Awesomers.com

I released Episode 53 of the Awesomers.com podcast some time back, and it's a deep dive into a book that I consider absolutely essential for anyone involved in manufacturing or trade with China: Paul Midler's "Poorly Made in China." If you're doing business there, this isn't just a recommendation; it's a necessity. Paul Midler is a brilliant author who has genuinely lived the stories he outlines in this book. With over 15 years of my own experience trading with China, I can tell you that many of his anecdotes are eerily familiar – often both funny and tragically so. This book offers an extraordinary, in-depth look into how China's export industry truly operates, and indeed, how China itself works. In this episode, I break down some of the most critical concepts Paul discusses, which resonate strongly with my own observations: • Quality Fade (or Product Fade): This is real. Factories subtly reduce product quality over time—thinner shampoo bottles, changed formulas, subcontracting to cheaper facilities, or reducing material weight or thread count. These changes are often hard to detect visually, making vigilance crucial. • "Price Go Up": You've probably heard it. Factories frequently increase prices, citing labor, environmental controls, or raw material costs. Yet, they rarely, if ever, inform you when prices could go down due to currency shifts or other factors. Their objective, after all, is to maximize their own profit. • Counterfeit Culture & Intellectual Property (IP) Issues: The book highlights astonishing instances, like factories copying a customer's product formula and then audacious claiming it as their own intellectual property when asked for disclosure. • Profit Siphoning & Under-reporting: Paul details cases such as Chinese partners in joint ventures siphoning off all profits, and factories under-reporting production of patented goods to avoid paying rightful patent fees, even devising elaborate schemes to circumvent oversight programs. • Manipulation Tactics: I caution listeners about "guanxi" (long-term relationships), which, while valuable, can also be used as a manipulation tactic by factories. Understanding these strategies is paramount to maintaining an even playing field. I truly believe that "knowledge is power" when navigating relationships with Chinese factories. "Poorly Made in China" is one of the very best books I've seen on the subject—extraordinarily insightful and entertaining, despite the serious lessons it imparts. Honestly, I'd consider it "entrepreneurial malpractice" not to recommend it. If you trade with China, buy products from China, or develop products there, reading this book and understanding these dynamics will help you be better prepared and significantly minimize potential problems through proper management. Watch the full episode for a deeper dive: 👉 https://awesomers.com/53 You can also find more helpful processes and procedures on our mailing list at https://awesomers.com. For professional, Amazon-ready product photography for your China-manufactured goods, check out https://symoglobal.com. And for the business operating system for your marketplace business, visit https://parsimony.com. Let me know in the comments if you've read "Poorly Made in China" or experienced any of these situations! If you want to work with me check out https://catalyst88.com and https://humanitynow.com or our new chatbots at https://chat.parsimony.com #ManufacturingInChina #PoorlyMadeInChina #SteveSimonson #AwesomersPodcast #ChinaTrade #SupplyChain #QualityControl #IntellectualProperty #BusinessStrategy #GlobalTrade

