BUILDING BUSINESSES and the JOURNEY of BJJ Training with Yan Jiang | Q&A 296

Summary

In this engaging podcast episode, the host delves into the mindset of Yan Jang, a seasoned entrepreneur based in Singapore with a background in logistics and other businesses. Jang emphasizes the importance of continuous learning and asking questions to gain wisdom, drawing parallels to his experiences in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu where humility and the willingness to learn are key to success. The conversation touches on personal growth, the value of mentorship, and the realization of the need to slow down and reflect as one's life and business evolve.

Takeaways

• 🧠 The speaker emphasizes the importance of continuous learning and asking questions to gain wisdom from others.
• 🌟 Yan Jang, based in Singapore, is the founder of a logistics company and has been building businesses for 22 years.
• 🤼‍♂️ The speaker met Yan Jang through a martial arts class where they bonded over shared experiences and mutual respect.
• 💡 Yan's business coach encouraged him to ask questions and listen patiently, which is a key part of his business philosophy.
• 🤷‍♂️ Yan discusses the concept of 'acting dumb' as a way to absorb knowledge and learn from others without preconceived notions.
• 🏆 Yan's experience with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) parallels his business approach, where humility and learning from defeat are crucial.
• 👨‍👧‍👦 Yan's children's BJJ competition experiences taught him that overconfidence can lead to unexpected outcomes.
• 🔄 The speaker reflects on the need to adapt and change with age, recognizing when it's time to slow down and reassess priorities.
• 👥 The importance of friendship and the idea that people come into our lives for a reason, especially during times of change.
• 🔧 The speaker appreciates Yan's quality of actively wanting to help others and sees value in adopting a similar approach.
• 🎙️ The conversation highlights the value of deep and meaningful dialogues, as seen in the podcast format.

Q & A

What is Yan Jang's profession and where is he based?

Yan Jang runs a logistics company based in Singapore and is involved in a few other businesses as well.

How long has Yan Jang been building businesses?

Yan Jang has been building businesses for 22 years since he graduated from University.

What is the significance of the phrase 'ask questions change your life' to Yan Jang?

The phrase signifies the importance of continuous learning and curiosity, which has been a guiding principle for Yan Jang, as imparted by his mentor and business coach.

How did the speaker meet Yan Jang's wife, Susan?

The speaker met Susan through a martial arts class where they bonded over the shared experience of training together.

What does the speaker admire about Yan Jang's approach to learning?

The speaker admires Yan Jang's humility and willingness to learn from others, even when he is knowledgeable, which is reflected in his approach to asking questions and listening.

What is the connection between Yan Jang's approach to BJJ and his approach to learning?

Both approaches involve humility, the willingness to learn, and the understanding that overconfidence can lead to defeat, whether in BJJ or in seeking knowledge.

What personality traits does Yan Jang possess according to the speaker?

Yan Jang is described as assertive (choleric) and sanguine, which means he is very assertive and tends to think he is better, but life has taught him the value of humility.

How does Yan Jang's approach to BJJ reflect his approach to life?

Yan Jang's approach to BJJ, where he aims to learn and improve rather than just win, mirrors his approach to life, where he seeks to learn from everyone and not just assert his own knowledge.

What lesson does Yan Jang's experience with his kids in BJJ competitions teach him?

It teaches him that overconfidence can lead to unexpected outcomes and that it's important not to go into any situation thinking he is the best.

How does the speaker describe the evolution of Yan Jang's approach to life and business?

The speaker describes Yan Jang's evolution as moving from a high-energy, assertive approach to a more reflective and humble one, where he values the perspectives of others and the importance of friendship.

Outlines

00:00

🤝 Embracing Lifelong Learning and Mentorship

The speaker, Yan Jang, emphasizes the importance of continuous learning and asking questions to change one's life, a lesson imparted by his mentor. He shares his background as a business builder in Singapore, particularly in logistics, and his involvement in various other businesses. Yan Jang also recounts how he met his friend through a martial arts class, highlighting the camaraderie and shared experiences that come from such activities. He discusses the value of humility and learning from others, drawing parallels between his approach to life and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, where he finds that overconfidence can lead to defeat.

05:03

🧘‍♂️ The Art of Patience and Active Listening in Business and BJJ

In this paragraph, Yan Jang delves deeper into his philosophy of business and life, inspired by his business coach's advice to ask questions and listen patiently. He discusses the concept of 'acting dumb' as a means to absorb knowledge and better serve others. The comparison to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is further explored, where he shares personal anecdotes about competition and the realization that overconfidence can be a hindrance. Yan Jang also touches on the idea of personal growth and the evolution of one's circle of friends, suggesting that as life changes, so do the people who come into it to support and challenge us.

