Brendan Davis 8/29/18 Brendan Davis 8/29/18

CHOZIE MA | The Master of Experience

#063 - The Master of Experience | Chozie Ma

Chozie Ma is a master of so many realms of experience - musical, audio-visual, VVIP travel, and more - that it was hard to know where to start with our interview, but his wonderful hospitality made it really fun to find our way through his narrative. Chozie - short for “Chinese Aussie”, which summaries his cultural heritage - spent a few weeks in India right after our interview and is on a sailboat somewhere between Spain and Italy as I type this, which gives some idea of the adventurous spirit that led him to make the amazing life he has created for himself. He first found success as a DJ, promoter and then club owner in China, but that is just the beginning. This was a really inspiring interview for me to do and I hope you enjoy it as well.

This week’s show is sponsored by “The Complete Podcasting Course”, my new learning program on Udemy.com. Find it via the link below, and if you want a discount coupon to get the course for only $10 USD, contact me and I’ll hook you up.

Please SUBSCRIBE to “Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” and leave a REVIEW at Apple Podcasts / iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/big-fish-in-the-middle-kingdom/id1237037187?mt=2 or search and subscribe wherever YOU get your podcasts!

SPONSOR:
“The Complete Podcasting Course” - https://www.udemy.com/complete-podcasting-course/learn/v4/overview

GUEST Links:
Chozie Ma online - www.oracleprojects.com
Facebook: Chozie Dj
Instagram: Chozie_ma

Chozie Ma MUSIC:
“Funky Disco Love” - https://music.163.com/m/song?id=76162&market=wechatsearch&from=singlemessage&isappinstalled=0

“The Path” - https://music.163.com/m/song?id=76168&market=wechatsearch&from=singlemessage&isappinstalled=0

“Walking Backwards” - https://music.163.com/m/song?id=76160&market=wechatsearch&from=singlemessage&isappinstalled=0

“We Partyyy!” - https://music.163.com/m/song?id=76166&market=wechatsearch&from=singlemessage&isappinstalled=0

“One Night in Beijing” - https://h.xiami.com/song.html?id=1770324556&ch=wechat&autoPlay=1&from=singlemessage&isappinstalled=0

“Making Me Hight” - https://music.163.com/m/song?id=76157&market=wechatsearch&from=singlemessage&isappinstalled=0

Chozie Ma VIDEO:
Making of “One Night in Beijing” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkEKO5q6W5I
First-Class Party Prep in Seoul - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ch4bU9n6XJg

“BFMK" HOST / SHOW:
“Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BigFishMiddleKingdom/
Brendan Davis on WeChat: BrendanDavis
Brendan Davis on Twitter: @VeritasInLux
Other links to LISTEN: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/podcast-links/

Brendan Davis 7/4/18 Brendan Davis 7/4/18

MARC ISERLIS | Marketing & Branding from a Third Culture Perspective

Marc Iserlis is an American "third culture kid" raised by Russian parents in Singapore. Marc attended British school, learned Russian from his parents at home, studied Mandarin, and has worked and traveled both in mainland China and extensively throughout central as well as southern Asia. He has grown up with a very unique perspective on the world and is working hard to best sort out how to bridge the various gaps that exist between our various cultures.

Please SUBSCRIBE to “Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” and leave a REVIEW at Apple Podcasts / iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/big-fish-in-the-middle-kingdom/id1237037187?mt=2 or search and subscribe wherever YOU get your podcasts!

GUEST:
Marc Iserlis on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marc-iserlis-02848a13/

Brendan Davis 5/16/18 Brendan Davis 5/16/18

CHELSEY MARK / MAI XIAO LONG: Acting, Emceeing, Comedy, and More

"I want people to know what it takes to be happy."   In a sentence, that sums up talking with Chelsey Mark. Chelsey - aka Mai Xiao Long in Chinese - is from a family of actual Canadian legends.

#050 - Acting, Emceeing, Comedy, and More | Chelsey Mark / Mai Xiao Long

“I want people to know what it takes to be happy.”