Here's an AI overview that reviews the very first Awesomers episode. https://awesomers.com/1 Awesomers: A Detailed Briefing This briefing analyzes content from the Awesomers Podcast, focusing on episode one and the website's core message. The analysis highlights key themes, important facts, and philosophies presented by Steve Simonson, the podcast host and a seasoned entrepreneur. Core Themes: Awesomer vs. Normie: The content establishes a distinct dichotomy between "Awesomers" and "Normies." Awesomers are characterized as proactive individuals who challenge the status quo, embrace continuous learning, and strive to create value. They own their mistakes, focus on the big picture, and believe in abundance. Conversely, Normies are often portrayed as risk-averse, reactive individuals who blame circumstances, get bogged down by problems, and operate with a scarcity mindset. Pay It Forward & Abundance Mindset: The podcast is deeply rooted in Zig Ziglar's philosophy: “You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want.” This "pay it forward" mentality underscores the importance of helping others without expecting anything in return. It's closely tied to an abundance mindset, believing that there's enough success and happiness for everyone. Strategy, Systems, & Scale: Simonson emphasizes the importance of a three-pronged approach to business success: strategy, systems, and scale. He encourages entrepreneurs to develop their own unique strategies, implement robust systems (like his https://parsimony.com ERP system), and leverage the power of collective growth through e-commerce associations like https://empowery.com Important Ideas & Facts: Knowledge is Equity: Simonson repeatedly stresses the importance of continuous learning, stating that “knowledge is equity.” He highlights successful individuals like Warren Buffet, Elon Musk, and Bill Gates who dedicate significant time to reading and knowledge acquisition. He encourages listeners to invest in their intellectual capital as it's a valuable asset that can never be taken away. Focus on Strengths: Instead of dwelling on weaknesses, Simonson advocates for doubling down on one's strengths. He believes that individuals and organizations should focus on their areas of excellence and build teams that complement each other. Sustainable Strategies over Quick Fixes: While acknowledging the appeal of "hacks" and quick fixes, Simonson cautions against relying on them for long-term success. He emphasizes the importance of developing sustainable strategies grounded in sound business principles. Notable Quotes: "Equity over the long run is the most important strategic indicator that your strategy is working." This quote emphasizes the need for focusing on long-term value creation rather than short-term gains. "Knowledge is equity; nobody can take knowledge away from you." This statement reinforces the importance of continuous learning and knowledge acquisition as a valuable personal asset. "Wherever you are in life today, it's because of all of your decisions up until this point." This thought-provoking quote encourages listeners to take responsibility for their choices and their impact on their current situation. "Awesomers understand the world of abundance and disregard the scarcity mindset." This quote highlights a key difference in perspective between Awesomers and Normies, emphasizing the importance of believing in limitless opportunities. "Awesomers do the right thing, even if nobody is looking." This statement underscores the importance of ethical behavior and acting with integrity regardless of external validation. Overall, the Awesomers Podcast promotes a philosophy of proactive, value-driven entrepreneurship, encouraging individuals to embrace an abundance mindset, focus on their strengths, and continuously learn and grow. Additional resources: https://symoglobal.com https://catalyst88.com https://stevensimonson.com

Here's a unique podcast made by AI - using NotebookLM. https://parsimony.com - Main ERP site https://ai.parsimony.com - AI Tool Kit Site https://automate.parsimony.com - GHL Access for Marketing https://chat.parsimony.com - ChatBots within 5 mins! https://stevesimonson.com https://catalyst88.com https://empowery.com Parsimony is a business operating system that helps businesses manage many aspects of their operations. It can be used for things like inventory, supply chain, finance, human resources, and customer relations. Parsimony is unique because it brings artificial intelligence into these systems. The system is scalable, meaning that it can be used by businesses of all sizes, but it is especially experienced with multi-channel e-commerce, distribution, and light manufacturing companies. Some of the services they offer are custom software development, mobile app development, web development, and software consulting for ERP business operating systems. The main thing Parsimony does is secure cloud hosting of Parsimony ERP versions that are unique to each client. In addition, they offer services such as text AI chatbots, inbound and outbound voicebots, and marketing automation. Parsimony puts a big emphasis on training and has courses available online through its website. These courses teach people about how to use the system, like how to do accounting, make purchases, manage sales, work with CRM, handle project management, and more. The goal is to help users learn the system so they can use it well. The founder of Parsimony is Steve Simonson. Steve has started, built, and sold many companies over the course of his career as an entrepreneur. His goal is to help empower other entrepreneurs and he does this by providing the tools and resources they need to succeed. Simonson believes that the systems are what should run a business, and people should run the systems. He has a lot of experience with global sourcing and supply chain management and he uses that experience to help businesses get the most out of their operations.

We are launching this episode called "Chairman's Circle" - a circle created 10+ years ago. These episodes will talk or discuss random rants about important topics that help reinforce important lessons for leaders and build value in the concept of the Chairman’s Circle. The goal of the Chairman Circle is for Steve to help Companies with a strategic vision for transformational change and allows us to spotlight companies that are dedicated to the growth of their business in the next years. With some Scooby snacks on the to keep and help Steve and his team not financially annoyed in the Chairman's Circle would mean a lot us. We are set and ready to go! Join us in this and more episodes of the Chairman's Circle.

