DBA Surabaya Live

Posted on by Edmund

Easily the best event I’ve been to this year!

I’ve been to so many seminars – as speaker and attendee – and only few were very memorable.

Earlier this year, I was invited by Suzanna Theresia to be one of the 15 main speakers for her first and upcoming event called DBA Surabaya Live (DBA stands for Dream It, Believe It, Achieve It).

The cool part? My flight and hotel accommodation were all-expense-paid-for! Usually I pay my own when flying out, but I suppose this is part of the perks of helping a client with her launch successfully. 🙂

I enjoyed sharing my experience as much as learning from the Indonesian ‘mastahs’ and forging friendships and JV partnerships throughout my week here in Surabaya. It also reminded myself and some of the friends I know from years ago how far we came as entrepreneurs from humble beginnings and as a person.

Oh as an added perk: I even got to meet some of Indonesia’s celebrities and top names!

This was made possible by Suzanna and her amazing Shavout team. I hope we meet again next year and live up to the same level of energy, preferably higher.

Makasi semua mastah dan para hadirin yang mengunjungi acara ini.

DREAM IT. BELIEVE IT. ACHIEVE IT!

My First Property Investment – And It’s Overseas!

Posted on by Edmund

I didn’t think I would come to Manila again so soon. Between my long drive to Kuantan, Pahang for Tone Excel’s Anniversary Dinner and the ‘most look forward to’ event of the year, DBA Surabaya Live, I wasn’t keen on squeezing in this trip to the Philippines in the short notice.

If not for the prospects of investing in property there.

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In the last two months, I had been reading up books and any material on real estate investing in my off time, and viewed a few properties here in the Klang Valley for starters.

Sometimes I damn myself for not coming to this realization sooner. When I bought my houses in 2009 and 2012, I was so put off by the paperwork and tedious process – and weighing against my Online Business that is making money in US Dollars – I decided investing in real estate wasn’t worth the time and effort.

I’ve changed my mind.

I came to realization that even though I’ve been fortunate to run a successful, profitable online business selling my digital products for a decade already – who’s to say what will happen in the coming years?

A Facebook Post from a fellow online entrepreneur, Andrew Fox, caught my attention some time ago. He suggests buying properties for long term investing and cash flow despite running successful businesses. Paraphrased, “Which one do you think will have a higher chance of being around 10 to 20 years from now: your online business, or your property?”

I’ve ran this scenario many times in my mind if I were to be gone tomorrow – will my mother and sister be able to figure out my work and take over from here? How long can the sales I generate today last?

That decided it. Suddenly the paperwork and tedious efforts don’t seem so bad now.

Throughout a series of events and connecting around, I was able to get into this property investment tour to Manila, organized by Gerald Kong. The group consists of 6 people, a joint Malaysian/Singaporean group.

Three days in Manila with most of the action happening on the second day, we hopped from one location to another – checking out properties to consider investing in. Just as important, we did our homework and studied the environment and the people.

In the company of men old enough to be my father and so loaded they can buy floors of units, I was the rookie asking noob questions.

After coming back, I’ve put the down payment for my first property for investing… overseas. This shall be the first of many!

 

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As I am writing this, the exchange rate is now $1 = MYR 4.3. I am more fired up than ever to continue crushing it online with my launches and promos, thus enabling me to save more for investing in properties (something I should have done 3 years ago instead of buying house for own stay but oh well, learn something new everyday)

Flying back gave me ample free time to day dream. I don’t know if I am crazy for dreaming this – and I don’t know how I am going to do it (yet) – I love the idea of having a 100 properties before 40.

No resting on laurels!

Meeting The Kuras At Kechara Forest Retreat

Posted on by Edmund

Not long ago I donated a sum to a Buddhist organization that’s taking care of these 2 large tortoises among other animals they rescued in Bentong, Pahang.

It was a long drive and rainy day, and initially I had trouble looking for the place. The poor connection and signal hampered my arrival… but it didn’t stop me from coming over! Despite all the setbacks it was worth the trip to Bentong!

I got to meet the kuras I sponsored, and was given a tour around Kechara Forest Retreat. It’s 32 acres of beauty. Can consider this place for R&R and team building! Wrapped the day with planting a tree that will soon have my family name on it 🙂

Zombie Infection Hua Hin

Posted on by Edmund

First Airsoft game in Thailand, and after years of watching videos of zombie scenarios on YouTube this was also my first Zombie game ever!

The premise of the day-long MILSIM is shooting up bad guys who were doing some zombie experimentation – who in turn showed up at the later part of the day and night.

(Learned some of the ‘terrorists’ were Thai Police, which explains their skilled shooting – if it were real war, I would’ve died way back at the lake from the first stage, lol)

It is a shame indeed that despite bringing 2 GoPro cameras, I spent more time adjusting them than full immersion – or rather focused on shooting back. Hope there are better videos and pics to be collected soon.

About a dozen participants with a mix of experienced airsofters and some first-timers.

Weather was hotter than in Malaysia; I stripped my uniform along the way as time went on.

Airsoft guns used are WE M4 GBBR with the exception of the M60 AEG, which I used briefly too.

I’ve also learned to be more… understanding of ‘stupid’ characters in zombie shows. You know, those guys who stand around to be eaten and you wonder why they don’t just run away.

Because there’s fatigue, reloading isn’t as easy as in the video games, rounds are limited (all guns are gas blow back) and throw in panic, confusion, and duller sense by night… I was this close to become zombie food, lol

Check out the video here:

All in all, it was good fun!

There’s a lot of potential and possibilities for the Zombie MILSIM game to expand. I suggested to the Organizers at SIAM MILSIM to perhaps consider a survival scenario next bout with more zombies, and less ammo. That will put everyone in the REAL test for wits… and yeah, have the zombies run too!

Worth the trip to Thailand for a unique experience which I don’t have to fly to Europe or US to get. I might come back again if the scenario is unique and I’d like to come with friends next bout.