In a sentence, that sums up talking with Chelsey Mark. Chelsey - known as Mai Xiao Long in Chinese - is from a family of actual Canadian legends. His father was a long-term Member of Parliament, his grandfather helped build the Canadian railroads, but Chelsey came to China to find his calling. He’s been here 18 years, and as he says in the interview, he moved here a boy but it made him a man. He started in music, became an in-demand emcee, and from 2007-2012 he was the official host of NBA China’s coverage. Chelsey has done seemingly hundreds of great, high-profile interviews and entertainment gigs, whether hosting, singing, dancing, acting, rapping, playing an instrument, doing comedy, or leading a motivational event. In terms of public performance, there isn’t much that he hasn’t done, and I imagine he’ll be very successful in everything he does next. Enjoy!

Please SUBSCRIBE to “Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” at Apple Podcasts / iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/big-fish-in-the-middle-kingdom/id1237037187?mt=2 or search and subscribe wherever YOU get your podcasts

SPONSOR:
Stackry “Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” sign-up link: http://bit.ly/BigFish2018 or (if bit.ly doesn’t work for you) https://www.stackry.com/?utm_source=Big_Fish&utm_medium=Campaign&utm_term=10%25

Use the offer code BIGFISH at the checkout, and save 10% off your first shipment!

BD’s “My Stackry Unboxing Video": https://youtu.be/FvEWXxzZm3I

GUEST:
Chelsey Mark links - Western:
Website: https://www.maixiaolongchelseymark.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MaixiaolongChelseyMark/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/chelseymaixiaolong
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maixiaolongchelseymark/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChelseyMarkMXL
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chelseymarkmaixiaolong/
Chelsey Mark - China Social Media:
Weibo 微博: https://weibo.com/maixiaolongchelsey
Public WeChat 微信公众号: maixiaolongcm

BDC (Brendan Davis Consulting): https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/brendan-davis-consulting/

LITTLE FISH IN THE BIGGEST POND e-book PREORDER page: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/book/

“BFMK" HOST / SHOW:
“Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BigFishMiddleKingdom/
Brendan Davis on WeChat: BrendanDavis
Brendan Davis on Twitter: @VeritasInLux
Other links to LISTEN: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/podcast-links/

Brendan Davis 5/2/18 Brendan Davis 5/2/18

JAMES LALONDE: The Language of Entrepreneurship

James LaLonde is a 6th generation Texan. He grew up on a ranch in South Austin and has had a very unexpected journey. He was part of Microsoft's early efforts in Japan, but he always had his eye on China.

#048 - The Language of Entrepreneurship | James LaLonde

James LaLonde is a 6th generation Texan with a French-sounding name, but he’s been a student of Asia for decades. He grew up on a ranch in South Austin but his interest in and passion for languages and cultures led him on a very unexpected journey. He was an intern for IBM and later a key team member of Microsoft’s early efforts in Japan, but he always had his eye on China. He met his current partner and founded Yodo1, which has become the most successful private company in China's online gaming space. The story of Yodo1 is a podcast in itself, but there is a lot more to discuss - including James and partners’ new venture Yoli, which is the leading on-demand language learning app on WeChat. We also talk about his efforts mentoring young entrepreneurs for Chinaccellerator, his upcoming book The Tao of Startups (which he’s writing natively in English, Chinese, and Japanese for the different editions), the potential impact of China’s Belt and Road initiative and the new Free Trade Zone on Hainan Island, and much more.

I’ve previously met James at two of the EO events that I released as bonus episodes, so if you’d like to hear him presenting to a live audience, be sure to check those out, too. Links to everything discussed are in the show notes, so be sure to check out James’ website and writings to to hear his thoughts on a wide range of issues from his highly accomplished, unique perspective. Enjoy!

This episode of “Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” is brought to you in part by our sponsor, Stackry. Stackry is the global leader in international parcel forwarding from the US to anywhere in the world. The way it works is that you shop at any US retailer, have your packages shipped to your Stackry address, and once everything has arrived, Stackry consolidates your stuff and ships it to you anywhere in the world, even China, saving you up to 80% of the shipping costs versus shipping things directly from the store. Stackry provides free storage, same day consolidation of your packages, and a tax-free US address for you to use. Sign up TODAY via the link below, and use the offer code BIGFISH at the checkout to save 10% off your first shipment.

Please SUBSCRIBE to “Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” at Apple Podcasts / iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/big-fish-in-the-middle-kingdom/id1237037187?mt=2 or search and subscribe wherever YOU get your podcasts

Other links to LISTEN: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/podcast-links/

SPONSOR:
Stackry “Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” sign-up link: http://bit.ly/BigFish2018 or (if bit.ly doesn’t work for you) https://www.stackry.com/?utm_source=Big_Fish&utm_medium=Campaign&utm_term=10%25

Use the offer code BIGFISH at the checkout, and save 10% off your first shipment!

