Mark Strongman

Learn how to boost your income using online+offline skills ▪︎ $75m global entrepreneur & experienced broker ▪︎ Insights from a life well-traveled ▪︎

[Mark Strongman @NotWorkingHQ]

25 years ago...

I quit my job in London and moved to a different country to start a new life & job.

23 years ago I quit that job and started my own business in this strange new world.

With:

• A wife pregnant with twins
• Virtually no money to invest
• 2 daughters under the age of 5

Fast forward to today and I've somehow made $75 million dollars in sales.

Here's the full story:

My wife and I moved to Chile without any established circle of contacts to start a business. 

And in Latin America...

Business is all about who you know.

Not having an established network was going to be a huge challenge. But...

I was determined to make it work. I had the right skills and the right mindset.

And besides, what other options did I have?

I had 2 daughters under the age of 5 and a wife pregnant with twins.

I needed to do something fast. So I took the plunge...

My friend Felipe.

Felipe and I had previously worked together for a large branded footwear and fashion distributor and retailer.

He moved on to become a buyer in one of the big department store groups in Chile. Which meant...

He was now in charge of selecting and purchasing quantities of goods to be sold in these department stores.

I called him up and told him about my plan to build a collection of men's leather footwear and he told me to come see him when I was ready.

So I traveled from Chile to India, spending over a month researching and visiting shoe factories. 

I had to spend one night in a factory in Chennai getting eaten alive by bloodthirsty mosquitoes.

I built a collection of footwear that I knew would be commercial for Felipe's department store consumers. When the samples ready I delivered them to him personally.

He picked some "winners" and asked me for the prices.

And guess what?

A week later, I closed my first deal.

He gave me sizing requirements, logos, box designs and barcodes.

He bought 2 containers of 6000 pairs each.

Now how do you get paid?

Normally these department stores buy directly from countries like India, China, Vietnam.

When the deal is closed…

The payment goes directly from the buyer's bank account to the factory's bank account. 

So if the agreed price between the factory and the buyer is $14 per pair for 6000 pairs...

Then the factory would receive $84,000 from the buyer. 

But here's the catch:

1. Felipe was not buying from the factory. He was buying from me.

2. The factory didn't know Felipe. The factory knew me.

3. My selling price to Felipe was actually $18 per pair ($108,000)

When I closed the deal with Felipe, he sent $108,000 to my bank account and...

I sent $84,000 to the factory.

And just like that I made $24,000 out of ¨thin air¨

Best part?

I didn't have to buy the shoes with my money or do any real work apart from acting as the broker between the 2 sides.

If all goes to plan, Felipe receives his shoes 45 days after the ship leaves the port in China.

The shoes go into his stores (correctly barcoded, in the sizes he ordered, with his logos stamped on the insole etc) and they start to sell.

Felipe calls back and says:

"Hey, Mark, all good with the first 2 containers, great job, the sell-through is better than expected...

Now I need another 6 containers"

So, next order the profit is $144,000.

Of course, nothing is ever as simple as the way it is written.

But you get the gist?

I soon started to grow.

Felipe called his mate, a buyer in another department store and recommended me.

I very soon had a 2nd client.

I've never looked back since.

The wheel spins and you start to get a name for yourself as being a safe pair of hands.

That is what's called being a broker.

You make money with other people's money and they take the risk.

Nice, eh?

That's a wrap!

If you enjoyed this long post:

1. Follow me Mark Strongman @NotWorkingHQ for more stories like this. Please RT to share with your audience.

2. Use the link in my bio to discover how you can boost your income without making any real financial investment. I share case studies from 23+ years working as a broker in international business.

[Mark Strongman @NotWorkingHQ]

Second is really the first last.

[Mark Strongman @NotWorkingHQ]

@fasc1nate Chirimoya

[Mark Strongman @NotWorkingHQ]

@moewrites_ @GioBallerz I think it depends where you go to.

[Mark Strongman @NotWorkingHQ]

@moewrites_ That's also very true, my friend.

[Mark Strongman @NotWorkingHQ]

Negotiating Tip 101

Never go beyond your limit.

What should your limit be?

It's...

▪︎ The most you'll pay when buying
▪︎ The least you'll agree to when selling

Set your limit before entering a negotiation. And don't go beyond it.

- Your limit gives you power.
- When you reach it you'll fight harder.
- If you know you'll walk away you'll feel stronger.
- Your counterpart will sense you have the upper hand.

When I go into a negotiation with someone I write down my numbers beforehand.

When a potential buyer comes to see my house I am very sure in my mind what the cut-off is and I won't go lower.

Usually the other side goes away knowing full well if they want the house they have to pay my price.

[Mark Strongman @NotWorkingHQ]

@flyingowl_digi That’s for sure.

[Mark Strongman @NotWorkingHQ]

“Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.”

- Aristotle

[Mark Strongman @NotWorkingHQ]

There’s many ways to cut a cake.

