TMBA 477: China From the Inside

A noodle bowl with egg, spam, and pork

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One of Dan and Ian's goals heading into 2019 was to feature more stories about China on the podcast this year.

China is the primary location where many of the products that entrepreneurs sell are traditionally manufactured, and it has become a fulcrum for a lot of the stuff that online product-based businesses do.

On today's show, we are excited to bring you some insights from someone who has been living and working on the ground in China for the better part of a decade.

Brian Miller lives in Shenzhen, China, where he operates a third-party logistics company called EasyChinaWarehouse.com.

He also runs a mid-six-figure Amazon FBA business, as well as a small China sourcing agency, so he is pretty diversified in the sourcing and fulfillment model that we have discussed so often on this podcast.

What makes Brian's story unusual is that he actually started his working life within a Chinese state-owned enterprise or SOE, which is something that very few westerners have done.

This isn't just a conversation about manufacturing in China, though. Brian also shares his experience living in the country, what it's like to interact with the Chinese people, and much, much more.

Listen to this week's show and learn:

  • What it was like for Brian to work for a business that was run by the Chinese government. (5:02)

  • A glimpse into Brian's life in Southern China. (9:25)

  • How Brian was able to beat his competition by finding their factories in China. (23:39)

  • Why Amazon businesses should be worried about Chinese sellers. (34:45)

  • Brian's insight into the future of Chinese manufacturing and trade. (46:58)

Mentioned in the episode:

Before the Exit - Our New Book
TMBA Masterminds
Sponsor the TMBA Podcast
The Dynamite Circle
The DC Podcast
Help Us Choose a New Name for the TropicalMBA Podcast
DC BKK
Dynamite Jobs
Brian Miller
EasyChinaWarehouse.com
Amazon FBA
WooCommerce
Shopify
Alibaba
TaoBao
JD.com
WeChat

This week's sponsor:

This week's episode is brought to you by Dynamite Jobs

Dynamite Jobs is a service that helps entrepreneurs and listeners of this show find top, experienced talent to join their teams.  These types of remote positions can be especially challenging to hire for, and we specialize in making that process easy.  For those of you who are on the hunt for a new opportunity, we know how frustrating it can be to find good remote jobs, so we only work with established, reputable companies offering great remote opportunities.

If you're looking for a new job in the new year, check out DynamiteJobs.co.

Enjoyed this podcast? Check out these:

TMBA 265: Visiting China - Why Entrepreneurs Travel to the Canton Fair
TMBA 324: The Amazon Gold Rush
TMBA 470: The Elephant in the Room

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HAVE COMMENTS ABOUT THE SHOW?

Do you have ideas for things you'd like Dan and Ian to discuss on future episodes?

Our producer Jane would love to hear from you at jane@tropicalmba.com or leave us a voice message using the record button below.

Thanks for listening to our show! We'll be back next Thursday morning 8AM EST.

Cheers,

Dan & Ian

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TMBA 478: The Downsides of Success

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TMBA 476: "An Adventure Worth Going On"