Keywords

💡Mentor

A mentor is someone who imparts wisdom, knowledge, and guidance to another individual, often in a professional or personal capacity. In the script, the speaker mentions having a mentor who emphasized the importance of asking questions, which is a central theme of the video. The mentor's advice has become a part of the speaker's DNA, influencing their approach to business and life.

💡Business Coach

A business coach is a professional who provides guidance and support to individuals or teams in business settings to improve performance and achieve goals. The speaker refers to a business coach who encouraged them to ask questions and listen patiently, which is a key practice in the speaker's business philosophy.

💡Logistics Company

A logistics company specializes in the management of the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of consumption. The speaker introduces themselves as running a logistics company based in Singapore, which is a central part of their professional identity and the main business they are involved in.

💡BJJ (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu)

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a martial art and combat sport that focuses on ground fighting and submission holds. The script mentions BJJ as a context for the speaker's personal experiences and as a metaphor for life and business, where the speaker learns humility and the importance of not underestimating opponents.

💡Podcast

A podcast is a digital audio program available for download or streaming, often covering a specific topic or theme. The speaker is invited to introduce themselves on a podcast, which serves as the platform for sharing their experiences and insights on business and life.

💡Learning

Learning is the process of acquiring new knowledge, skills, or understanding. The script emphasizes the importance of continuous learning, as the speaker believes there is always something to learn from others, which is a key principle in their approach to personal and professional development.

💡Questions

Questions are inquiries posed to gain information or insight. The speaker's mentor and business coach both stress the importance of asking questions as a tool for changing one's life and learning from others, which is a recurring theme in the script.

💡Respect

Respect is a feeling of deep admiration for someone elicited by their abilities, qualities, or achievements. In the context of the script, respect is discussed in terms of how people should treat each other, particularly in the martial arts setting of BJJ, where everyone is equal on the mat.

💡Wisdom

Wisdom refers to the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment. The speaker values wisdom and seeks to learn from it, as evidenced by their admiration for their mentor and business coach, and their own approach to engaging with others.

💡Personality

Personality encompasses the unique psychological qualities and traits that define an individual. The speaker identifies as a 'choleric sanguine' from the book 'Personality Plus,' indicating a combination of assertiveness and optimism, which influences their approach to life and business.

💡Friendship

Friendship is a close and supportive relationship between two individuals. The script discusses how friendships evolve and grow as life changes, and how certain people enter one's life at the right time to provide support and perspective.

Highlights

Importance of continuous learning and asking questions to change one's life.

Yan Jang's introduction as a business owner in Singapore with a focus on logistics.

Mentor's advice on the power of asking questions and its impact on personal and professional growth.

Yan Jang's background in building businesses since graduating from university.

The significance of being patient, listening, and asking questions in business and life.

Yan Jang's experience with martial arts and its parallels to business and life lessons.

The value of humility and not underestimating others in competition or business.

Yan Jang's personal experience with the unpredictability of outcomes in BJJ and life.

The concept of 'acting dumb' as a strategy for learning and absorbing information.

Yan Jang's approach to not entering situations with a presumption of superiority.

The role of personality traits in shaping one's approach to learning and competition.

The idea that life teaches lessons about humility and the importance of not overestimating oneself.

Yan Jang's realization of the need to slow down and reflect as one grows older.

The importance of friendship and how it evolves with personal growth and life changes.

Yan Jang's acknowledgment of the support from his wife, Susan, and the impact of their shared martial arts experience.

The recognition of the need for a supportive network and the role of divine intervention in life's journey.

Yan Jang's advice on the importance of reflection and rescheduling as part of personal development.

The podcast host's appreciation for Yan Jang's continued support and the value of their shared experiences.

Transcripts

because I always feel that there's

always something to learn from someone

and um well I have a mentor that used to

always tell me ask questions change your

life so a lot of times I

guess my my DNA after I started building

this business and I once I work with my

business coach he always tells me to ask

questions

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him introdu about who he is and what he

