Ep 113: How Do You Build a 200,000+ community in 3 years?! | Bryan Pham (Co-Founder, Asian Hustle Network, AHNF, AHN Ventures, Hate Is A Virus)

Everyone wants to start a community while Bryan
Pham (with his co-founder, Maggie Chui) has grown a
global community from 0 to 200,000+ in 3 years!  


#casual


Best of all?


It started as a “screw you” moment.


In all seriousness, Bryan is the founder of Asian Hustle Network
(“AHN”), AHNF & AHN Ventures. 


And has had quite the unconventional journey:


Bryan’s parents fled the Vietnam War & taught him that
investments and business were taboo


He worked as a software engineer & realised that companies
didn’t have his back; you’d be fired even if you’d been working
there for 20 years!


He tried an Amazon selling side hustle - and lost $22k


Although:


His roommate got him into property investment - and he made
$200k+ from his first sale!


He built a real estate investment community of 2,000 in 2 years
in the Bay Area.


But for 4 years, Bryan had been thinking about his why. And found
himself wanting to build something for the Asian community.


A trip to the Meiji Shrine gave his idea the spark, a rejection
gave it the light (you’ll have to listen to find out what! ), and
within 3 days of AHN being born, the Asian Hustle Network had
1,000 members.


In 11 months: 60k members


In 1.5 years: 100k+ members


In 2 years: 120k+ members


Talk about fulfilling a need!


But things weren’t easy: 


️Bryan was receiving hate messages (and wanted to quit after 8
months) 


️ AHN wasn’t profitable for years.


Things have since turned around


AHN is incorporated in the USA, Singapore & Australia;


Has its own venture fund;


Also runs a non-profit fund; and


Has expanded into Southeast Asia!


To learn the details of this transformation, how AHN grew from a
Facebook group to a massive global super connector platform &
Bryan’s lesson from launching the Hate Is A Movement, just listen
to the latest episode 113 on the So This Is My Why podcast!


And do let us know what you think.





Highlights:


2:17 Growing up with $25

4:02 Investments & business were taboo at home!

5:31 Why computer science?

6:45 Companies aren’t loyal

9:43 Starting his side hustle & losing $22,000

12:01 Getting into real estate investment

18:04 When you’re less reliant on your job, you start seeing
what’s wrong with it

20:17 I don’t need to be an employee!

22:47 Depressed over finding the meaning of life

27:03 The Asian community is divided

31:04 Asian Hustle Network’s mission

32:35 Being inspired by the Meiji Shrine

34:33 Going viral (thanks, Subtle Asian Traits!)

39:14 How do you make everyone feel like they belong?

41:11 Wanting to quit after 8 months

41:43 Hate Is A Virus movement

45:44 Running successful events

48:51 The trick to networking

50:09 Constantly innovating

51:18 Becoming profitable

53:04 Sponsorships

55:00 Moving to Southeast Asia

57:57 Difference to EST Media

58:46 The Vietnamese Way

1:03:11 Bing Chen of Gold House






Show notes: www.sothisismywhy.com/113 


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