Live Work Play Japan Podcast

Going freelance can be a very scary leap, but if you do it the possibility of doing work you enjoy and getting paid well for that work can go up drastically. For this podcast I sat down with Jennifer Piatkowski to talk about her recent move into freelance design after working as a graphic designer for years. She has some fantastic advice for taking the leap out of a stifling job that isn't paying you what your worth nor giving you the time to pursue other things and into something that allows you to live life on your own terms.

Building a startup as a foreigner in Japan challenges you to be maximally effective and always look for the 10x return. Japan is a paradoxical place, where technology is very advanced in some areas, but completely behind the times in others. This is why there is so much room for startups to massively disrupt billion dollar (trillion yen) markets here. Jordan Fisher is one such entrepreneur, looking to disrupt the local services industry in Japan with his startup Zehitomo: In this podcast, we’ll talk about: Challenging assumptions about Japan from foreign perspectives Getting the right team behind you so you can be maximally effective Company culture and not having “language allergies” when working in mutli-cultural teams Early on focusing on the most valuable “10x opportunities” and shelving trendy online marketing tools that don’t bring in as strong a return Founder advice and Japanese as a requirement for building a company here. You can find out more about Zehitomo on their website, and get in touch with Jordan on LinkedIn or by meeting him at the many events he speaks at in Tokyo.

If you've ever struggled with your image of yourself, or not enjoying your life in Japan, this episode is for you. So many of our issues come from our own self-talk and how we view ourselves. This week I sat down with Rin Ishikawa, a coach who started her own coaching practice called "Jiaiii" (self-love in Japanese) to help people to take care of themselves mentally as well as physically. We talk about: Why Rin started coaching and her difficult past as a returnee in Japan. The mindset shifts Rin helps her "tribe" go through so that they can see themselves positively, sometimes after years of self-loathing and self-sabotage. Where some of our really painful and destructive thoughts come from and how to change your inner dialogue to enjoy and find success in life. You can find Rin on Facebook, on Instagram @jiaiii_lifecoach and you can find her website here.

If you're not happy with your English teaching, there are a lot more things you can do about it than you might think. However, it needs to be you taking action. No magic high-paying teaching job is going to drop in your lap, and nobody owes you a good job. On this podcast I'll talk about: Making more money as an English teacher and what options that opens up. Making "finding a job" your job. Treat it like it's work you are doing and you'll suddenly have so many opportunities you won't know what to do with them. Adjusting your resume for every job you apply for. Getting a thick skin and realising that if you didn't get the job, it's probably because you could have done better at the interview or represented yourself better on your resume.

¥250,000 is the standard salary for an English teacher in Japan. It’s not a lot of money, even less than even trainee teachers make in the UK, but in Japan this hasn’t changed in decades and recently has even started to trend down. Why is this still the standard? It’s because we allow it to be by accepting these jobs. On this podcast I'll talk about: One of the most powerful mindset changes I have done: always take responsibility for my choices and the consequences of those choices You don’t need to get stuck at ¥250k, because that too is a choice We often don't think about the long term consequences of short term impact decisions. How to be happy and make choices that benefit your career in Japan Write down what qualifications, experience and skills top paying jobs are looking for, and then start obtaining those proficiencies Complaining gets you nowhere in Japan Make a new choice and take control of your career in Japan. You are not the standard, so believe in yourself enough to demand more.

Lynn Sun is a consultant in Tokyo and can give you inside knowledge into this dynamic and fast moving work here. In this podcast we sat down and talked about: Passing the N1 after coming to Japan. Working as a CIR in local government near Tokyo. Getting into consulting jobs in Japan; what should you look for, and what are some red flags? What is consulting work in Japan really like and what kind of person would enjoy this kind of job? How to get ahead in consulting jobs even if you're getting bad projects. Vorkers - a great resource for reviews on companies from employees Glassdoor - another review site to find out about a company's reputation.

I've got Hee Gun Eom on the podcast to talk about building a coworking space in Tokyo! In this podcast (among other things) we talked about: Growing up a "third culture" kid in Japan and attending Tokyo American School Coming back from studying in the US to help the family business Helping young people in Japan by teaching entrepreneurial programs to give them alternatives to 就活 (shukatsu - the Japanese job hunting system) Getting funding from the Japanese government to help start the coworking space Staying open to collaboration and creating a community of makers and creatives. Find out more about Nishiogi Place here.

I met Thomas when we were both taking Seth Godin’s altMBA. He's a videogame and fashion designer based in Osaka, and he has a lot to share about business, marketing and design.

I’ve been in Japan for more than 6 years now and during my time here I’ve built up a resume that includes some famous and highly regarded schools. Getting those kinds of jobs has some requirements, and there are some ways that you can get there faster than if you did what I did and just came here straight out of university to teach at any English conversation school that would take me. So let’s talk about how you get there.

What do you do when you lose your job? For Joseph, it was a chance to make his YouTube channel into a full-time career!

There are a lot of options for work in Japan, and especially in Tokyo, but what do you do when you have learned everything you need to in an industry you don't want to stick around in? What if your real passion is fitness?

