Thirty five years ago I was boarding a plane from Philadelphia to Seoul on my first international business trip. I was a 27 year old chemical engineer, father of a 1-1/2 year old daughter, and had never flown outside the US. I was doing technical support for over a year with Dupont fluoropolymers and elastomers, and the plan was to visit customers and prospects in Seoul, Busan, Ulsan and Daegu, South Korea.
As many companies are 'accidental exporters', where exporting happens without a plan, so was my international journey, 'accidental'. The fellow doing technical support and business development for Asia was retiring, and no one wanted his job... because it was too much work, too much travel and too many countries and cultures. I wasn't a globie yet, but the adventure sounded amazing to me, and so I raised my hand and eventually got it.
For that first trip, Dupont Korea would take me from here to there - especially since I was 'too young', and in fact that almost stopped the whole thing, but finally since quite literally no one else would do this trip, here I was. They were great hosts, keeping me out of trouble. Prior to the first work day on a Monday, staying at the Lotte Hotel, I walked through the markets and all over Seoul on Sunday - totally amazed, and the initial inspiration to a life's calling in global business.
For the decades since, I've been in love with this life. To travel, to meet new people, to solve problems within different cultures... is me. Plain old local business was never the same, and I couldn't do it. From that first trip, I needed the complexity of global business to stay engaged at work.
I was a 'field engineer' at Dupont and part of the deal was that I moved on every two years, different role, different location... until finding a home. And so now here I was, at home in the world. I took a career transfer into Polymers and my international role. Then in the next year, another accident happened, with an expat business assignment created for someone in Tokyo, and unexpectedly, I was chosen. And the rest as they say, is history.
By the way, WOW - how the world has changed for the better in 35 years!
In those days personal computers were just becoming prevalent, and the communication mechanism with Asia at the time was a teletype... the rat-a-tat-tat of the format made the world seem so far away. It was. The 1988 Seoul Olympics were a coming-of-age moment for South Korea, and the progress after that has been head-spinning. As Hans Rosling never failed to point out, the health and wealth of the world continues on a positive trajectory.
This was all well before Global Chamber®! In those days in the Polymers Department we made materials - rubber like neoprene and plastic like nylon - for the auto and other industries, and so that was all a good fit for me too, a car guy. I'm reminded of getting around S. Korea in the classic Hyundai Pony taxis (above) that were ubiquitous in late 1980's before the Olympics. They were made more memorable to me by their small size and my 193cm (6ft 4in) frame.
It's impossible to forget the way those tiny Ponies retained the small of garlic after a bulgogi dinner, especially with a few passengers. Or the time a taxi driver decided to take me on a shortcut to make my flight in Seoul/Incheon without explaining (or more likely it was lost in translation), and we ended up on the Han River flood wall, going the wrong way on a highway ramp, and through what seemed like a pretty tough neighborhood. Being from New York I thought that was my last day on earth, until the airport appeared suddenly, well before it would have taken by the normal route.
The transformation of South Korea since the 88 Olympics has been spectacular. I've made dozens of trips there over the years, and every one included being peppered by engineers with questions on how others were doing things, all so that they could learn more. Now they are leaders in the world, world-class in business. And collectively the people I've met on my journey have helped create a lifetime of wonderful memories for me.
I'm not going to be the old guy who tells story after story about the good old days. But I will be that guy who emphasizes that the world is getting smaller and better, and globalization continues to progress, and so global trade is as important as ever. It's good work, and it does good for the world.
If you're not involved with global business now, why not? 85% of new business in the next 5 years is outside the US, and the world is quite literally in our hands... we can all do this now. And we need to... and perhaps you need to. Thanks to those of you already on board, the global tribe.
It's unlikely that I've got another 35 active years, but hopefully at least in the next 25 years I'll be able to help exporters and investors make progress with trade in every region of the world, increasing higher-value exports to the world from every country. Join me!
Global trade is growing, creates wealth, improves inequity and builds intercultural understanding. People around the world are truly amazing and ready to give you, too a lifetime of wonderful memories. What else do you need to get involved?
Collectively let's make more and more progress together.
"Trade is the enemy of all violent passions. It loves moderation, delights in compromise, and is most careful to avoid anger. Trade is patient, supple, and insinuating. It makes men & women independent and gives them a high idea of their personal importance: it leads them to manage their own affairs and teaches them to succeed." - Alexis de Tocqueville
"Arguing against globalization is like arguing against the laws of gravity." - Kofi Annan
Doug Bruhnke - Founder/CEO of Global Chamber®
Be global and UNSTOPPABLE!
Global Chamber® is a unique, dynamic, collaborating and fast-growing chamber of commerce dedicated to growing member businesses anywhere, a 'global tribe' of trusted CEOs, executives, and top leaders in 525 metro regions around the world, located everywhere. We proactively help member organizations to export, import, invest and grow globally with direct assistance through warm introductions that generate clients, partners, projects and reliable resources. Across 525 chapters we deliver over 500 events per year to further connect members to prospective clients and leaders that support growth and success, and reduce risk and costly mistakes. Be global and UNSTOPPABLE! Global Chamber® is a registered trademark of Global Chamber, LLC since 2014.
Originally published at https://www.globalchamber.org/blog/2022/01/09/global-chamber/on-a-35th-year-anniversary-more-reasons-to-be-global-and-unstoppable/