It is sad to say goodbye but we know this is not a Goodbye for us. This is last episode to wrap up 2022 - saying goodbye to 2022 and saying hello to 2023. Time Management is one of the valuable ways to say hi and hello and welcome 2023 with a bang! in this last and final episode of Founder Foundations, Steve talks about Time Management as the process of organizing and planning how to divide your time between different activities. Get it right, and you'll end up working smarter, not harder, to get more done in less time – even when time is tight and pressures are high. The benefits of time management generates a lot of positive results because it can: - Decrease stress and increase productivity and efficiency - Gives you a better professional reputation - Increased higher chances of advancement - More opportunities to achieve your life and career goals When you properly manage your time, you start feeling more in control, with the confidence to choose how best to use your time. In business or in life, you will be more relaxed and have the positive thinking and be in a great place to help others reach their targets, too. Welcome 2023 with TIME MANAGEMENT and see you in the next exciting episodes of Awesomers Podcast! For more Awesomers podcast episode, click https://awesomers.com/podcast If you have not subscribed to the Awesomers YouTube channel yet, press that SUBSCRIBE https://www.youtube.com/@awesomers If you are also on SoundCloud, follow Awesomers SoundCloud by pressing that FOLLOW button https://soundcloud.com/awesomerspodcast

"CONFLICT MANAGEMENT is the process by which disputes are resolved, where negative results are minimized, and positive results are prioritized. This critical management skill involves using different tactics such as negotiation, and creative thinking, depending on the situation." In this 2nd to the last episode of Founder Foundations, Steve talks about Conflicts that hampers the productivity of the team and the employee in General. Power Delegation and Conflict Management has the goal to minimize the potential negative impacts that can arise from disagreements and increase the odds of a positive outcome. When conflict in the company is resolved effectively, it leads to positive results and comes in many benefits, such as accomplishing goals and strengthening relationships within the team. But conflict can also be damaging. If handled ineffectively, conflict can quickly turn into personal dislike, and even lead to a breakdown of relationships. Let's resolve the issues and learn from this episode! For more Awesomers podcast episode, click https://awesomers.com/podcast If you have not subscribed to the Awesomers YouTube channel yet, press that SUBSCRIBE button https://www.youtube.com/@awesomers If you are also on SoundCloud, follow Awesomers SoundCloud by pressing that FOLLOW button https://soundcloud.com/awesomerspodcast

We are coming up near the very end and today's episode is the first of the last three. Steve will talk about Building Position Agreements inside the Company. This is intended to be far looking and in fact, there may be some positions that are still empty or does not exist yet. Creating a 5-year objective for the Business will help you create Position agreements in every department. Job titles help potential employees find an open position that aligns with their talent and experience. It includes the daily tasks and projects you complete. Every employee has a job position that includes specific duties and responsibilities that help the company reach its goals. The Company and management team evolves over time. Members of your team may wear several hats until the company grows and the company can afford the additional team members. For more Awesomers podcast episode, click https://awesomers.com/podcast If you have not subscribed to the Awesomers YouTube channel yet, press that SUBSCRIBE button https://www.youtube.com/@awesomers If you are also on SoundCloud, follow Awesomers SoundCloud by pressing that FOLLOW button https://soundcloud.com/awesomerspodcast

Coaching and Mentoring - What does that mean? In this episode, Steve will share with us what his thoughts are about Coaching and mentoring an employee and why it will make them more valuable to your organization so they can develop, hone and enhance their skills—both professionally and personally. By being interested in the growth of your staff, you're showing them that you care about their progress. And this can increase their loyalty to you. According to https://www.researchgate.net/publication/, "Coaching aims to enhance "self propelling force" of an individual to work effectively. Whereas, the mentor has expertise to guide and influence other individuals in a positive way, that leads to the development of an employee's career in an organization." As Founder, by coaching and mentoring your employees, you'll engage them on a more personal and professional level. The special attention they receive from you - not just their boss but their mentor will make them feel more valued. You are the catalyst to helping your employees achieve goals, employees will be encouraged to keep working hard and providing value. We are more than a Podcast - WE ARE A MOVEMENT! For more Awesomers podcast episode, click https://awesomers.com/podcast If you have not subscribed to the Awesomers YouTube channel yet, press that SUBSCRIBE button https://www.youtube.com/@awesomers If you are also on SoundCloud, follow Awesomers SoundCloud by pressing that FOLLOW button https://soundcloud.com/awesomerspodcast

What are Business Development Meetings (BDM) and Why are they important? In today's episode, Steve will walk us through what BDM's are and why it is so important in every emerging organization and teams. The goal of each meeting is to discuss other matters with the employee or team members the plans they have for each week, roadblocks that hampers them to move forward and accomplish a certain task, career development, and ask questions and get direction to navigate the responsibilities and tasks an employee is and will be working on. BDM's are also good time for Manger-Employee to ask what they consider to be their strengths and weaknesses. Ask if there are things you haven't demonstrated yet that they're looking for, and what each of the parties need to learn to do well. Ready to start your Team BDM's? Then, join us today for another fruitful session with Steve! For more Awesomers podcast episode, click https://awesomers.com/podcast If you have not subscribed to the Awesomers YouTube channel yet, press that SUBSCRIBE button https://www.youtube.com/@awesomers If you are also on SoundCloud, follow Awesomers SoundCloud by pressing that FOLLOW button https://soundcloud.com/awesomerspodcast

