Bobby Henebry is an international speaker and blockchain & cryptocurrency expert. He has a passion for music and loves writing, recording, and performing.
What’s your story?
My story is one of patience, ambition, and now leveraging the limited resource that is me in a digitized world. I have been fascinated with entrepreneurship since attending Georgia Tech, and then spent 11 years working in a small wealth management firm, eventually earning partner. I learned a LOT about business, especially people, and then went out on my own. I have spent two years travelling the world (30+ countries), facilitating in leadership academies in Central Eurasia and the Middle East, while also building two businesses… 1) a blockchain consulting practice and 2) an online music education platform, Chord Savvy.
What excites you most about your industry?
Blockchain is fun because there is so much excitement about it, no matter where I go! And there is a big global debate around how centralized or decentralized we should be. The Internet and FinTech broadly create big new possibilities for what we can be as a civilization. There are LOTS of smart people all over the world that are working on solving big problems with this technology, and that is interesting and inspirational. I have seen it in Malta, Uzbekistan, Jordan, UAE, Canada, Mongolia, and a number of other places I have traveled to. So stay tuned…
What’s your connection to Asia?
I first started doing business in Asia in 2006 by advising family offices in Hong Kong. They were entrepreneurial and very focused! In the past two years, I have been to over 30 countries, including 9 in Asia. I feel as though the story of the past 50 years was about the West, with China coming on strong. India is also a fascinating story with amazing people. And given how extensively I have travelled in the region, I feel like this place will be the story of the next 50 years. So it is important to stay connected to what is going on here.
Favourite city in Asia for business and why?
Hong Kong is a fabulous city that has managed a constructive combination of East meeting West. I worked with family offices there for over 10 years and came to appreciate how savvy and entrepreneurial the people are there. It’s an amazing gateway to Asia, especially for those in the West that have never travelled in the region.
What’s the best piece of advice you ever received?
Virtue is it’s own reward. If you continue to do the right thing, which can often be selfless, it comes back to you. So keep doing good in this world, and that makes for a lot of happiness!
Who inspires you?
The entire network of the Central Eurasian Leadership Academy (CELA), Middle East Leadership Academy, and our affiliate networks are amazing people. I get unbelievable energy each time I attend one of our annual academy sessions! Sameer Somal is also a rising star in India, and I truly admire the work he is doing there. When I was a teenager learning guitar, it was James Hetfield (Metallica), and that inspiration still drives me today as I try to improve my playing. We all have more potential than we will ever realize, no matter what our interests, so it is important to stay inspired and be around people that encourage the expansion of our comfort zone.
What have you just learnt recently that blew you away?
The most limiting behavior I have had to overcome has been “perfection gets in the way of good enough.” I have put off SO MANY goals and tasks in my life because I had perfection as the goal. This is really difficult to attain, so most of the time I just end up doing less than I otherwise could. I don’t even start many tasks! But once I learned that DOING (without worrying about mistakes) is more important than constantly planning, I started to see more results. Sure there are some things left to be desired, BUT I can keep incrementally improving once I execute and create. That’s powerful.
If you had your time again, what would you do differently?
First, I would have made some amazing investments in the stock market! But seriously, I think I would have canceled cable TV much sooner, avoided video games all-together as a kid (and through college…), and let myself have more time to heal from some sports injuries (without rushing back). I would have allocated my time more to reading, creating music, building business ideas, and being more comfortable with perceived failures. Compounding experience is extremely powerful, and the sooner you begin avoiding bad habits and focusing on good habits, the more you can achieve with this life.
How do you unwind?
Music is my great passion! I love writing, recording, and performing whenever possible. And given how extensively I travel I always keep my Martin backpacker guitar with me. It’s like a piece of home that I bring with me, and it comforts me when I want to reflect and create. It also serves as a way to connect people across cultures, which is something I have enjoyed doing all around the world. Music is the universal language, and I have seen how powerfully it connects in unexpected ways.
Favourite Asian destination for relaxation? Why?
I absolutely loved Bali when I was there! It was at the end of a long business trip in the region, and I was just really impressed with the Indonesian people, hospitality, and richness of the culture. We also stayed at the Four Seasons, which had these amazing private bungalows. It was an awesome experience and a wonderful place to relax.
Everyone in business should read this book:
“The Greatest Salesman in the World” (Og Mandino) is a HIGHLY impactful parable IF you read it the way the author intended. A young apprentice wants to know the secrets to his mentor’s success in building a business empire, so he shares 10 scrolls, each one outlining important life lessons…. I will divorce myself from bad habits and marry good habits, I will wake up with love in my heart, etc. The trick is that you must read each scroll 3 times per day for 30 days. It’s a 300-day challenge, which is unbelievably powerful IF you do it!
Shameless plug for your business:
HBCC, LLC is my consulting business for blockchain and cryptocurrencies. I have spoken all over the world on this subject, and I would LOVE to continue doing this. I get regular compliments for my ability to communicate complex ideas in brief windows of time. So check out my profile on SpeakerHub.com, sign me up for your next summit, keynote speech, or board meeting! Also, subscribe to my music education YouTube channel, Chord Savvy… Rock on!!!!
How can people connect with you?
If you want to talk Blockchain, then shoot me an e-mail at [email protected]. If you love music and global travel, then follow me on Instagram (Bobby_Guitarist) or YouTube by subscribing to Chord Savvy. It rocks!!
Twitter handle?
@hbcc_llc
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This interview is part of the ‘Callum Connect’ series of more than 500 interviews
Callum Laing is an entrepreneur and investor based in Singapore. He has previously started, built and sold half a dozen businesses and is now a Partner at Unity-Group Private Equity and Co-Founder of The Marketing Group PLC. He is the author two best selling books ‘Progressive Partnerships’ and ‘Agglomerate’.
Connect with Callum here: twitter.com/laingcallum linkedin.com/in/callumlaing Download free copies of his books here: www.callumlaing.com