Tyrone:

Welcome to everyone. It’s Tyrone from Tyroneshum.com and I’ve got another podcast here with a really close friend of mine, Chris Ducker from the Philippines and I wanted to actually get Chris on the call today because I’ve got a very interesting to share with you.

So firstly, welcome Chris onto the call today.

Chris:

Mr. Shum how are you?

Tyrone:

Good, I’m good mate. It’s a pleasure to speak with you on the phone.

Chris:

Yeah, yeah. It’s always a pleasure to speak with you mate. Thank you very much for inviting me.

Tyrone:

Awesome. Well, the reason why I’ve got Chris on the call today is if you’ve been following Chris on his virtual business lifestyle for the last year or 12 months, he had a goal to setup to become the virtual CEO by the end of this year or end of actually 2010.

And basically, at the beginning and basically at the beginning of 2011, Chris is going to be taking his time off to spend his time becoming a virtual CEO. Now what I wanted to find out from Chris is what does he entail and what has he done now to be able to become into that position.

So maybe Chris let’s just talk a little bit more about what’s happened over the last 12 months and how that’s led you to become virtual CEO?

Chris:

Sure. Well you know, let’s look at initially the goal of why this has been put in place in the first place. The company years ago, I became a father for the third time, and -

Tyrone:

Congratulations.

Chris:

Thank you very much. I was amazed it still worked. There was quite a big gap between the second and the third one. And – so yeah, the bottomline is you know with the other two, the first two, I love to bitch obviously. They – you know, I was in that kind of entrepreneurial growth stage where I was working my ass of and generally speaking, did not spend a lot of time with them when they were very, very young.

And – I would back on, like to work should I say I looked back on that time when my son kind of hit his first birthday again and I was thinking on myself, do I want to go through that again where I see my – you know another one of my kids grow up, not actually from the distance but not as free from where I want them to see.

So that was the goal that the whole thing came about little Charlie. It was all about Charlie and making sure that I kind of just be there more in his over years of development, and things like that.

Tyrone:

Well I like your little boy.

Chris:

Yeah, yeah. Well – it depends on how you look at it I suppose. Yeah I can see it’s great but mostly rough. Ah – but yeah, that was the whole goal. That was the thing behind everything. And then as time has gone by, since – January 2010 I set the goal late in the month of January, I launched VirtualBusinessLifestyle.com and I launched it with a video post where I said, “This is my goal for this year, this is what I’m going to be doing, if you guys want to follow me, awesome. Great. If I can help some of you do the same thing, even more awesome or more greater, whatever you want to say.”

And the journey began, and that was 2010. The journey was a 1 year long goal. I had absolutely no other goals in place at all in 2010. There was one goal and one goal only and that goal was to become full time virtual CEO by the end of 2010. And, through breaking that goal down to mini goals every month, so everything from taking myself out of email threats to putting processes and systems in place, I’m hiring people to replace bits of me in the different areas of the business that I was working on, I was able to accomplish it. Yehey!

Tyrone:

Congratulations.

Chris:

Thank you very much.

Tyrone:

So what does the virtual CEO currently entail? What do you define as being a virtual CEO?

Chris:

Ah – it is – it is about living an entrepreneurial lifestyle that you love to live. That’s what it’s about. I think there’s so many entrepreneurs and I’m a serial entrepreneur. I’ve started probably 10, 11 companies in my career. Some of the have done better than others. I’ve had a couple failed accordingly but I learned obviously from that failures but I’m an entrepreneur for improvement and – I know that from past experiences personally and talking with a lot of other entrepreneurs as well, whether it be online, offline, whatever that a lot of them work really hard. A lot of them become very successful, but a lot of them are just living life so they just don’t enjoy because of long hours or because of missing out, and things like that, whatever the case maybe.