I say this a lot.

When you’re looking to achieve a certain result in business there’s more than one way.

You have to find what works best for you.

But one sure way is using digital skills to connect with opportunities in the offline world.

[Mark Strongman @NotWorkingHQ]

@stats_feed 3

[Mark Strongman @NotWorkingHQ]

@flyingowl_digi Yep, it's harder, maybe, but lasts longer if you get it right.

[Mark Strongman @NotWorkingHQ]

Maybe not everyone’s going to like hearing this…

But I think a lot of you on this platform are obsessed with making ‘easy’ online money.

You’re getting sucked into a false reality reading stories about other people’s ‘success’.

But it’s not easy, is it?

You can’t lie to yourself; only you know whether it’s working or not, right?

What I’m saying is don’t lose sight of reality.

Whilst you develop your online game (until such time the money starts kicking in)…

Do other stuff irl
Offline

There’s a whole world of opportunities out there in your surroundings you can take advantage of…

And turn into cash.

It doesn’t have to be an all or nothing game, online cash or nothing.

That’s what I’m saying
That’s my message to you
You need to think out of the box

[Mark Strongman @NotWorkingHQ]

@flyingowl_digi and completely unavoidable...

[Mark Strongman @NotWorkingHQ]

You need competition.

In life
In business
Don’t be scared of it

Competition makes you react quicker
Makes you better
More efficient

Improves creativity

Make competition your partner

Enjoy it
Embrace it

Some of your best ideas will come because of it

[Mark Strongman @NotWorkingHQ]

@SteveStrongman Maybe he was incredibly stingy?

[Mark Strongman @NotWorkingHQ]

Years ago. Business trip.

We’re waiting for the airside transit at UK’s Stansted Airport to speed us out to the flight gate.

I’m standing there with my boss. The multi-millionaire Chairman. In his tailor-made business suit.

We’re on our way to Amsterdam for a couple of days to meet business associates.

Right there beside the automatic doors is one of those charity boxes encouraging travelers to deposit any loose change in any currency.

All donations gratefully received. However small. Written in a dozen languages.

There’s something shiny on the floor. I think it’s a 1 pound coin. My boss bends down and picks it up.

We’re surrounded by people waiting to be whisked off to their flights.

But instead of putting the coin in the charity box the Chairman slips it into his back pocket as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Didn’t even blink.
Not a second thought.
Oblivious to others’ stares.

The train turned up and we’re suddenly on our way to the gate to catch our flight… Leaving me and 50 others looking at each other in utter shock.

Jaws on the floor.

Is this the mentality you need to reach multi-millionaire status or just the mentality of an extreme cheapskate?

Even today I’m not sure I have the answer.

[Mark Strongman @NotWorkingHQ]

What’s one thing I’d tell my 20-year-old self?

It’s easy to obsess over unrealistic doomsday scenarios.

Don’t worry about stuff that hasn’t happened yet.

Wait for whatever is meant to happen and deal with it then.

Until such time try and take things one day at a time.

[Mark Strongman @NotWorkingHQ]

@moewrites_ Long time, yep. How have you been?

[Mark Strongman @NotWorkingHQ]

I know it’s hard…

But you have to be confident in your own life choices.

Don’t let others tell you what you should do.

Each to their own.

My 4 kids (young adults) have no doubt I won’t push them into anything.

The only thing I care about is their happiness.

Nothing else matters.

[Mark Strongman @NotWorkingHQ]

Here’s a tip about communication:

You have to put yourself in the other person’s shoes.

You need to fully understand where they’re coming from.

Don’t assume the other guy doesn’t know what he’s talking about.

Don’t lay the blame on anyone in particular.

Don’t jump to conclusions.

Ask
Probe
Question
Understand

In a business context I try to imagine myself doing my counterpart’s job.

Why are they being difficult?

What’s stopping them understanding what I’m saying?

Are they just repeating what their superiors are saying?

Words aren’t always what they seem.

There’s usually more to it than that.

Use emotional intelligence.

When you manage this you raise the level of communication and you achieve so much more.

It’s sometimes too easy to walk away from a potentially beneficial situation simply because communication has broken down.

There are ways to keep it on track.
Treat communication with respect.

[Mark Strongman @NotWorkingHQ]

Risk is in everything, of course, but normally the broker in the middle gets paid once the deal goes through. The broker risks losing time and effort if the deal doesn’t go ahead but normally the broker doesn’t make a financial investment which could be at risk. This is my experience, anyway.

[Mark Strongman @NotWorkingHQ]

The best thing about being a broker in business is you make money with zero risk.

You don’t need to invest your own money.

The real risk lies with the buyer.
The guy paying.

The seller also has risk.
But less.

As a broker I ensure I fully understand the niche.

I invest my time.
I network endlessly.
I research everything.

Sure...it's hard work.
But it’s the best ROI out there.

It’s easy money if you do things properly.