One of the directors to take notice was Mr. Ironman. He is a member of one of Hong Kong’s wealthiest families, with a personal net worth in the hundreds of millions. This was my first time talking to someone with such a high net worth, and it made me realize that the rich and the poor do not behave differently. However, the way they think is what separates them.
Mr. Ironman, although very wealthy, was constantly on the lookout for business opportunities. He was also not flashy with this money and was very cautious on what he would spend for business.
Mr. Ironman taught me a lesson that I will not soon forget. It was a Friday, and Mr. Princeton had invited me to lunch. I had thought it was a casual outing, and was dressed in jeans and un-tuck dress shirt. When I arrived, I was surprised to discover we were going to a business meeting. Accompanying us was Mr. Gold, his wife, and Mr. Ironman. Edwin was dressed in a Polo t-shirt and jeans, but Mr. Gold, his wife, and Mr. Ironman were dressed in business attire. On our way up to the elevator, Mr. Ironman attempted to fix what I was wearing, helping me button up my top button. Mrs. Gold remarked that young men like me dress this way, but Mr. Ironman said while adjusting my collar you got to look professional to do business.
I had been a stand in for the CTO, who was unable to attend the meeting. This event taught me to always dress professional, because as Mr. Princeton says, business can happen anywhere.
Before leaving for Ningbo China, Mr. Ironman pulled me aside to have a chat. He wanted to know why I was going to Ningbo. I had told him that the opportunities were greater then that of Hong Kong. He agreed, but tried to steer to me to Shanghai. He noted that Shanghai was not much more expensive then Ningbo and I would be able to find talent much easier. I informed him that I felt the salaries would be much lower in Ningbo. He informed me that this was untrue, and that salaries would be about the same. He later told me to drop by Shanghai and visit him. I thanked him for the advice, and said I would try my best to visit him.
Sharks are good at casually steering you into their territory. Mr. Ironman’s wealth was mainly concentrated in Shanghai, and I believe he was subtly trying to recruit me into helping him. However I was not ready to swim with this monster of a shark.
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Swimming with Asian Sharks - Business Secrets from the Pacific Rim
Non-FictionEver wonder what it takes to do business in Asia? How do Asian business executives behave and think? Do you want to create a business from scratch in under 24 hours? If so, this is your guide. This book is a compilation of over one hundred business...
