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In Part Two, Laurence Brahm get’s into specific solutions of how business can be used to solve the compounded crises of environmental and cultural degradation. Judging from listener response to Part One, his call to integrate holistic values with our business culture seems to be gaining traction. But, what will this integration look like? Is it possible to save the planet and make money? These questions, and more, are answered with such pragmatism that one is left to wonder why we aren’t doing it already. And then there’s my favorite part, hear why Laurence advises entrepreneurs to “learn Swahili.” Other key points: Without economic flow, culture goes into a museum Marriage between globalization and localization is the new economic model Social enterprise should be profitable Water links everyone together Himalayan Consensus and African Consensus – different models for different situations The way forward is pragmatism. A multi-stakeholder approach bringing the investment banks and the grassroots together And to back up all of his assertions, advice and prognostications, Laurence introduces us to his enterprise, the Shambhala Serai Hotels as a model for his values. Anyone interested in sustainable business practices and serving local communities will be impressed at what this business has achieved. So, get yourself some fair trade tea and get ready for the answers.

In Part I, Laurence Brahm states from the top, boldly and unequivocally, that a change in business values is necessary to save the planet and the human race.  That is literally the first thing out of his mouth and he doesn’t back down. He goes into specifics. He doesn’t just let the word “values” writ large hang there as though we’re all supposed to know what he’s talking about. He has a simple formula: To change destructive economics, we must change the assumptions that underlie the economics. To change the assumptions, we must change our values. As he explains, values are at the core because without values, the people will not respond. Often the corporate world gets beat up by anyone with a plan for saving the planet. But, Laurence is not taking aim at the regular businessperson trying to pay bills, college tuition and save for retirement. Rather, he sets forth the values, a plan of implementation and then talks about opportunities on the frontier of growth. He’s actually recruiting entrepreneurs to go into business, not run from it, and he gives specific recommendations for industries poised for massive returns. Other key concepts explored in this episode: Grass roots movements joining hands with investment banks Compassionate Capital Conscientious Consumerism A new measure for status and identity The fight for Chinese culture and identity Information comes fast and hard in this episode. You're going to like it. Press play and hear the word of Brahm!  

Thailand has been an important agricultural economy for a long time. Additionally, for certain products, they’ve been a key manufacturing partner for big names in textiles and technology. Thailand’s profile is set to rise even further as their capabilities increase; infrastructure improves; and China becomes more expensive. As the world increasingly turns in Thailand’s direction, there is no person more capable of helping you succeed there than Kriengsak Niratpattanasai, a.k.a ‘The Coach.' He is the author of Bridging the Gap: Managing the Cross-Cultural Workplace in Thailand. He has consulted for international companies such as: Citibank, DBS Bank, DHL Worldwide, Ericsson Communication, Amway, BASF, Big C, Colgate-Palmolive, Eli Lilly, Siam Michelin, Sun Microsystems and Thaioil. In this episode, we really get to the central issues that cause so much miscommunication and misunderstanding between business people of the East and West. The Coach starts with concepts and supports each of them with concrete examples. Specifically, we tackle: Using the Thai values of kreng jai, mai pen rai and hai kiat to build productive and strong relationships in Thailand Thai communication styles Thai vs. Western-style email etiquette Interpreting Thai behavior How the Thai interpret the behavior of foreigners Table manners Thai hospitality To wrap it all up, The Coach leaves the listener with his one big piece of advice that will unlock the door to productive relationships and smooth over any bumps in the road. I’ll give you a hint: it will take a lot of patience. So, press play and learn a few things that will make you money!

In this episode, Lawrence Lo, Founder of LHY Etiquette Consultancy Limited (www.lhyconsulting.com) of Shanghai, offers insights for greater cross cultural understanding in China as well as practical tips on Chinese business etiquette. We begin by exploring the enigmatic hierarchy in Chinese companies and Lawrence gives actionable advice on navigating the sometimes complicated structure. From there, we move on to discuss the most important aspect of doing business in China: building relationships. We start with the first phone call and go all the way to the first face-to-face meeting. No business trip to China is complete without a business lunch (or dinner), so we talk about proper table etiquette. Additionally, we take a moment to discuss how to entertain our Chinese counterparts when they visit us in our respective countries. Lawrence then gives us advice on reading our business partners’ reactions to our visit and evaluating the the success, or failure, of the trip. We wrap up the call with Lawrence’s most valuable piece of advice. His guiding principle for all business endeavors in China. Listen Now!

In our inaugural podcast, Stefan Verstappen, author of Chinese Business Etiquette: The Practical Pocket Guide, joins me for an interview on Chinese business culture and etiquette. We begin by exploring whether or not there is value in learning Chinese customs in our modern world where international business norms are dictated by Western standards. We dive into the Chinese mindset that is a product of their long and complicated history. It's more fun than it sounds. Just keep in mind that any businessperson wanting to deal in China without understanding the Chinese is asking for confusion at a minimum and total failure at a maximum. From there it starts to get fun. Stefan is a great guest and entertains us with Chinese drinking stories and other anecdotes. He provides a window into this enigmatic country and we find a gracious, friendly and fun-loving people. We pepper the conversation with etiquette tips then wrap the whole thing up with an "a-ha" moment. So, press play and enjoy.