Jack Wong on Entrepreneurship

Tell us about yourself and how your journey brought you to where you are now.

I am a by-product of the traditional education system in which I ended up having 2 Bachelor Degrees and 2 Master Degrees, and working in an international accounting and a global law firm for a combined 17 years.

I left the corporate world in June 2011 and ventured into the entrepreneurial world, starting my first business as an independent tax consultant because of my background in taxation. Through working with my mentors, I began to develop other high-income skills such as sales & closing, copywriting, marketing and public speaking.

My latest venture is to mentor entrepreneurs, and business owners aspire to be speakers on stage to share their messages and make irresistible offers. Since 2018, I have trained 106 students who are now running their programs and closing on their stages.

Was there someone or something that inspired you?

The first person is Mr. Blair Singer, the RichDad Advisor for Robert Kiyosaki in sales, team development and personal development. He taught me how to be a world-class teacher, leader and facilitator.

The second person is Mr. Alex Mandossian, a world-class digital marketer before Google ("BG"). A lot of the business lessons I learned came from Alex, who is not only my teacher but now my colleague and a perfect friend.

Both Blair and Alex have one thing in common - even though they are very successful in their rights, they are still life long learners.

How did you create your brand name and logo?

I created my brand name and logo by working with my publisher for my book, Cracking the Entrepreneur Code back in 2014. I don't profess to know how to do that, so I sought expert advice from my publisher.

How did you go about establishing your marketing?

One of my fundamental principles, which I learned from Blair, is to add value to other people's lives. Marketing by someone like me at the beginning who was invisible and unknown was an arduous journey. So, I took my time to serve other people and get to widen my network. As some other successful entrepreneurs would have told us, creating and developing relational capital is a long term game, but it is a crucial game to play.

Tell us about your first experience in the industry.

It's a different world as compared to the corporate world. Security and Stability do not exist in the world of entrepreneurship. Not knowing how to market myself, sell and close can be damaging. Therefore, I acknowledged and accepted my weakness and sought help from other experts accordingly. Be humble, and continue learning what has to learn.

What is your work structure like, and what does the average workday look like for you?

I am a morning glory. My routine is to make sure I have an excellent coffee to start with and go through the important news around the globe. I then will spend 30 minutes to use a pencil and paper to write sales copies written by other copywriters. Only after completing this, I will look at emails and work on clients' matters.

I work with my clients based on the schedule. In other words, they have to book an appointment to speak to me. That's how I have control over my time.

I also spend one hour before dinner working on my fitness in the Gym at my condominium. While working on my fitness, I have the opportunity to listen to audiobooks or podcasts.

I will end my day at 10 pm, and I don't sleep with my smartphone. This means I won't be checking emails or answering WhatsApp messages while I am on my bed.

What philosophies do you integrate into your workflow most often, and what view inspires you in your work?

I don't believe in work-life balance. Instead, I think of work-life integration. When I work, I put my 100% focus on work. When it is non-work time, I stay away from my clients' matters.

What do you think you do that drives your success?

Success is a journey. I believe taking action and doing things right (not doing the right things) is the key. How do I know if I have done something, right? It's based on my clients' results.

How do you engage with your clients and build your following?

My strategy is to create the majority of my content online and stay engaged with my followers on social media. I don't mind giving my materials away for free online. In the end, when y clients seek my mentorship, the implementation is not information that matters.

How do you use social media, and what recommendations do you have?

I am a big fan of Gary Vaynerchuck in terms of social media, and thus, I have a presence in 7 platforms, including the Tik Tok. I post content via these platforms daily and stay engaged with my followers, subscribers or audiences. Trust is built based on engagement and not just publishing.

What do you wish you knew before you started? What advice would you give to someone entering your field now?

I happened to answer this question a few days ago. I am grateful to my training in law school that allows me to have the science of asking questions, which I know is crucial in the business world. The quality of the answers comes from my ability to ask the right questions. Therefore, knowing how to ask good questions is an important skill. Some people are lazy and ask lousy queries, and consequently, they continue being confused.

Is there an event or situation that you can point to as life-changing for you that you can share with us?

Global Financial Crisis back in 2008, which paved the way for my departure from the corporate world. I began to see trading time for money in the form of salaries is not sensible. I should create my economy. I never looked back or had any single moment of thinking about going back to the corporate world.

What has been the most memorable or inspiring interaction with a client or customer?

A few. The best one for 2020 was one of my students who sealed a 6-figure deal in Malaysia after negotiating with the other party for six months. I am proud of him.

What has been the hardest challenge for you in this industry?

The hardest challenge is the new world order. In Singapore and Malaysia, I saw business owners who are not willing to pivot their businesses online, hoping that the old economy will return one day. Some trainers and speakers are still awaiting the days of running live events will be back. It's unfortunate to see these, but that's also the truth of this industry. Some people will make it, and the rest don't.

What are the trends in the industry that you are excited about?

Running my business online. Our team was the first few who pivoted our business by creating live events virtually. We had just completed a 3-day global virtual summit with 5-figure view count across five countries in 4 languages. It features renowned speakers such as Brian Tracy, Dr. John Demartini, Marshall Thurber, Gary Vaynerchuck, and Kevin Harrington.

What are you looking forward to in the next week/month/quarter or year, and what are your aspirations?

After this global virtual summit, our team is working on an even bigger virtual summit as our next game. We don't know how big it will be, but we are confident that it will be a big one.

What would people be surprised to learn about you?

I don't know. Perhaps let me share a story about last Sunday. I was in a Facebook live, and I was supposed to answer questions from selling and closing. Eventually, I got questions about teamwork, legal, accounting, taxation stuff, behavioural analysis, personal development and no questions about sales and closing. So, would this be a surprise? I am not sure.

What's your personal "go-to" workout?

The Gym at my condominium

Where is your favourite place in the world?

My work station because it is the place I can work with my clients from different parts of the world.

Feeding the mind is essential! Any books to recommend?

Rich Dad Poor Dad, by Robert Kiyosaki is always the first book someone should start.

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