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! 😱 #casualBest 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 $22kAlthough:🔥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+ membersTalk 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 $254:02 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 investment18:04 When you’re less reliant on your job, you start seeing what’s wrong with it20:17 I don’t need to be an employee!22:47 Depressed over finding the meaning of life27:03 The Asian community is divided31:04 Asian Hustle Network’s mission32:35 Being inspired by the Meiji Shrine34:33 Going viral (thanks, Subtle Asian Traits!)39:14 How do you make everyone feel like they belong?41:11 Wanting to quit after 8 months41:43 Hate Is A Virus movement45:44 Running successful events48:51 The trick to networking50:09 Constantly innovating51:18 Becoming profitable53:04 Sponsorships55:00 Moving to Southeast Asia57:57 Difference to EST Media58:46 The Vietnamese Way1:03:11 Bing Chen of Gold House📍Show notes: www.sothisismywhy.com/113  💌 Weekly STIMY Newsletter that deconstructs how you build a portfolio career to prepare yourself for the future of work: https://sothisismywhy.ck.page/acd5bd1062🥳STIMY episodes are now open to sponsorship! Just email [email protected] to find out more.