BD’s “My Stackry Unboxing Video": https://youtu.be/FvEWXxzZm3I

GUEST:
James Lalonde links and QR codes -
Yodo1:
http://www.yodo1.cn/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yodo1

Chinaccelerator bio:
https://chinaccelerator.com/mentors/james-lalonde/

LinkedIn:
https://linkedin.com/in/jameslalonde

Yoli:
http://yolichat.com/

Articles:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/hainan-legend-making-james-lalonde/
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/imitation-sincerest-form-flattery-james-lalonde/

The Tao of Startups (book page):
https://www.startuptaobook.com

HOST / SHOW:
“Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BigFishMiddleKingdom/
Brendan Davis on WeChat: BrendanDavis
Brendan Davis on Twitter: @VeritasInLux

Brendan Davis 4/25/18 Brendan Davis 4/25/18

CHRISLYN CHOO: Storytelling & Identity

Chrislyn Choo is a storyteller, which takes shape in the form of writing, photojournalism, video, and in her daily life. She's young but already highly accomplished, with a degree in Neuroscience from Duke University and a regional Emmy-award for her work documenting the harvesting of clean energy from pickle water - which I had no idea was even a thing!

#047 - Storytelling & Identity | Chrislyn Choo

This week’s guest is Chrislyn Choo. Chrislyn is a storyteller, which takes shape in the form of writing, photojournalism, video, and in her daily life. She’s young but already highly accomplished, with a degree in Neuroscience from Duke University and a regional Emmy-award for her work documenting the harvesting of clean energy from pickle water - which I had no idea was even a thing! She’s also a curious inquirer of different cultures and a dedicated student of the nature of identity. Chrislyn is on a still-evolving identity reclamation project of her own, currently on a mission to discover the parts of herself that have strong roots in China, and we had a really fast but thought-provoking conversation ranging from identity issues to dealing with the effects of generational trauma, and more.

What’s funny is that what was planned as essentially a mentoring meeting turned into an impromptu interview request. I first met Chrislyn at the EO event that I posted a recording of last week, and was struck by just how present and engaged she was in serious issues, but with a sense of humor and perspective that seemed pretty unique to me. As far as having her on the show, as we started talkign in our meeting yesterday I realized that she’s on a unique China adventure herself, and I thought her story would be relatable to a lot of people now, and to more and more as people like her - Americans and other foreigners who are ethnically part of the Chinese diaspora returns home to rediscover their Asian roots - so I was very happy to invite her to share it here. Enjoy.

This episode of “Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” is brought to you in part by our sponsor, Stackry. Stackry is the global leader in international parcel forwarding from the US to anywhere in the world. The way it works is that you shop at any US retailer, have your packages shipped to your Stackry address, and once everything has arrived, Stackry consolidates your stuff and ships it to you anywhere in the world, even China, saving you up to 80% of the shipping costs versus shipping things directly from the store. Stackry provides free storage, same day consolidation of your packages, and a tax-free US address for you to use. Sign up TODAY via the link below, and use the offer code BIGFISH at the checkout to save 10% off your first shipment.

Use the offer code BIGFISH at the checkout, and save 10% off your first shipment!

BD’s “My Stackry Unboxing Video": https://youtu.be/FvEWXxzZm3I

GUEST:
Chrislyn Choo website: http://www.chrislynchoo.com/
StoryDriven: http://www.wearestorydriven.com
Chrislyn Choo LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrislynchoo/

HOST / SHOW:
“Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BigFishMiddleKingdom/
Brendan Davis on WeChat: BrendanDavis
Brendan Davis on Twitter: @VeritasInLux
Other links to LISTEN: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/podcast-links/

Brendan Davis 2/21/18 Brendan Davis 2/21/18

PETER LEVENDA: China Business Secrets, Space Programs, & UFOs

This week's show, and show notes, are both longer than usual - but with very good reason! Hang on, it's going to be a fun and occasionally wild ride...   My guest today, for the first show in the Year of the Dog, is none other than internationally esteemed writer and lecturer Peter Levenda.

#039 - China Business Secrets, Space Programs, & UFOs | Peter Levenda

This week’s show, and show notes, are both longer than usual - but with very good reason! Hang on, it’s going to be a fun and occasionally wild ride...

