#Would you start a business with your family? I recently received a letter from a reader asking whether she should work with her brother. She is afraid that the emotions in their business may ruin their good relationship and even cause a falling-out. She also worries whether her abilities will meet her brother's expectations, and she'll have to find a new job in the end, leaving her in a dilemma. So, if you were in my place, how would you advise this reader? Some might say, absolutely not, as it could ruin your life's choices! Others might say, as long as you separate family from business, there's nothing that can't be done. Well, neither of these answers is completely wrong, but also not entirely right. I often say, "The solution to a problem is always on a higher level of understanding." If I were her, before discussing whether to work with her brother, I would first understand the dimensions of her brother's thinking. What are these dimensions? Let me tell you about my friend's experience first. I used to have a friend, A, whose girlfriend was running a business in a multi-level marketing company. After work, A often went to his girlfriend's house to help her manage the business, from handling orders to mailing out the products, he did it all. One day, his girlfriend asked him to quit his job and fully devote himself to helping her with the business. A thought that if he quit his job to fully assist his girlfriend, maybe he could earn even more money than he did through his job, so he agreed. After he dedicated himself to his girlfriend's business, she indeed made much more money than before - several times more. This should have been a happy occasion, but his girlfriend began to despise him, accusing A of relying on her to make money, unlike other boyfriends who have their own business, etc., and that he was useless. So, not long after, friend A broke up with this girl and focused on his own business. In this example involving my friend, it's clear that the girlfriend lacked understanding. If she had a higher understanding, she would realize that her success was not solely due to her own efforts. She would also understand that A's role was not just her other half, but also her business partner. Even if my friend requested a share of the profits, she would not refuse. On the contrary, if her understanding was not high enough, she wouldn't be able to see the perspectives mentioned above. She would think that her achievements were the result of her own hard work. So in the end, she would look down on A, thinking that he was useless. In this case, A would have been better off without quitting his job and focusing on his own business. So, if you want to understand where a family member's understanding is at, such as the brother mentioned by the reader, I would suggest directly asking that person: how your career path would be with your brother, what your future prospects would be like if you joined your brother's business, and if there's a chance for profit sharing, etc. And all the conclusions from discussions with your brother must be written down - this is the first step in protecting your own interests, even with family members, don't overlook this. Remember (don't worry, if the person's understanding is there, they won't mind the existence of this record, they'll actually be happy that the person they're working with is so reliable - this is based on experience, really). If the understanding is not high, he will give you vague answers or unable to respond, because he never thought about these questions in the first place. This also means, in the future, if his business does well, he also wouldn’t have the mindset to share the profits with you; and when his business doesn't do well, he would blame you for his failure. These things need to be communicated in advance. "Ugly words said first, ugly things will be behind" not only expresses your thoughts cleverly but also establishes the bottom line of your relationship, allowing you to navigate interpersonal relationships with ease. Speaking the ugly truth beforehand is not cold-hearted, it is sincere and principled, kind yet firm. Don't pretend to be generous just because it's family, thinking that you don't need to consider so much. Remember, your future is your own. If you don't look out for yourself, who will?