English teaching is just one option to come to Japan, but if you want to build a network and learn about sales and business, there are tons of options. Misha, my guest this week, has you covered.

You can make changes to your life in Japan that stick. All you need to do is change your perspective. Take the time to make changes you want to make inside instead of waiting for changes in the world. Let's talk about rules for 2019.

Robert Millar is a serial entrepreneur, and owner of the co-working space Ginza HUB. He’s been working and building up businesses in Japan for over twenty years, and has a lot of experience both of massive successes and also big failures, which we can all learn from.

Ken Matsunaga started his English coaching business in Japan five years ago, and has already cleared  $1m in revenue. We're going to talk about doing good, setting intentions and the most important things to do when starting a language teaching business in Japan.

Here are the rules I've learned about how to get the apartment you want at a price you can afford, based on my experience moving five times in Japan in three prefectures. In this podcast I'll share my seven rules for finding the best apartment you can in Japan.

This week my guest didn't want to be named, because he'll be talking about how much of a mess the new entrepreneur visa in Japan is. I was shocked to hear this stuff!

For the first time, this week is going to be a solo podcast where I answer a big question that often goes unvoiced: "Why are English teachers in Japan ashamed to call themselves teachers?"

I talk to Diana about working as a freelance dancer, teacher and yoga instructor in Tokyo, and how she always has interesting and exciting work.

I got to sit down in person with Tove Kinooka to talk about her incredible work with One Young World and her business Global Perspectives.

I'm excited to talk with Declan Somers from Seibo Japan NGO. They have been helping to provide school meals for children in Malawi, but have had some struggles operating as an NGO in Japan. The Warm Hearts Coffee Club helps give the growers a great deal, and also provides tens of thousands of children with school meals. Find out more at https://warmheartscoffeeclub.com BONUS Drinking Game: Take a drink every time Charlie says: "Wow!"

I met Tristan at a blockchain event, and in this podcast he tells us all about how he built a business around his passion for Japan and Japanese culture. We will talk about: Being inspired by Japanese culture and the Japan Day in Dusseldorf. Doing an exchange program in Saitama and studying Japanese to improve his Japanese before coming to Japan to live. Starting Kaikoku and bringing Japan to the world, and the world to Japan. Some advice to network for entrepreneurs in Japan.

Lucasz is really inspiring for me, because he is an example of what is possible if you believe in your power to control your life. A lot of work out here is in English teaching, but if you work on your passions (like Lukasz does with Photography), then you can radically change your path. We will talk about how you don't need a Japanese partner to start a business in Japan, you should hire for attitude, not aptitude, and choose business partners that cover your weaknesses - and much more!

Meet Elizabeth Mueller, a friend who has built her business around her love of travelling in Japan. How can you make money while travelling, you ask? Listen and find out! We will talk about being inspired to live in Japan and not just do whatever it takes to stay here. We'll talk about designing your work and your business around the kind of life you want to lead. Show notes at liveworkplayjapan.com/podcast

Charlie talks to Yan Fan, an engineer and tech founder in Tokyo. Yan runs the coding bootcamp Code Chrysalis in Roppongi, and on this episode we'll talk all about tech and startup culture in Japan.

In this episode Charlie talks to Alex Fraioli, the owner of Critical Hit Bar in Nagoya. Starting a business in Japan can be an incredibly tough challenge, and while you don't need Japanese you do need to have a lot of resilience. Alex shares his entrepreneurial journey with us.

In this podcast Charlie talks to Diego, a successful university and international school teacher in Japan. He is the most conscientious teacher I know, and his students love him way more than mine do. We will talk about Diego’s rocky start in Japan – from out in the middle of nowhere with screaming, crying children and a roach infested apartment, to a highly paid university instructor in the biggest city in the world.

In this podcast Charlie talks to Peter, the owner of JobsinJapan.com. There is nothing this man doesn't know about finding better work here. Listen to this podcast to learn all the mistakes you're making when applying for jobs in Japan, and all the tricks you keep trying that HR managers can smell a mile away.

In this podcast episode Charlie talks to Arthur Zetes about how he's built a 6-figure business teaching English in Japan and actually helped Japanese people to connect with foreigners.

Martin and Charlie talk about entrepreneurship, how you can provide enough value to make more money and become financially independent, and finding bigger and better opportunities in Japan.

We look back on the past few years in Japan and talk about how to be successful here. Martin and Charlie sat down to talk about what is changing in Japan, and what foreigners in Japan can do to be successful.

Today we talk to the Meetup.com Community Manager Hiroyasu Ichikawa to see how meetup can be an amazing tool for building a network, as well as learning skills and being a community leader in Japan.

In this episode we will learn about the internship culture in Japan. How are internships viewed in Japanese society? How can one negotiate an internship with Japanese companies and other tactics to expand your network in Japan so you can not only get internships, but find full time jobs and even make new friends?

Learn how Marco quit his job as a headhunter and before the next rent was due on our apartment, he was able to find a teaching job paying more than he had ever earned previously in his entire career using a simple but all too often forgotten technique.