Cashing in on Karma... Friday, April 19

My teacher at the business start-up school, hosted by Seoul Global Center, had told me in a lecture, "never let money be the reason why you don't do something".  I was quite familiar with the idea of never letting money be the reason why I DO something but the reason why I DON'T DO something, interesting spin.  What he was talking about was in reference to starting a business -- it takes money to make money.  He had noted that there will always be people there to help you if you just opened your eyes and searched them out.  Initially I thought perhaps this was true because there will always be rich people who had so much money they wouldn't know what to do with it or because there will always be people looking for a way to cash in on someone else's idea, like piggy-backing on someones success.  However, in starting up Hulk's, I've learned that perhaps it's not that people want to cash in on your success but perhaps they admire your passion or see a glimpse of themselves in you.  I think this is very much the case with WOW Motors, a young guy who started off an imported car dealership by himself. 

For those who are not familiar with Korean car dealerships, the owner of a dealership actually owns each car he is selling.  There is no car manufacturer supplying them with their distinct brand to sell, instead the dealership invests their own money into buying a car on the notion that they will make a margin of profit when it gets sold.  WOW Motors specializes in imported cars so he's always got a few Porsches around.  Snickers likes his Lamborghini.  Anyways, you can only try to imagine how hard that must of been for him when he was first starting out.

We're now sponsored by WOW Motors but we never did actually approached the president about helping us out.  We're friends with his floor manager, Mouse Doctor, and in visiting him at his car shop did we eventually come to meet the president.  He had overheard our conversation one day and approached us.  The WOW Motors President is a proud sponsor of Hulk's Boxing but he has also become a very valued mentor, meeting with us on a daily bases and he now trains with us too.  I believe he saw in Snickers a younger version of him, the young entrepreneur he too had started off as.

I also definitely feel that people have been helping us out so much because of our passion, it's so evident, and I think they want to feel a part of it.  My father-in-law, K-Gere, surely views this as a means of tightening our relationship and helping encourage his son, Snickers.  Brooklyn, Snickers overly shy cousin, has jumped in on the action and now we're really close with him.  He's a whole new person consequently. 

It's been rather overwhelming all the support that friends have been giving us but more so the support of local companies.  I'm all about loyalty so when I find a store or company I like then I stick with them.  Perhaps this has built me up some karma points with them because it's been so awesome just how supportive they've been in return.  The son from the local father and son hardware shop we shop at came by to drop off a massive power drill for us, totally unexpectedly.  I joked with him, asking him if he missed me and he blushed.  Honestly, we probably go to this hardware shop at least once or twice a day so thankfully it's a simple five minute jog down the street.

I think there's a lot to be said too with how you treat those in your life; it builds karma.  I've never believed myself to be one of those overly happy people and I don't think I'm particularly nice to strangers.  I really don't like meeting new people, I kind of like to be left alone, and I much rather have my tight group of friends -- quality vrs. quantity.  I'll be the first person to put a stranger in their place because I honestly don't really care what those who don't know me think about me.  I'm sure this is quick to give me some bad labels but so be it.  I'm loud with my opinions, sarcastic with my remarks, but passionate in what I believe in.  I know who I am and where I'm going.  Snickers says that this may be building me bad karma, me being so opinionated and lacking in "Korean social expectations" but I beg to differ.  I know I don't fit the mold of what it means to be a lady in Korea but I know I get a lot of respect because of this fact. 

I may not be overly friendly to strangers but I'm real and I think I'm really good to those in my life.  Snickers and I both think differently about karma but that's ok.  Just because something is different doesn't mean it's wrong and the proof is in the fact that both he and I seem to be cashing in on all our built up karma.  Hulk's Boxing is our boxing club but it definitely wouldn't be what it is and what it is becoming without all the awesomeness of those who have really been helping support it.  Whether it be through donations, volunteered work, or just a simple note of encouragement on Facebook or whatnot, Hulk's foundation has definitely been built strong thanks to all those who have contributed.  I can't wait to see what becomes of Hulk's too, with all those involved in it.  I'm overly eager to see where it will be in a year from now, when we're celebrating its first birthday and the walls are marked up, the wallpaper is chipped and the equipment is all worked in.  I wonder what it will have evolved into.  Right now it's a fresh, new place but the aim is to use it to build a community.  I'm curious... who will be in our community, our Hulk family this time next year?!