My guest today, for the first show in the Year of the Dog, is none other than internationally esteemed writer and lecturer Peter Levenda. Mr. Levenda has a truly massive and very influential body of work, including his groundbreaking China business book “The Mao of Business”, and he is considered to be something of a legend in certain circles. For roughly 40 years, Levenda has taken a very rational, scientific and historical approach to researching topics that are most commonly viewed through a conspiracy theory lens, and he’s won the respect of mainstream scientists, academics, and fans around the world as a result.

Lately, Levenda is most well-known for his work with rockstar @TomDeLonge of Blink182 and his “To The Stars” initiative, which is responsible for facilitating the recent high-level US Government disclosures regarding the UFO phenomenon, as reported on the front page of The New York Times and other newspapers around the world. This is an outgrowth of Levenda's earlier work writing extensively on post-WW2 issues related to the fate of various bad guys who escaped Germany and their subsequent roles in the founding of the US space program and other intrigues. But what’s most relevant to OUR show today is Levenda’s passionate interest in and pioneering role doing international trade with China, beginning in 1984.

Among other topics, we discuss: his early studies doing translations of Chinese alchemical texts as he earned his Master’s degree, and their relationship to Cabalistic material; his 34+ year career working with and traveling in China, and his impressions of how the country has grown and evolved as he has met and worked with people from all walks of life here; the disconnect between the “virtual China” that most outsiders conceive of versus the reality of the place; China’s sense of itself and how approaching it with a colonial, antagonistic attitude is a recipe for disaster; how China’s own space program will likely distinguish itself in the near future; the broader power dynamics at play in the East versus the West and what a smart China strategy should consider; and much more. We also cover the “To The Stars” project somewhat as well as other random tangents that pop up here and there, so it’s a relative buffet of Levenda goodness.

This one gets very philosophical yet is extremely practical too. Peter is not only learned, he is also dryly funny and we had a wonderful chat. With all due respect to my other guests, I have to say that this is possibly my favorite episode of the show so far, so I really hope you’ll give it a listen and that you enjoy it if you do!

Also - we have a NEW, international sponsor this week! Stackry is the global leader in international parcel forwarding from the US to anywhere in the world. The way it works is that you shop at any US retailer, have your packages shipped to your Stackry address, and once everything has arrived, Stackry consolidates your stuff and ships it to you anywhere in the world, even China, saving you up to 80% of the shipping costs versus shipping things directly from the store. Stackry provides free storage, same day consolidation of your packages, and a tax-free US address for you to use. I’m building my very first Stackry shipment from the US to China right now; it’s really easy to use their site and get started. Sign up TODAY via the link below, and use the offer code BIGFISH at the checkout to save 10% off your first shipment.

Alright! This is a giant intro, but it’s a pretty epic show. All the links are also available on the blog page at crazyinagoodway.com. Now, please enjoy my interview with Peter Levenda.

SPONSOR:
Stackry “Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” sign-up link HERE!
Create an account, build an order, and THEN use the offer code BIGFISH at the checkout, and save 10% off your first shipment!

GUEST:
Peter Levenda website: http://peterlevenda.com
Peter Levenda on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Peter-Levenda/100012276609499
Peter Levenda on Twitter: @Peter_Levenda

“To The Stars” website: https://coi.tothestarsacademy.com
The New York times article referenced in the show: "Glowing Auras and ‘Black Money’: The Pentagon’s Mysterious U.F.O. Program" - https://nyti.ms/2kB62aH

HOST / SHOW:
Brendan Davis on WeChat: BrendanDavis
Brendan Davis on Twitter: @VeritasInLux
Other links to LISTEN: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/podcast-links/

Brendan Davis 7/16/17 Brendan Davis 7/16/17

JESSE APPELL: The Comedy Scene in China

“I always sum up China in two words: cognitive dissonance.” - Jesse Appell

Boston native Jesse Appell has launched a successful business and speaks Chinese like a local, but that’s not all he’s accomplished during his time in Beijing. Jesse is one of only a handful of Westerners who is trained in the Chinese comedy art of xiangsheng, or crosstalk. It’s a discipline with a storied history here, and Jesse won a prestigious Fulbright Scholarship to come study under a true master of the art, Ding Laoshi. But that was just the start of his career in China.

