If You Weren’t An Entrepreneur And Martial Artist, What Do You Think You’d Be Doing?
No matter what it is, I want to spend my life making a positive impact on the world. If I didn’t have my current job, I would probably be a doctor. For me, there is real honor in what doctors do, especially the ones who use their knowledge and efforts towards helping the less fortunate. I have great admiration for those doctors who journey to developing nations to help those who cannot afford medical care.
What Advice Would You Give An Aspiring Entrepreneur Or Starting Martial Artist?
My strong advice is to surround yourself with greatness to unleash your greatness. We are, but the average of the 5 people with whom we spend the most time. If you want to be a world-class entrepreneur, immerse yourself. Join a world-class startup led by a seasoned entrepreneur. Find mentors who have already achieved what you want to do. Read tons of books and autobiographies. Take courses. Do bootcamps. Go to conferences about entrepreneurship. Surround yourself with people who want to become entrepreneurs. The same logic applies if you want to be a world-class martial artist.
What Do You Do For Fun?
Most of my childhood friends call me crazy, but I am actually a pretty simple guy. I love adventure. I love food. I love travel. I am a big believer in ‘firsts’ and ‘happy moments’ because of how special they are. There is real magic in those precious moments. If you think about your first kiss, your first love, your first time in a country, your first time camping, or your first time doing something scary, they all leave memories indelibly etched in your soul. The same thing goes for ephemeral moments of happiness when you are truly lost in the now. For me, life is a constant quest for more ‘firsts’ and more ‘happy moments’ with my loved ones.
What Has Been Your Biggest Achievement In Your Career?
In many ways, I am an artist. I am a romantic. I believe in love. I believe in dreams. I believe in changing the world. For me, my work is an expression of my soul. My biggest achievements in my career have always related to my impact on others. I get my greatest highs in life when I know that my hard work ended up helping someone to dream more, do more, and be more in life. To answer the question, I am most proud that I have built companies that help others live their greatest life.
To be clear though, I wasn’t always this way. When I was dirt poor, I worked for money. It was my main motivation in life because I wanted to provide for my mother and my younger brother. However, when I reached the top of the mountain on Wall Street, I discovered quickly enough that it left me empty inside. One of my biggest lessons is that money should be a by-product of our work, not the aim of our work. If we do good in the world and we genuinely help others to succeed, we will end up making money.
What Is Your Typical Day Like?
I don’t really have a typical day. Some days I’m in meetings all day in Singapore and other days I’m flying around the world. I normally work 16 hours a day, 7 days a week. I will also train martial arts at least 1 hour every day. I do have a heavy travel schedule since ONE operates across Asia. So, on any given week, you’ll often find me in Tokyo, Shanghai, Bangkok, Jakarta, Manila, or some other city in Asia. People think I am crazy, but I truly love what I do. I feel so blessed to do something that ignites my soul. I have the precious opportunity to change the world for the better, and I want to give it my all. I guess that I am lucky in that I don’t need much sleep. I can operate at 100% on 4 hours of sleep. Don’t get me wrong though – I love sleep, but I just love chasing my dreams more.