Ah so you know, the virtual CEO status for me just meant freedom. It meant freedom from being handcuffed to a desk. It meant freedom from you know, being __ on a cubicle or whatever you want to call it. And for me, it was just about creating a lifestyle that enabled me to fundamentally get my work done, anywhere any place, anytime on my own terms. And that meant that I could only get my work done and continue to grow my businesses but also spend a lot more time with family, and a lot more time traveling and being able to see the world a little bit more.

I’m very well traveled already but that was the other thing that I didn’t do with my first two kids because it was sort of taking them on long, extended trips and things like that because I was already – I was already in the office, I was working. And so you know – with Charlie now, and we actually now have 4 trips plans for next year – or for this year rather already.

What? Why is it if you’re in the beginning of January, we always keep assuming we’re still in year before. Do you notice that? You did it in the beginning.

Tyrone:

Yeah, it’s always like that. We always get -

Chris:

Yeah I always thought I’ve written in 2010 in cheques already, it’s insane! But yeah, so – I mean actually 5 trips now because you’ve just invited me to a wedding in Bali, thank you very much sir I will be there. So – five trips in all.

Tyrone:

Hush, hush.

Chris:

Shh.

Tyrone:

Now everyone knows. Oh that’s awesome Chris. Well what I’m actually curious about is when you’re being virtual as well, as you said you’re going to be able to travel 5 times a year, even more maybe I reckon because you’re going to have a lot more time off. How much time do you think you might be spending in your business even? Or would you be spending any time in your business so long?

Chris:

No I will be absolutely. I can’t live the Live2Sell Group. I – I guess the only time I would ever leave that company would be if I was to just sell it. Ah – and I had an offer for the last year and it was a good offer but I turned it down because I felt that I haven’t achieved everything that I want to achieve as the owner of the company.

And I will continue to work on the Live2Sell Group as my focus business wise but just not doing it under the roof of Live2Sell facility on daily basis. I anticipate working still, at least 6, 7 hours a day. Sometimes a little less, sometimes a little more. I have not worked religiously on a Friday for the last few months. I’ve taken the three-day weekend and I really have enjoyed that because it has made little trips aways. We did Hongkong Disneyland back in November and – you know and that was like it was literally was a Wednesday evening and my wife said to me, “Why don’t you get weekend straight to hit the beach…” and I said you know honey I get bored in the beach because we live only a 30-minute drive away from some of the most beautiful beaches in the world here in Cebu.

And, we’re talking sand it is like salt – I mean it’s gorgeous. And so I said I’m kind of getting bored. You know what, what do you think, let’s just go to Hongkong. And she was like what? We’ve been in Hongkong a few times as a couple since you know – we’re dating and get married and everything. And so you know – I basically said let’s just go to Hongkong.

So the next day it was Thursday, I have my PA, call-ups and travel agent, she’s got some quotes. And on Friday morning we got on the plane in Cathay Pacific. Because you know from Cebu to Hongkong direct it was like 2 and half hours it’s nothing.

Tyrone:

Yeah so you’re lucky. You’re so close to Hongkong. For me I could have seated in a plane for at least a good day, almost. Actually not a good day. About 8 hours or so.

Chris:

Don’t exaggerate come on, it’s a 9-hour flight.

Tyrone:

So that’s the problem with being living in Australia. You’re sort of out of the rest of the world and to get anywhere, it’ll take you 8 hours. So basically you lose a day but for you it was like just basically driving down the road for 2-hour long trip.

Chris:

That’s right, that’s right. So – and we did, we went to Hongkong. So almost all things are in place and – you know but no, I mean to really answer your question, I do definitely can see myself still working a regular kind of work day in terms of hours so to speak but -

Tyrone:

But you’re not physically in your office.

Chris:

Yeah, I just – I know I have a home office which is fully equipped. I spend more money on my home internet connections and probably the same amount of all of my close circle of business friends here in the Philippines put together. I mean I spend money on my own internet connection. So – because I do a lot of VOIP and things like that with clients overseas and everything. So it’s going to be great quality.

