From a medical life to an entrepreneurial one. Julian is on a startup journey with the launch of his new book early next year.

What’s your story?
Born in Austria 29 years ago, went to high school in the US and became a professional kiteboarder for 10 years. I studied medicine in Austria graduating in 2009/2010. After working for almost two years in the traumatology station I decided on leaving the medical field and starting my own business. Guess how happy that made my parents?

Initially in Germany we expanded to Hong Kong to get market share in Asia. After 4 successful years I did not share the same vision as my partners and we split ways. With no urge to work again I started travelling and worked on my second book, which will come in the next couple of weeks. I am still based in Hong Kong together with my girlfriend and if I am not writing, public speaking or working on my book, I am either playing basketball or kitesurfing. I am already working on a new venture (this time in the medical field) with a business partner, which will be officially launched after my book is published at the beginning of 2016.
 
What excites you most about your industry?
I love launching a business from the ground up. Working in a large corporation is way too rigid for me. I enjoy flexibility and the constant change of different needs in a startup environment. My old business was in the shopping and retail field, but with my new venture I want to head back into the medical field which is what I had studied originally.

What’s your connection to Asia?
I moved to Hong Kong over three years ago for business. Even though I cashed in on my share and I am not active anymore, I am still based here together with my girlfriend.

_CAM0465 IMG_6301edit Profile 1

Favourite city in Asia for business and why?
Hong Kong – that’s where I live. I love and hate the city at the same time, but the doorway between the western to the eastern world makes it a business heaven

What’s the best piece of advice you ever received?
“Julian, you are the smartest person in the room. Until you change that, you won’t succeed as an entrepreneur!”.  It reminded me to work a lot more on, “the law of you being the average of the five people around you”.

Who inspires you?
Elon Musk – never taking, no, for an answer, attracting great talent and leading three successful companies.

What have you just learnt recently that blew you away?
Wow, that’s a tough one because I read and learn a lot on a daily basis. If I had to choose one thing that I just recently learned and truly blew me away through all the value it is bringing I would have to go with using Periscope effectively. I think the live video broadcasting tools will mark a new social media revolution in the upcoming years.

If you had your time again, what would you do differently?
Learning to raise money earlier. I could have started to execute my own ideas earlier in life.

How do you unwind?
Playing basketball or going kitesurfing, depending on whether I am in a city or close to a beach.

Favourite Asian destination for relaxation? Why?
Bali – great surf, awesome weather, calming energy.

Everyone in business should read this book:
Steve Jobs Biography by Walter Isaacson. I believe in learning from other people, and Steve Jobs is a prime example who you can learn from as an entrepreneur. Walter Isaacson described his life in the most impressive way possible.

Shameless plug for your business:
I am about to release my next book “25 Stories I would tell my Younger Self” in the next few weeks and if you are interested to stay up to date and get an early bird deal, head over to www.JulianHospCoaching.com and put in your email there.

How can people connect with you?
Best via Facebook: www.facebook.com/julianhosp

Twitter handle?
@julianhosp

This interview was part of the Callum Connect’s column found on The Asian Entrepreneur:

CallumConnects

Callum Laing invests and buys small businesses in a range of industries around Asia.  He has previously started, built and sold half a dozen businesses and is the founder & owner of Fitness-Buffet a company delivering employee wellness solutions in 12 countries.  He is a Director of, amongst others, Key Person of Influence.  A 40 week training program for business owners and executives.

Take the ‘Key Person of Influence’ scorecard <http://www.keypersonofinfluence.com/scorecard/>

Connect with Callum here:
twitter.com/laingcallum
linkedin.com/in/callumlaing
Get his free ‘Asia Snapshot’ report from www.callumlaing.com

Recently Published

Key Takeaway: Recent neuroscience research suggests that popular strategies to control dopamine are based on an overly narrow view of its function. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter in the brain that tracks reactions to rewards, such as food, sex, money, or answering a question correctly. There are many types of dopamine neurons located in the uppermost […]
Key Takeaway: NASA’s independent study team released a report on UFOs, describing them as UAPs (unidentified anomalous phenomena) to move beyond the stigma associated with UFOs. The report found no evidence that reported UAP observations are extraterrestrial. The report also highlighted the need for transparency and reducing the stigma associated with UFOs. The study team […]

Top Picks

Key Takeaway: George Bernard Shaw referred to Ebenezer Howard’s “garden cities” concept in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, which he believed would offer the advantages of town and country without the drawbacks. Recently, a Silicon Valley consortium called Flannery Associates purchased land for California Forever, a contentious project that echoes Howard’s ideas. Howard’s […]
Key Takeaways: Starfield, a highly anticipated video game, allows players to build their own character and spacecraft, travel to multiple planets, and follow multiple story arcs. The game’s interactive music uses a palette of musical language that cultivates a contemplative soundscape, launching the listener into the vastness of space while remaining curious, innocent, and restrained. […]
Key Takeaway: The concept of “nudge theory” has gained prominence 15 years after its 2008 book, “Nudge: Improving Decisions about Health, Wealth and Happiness.” The book, which inspired politicians like Barack Obama and David Cameron, led to the creation of government teams to incorporate nudge theory into public policy. However, the success of these nudges […]
Key Takeaways: Nanotechnology is set to revolutionize clothing, transportation, and transportation. Clothing will be tailored to individual needs, with synthesizers in closets creating clothing that fits perfectly. Nanosuits, made of 5 microns thick fabric, will cover the wearer’s body, allowing separate holes for individual hairs and making them weightless. This technology will double the amount […]

Trending

I highly recommend reading the McKinsey Global Institute’s new report, “Reskilling China: Transforming The World’s Largest Workforce Into Lifelong Learners”, which focuses on the country’s biggest employment challenge, re-training its workforce and the adoption of practices such as lifelong learning to address the growing digital transformation of its productive fabric. How to transform the country […]

Join our Newsletter

Get our monthly recap with the latest news, articles and resources.

Login

Welcome to Empirics

We are glad you have decided to join our mission of gathering the collective knowledge of Asia!
Join Empirics