WHAT IS A FUNCTIONAL ORGANIZATION AND ITS TYPE? In this episode, Steve will walk us through the different types and functions of an organizational structure and why is it important to organize a company into different departments based on the area of expertise. The main advantage of having a Functional Organization is that each department focus on one area of work and specialization where each team and staff becomes more productive because they have the ability and skills to accomplish what they do. each employee is accountable to clear lines of management and with these comes clarity to understand their roles and others' roles. Get ready to put your headphones on and learn the basics of Functional Organization. For more Awesomers podcast episode, click https://awesomers.com/podcast If you have not subscribed to the Awesomers YouTube channel yet, press that SUBSCRIBE button https://www.youtube.com/@awesomers If you are also on SoundCloud, follow Awesomers SoundCloud by pressing that FOLLOW button https://soundcloud.com/awesomerspodcast

In today's episode, Steve talks about SYSTEMIC MANAGEMENT that will help every Founder and manager achieve the desired goals in most aspects of the business. Is it reasonable that everything on Planet Earth can be a system? YES! Building a system = reasonable and predictable results, a Formula that Steve shared in Seller Systems and Seller Cruise to help every Founder and Entrepreneur achieve the success they have aim for. In Management, systemic management is an important approach that focuses on the management process rather than on the final outcome. The goals to this approach to management were: To create specific processes and procedures to be used in job task completion. To ensure that organizational operations were economical. For more Awesomers podcast episode, click https://awesomers.com/podcast If you have not subscribed to the Awesomers YouTube channel yet, press that SUBSCRIBE button https://www.youtube.com/@awesomers If you are also on SoundCloud, follow Awesomers SoundCloud by pressing that FOLLOW button https://soundcloud.com/awesomerspodcast

What is management system? According to https://www.iso.org › management-system-standards, "A management system is the way in which an organization manages the interrelated parts of its business in order to achieve its objectives". In Today's episode, Steve will share with us his thoughts about Management system and why it is important to have an effective management system based on the controls structured and optimized processes to product predictable results. For more Awesomers podcast episode, click https://awesomers.com/podcast If you have not subscribed to the Awesomers YouTube channel yet, press that SUBSCRIBE button https://www.youtube.com/@awesomers If you are also on SoundCloud, follow Awesomers SoundCloud by pressing that FOLLOW button https://soundcloud.com/awesomerspodcast

What is Strategic Financial Management and why is it important? According to https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/strategic-financial-management.asp, "Strategic financial management means not only managing a company's finances but managing them with the intention to succeed—that is, to attain the company's long-term goals and objectives and maximize shareholder value over time". In this episode, Steve will be doing a heart-to-heart conversation about Impostor Syndrome for the hours he spent in a project that he thinks for a good cause. Steve also threw a question about the things that we hate particularly this episode because his whole point is to know if someone will give a crap with the lessons he is giving to the General Audience. Ready to throw in the feedback? Listen and be with us in this episode! For more Awesomers podcast episode, click https://awesomers.com/podcast If you have not subscribed to the Awesomers YouTube channel yet, press that SUBSCRIBE button https://www.youtube.com/@awesomers If you are also on SoundCloud, follow Awesomers SoundCloud by pressing that FOLLOW button https://soundcloud.com/awesomerspodcast

According to Brian Tracy, "Your business will be successful, generating steady, predictable sales and cash flow, to the exact degree to which you develop systems that put as much of your business on autopilot as possible". Until our business control level is systematized, it exists largely in the mind of the individual who knows how to do it. As a result, it cannot be duplicated or replicated. If the person who knows how to do the job is not there, the business can eventually grind to a halt. So what does control lever means? Financial Control Levers? In this episode, Steve talks about levers in the Finance side that evolves around: 1. Margins or return on sales 2. Asset turnover and 3. Financial leverage For more Awesomers podcast episode, click https://awesomers.com/podcast If you have not subscribed to the Awesomers YouTube channel yet, press that SUBSCRIBE button https://www.youtube.com/@awesomers If you are also on SoundCloud, follow Awesomers SoundCloud by pressing that FOLLOW button https://soundcloud.com/awesomerspodcast

