I Got Married and Moved to Hong Kong! (Life Update)

Introduction (0s)

• This video is the annual Life Update video, where three main topics will be discussed: Life Update, business update, and personal reflections and thoughts (10s).
• The video will include timestamps for each topic, allowing viewers to skip around if desired (20s).
• The video is a way for the creator to share updates and thoughts with their audience, particularly those who are interested in their life and business (6s).

Life Update (24s)

• A life update has been shared, including getting married to a lady named Izzy, who is also a YouTuber, in August 2024 (55s).
• Izzy and the individual met in medical school at Emanuel College Cambridge, and they connected through YouTube (42s).
• Izzy's YouTube channel has gained significant popularity, and a room in their house in Hong Kong will be converted into her own YouTube studio (52s).
• After getting married, the couple decided to move to Hong Kong, where they will be living for at least the next year (1m5s).
• The couple was together for three years before getting married and had kept their relationship private, with some people figuring it out through social media (1m17s).
• There are plans to keep certain aspects of their life private, especially when it comes to their relationship and potential future family (1m47s).
• The couple is considering creating joint videos sharing relationship tips, but they are cautious about not making their relationship into content (2m10s).
• They are aware of the risks of relationship content becoming a livelihood and the potential negative consequences that come with it (2m31s).
• The couple's content focuses on personal development, business, and language learning, with no immediate plans to incorporate their relationship into their online content (3m9s).
• A book called "The Second Mountain" by David Brooks has been mentioned, which discusses the idea of two mountains in life: the mountain of freedom and success, and the potential realization that it may not be as fulfilling as expected (3m14s).
• The concept of the "first mountain" and the "second mountain" is discussed, where the first mountain represents the pursuit of pleasure and success, while the second mountain represents true and lasting joy through commitment and investment in relationships, community, and causes (3m38s).
• Many friends and mentors have shared that in their 20s and early 30s, they focused on the first mountain of achievement and success, but after getting married and having families, they realized that true joy comes from committing to someone and building roots (4m7s).
• The idea of having "wings" and being able to travel and experience new things is contrasted with the idea of building "roots" and committing to a place and a person (4m47s).
• Tim Ferriss' book "4-Hour Work Week" is mentioned, which discusses the idea of filling the void that can occur when one has the ability to do whatever they want, and finding purpose and meaning through being useful to others (4m52s).
• Personal experiences with traveling and being a digital nomad are shared, but it is concluded that while these experiences can be fun in small doses, life at home with a partner and a routine is preferred (5m14s).
• The idea of being a "globe-trotting business entrepreneur" was once appealing, but now the day-to-day routine and simplicity of life are enjoyed more (5m36s).
• Marriage is compared to setting up a YouTube studio, where one can focus on deepening a relationship rather than constantly seeking new experiences and novelty (6m22s).
• The experience of being married for a couple of months is shared, and it is stated that married life is enjoyable, with plans to read books and make videos about it (6m37s).
• The individual is married and is seeking marital advice from viewers, asking for comments on what they wish they had known a few months into their marriage (6m56s).
• The decision to move from London was primarily due to Izzy's dislike of the city's weather, which is gray and cold for most of the year, affecting her more than her partner (7m17s).
• The couple considered moving to various cities in the US, such as Miami, LA, Austin, and San Francisco, but found that the US was quite similar to the UK, with only bigger buildings, roads, and portion sizes (7m54s).
• They then explored the option of moving to Asia, considering cities like Hong Kong, Singapore, and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, and eventually chose Hong Kong as their destination (8m46s).
• The decision to choose Hong Kong was influenced by its great weather, abundance of greenery, with 80% of the city being national parks, and its high-rise buildings and international connectivity (9m31s).
• The couple decided to commit to living in Hong Kong for at least a year, setting down roots and building a life there, rather than sampling different cities for shorter periods (9m6s).
• Friends who had spent time in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Kuala Lumpur also recommended Hong Kong as a great place to be, further solidifying their decision (9m18s).
• The decision to move to Hong Kong was influenced by its good international links, as frequent travel is required for work, friends, and family, and many friends recommended the location (9m52s).
• After trying out Hong Kong for a few weeks, the decision was made to commit to staying for at least a year, renting a place, and setting up a life, including finding local squash, bonton, and tennis clubs to join (10m1s).
• An invitation is extended to viewers who may be in Hong Kong to reach out and potentially become friends, with a note that emails will be filtered through when the inbox is less busy (10m26s).
• The main life change from being in Hong Kong is having a routine, stability, and being able to plan activities without interruptions, such as taking singing lessons or going for a walk in the neighborhood (10m57s).
• The previous year was spent traveling and never having a proper studio setup, but now a solid routine is in place, allowing for the setup of a YouTube studio and joining local clubs without canceling sessions due to travel (11m22s).
• A recent life update also includes getting married, and an upcoming trip to London is planned to see a brother's new baby (12m18s).
• A podcast episode featuring a conversation with the brother about being a new dad is mentioned, and this concludes the life update (12m29s).