The value that an outstanding talent brings to the company is more than that of over ten ordinary employees. This is not a matter of quantity, but a matter of existence. In the past few years of my entrepreneurship, I have deeply felt the importance of talent. Recently, my friends have been coming to my company to chat, as we are all entrepreneurs. They have been complaining to me about an issue: the younger generation today, known as the post-00s, are becoming increasingly difficult to manage. Compared to the post-80s and post-90s, the post-00s are really a refreshing change. Coming in late and leaving early is the norm, and if not, they are taking frequent leaves for travel or being emotionally fragile over minor issues which end up being posted on social media platforms... Even when talked to kindly and logically, hoping to inspire goodwill, they remain unappreciative, questioning why they are being criticized. Some young subordinates always rely on others and cannot solve problems independently. Every time they encounter an issue, they come seeking help, leaving their superiors busy and looking innocent. Honestly, after hearing their work attitude towards the post-00s, I have some reservations. Because I believe this is not solely the fault of the post-00s, as I trust there are such individuals in every generation. In our company, we also have many post-00s who are nothing like how my friends have described. They are hardworking, proactive, eager to learn, and selflessly dedicated... If I had to point out a flaw, occasionally they may shift blame, but it is not excessive. As a medium-sized company known for having one of the most rigorous interview processes in Malaysia, I believe I have a certain authority in recruiting talents. Those who understand our company culture would know: "Our interview process consists of a full five rounds," and this is not because we enjoy making it challenging for applicants, but because we are well aware of one fact: "If you don't spend time choosing the right people, you will always end up with the wrong ones." What does this mean? Different individuals have different paths for growth. If your company is one that embodies a fierce competitive spirit, then you shouldn't be hiring those who seek stability. Just as my company fosters a learning culture, we will never recruit someone who does not have a passion for learning. In the past, I too once believed I could change someone. As long as the skills were there, I thought their attitudes and values could be altered. However, reality quickly proved me wrong. Years of experience have taught me that people cannot be changed; at most, they can be influenced. "The task of a manager is never to change people" but to understand and utilize them wisely, being acutely aware that everyone is different. Place the right individual in the right role. Therefore, before hiring anyone, managers must be clear on this question: "What does your talent profile look like?" Understand that watering a stone will never make it blossom. Get the right people, and things will fall into place.

Last week, my wife and I stayed at The RuMa hotel. It wasn't to have some alone time as a couple, but because we had classes again. Coincidentally, the class location was inside this hotel. I must say, this hotel really lives up to its five-star rating. In addition to the high-end decor with a touch of retro style, they also have a '#TurnDown' Service. Here's the story - since our classes ran from early morning to almost evening, we were out of the room for almost half a day. After the first day of classes, I was startled when I returned to the hotel. I noticed that our bed had been adjusted. I thought someone had intruded, but later my wife told me it was their service. The so-called TurnDown Service is actually their Housekeeping. It means ensuring that customers can directly go to bed as soon as they return to the room. So, besides helping to restore the room to its original state from the first day, they also neatly arrange your personal items. How amazing and orderly they were, really! I originally had a pile of clothes in a mess, but they neatly folded each one one by one. The clothes were folded so neatly, like perfect squares. It's the kind of folding method you see at Uniqlo, where the clothes are neatly folded and ready to be sold. I could hardly recognize my own pile of clothes. Just as I was looking for my socks and wondering where they went, I found that they had neatly paired and hung each pair of my socks. It made me feel like Christmas was approaching, as if Santa Claus was preparing to fill my socks with gifts. Just when I thought all this high-standard service had ended, suddenly I noticed # a note on the table. It turned out to be a heartwarming note left by their staff. They handwrote "Have A Nice Day" to us, accompanied by a self-drawn smiley face. It was beyond impressive! I could almost feel the warmth from the note. Touching~~~ It's been a long time since I've experienced such thoughtful and high-end service. Just as I was about to finish being touched and ready to put down the note in my hand, my eyes suddenly caught sight of a familiar yet unfamiliar line of English words in the top left corner: "#TQ #For #The #Tips" Huh? What? Tips? What are Tips? I stood there, almost in a daze for about 10 seconds. In life, there will always be a moment where you feel enlightened. In an instant, I understood, like being hit by a realization... That moment, I understood... In the morning, I emptied my pockets to make moving around during activities more convenient. I took out all the paper notes and coins from my pockets because I thought they were too heavy. I emptied them out, and then? #I left them on the hotel table... Until today, I still believe. They sincerely serve me because they are five-star, these are all basic amenities~ It's definitely not because of my little over 50 piece that I received such great service~ Hmm... Definitely not like that...

