Howdy people from the 852,
So Donald Trump recently launched his own flashy Air Jordan-like shoes for $399 per pair.
Three days later, fake Trump sneakers were already available on Taobao for $30 to $70 a pair!
In this edition of Better Read Paul:
Introduction: It's been a full year since I began this weekly newsletter: 40 editions later, here we are!
3 Business Events in March: A thrilling startup competition and two great networking events
My Entrepreneur Portrait: Bey Logan, the ultimate martial arts fanboy, has transformed his passion into a kung fu movie business
PS: Now, Better Read Paul has an Instagram page with extra content
It's been a whole year since I started this newsletter and I’ve been pretty consistent: 40 editions in 52 weeks, some stats:
A 52-58% opening rate
455 subscribers
871 views for last week’s edition
Looking back at my first edition, it was quite a mess: I was discussing tech, AI and copywriting, completely ignoring Hong Kong and entrepreneurship.
But a few editions later, I decided to feature a friend who was working on a lingerie e-commerce business, and the response was truly amazing!
Since then, I've been showcasing a new local entrepreneur every week which has significantly boosted my newsletter’s subscription rate.
Now, if you're curious about how I've managed to stay consistent, there's a line in the Almanach by Naval Ravikant, the famous Silicon Valley guru, that explain it:
"The best way to create a successful business is to find your specific knowledge. When I talk about specific knowledge, I mean figure out what you were doing as a kid or teenager almost effortlessly. Something you didn't even consider a skill, but people around you noticed. Your mother or your best friend growing up would know."
As a child, I always had a passion for reading news, novels, comics, mangas, magazines, whatever with text....And I loved spacing out and writing fictions.
So, I turned this specific knowledge into this weekly newsletter.
While I don't make any cash from it, I've built a local audience that doesn't rely on platforms like LinkedIn.
So, what's next? Well, I have plans to interview more local entrepreneurs while and dedicate an opinion section for anyone who wishes to share their thoughts.
Thank you for supporting me on this wild ride. Here's to year 2!
Paul
PS: If you want to be featured in my masterpiece, it’s this way!
My favorite brand — Anti Social Social Club— was created by a weirdo who designed the ASSC’s logo after a devastating heartbreak.
The brand became really successful in 2016 but encountered a major setback when long delivery delays (3 to 6 months for an $80 hoodie…) led impatient buyers to purchase fake ASSC’s products on Taobao.
According to Fupping, the fake market accounted for 35% of ASSC's income in 2018…
3 Business Events in March
East Meets West Pitch Competition: We will be selecting 5 startups from the East and 5 startups from the West to pitch to a panel of VC judges in Honolulu, HI. The winner will go on to the semi-final competition of the Startup World Cup for a chance to win $1,000,000! Deadline to apply is March 10th!
Wanchai, Tuesday 12 March 06:45 - 09:00am: BNI Creation Chapter Business Opportunity Day: This is a networking event for people who are up for expanding their professional and business network and seeking an opportunity for growth. I joined one session last mont and enjoyed it (But you’ve to wake up early and spend 350 HKD to join).
Central, Monday, March 25 · 6 - 8pm, Hong Kong Biggest Business, Tech & Entrepreneur Networking Soiree: This is the largest networking mixer for Entrepreneurs , Startups and Business Professionals In Hong Kong.
PS: If you want me to promote some local FREE business/entrepreneurship events, it’s this way!
SEEN IN HK
Tsim Sha Tsui In the late 1940s, seems the clock tower is the sole remaining structure standing today.
The Entrepreneur of the Week
A couple of weeks back, Bey Logan slid into my DMs after reading one of my LinkedIn posts. We arranged to meet at his studio/martial arts school located in the Kwai Fong district.
Picture this: a shrine dedicated to martial arts filmmaking, full of movie posters, books, and enough pop-culture goodies to make any Bruce Lee fanboy faint.
I was surprised to see a Caucasian so fully immersed in Hong Kong's culture. Logan spoke perfect Cantonese, and in the next room, his instructor, Mak Che-kong, was teaching traditional Chinese Hung Gar kung fu to a student.
Here is Bey’s story:
“I was born in the 60s in Stamford, England. When I was young, I fell head over heels for Chinese martial arts, culture, and movies. Bruce Lee was my ultimate idol, you see!
The moment I discovered kung fu movies, I knew I wanted to make them in Hong Kong — The ultimate hub for martial arts films thanks to iconic actors like Jackie Chan.
Someone I knew was going to produce a movie there and offered me a gig in 1995.
Now, here's the catch—They didn't know much about it, and neither did I. It was a chaotic experience.
About a third of the way into the project, the other would-be producers ran out of money and everything fell apart. I felt really down and had to decide whether to stay in Hong Kong and try again or go back to England and probably never come back.
But hold on, here's where the plot thickens: A few days before leaving for good, I met an actor named Donnie Yen, who later became a big star with the Ip Man film series.
At the time, Donnie was still waiting for his big break. I told him I had two choices: go back to England or stay in Hong Kong and do something, even though I didn't have a specific project in mind.
He suggested I join him in a movie called "Circus Kids" in China where the movie crew needed a white guy to fight him.
I'm grateful for that opportunity. If Donnie hadn't suggested it, I probably would've gone back to England and not had the life I have now.
Honestly, the Hong Kong film industry hasn't really welcomed many white people over the years. That's why there aren't many in the business! In the 10-15 years I've been in the industry, there have been only a couple of other white folks, myself, Roy Horan, Andre Morgan…Very few!
Thats why I started learning Cantonese: I would watch Hong Kong movies in their original language while following along with the English subtitles.
During the early 2000s, I joined a company called Emperor. I made two films with them: "The Medallion" (With Jackie Chan) and "The Twins Effect."
After three years there, I left. For one year, I worked independently and started another company — Shankara Productions — with the actress Maggie Q, who had then yet to break into the big time.
While working on a movie called "Dragon Squad" with Maggie, the director, Daniel Lee, thought we needed luckier Chinese names.
So he gave us new names, I became “Gan Bey Ngon” which means someone who wants to get to the Pure Land.And believe it or not, my luck skyrocketed!
Within a week, an American studio offered me to the position of Asian vice president, and Maggie was cast in "Mission: Impossible III" with Tom Cruise.
I finally created Reel East Productions in 2015 and have worked on many films since then.
I’m most proud of the Vietnamese movie ‘Furie’, which was a great success, selected for the Best International Feature Film at the 92nd Academy Awards, and I later sold it to Netflix.
I was a producer on the film, and its prequel, ‘Furies’, but all credit should go to my Vietnamese producing partner, the great Veronica Ngo!
Since its creation the Reel East Productions team has worked on films of budgets up to US$65m and created special features for over 250 films.
We are now working on a third ‘Furie’ film and a sequel to a legendary Hong Kong cult classic!
I've been in this industry for a long time, so I feel like I can express my opinion: For young filmmakers wanting to break into movies, get off all that social media! Write a script, shoot something, practice your craft…You just need a smartphone and your imagination!
If you want to meet Bey it’s this way on LinkedIn.
If you have not done it yet:
Read my thoughts on Linkedin (+6000 followers)
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Until next Wednesday!
Paul from Hong Kong,