Business Update (12m38s)

• The business model is based on creating free content, with a percentage of the audience converting into paying customers, which funds the production of more free content, creating an infinite cycle (12m38s).
• If all the money in the world were available, the focus would likely shift to creating free content and making it available online, with possibly some paid courses, as people who pay for something tend to pay more attention (12m57s).
• The ideal scenario would involve having a dedicated space for filming videos, sharing knowledge, and documenting the journey, as well as having a family and continuing to grow the business for the fun of it (13m18s).
• A new app called Voice Pal has been developed, which has around 2500 paying users and allows for easy content creation by transcribing and uploading voice recordings (13m36s).
• The content creation process now involves going for walks while recording thoughts using Voice Pal, which has been a game-changer in terms of productivity and creativity (13m42s).
• The goal is to build cool products that help with productivity and creativity, and release them to the public, while continuing to make YouTube videos and write books (14m13s).
• The current situation is ideal, as winning the lottery would not substantially change the course of action, and it would be great if more people could achieve this state of contentment with their life and business (14m31s).
• A useful lens for viewing goal setting and personal development is to consider what major changes would be made if all the time and money in the world were available, and whether those changes can be made without needing all the time and money (14m53s).
• Many people are stuck in jobs they don't like due to financial constraints, but often they have enough savings and financial security to make a change, and it's worth reevaluating priorities (15m3s).
• Many people are stuck in jobs they don't enjoy due to financial concerns, but for those who are not on the poverty line, it's possible to find a lower-paying yet more fulfilling job that still provides for their needs (15m39s).
• Switching careers can be beneficial, as seen in the case of switching from medicine to YouTube, which ended up being more lucrative (16m0s).
• The business is being simplified by focusing on the personal brand rather than trying to build multiple separate brands, which was overcomplicating things (16m14s).
• The initial plan was to spin off the YouTuber Academy and Productivity Lab into their own mini-businesses, as well as start an online business school, but this proved to be too complicated (16m29s).
• The goal of building a scalable and sellable business was driven by the desire to create a business that wouldn't rely on one person and could be sold in the future (17m8s).
• However, this approach proved to be a huge amount of work and difficult to execute, especially when trying to decorrelate the business from a personal brand that's already working (18m16s).
• Mentors suggested building a business with the option to sell it in the future, which seemed sensible but ultimately led to overcomplicating the business (17m51s).
• A business strategy has been realized, focusing on continuing to do what works, specifically personal brand-related activities such as selling courses and making YouTube videos under one's own name, without involving other team members in the content, as long as it remains fun and successful (18m27s).
• This approach involves doubling down on the current strategy rather than trying to expand or change it, and it has been found to be effective and enjoyable (18m48s).
• A realization has been made that building a business with the intention of it being bought by someone else is not a necessary goal and is driven by "shoulds," which are not a good way to live life (18m57s).
• Recently, it has been understood that "shoulds" are not a good way to approach life and decision-making (19m0s).

Life Reflections (19m6s)

