and of course the family members who support me so well.  Keep routing for me, I will continue to fight my way here and hope to come out ahead!  Better then going for an MBA I would say!

Love, your nephew, Mike

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IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE ANYMORE? I mean, I have written in previous post about separation of personal and business .  Seems like this social media is good and evil at the same time……

Here are some examples of problems that may arise, and some other  stories of what I have run into.

• Dating in the workplace - Similar to my high school girlfriend story about (blush still!), this is commonly said to be “don’t shit  where you eat” – which crudely means, unless you are 99% sure you will marry this boy/girl, you had better not try it.  Its not always fun thinking “with the end in mind”, but WHAT IF THIS SEXY GIRL or GUY puts you in a weird situation where you have to either go against them in the workplace.  Or fight for a raise?  Worse yet, what if you get in fights over the weekend, at night, and then you have to see them every day at the workplace.  And then the breakup…yea, well not really a breakup because you have to see him/her every day, right?!?!

• Hiring Friends – I always have friends approaching me for work, or projects, etc.  I guess I am a sucker, or maybe I get a power trip maybe a mix of both…..), but I would love to hire everyone – not just friends, but people who are excited and ambitious.  Then, I have done it and hired friends. And we promise that we won’t let work get in the way,and if work becomes a problem we’ll stay friends.  Yea, that is tough.  And budget cuts, or job shifts, or raises, how do you handle it?  And then, a night out on the weekend, how can you avoid discussing the job.  Gossip, etc.  I mean, its human nature.

• Customers that are friends – When I started a ecommerce website www.pimpguide.com, it was my first ecommerce site.  This was October 2004.  I thought, hey, if all my friends buy 1 thing, I’ll be rich!  I can actually remember about 2 people who ever bought from me on that site.  And that was after months of promotion, pushing, etc.  But thats kind of easy, selling a couple products and the transaction is done.  More difficult friend to customer sales are websites and service.  You then wonder, ok, is this beer work, or are we out on the town?  Who pays for dinner?  How much should I bill.

• Business Partners that are friends – This is one that is always a red flag when talking to seasoned entrepreneurs.  Similar to friends becoming roommates and then fighting about one not stocking the fridge as much as the other, or who cleaned the bathroom last.  It means you have to share the decision making, the financial ups (and downs!), and other stress that comes along with a startup.  Again, I think it comes down to writing it down, making a clear plan.  Also, its almost better if there are “opposites” to fill the gaps in the organization versus the sales, financial, technology, etc.  But I keep getting into situations where I mix friends and business, and it strains the friendship as financial strains so often get involved.

So when you make these deals with friends, its going to be tough.  Especially in a small startup environment.  How do  you control the future – YOU CANNOT.  It will test friendships, just as small startup test every single cell in your body.   You have to be on your toes, watch your back, be flexible an adapt quickly and smart.

But yea, I guess it means sometimes you’ll have to “screw”  your friends if you get in the above arrangements.  Or the will “screw  you”.  But then you or they will say, “hey, this is business”.  And you have to realize that.

Maybe not just that its business.  But that its a GAME.  Business is like a game.  And in a board game, like risk, there will be winners, and losers.  But after the game is over, hopefully people will shake and laugh about how it went down in the game.  And learn about each other in the process.

But tying this to social media I AM GLAD facebook and this stuff  didnt exist when I was in high school.  It was tough enough with just phone calls and beepers.  There is so much overconnection.  I hope that students can focus on their studies and their careers.  But everyone sees everything a bout us, and while that is great for promotion, its not so great for privacy and peace and quiet!

Incoming search terms:

• mixing friends and business issues

How low will they go?

I removed the face on this guy, but I can just imagine the scheme he got himself into. Just hope he didn’t pay a fee to “get a free website that will autogenerate cash”. Push tons of twitter followers onto these scams sites, if they fall for the same scam you fell for, you’ll get a percentage of the crap they just bought. Sad.

Make anything up.

But its a good lesson, and I think it will get these people to learn more about the internet and online business. So in the long run, it would be worth it.

I guess I can admit I have fallen for some of these scams. Maybe they do have genuine possible returns, but the 0.0001% of people who realize it, the general masses will not be happy. I used Storesonline back in 2004 and I would say the majority of people who signed up

Like Those Stories in College
Look to your left, and look to your right, 1 of you will not graduate. That is a story I remember people would say happen during the opening orientation of university. I feel the same is in the internet world. So many blogs, websites, twitter accounts. All the hopefuls dreaming of big cash, logging into their online bank with 6 or 7 digits of cash. We all hav that dream, who wouldn’t. But not everyone can achieve it. Those willing to work hard, study hard, and adapt to the changing internet landscape will survive. And…oh yea, you have to enjoy it wholeheartedly!

Made a quick graph, kind of funny, but I would say its true. As people lose their jobs, and have tough economic strains, they fall victim more to online money making rings. And in today’s online environment, its easier then ever to get started and hooked….Sadly, there isn’t a shortage of companies willing to scam you out of your hard earned cash.

So don’t give up, keep your chin up, learn, and try. And yea, try to enjoy it at the same time.

Incoming search terms:

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