been doing hello hi an hello you look

great everyone on the podcast hello well

n asked me to introduce myself so a

quick one my name is Yan Jang I'm in

based in Singapore I run a logistics

company and I run a few other businesses

as well my main one is logistics at this

point time and um I've been building

businesses for the past um as much as I

remember as soon as I graduated from

University um in Singapore I've been

building businesses I've been working on

businesses starting businesses and or

has always been my main thing to run

businesses so after 20 let me think 25

23 years well I've been building

business businesses for 22 years so

that's my background yeah thank you y j

and why I call him YJ because he that's

how I've been call him in the BJJ M and

how do I know him it's very funny story

and I would love to share with you guys

because I go for MCM art class and he go

to MCM class and this the thing I love

about MCM class you don't know anybody

who doing whats so ever in the real life

but you go there and sweat together and

laugh

together and it's the best part of MCM

because as the moment you wear the ghee

in everybody is the same we fight for

our life to don't die on the m and

whoever know MC Mard you know what I'm

talking if you don't know go and figure

it out but that's how I know Susan which

is YJ wife and we good friend after the

ma and because we roll with each other

so much and we as a mom and then it lead

to the conversation with him and I don't

even know what he doing by the way I I

think like for the first eight months

good of rolling BJJ I don't even know

what he doing and what he been doing and

I still remember one day this is this a

my personal experience with him I don't

think he even know right that I don't

know somehow we have some conversation

about men and woman in the mat and after

all of us sweat and we try to cool down

I'm not sure you remember that and when

I I share about perspective of people

need to be more respect with men or

something and then you told me can you

tell more girl to to know all this

because they always look for like Korean

boy and all that right and I I will tell

him can you go to my podcast and tell

the boy so don't be

dumb it's real conversation and he were

like no I don't want no I don't want no

I don't want and and that's it I give up

because I'm like he was so smart what he

doing how he can have very deep and

wisdom conversation and and for me I'm

very good at sport people who are very

mature and experience right I like you

go through life I can tell based on your

conversation so my first question to you

is why you decide to act them in every

situation I think that's a very good

question because this art that y j have

that you guys should learn I'd really

like that about him you don't know that

and and like he just everywhere he just

as a normal person you don't know that

he's so much wisdom inside him but today

that's my job to dig all his wisdom out

well I I have to answer a question what

was the question again how why do I act

down why yes when and why why do you

decide to start that should I start that

I don't know this is a very good

question actually no one has asked me

this question before yeah yes you know

what I I guess I'm not really acting

dumb I'm just trying to be like you

because I'm one thing I'm very impressed

about yourself is that you keep on

learning no matter how good you are or

how bad you are or

how in a certain topic for example yeah

what you started with this podcast you

said that I always wanted to learn from

people yeah so it's the same context

that I also want to do because I always

feel that there's always something to

learn from someone and um well I have a

ment that used to always tell me ask

questions change your life so a lot of

times I

guess my my DNA after I started building

this business and I once I work with my

business coach he always tells me to ask

questions and not be quick to say

anything but be patient enough to listen

to people and keep on asking dumb

questions sometimes questions are not

dumb but I I guess the best podcaster

like you always ask good questions and

always patient patiently listen and

always try to like you say dig out more

information on others yes and um well I

can't say I act dumb I I think I am

trying to absorb as much as possible to

get more information on my surroundings

the people around me see how I can serve

them better um and it's very very much

like BJJ isn't it when you do BJJ you

think that let's say you think that you

are really good because yeah I always I

think you you too when you do mix

martial arts and myself U we do BJJ

president jiujitsu a lot of times when I

enter into a ring I want to win I think

I can win whenever you think you can win

you lose yes whenever you think that

you're smarter you're better than that

person you lose it's it's the same Conta

example right my kids went for a BJJ

competition right I'm quite confident of

my kids ability to to do BJJ right some

BJJ so when I looked at their opponents

and I feel that I think my kids will win

yeah when I have this thought the

results always surprises me it's like

not true whenever I go into the Mets

presenting jju BJJ whenever I I think I

can do good I always don't do good it's

always the case and it has been like

that for as long as I live and um that's

how I don't go into an environment

thinking that I'm the best first um try

myself not to because my my character my

personal personality is a very demanding

character myself I'm a coloric you know

if you read the book personality plus

I'm a coloric sanguin coloric sanguin

means very assertive sanguin means ha

something like that so a person like

this I tend to always think that I'm

better so life tells me that I should

act dumb yeah I think that's a very good

answer that and I'm I'm actually

purposely I want to ask that question

because that's the one of the quality

that you have that I learn and I like H

that's a very good one because I'm tend

to use that I don't know when young I

think is good that you very actively

want to help everybody but it come to

this age now that you you and Susan give

me very good perspective that you just

hit the state that you can you want to

slow down and I think I'm not saying I'm

getting there yet but I get it right

because I can see myself now with the

energy level of 10 years ago when I

start business or do all this I will

more motivation and I will more energy

and is time for me to reflect and

reschedule and that's when friendship

come to your life and I believe that you

know God will send certain people to you

when you need it because life change and

people change and people grow and your

circle of friendship is is grow as well

thank you for continue support my Missy

podcast and don't forget to

[Applause]

oh

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