• A 7-Day intensive retreat in California, hosted by Joe Hudson and his wife Tara from The Art of Accomplishment, provided a significant takeaway that every "should" is accompanied by shame and resistance, often leading to negative energy and reliance on discipline rather than enjoyment (19m16s).
• This realization led to a reevaluation of business goals, recognizing that the pressure to build a scalable business and reduce keyman risk was causing unnecessary stress and complicating the business (21m0s).
• The decision was made to abandon the goal of building a business that could be sold, instead focusing on doing what is enjoyable and not worrying about the livelihood of the team, as they will be able to find new jobs (21m19s).
• This shift in perspective has been liberating, allowing for the creation of a business that prioritizes enjoyment and personal fulfillment over scalability and long-term employment (21m30s).
• The philosophy of focusing on enjoyment and doing things that bring joy is also reflected in the book "Feel Good Productivity," which emphasizes that productivity takes care of itself when one finds ways to enjoy their work (20m41s).
• The annual life update video is an example of something that is done out of enjoyment, rather than a sense of obligation or "should," and is appreciated by some viewers despite not generating many views or new subscribers (20m7s).
• A realization was made that there are unnecessary attachments and expectations that can be let go of, allowing for the freedom to make choices and do what one wants (21m53s).
• This realization is not new, as a similar epiphany was had last year, but it's a recurring pattern of flip-flopping between wanting freedom and being influenced by others to scale and make more money (22m1s).
• The influence of others, especially those who are successful and confident, can lead to adopting their desires, a concept known as mimetic theory, which was developed by Rene Girard (24m13s).
• This can result in making changes to one's business or life based on temporary wants, rather than long-held desires, which can be a mistake (24m38s).
• The book "Wanting: The Power of Mimetic Desire" by Luke Burgess discusses the difference between "thick" desires, which are long-held and true to oneself, and "thin" desires, which are temporary and influenced by others (24m4s).
• A personal example of a "thick" desire is the desire to teach, which has been a consistent goal since the age of 13 (24m50s).
• The desire to design and create has been present since the age of 12, and making websites was a natural progression of this desire (24m57s).
• There are people who grow up with the desire to sell a company for a large sum of money, but this has never been a personal goal (25m12s).
• Adopting someone else's desires, such as wanting to exit a company for $50-100 million, can lead to problems in business if it doesn't align with one's core self (25m41s).
• The realization that making a couple million in profit each year is sufficient, and there's no need to make more than that, is a core aspect of personal identity (26m11s).
• The influence of others, such as someone who lives in a $20 million house in Hong Kong, can create a desire for expensive things and lead to pursuing more money (26m21s).
• The desire to keep up with others, such as joining an expensive country club, can be a justification for pursuing more money, but it may take away from enjoyable activities (27m1s).
• The pattern of adopting someone else's desires and then realizing it's not what's truly wanted is a recurring one, and the goal is to reduce the frequency of falling prey to this pattern (27m35s).
• To simplify the business, the idea of building multiple brands has been scrapped, and the focus will be on the basics, including a redesigned website and YouTube channel (27m47s).
• A decision was made a couple of weeks ago to simplify business operations by selling products on al.com rather than building multiple brands, which feels right (28m0s).
• The importance of how something feels has been realized, which was not considered in the past when the focus was on grinding and hustling (28m17s).
• In the past, feelings were not recognized or labeled, but over time, especially in a relationship, the ability to identify and understand feelings has developed (29m20s).
• The decision to build multiple brands and scale the business did not feel right, but the feeling was overridden by the thought that it was a good and sensible thing to do (29m36s).
• Simplifying the business and bringing everything under one umbrella feels good, and there is no feeling that it is a bad decision (29m55s).
• There are still concerns and doubts in the brain, but the feeling of simplifying the business is positive (30m1s).
• The ability to feel and recognize feelings has improved over time, and it is now possible to distinguish between what feels good and what does not feel good internally (30m52s).
• The title of a book, "Feelgood Productivity," has been thought of, which reflects the importance of feelings in productivity (30m56s).
• Ollie Richards is a mentor who has a main YouTube channel focused on language learning and a second channel about building an online education business, with a link to the second channel provided below (31m1s).
• A conversation with Ollie led to the realization that considering how one feels energetically about different business directions is an important question, and this approach has become a key part of decision-making (31m12s).
• Energetically, it feels weird to try to build multiple brands and a business to sell for a large sum of money, but simplifying the business and focusing on creating good content, learning, and occasionally making courses or writing books feels right (31m37s).
• The decision to simplify the business has brought a sense of relief and a breath of fresh air, allowing for a greater focus on one website, one online courses platform, and one checkout system (32m20s).
• Maintaining multiple checkout providers, systems, and bank accounts was a nightmare, and simplifying has eliminated this complexity (32m55s).
• At a certain stage in life, it's essential to reevaluate priorities and consider what's truly important, rather than just doing what one thinks they should be doing (33m20s).
• Building a business that becomes a prison for oneself defeats the purpose of entrepreneurship, which is often about gaining freedom and doing what one wants (33m35s).
• Having the financial freedom to pursue one's passions and interests is a desirable outcome, and many entrepreneur friends have reached this point (34m14s).