WBW 11: Start by Thinking Wide, then Narrow Down and Focus

Listen in, and see why what Earl Yu says deserves that quick five or so minutes of your attention. From breaking free from old beliefs to taking a risk, with a better future for self and family in mind, Earl shows us that the way to happiness and success isn’t just by doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different, more favorable result but by tuning in to the opportunities that come to us so many times in life, and finding those that are cut out for ourselves, and cultivating them and taking full advantage for the good of self and others.

Who Is Earl Yu?

For someone who was always business-minded, Earl is someone whose career did not exactly start there, though. Having graduated from the University of Santo Tomas with a Commerce degree, majoring in Accounting, Earl took a corporate path soon after graduation. It was a path that he would take for the next fifteen years.

However, Earl, too, is perhaps one of the best examples of EntrepBuff’s philosophy of fighting against risk aversion. Even though common belief is that stock trading was like gambling, Earl persisted through monumental losses to becoming one of today's best analysts. Aside from that, in 2008 he decided to leave his corporate day-job and finally pursue a career in financial planning and consultancy. To be more knowledgeable, he pursued certification in Business Administration and RFP (Registered Financial Planners International).

Now, Earl holds informal regular meetings with a young business support group - of which includes some members of the EntrepBuff team - helping them identify and brainstorm business opportunities and ideas. With his decision to take things into his own hands, he gets to spend more time with wife Chi, a nurse at the Chinese General Hospital, and their three kids. Indeed, taking risks pays off, not just monetarily, but even in intangible benefits that only the heart can measure.

When asked what's his greatest challenge?

When asked what's his greatest success?

Show notes:

Corporate beginnings

• Used to be an employee who had a limited understanding of the opportunities that come in life
• "I used to think that happiness and success will find their way towards me. I just have to do my job everyday, then eventually I will be successful"
• "But there are so many opportunities passing me by that I fail to take advantage of. I used to always complain that life isn’t happy, and then I realized that we shouldn’t rely on others to find success or happiness. We should be taking control of our own lives."

Opening Up Oneself to Opportunities

• "When I had that kind of mindset, things just started happening. I used to hesitate to get into business when I was still just an employee."
• But there are lots of opportunities, and it’s up to use to pick the opportunities – no matter how small they may be, we just need to nurture it and let it grow.
• If you plant a seed and take care of it, it will give you a bountiful harvest.

Pick and Roll

• Think wide. Be open to all the opportunities that come to us. Then narrow down and focus. Choose which one we feel is ours.
• Everything can be learned. We can take a look at various sources to learn about the opportunities that we feel is cut out for us.
• Don’t grab every opportunity, as you could spread yourself too thinly. By having a pinpoint accuracy in identifying the opportunity for you, taking advantage of it would lead you to happiness and success.

Lesson

Start by thinking wide. Then narrow down and focus.

"The Board" message: