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Alignment and Being on the Same Page

In blog, vlog by designer

“The biggest problem about communication is the illusion that it has already taken place.” – Alexander Avanth This is definitely true! In the world where many are working online, communication is key. Always over inform as what Alex added. I mean, he’s right. We should always seek for our team, clients and all other parties involved in our business transactions …

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How is working with Shadstone?

In vlog by designer

Have you ever wondered how your team feels working with your company? As I always want to make sure that the individual members of Team Shadstone is happy with their work, I caught up with our video editor, Alvin to ask this – How is working with Shadstone? We had an amazing exchange of experiences. Here’s a cut from that …

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Working With Uncertainty

In blog, productivity, vlog by designer

Uncertainty equals opportunity. This is what Alexander Avanth of Alpha Rock and I talked about before at the onset of the pandemic. There really is gold to be found in problems, especially online. Here’s more of what he had to say about this:

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Daughter Turning 5, Birthday Again in Lockdown

In blog, family friends, vlog by designer

Getting towards the end of Jan 2021, and preparing for Chinese New Year (mid Feb 2021 this year). And, it is always our daughter’s birthday during this time. She was born on the coldest day on record in Shenzhen, China in 2016 (watch that vlog here) And her last 2 birthdays have been in lockdown up in cold Shenyang, China. …

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How Is Working Online?

In blog, vlog by designer

I had a nice chat with our Video Editor, Alvin Canada during our retreat last year in March just before all the craziness of Covid. I’ve worked with Alvin for many years now and he has done amazing work. One of the questions I asked him was, how is it working online? Hear it from Alvin himself as he shares …

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Speaking in Baguio

In blog, philippines business, vlog by designer

Last year in February, before all the craziness of COVID-19 hit, I had the chance to go up to the Summer Capital of the Philippines, Baguio City. It was a 6-hour bus ride from Manila. And, if you’re wondering what got into me to take that long trip, I was invited to speak before e-commerce entrepreneurs there. The workshop was …

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New Year, New Covid Test

In blog, family friends, vlog by designer

Welcome 2021! We are all adjusting to the new normal and here in Shenyang, China there is a new outbreak of COVID, some new strain. I’ll be honest, I am not following the news. But all I know is, New Year’s morning, we woke up to mandatory COVID swab tests in a vocational school turned COVID testing center. A bit …

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Company Retreat

In blog, travel, vlog by designer

March 2020 was crazy! I went to Bohol in the Philippines to meet my team. The plan was to do a strategic planning and team building or retreat. I just want to get to know the team better. Then, it happened. Lockdown. We were having fun one day then scrambled to try to get home the next. The rest, well …

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My Son Wants To Become a Kung Fu Master!

In blog, family friends, vlog by designer

We all have new year’s resolutions. My son, Miles may not even be aware of what those are yet but he has one: To become a Kung Fu master! All those Atom Man cartoons and toys combined with his love for Spiderman led him to want to learn Kung Fu. So Wendy found a nearby (well, 30 minute taxi ride) …

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Top Productivity Tip

In blog, productivity, vlog by designer

Keep the student mindset. This is a valuable tip that my friend, Rico Ngoma, shared in a short clip. It is true. In order to be productive and get on top of your game, you have to keep the student mentality. This means, you should never stop learning. Have a humbling experience of not knowing anything and learning about it …

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Merry Christmas From Shenyang, China

In family friends, vlog by Michael Michelini

We are coming to a close this year! While no Christmas tree or Christmas “Culture” here in Shenyang, China – was able to get a “hong bao” from Wilson Blues and went to the mall to grab some books and dig through various markets to find some wrapping paper. Kids pushed to open on Christmas Eve – but we insisted …

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Top Copywriting Tip

In blog, corporate world, vlog by designer

“Copywriting and writing are two very different things.” This is what Ana Warren Gonzales said when asked about tips on copywriting. She also said something about Core Emotional Benefit. Watch and listen in to know what this is all about as she shares in a nutshell a top copywriting tip.

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Why Rico Moved to Asia

In blog, family friends, philippines business, vlog by designer

I caught up with my friend, Rico Ngoma, CEO of Source Find Asia, in Manila, Philippines early this year. This was before the whole COVID-mania took over most of our lives. We talked about why we moved to Asia, what made us take that leap from where we were and why we decided to stay. It was fun thinking about …

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Speaking in Quezon City

In blog, Events, vlog by designer

I have often said that what I love to do is content creation. But behind all that is the desire to share what I have learned in cross border trade, e-commerce and life in general. Hopefully, I get to help others do some innovation in their ecommerce businesses. Here’s a clip of me speaking in an event organized by a …