Swim First, Build Empire From Zero

“The strong impression of the founder of Giordano It's not just the youth. When dealing with Asian businesspeople, a fervent hunger to grow more and become wealthier comes through. In essence, they're hungry. Hence, the forcefulness with which they engage in their work is completely different, regardless of their abilities. The impression I got from Mr. Jimmy Lai, the founder of Giordano, a SPA (Specialty store retailer of Private label Apparel) I met while working in Hong Kong, was intense. Giordano not only produced its own products but also subcontracted for Limited, which used to be the world's largest SPA. What surprised me was the volume of their production, they produced as much as 300,000 pieces for a single item. When I asked Mr. Jimmy Lai about his background, he said that he had swam from mainland China to Hong Kong, an illegal entry so to speak. However, he did not consider this a disadvantage. Instead, he started a business entirely on his own and went on to become wealthy enough to drive a Rolls-Royce. To put it simply, this man has extraordinary vitality. Everybody in Japan is surprised when I tell this story, but if you go to China or ASEAN, you'll encounter as many people like Mr. Jimmy Lai as you want. That's the reality of rapidly growing Asia.”

“Poverty takes away dreams and hopes Among experts who deny economic growth, there are those who say, "It's not necessary to be rich." Isn't that statement somewhat irresponsible? Nothing is born from the "concept of being/remaining poor". Because people want to become richer, they strive to be innovative and keep up their hard work, which leads to growth. The argument that it's okay to be poor if you are spiritually rich is a joke that only those who are rich can make. There is a saying called "poverty dulls the arts". Having a bare minimum to survive in life, can one really lead a significant and fulfilling life?”