Jesse’s primary focus nowadays is on running the US-China Comedy Center here in Beijing. At the Center, they feature both single language and bilingual improv and standup comedy shows. Jesse founded the Center just about a year ago, but it’s already become a focal point for the growing comedy scene here. To give you an idea of what these shows are like, in the show notes I am including links to several examples of Jesse in action, which are subtitled and really funny regardless of your native language.

As a writer, Jesse has also been working hard to crack the elusive cross-cultural comedy code for movies. He has been developing a buddy picture that’s designed to truly appeal to both markets, and from what he says about it here, I think he might be onto something.

This episode gets very deep into the worlds of comedy, creativity, and filmmaking, so it’s especially worth checking out if you work in those worlds, aspire to, or just enjoy them and want to learn more. But Jesse’s thoughts about the obstacles to true communication are keenly observed, and should be interesting to anyone trying to understand the other cultural better. I hope you enjoy it!

Lastly, another quick reminder that we are still a featured show on the Castbox.fm website and the Castbox podcast app! Castbox works in your web browser, iOS, and they have an especially nice new app for Android devices. Please check us out on Castbox, and subscribe to the show wherever you listen to us.

US-China Comedy Center:
www.uschinacomedy.com

WeChat:
Uschinacomedycenter

Weibo:
@艾杰西

Jesse Appell - Chinese standup (subtitled):
https://youtu.be/UA2P-q9MxXk

"Chinese Mitch Hedberg" routine
http://m.youku.com/video/id_XNzU3ODkyNDgw.html

Xiangsheng overview:
https://youtu.be/7QxW-KBE6EA

"BFMK" site:
https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/

Brendan Davis on Twitter:
@VeritasInLux

Carl King (composer):
http://carlkingdom.com

Apple Podcasts:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/big-fish-in-the-middle-kingdom/id1237037187?mt=2

CastBox:
http://castbox.fm/u/4711710

Ximalaya:
http://m.ximalaya.com/82109155/album/8651374

Brendan Davis 6/17/17 Brendan Davis 6/17/17

STEVE HOFFMAN: Silicon Valley with Chinese Characteristics

Episode #005 - Silicon Valley with Chinese Characteristics

I was very fortunate this week to get a chance for a proper interview with Steve Hoffman, aka "Captain Hoff". He is the Founder and Captain of Founders Space, a top tech incubator / accelerator from Silicon Valley that has been very successful in establishing themselves in China and elsewhere around the world as well. Steven is a very dynamic thinker and speaker who has had big business success globally, currently has a best-selling book in Chinese ("Making Elephants Fly"), and he has become a highly in-demand keynote speaker here, appearing in front of many millions of people in live audiences and simulcasts online throughout China in just this last year alone, so it is a real treat for me to welcome him to the show.

In our chat, Steven shares solid, actionable advice for those seeking to create or advance their startup, what types of projects they look for at Founders Space, and other information that is invaluable to business people of all kinds. And of course we devote a lot of energy to China-specific questions, and get deeply into the answers, whether it’s discussing the unique opportunities here, what China is better at than their counterparts elsewhere and vice versa, and much much more. It is jam-packed with great information and I hope you enjoy it!

Steven’s resume is varied and extensive. Quoting from the Founders Space website a bit, for more context:

"Always innovating on his life, Steven Hoffman, known as Captain Hoff, has tried more professions than cats have lives, including serial entrepreneur, venture capitalist, angel investor, mobile studio head, computer engineer, filmmaker, Hollywood TV exec, published author, coder, game designer, manga rewriter, animator and voice actor.

Hoffman was Chair of the Producers Guild Silicon Valley Chapter, Board of Governors of the New Media Council, and founding member of the Academy of Television’s Interactive Media Group.

After starting three venture-funded startups in Silicon Valley, Hoffman launched Founders Space with the mission to educate and accelerate entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs. Founders Space has become one of the top startup accelerators in the world with over 50 partners in 22 countries. Hoffman has trained hundreds of startup founders and corporate executives in the art of innovation and routinely works with the world’s largest global corporations and venture funds. He’s also an LP in August Capital."

"BFMK" Website:
https://www.crazyinagoodway.com

Founders Space info:
https://www.foundersspace.com

Steven Hoffman full bio:
https://www.foundersspace.com/mentors/hoffman/

Carl King (composer):
http://carlkingdom.com