Most businesses fail because the lack of Cash Capitalization and “Cash Flow Management and Systemization” is not the most exciting aspect of their business. In today's episode, Steve talks about Cash Flow in the deeper sense of it as this is the fuel that operates the business. Businesses stand a better chance of surviving critical business junctures when they know what cash they should have coming in and going out. This requires having a reliable forecast for future monthly expenditures while keeping track of cash on hand. Join Steve and understand that the right cash management and awareness in place, small businesses can react to changing circumstances. For more Awesomers podcast episode, click https://awesomers.com/podcast If you have not subscribed to the Awesomers YouTube channel yet, press that SUBSCRIBE button https://www.youtube.com/@awesomers If you are also on SoundCloud, follow Awesomers SoundCloud by pressing that FOLLOW button https://soundcloud.com/awesomerspodcast

Budget Systemization - What is it? In this episode, Steve talks about a very "sexy" topic. We often discuss budgeting in our firm, and I often write about budgeting because it is such an important topic in any company. Good news: Valuable strategic element of the business bad News: IT TAKES WORK Having a budget will help you manage your business and will help you remove the day-to-day "tasks" on your plate and to create a successful budget, every Founder/Leader or business owner needs to: - Establish Strategic Objective that gives you your roadmap - knowing the revenue and the associated overhead expenses. - Set goals and objectives that push for growth and efficiency, but keep those goals and objectives realistic. There is nothing more demoralizing than to have an unachievable goal. - Start your budget planning process early. For a calendar with year end at December, start no later than August of the current year. - Measure your actual results every month versus budget, and hold people accountable. Ready to learn about Budget Systemization? Let's go! For more Awesomers podcast episode, click https://awesomers.com/podcast  If you have not subscribed to the Awesomers YouTube channel yet, press that SUBSCRIBE button https://www.youtube.com/@awesomers    If you are also on SoundCloud, follow Awesomers SoundCloud by pressing that FOLLOW button https://soundcloud.com/awesomerspodcast

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS are dashboard of your business as the data or numbers tells you where your money is going, where it is coming from, how it is spend, how much profit and loss is in the business. In today's episode, Steve will show us granular information in the operation and how to analyze them and how each of these financial statements work together to give every business owners or Entrepreneurs get a full picture of the Company's financial health. The 5 types of financial statements you need to know: - Income statement - Cash flow statement - Balance sheet - Note to Financial Statements - Statement of change in equity For more Awesomers podcast episode, click https://awesomers.com/podcast If you have not subscribed to the Awesomers YouTube channel yet, press that SUBSCRIBE button https://www.youtube.com/@awesomers If you are also on SoundCloud, follow Awesomers SoundCloud by pressing that FOLLOW button https://soundcloud.com/awesomerspodcast

Finance Systems provide Businesses with an accurate and complete information in one place. Join Steve today as he talks about how Finance Systemization forecast future cash flows and helps you, the Founder and Leaders help your leaders to better manage working capital and further optimize your daily, monthly and year cash flows. For more Awesomers podcast episode, click https://awesomers.com/podcast If you have not subscribed to the Awesomers YouTube channel yet, press that SUBSCRIBE button https://www.youtube.com/@awesomers If you are also on SoundCloud, follow Awesomers SoundCloud by pressing that FOLLOW button https://soundcloud.com/awesomerspodcast Let's ride together!

In today's episode, we are moving towards learning Finance Systems and Steve shares a blueprint on the Financial modules which is critical and important but often ignored by Entrepreneurs. Financial systems are scoreboards than albatross, a stress or a pain because it often shows us the status of the business and how well Entrepreneurs understand the business. Stay tuned with Steve today and make sure you have your favorite snacks and drinks on because this episode is just the beginning of our Financial ride together.

In this episode, Steve will talk about Strategic Marketing Systemization. - Who are market - Who are Customer - X number of leads that needs to be generated this year and next years based on our conversation rate - Average Order Value (AOP) or Average Sales - Cost per acquisition Steve will walk us through a more strategic system that allows us to be more flexible in changing our strategy backed up by data. As they say "Rinse and Repeat" is one of the effective way to enhanced and be more successful in implementing your system, learn from today's episode - Rinse and Repeat!