My company is very likely to transform into real estate investment. Coming to the office every day is to listen to colleagues discussing where to buy is more cost-effective. Whether to buy near the MRT, city center, or buy together and so on. And the one leading the conversation is the colleague Z who never spends money on any investments! Just when I thought she was going to invest in real estate, I found out she was buying a house to live in. And she is considering buying a one-bedroom apartment, with a budget of up to RM350K. (If you have been following me for a long time, you will know that I encourage everyone to invest in real estate) Later, after understanding her reason for buying a house to live in, I could understand her situation. Because she is from Johor, a girl who came to Kuala Lumpur to work after graduation. After a few years of hard work, she has decided to settle down in Kuala Lumpur, hence the desire to have her own home. "#Buying a house is not better as early as possible, right?" she said. This statement is theoretically correct, because the earlier you buy, the earlier you can enjoy appreciation! However, I have a different view. I have a relative who just started working and bought his first house shortly after entering society. He bought a presale house and looked forward to the day he could get the keys every day. Suddenly, the company boss wanted to transfer him to develop the Japanese market. As a result, he couldn't live in this house anymore and had to start worrying about how to rent it out. Sometimes, when buying a house, we look not only at the layout of the house but also at the layout of life. Because there are many variables in our lives. Especially for female colleagues, if she buys a house "early" now, what if she suddenly wants to get married and have children? Will a one-bedroom apartment be sufficient then? And when I looked at the location she wanted to purchase, I suddenly understood why she could do it for RM350K. Because it's not really ideal, very difficult to walk to the MRT (colleague has no car). And next to it are two SK primary schools, so traffic congestion is inevitable. In the future, it will be difficult to rent out or double the value. Besides all these considerations, the most important thing is, "#Buying a house too early, #limits life possibilities" because a home loan is 30 years, meaning that possibly 30% - 40% of the cash flow is tied to the house. Carrying a home loan at a young age, you will be cautious about many things because you know you have limited cash on hand, and you may be afraid to take future opportunities. Want to start a business, but dare not. Want to invest in new projects, but cannot. Even if your current job is terrible and you want to change lanes, you still cannot. So, what is my suggestion? If you really want to buy a house to live in, I would suggest working hard first, saving more money, and buying a better located property. If you are concerned about future uncertainties, I would recommend renting first, then take your time to explore other good properties. Or there is another way, get married first~ and then share the down payment together. (But do not buy jointly. You can discuss and let the other party bear other expenses) At this point, another colleague asked, "#What if you don't get married, #what should you do?" I said, if you don't get married, you will save a lot of expenses, save a lot of money, and then you won't have to worry about not being able to buy a house~ In short, buying a house is a big event in life, not something to rush before the age of 30. Having a RM400K home to live in, and RM400K in savings. Living this way, life will truly be very different.

If you are planning to go to japan recently, be sure to read this article. I believe everyone knows that when traveling abroad, you must fill out a white card (immigration card). At that time, I had a few colleagues who read the Little Red Book strategies. Before going to japan, you can fill out this white card (Visit Japan Web) online. So when you arrive at the immigration counter, you don't have to squeeze with others to fill it out. I was originally going to fill it out with them, but I was too busy at the time and forgot. So after getting off the plane, I filled out the white card by hand there. I originally thought that filling out this white card would be difficult. Because I saw those colleagues filling it out online, they kept taking pictures here and there, filling in the address of Malaysia, and had to register for vaccines. It took them about 15-20 minutes. As a result, it only took me about 3 minutes to fill out the white card. (Because they provided both Chinese and English versions, there was no problem understanding it). Then, I took the white card, dragged my luggage, and queued to report to the customs. The whole process, including waiting and picking up luggage, took less than 15 minutes? Smooth entry~ Okay, here comes the most exciting part. I waited outside for my colleagues, and then some of them came out one after another. Then, I discovered, 'Why haven't those who filled it out online shown up yet?' After about half an hour, finally one of the colleagues who had filled it out online and scanned the QR Code came out. He complained to me about the queue for scanning the QR Code...