Archive for May, 2008

I have a short announcement to make.  Despite my best efforts to keep my blogging efforts to a singular place (here on matthewchan.com), I have decided I will need to make some adjustments to my blogging strategy.

I will be adding a new blog to turnkeyinvesting.com and a new blog to turnkeypublisher.com.  The biggest reason for that is that I need/want to write information and updates that are industry and audience-specific to those websites.

For me to post some of the technical and industry-specific articles that I will write would be lost on the general audience that visits this site.  Quite simply, it would be unfair to readers who only care about one business segment of what I do to read issues that have nothing to do with the other.

Having said all that, there might be the occasional post that may apply to all the different blogs which I will simply cut and paste to them.

So, stay tuned for the announcements of the yet-unnamed blogs on turnkeyinvesting.com and turnkeypublisher.com.

It has been an exhausting 4-days since my arrival into Los Angeles to attend the IBPA’s (Independent Book Publishers Association) 2008 Publishing University Conference.  It was a great 3-day experience taking in the variety of experiences and information shared.  I think there must have been nearly 300 people including staff, speakers, attendees, and guests.  The one thing that persistently shows up is how little business sensibilities most wannabe authors have.  Most are so desperate to become authors, they throw their promotional stuff to everyone and anyone.

I have to admit even I was overwhelmed with some of the new information and distinctions that were presented especially in the area of media and public relations. I met some important people and contacts that might be instrumental to some changes I plan on making to my publishing business in the months to come.

The full impact of what I got out of IBPA’s Publishing University will linger until after I get back.  Fresh off of that 3-day conference, I have just begun my next 3-day run at the 2008 Book Expo America.  It has been 6 years since I attended this huge industry event.  I think I waited 2 years too long to come back.  I won’t make that mistake again.

My feet is sore.  I have had three 11-hour days.  Today, I put in a light 9-hours and so I have a chance to update this blog.  I can do some reading and catch up on some work in my hotel room.

It isn’t often that I run into an online video that truly makes me stop and think.  Most online videos I see on YouTube are stupid, nonsensical, and just a lot of goofiness going on.  At best, I would say it is entertaining.  At worst, it is a waste of time and bandwidth.

However, in a phone conversation with my investor friend Joe, I was ranting and complaining how the quality of education both in the public and private sector is terrible.  How much of the real estate seminar industry was pretty sleazy and appealed to people’s ignorance.  And how so many people will suffer financially in their lives because of the mis-education and mis-information people accept as gospel.

I ranted on how people are not taught to think and not able to discern what is good information and what is bad.  Further, that the rate of change in our world would only reward those able to adapt, not people who clung to old ideas and notions of what the world SHOULD be like vs. accepting what the world IS.

In that spirit, Joe mentioned a video he had seen on YouTube.  It was referred to him by another person.  He told me to do a search on “shift happens”.  I got a chuckle out of that phrase but thought it was quite appropriate to what we were talking about.

Tonight, I finally had the opportunity to search “shift happens” on YouTube and I found related videos also entitled “Did You Know?”

I will not reveal the content of those videos but I will say, it made me speechless and it scared me.  It made me reflect on what I am doing today and what direction I am taking for the future.  And while I have not entirely figured out what I will do in the months and years to come, I do know that I cannot sit still.  I also know that I have to be prepared to leave people behind.

There will be people who will not accept the message of exponential change in the videos.  It will be too much for them to take.  They will either be paralyzed with fear unable to move or they will go into hiding being in denial that it will not affect them.  Either way, my feeling is that you have to ally, partner, and associate with those will want to move through the next waves of change or you will become a victim.

There is no way the government can save everybody.  There will be victims, many of them.  The strong, smart, and nimble will flourish unbelievably.  The weak, ignorant, and slow will find the future to be a depressing place.

The wealthy will continue to become wealthier.  The poor will become poorer.  25% of the middle-class will adapt and improve their lifestyles.  The other 75% will drop further down in their socio-economic ladder begging for assistance.

I believe at least half of the millennial-generation will continue to be dependent on their parents until they are age 30.  While they have the advantage of being technology-adaptable on their side, their poor work ethic, lack of professionalism, lack of discipline, and poor coping skills will hinder them.  But it is not entirely their fault.  The spoiled attitude of the millennial generation is a result of poor parenting skills of the baby-boom generation.  They pander to their children and do not have the emotional resolve to be strong parents.

Regardless of my observations of the millennial generation, I invite you to go check out the “Did You Know 2.0″ Video.  It is an excellent educational and thoughtful video.  It is well worth the 8 minutes out of your life to view it.

I am happy to announce that the Columbus Marriott has tentatively agreed to host “The 2008 TurnKey Investor’s Portfolio-Building Workshop” on the weekend of October 10-12, 2008 which is coincidentally the weekend of Columbus Day.

The Columbus Marriott is, in my view, the nicest hotel in the Columbus GA area.  It is a great environment for out-of-town and out-of-state visitors to stay at and is located in the heart of Historic Downtown Columbus.  This location is central to most of our investment properties throughout the local area.

After some thought, I thought an October seminar was a little better than the September date I previously announced since it gives us more time to get the word out of this upcoming seminar.  It also allows us to escape the summer heat which lasts well into the fall.  Come October, it may be warm, but it should not be hot.  When we go visiting properties in the local area, it will be a more pleasant experience.