But yeah – I would be 100% self-sufficient at home. You know, I mean the funny is I’ve escaped the desk but I’m sitting at it right now which is so freaking ironic, right? But nonetheless, here I am at the Live2Sell facility – but I – my plan, I live 15 minutes away from the office so my plan is becoming for 2 meetings each week, probably 2-3 hours at a time with management and HR, just making sure how things are kind of you know – growing.

I would have thought by the end of the first quarter of this year, that would probably go down to one time a week and then maybe end up just you know – hopefully with a bit of couple times a month, something like that. But I can’t turn my back on this. We are a service-related industry, I do not sell a product and I know how I want my company to run and because of that reason and that reason alone, I can’t turn my back on it. I can never not be involved with it.

Tyrone:

Well you’re still the face of Live2Sell so therefore it’s still important.

Chris:

I’m a very damn good-looking face, if I might say to myself.

Tyrone:

I’ll let the audience joke on that one so -

Chris:

Do that.

Tyrone:

It is important though. The leadership does still run in and I think we’re talking about this. Tony from Zappos is still the forefront and the leader of the whole company but he’s not in the office that much at all. You said yourself on your visit there, he was not there at all. But he’s still -

Chris:

I can think of a 3-month book tour so -

Tyrone:

Yeah so you can imagine he’s working virtually from anywhere he wants to and you’re going to be doing exactly the same which is absolutely real.

Chris:

What – what Tony has done and when I was – good old Tony, my bestfriend Tony but Mr. Hsieh has achieved in a very short space of time, and I’m not talking about the wealth, I’m not talking about that at all because companies come and go, some companies make more money than others and people’s level of you know – success and expectation is all different. All are different. What I make could be a very small amount of money to what you want to make or vice versa so you know -

What I really – admired Tony Hsieh for was the culture, it was the company culture of Zappos he and his team has put in place and he was obviously the forefront of that culture or making that culture happen. And we have actually been working – and this goes a little off-topic here but it might be interesting from an entrepreneurial, from a business standpoint for your listeners or viewers.

We as a company, we’ve been working on our core values from like the beginning of 2010 and we’d work on them and then we’d forget about them and something will happen and then we’ll work on them and get a big client come aboard, we’ve get all that and – so it’s kind of a bit of on-off love affair for year or so but what was changed was that when I did visit that Zappos HQ in Vegas when I was there for Blogworld in October and I soar it in motion, I mean literally in motion.

It was phenomenal. Everybody from the receptionists down to the kitchen staff and they gave you a complete tour of the facility. I mean I’m sure there’s probably a couple of areas that are off-limits to the public for you know, financial reasons for example -

Tyrone:

Various reasons.

Chris:

But the fact to the matter is they give you pretty good quality tour around all the facility and I was just – they – the Zapodiums as they call them, great word I love it. They – they live and breathe the Zappos culture and that was the catalyst. That means in that 2 hours I have there, I then took part on the Q&A session which has a lot of the VIP with the some of the upper management, and they coach the coaches and things like that. That was a catalyst for me.

When I came from Vegas, it was full statement I have in my management to finalize our core values, to put all company culture in place and we actually launched the 10 Live2Sell family core values at our annual dinner and __ which is very English term, it’s a Christmas party.

Tyrone:

Christmas -

Chris:

An annual dinner and  -

Tyrone:

I thought what the heck, you’ve got some interesting terms but it’s actually a Christmas party.

Chris:

It’s just not the term for example in __ and basically it all is but – the bottomline is I launched that at the Christmas party for the entire resource staff about 240 of people and – actually by the end of this month, by the end of January, we will actually launch Live2SellFamily.com which is our company culture website which is going to be available for the whole world to see and including our competitors. No problem, check it out I don’t care and we have everything from blog posts to videos, to interviews, to everything that you can imagine. And all that was inspired by Tony Hsieh in Zappos because the way that he has created and built his company up is based on the culture.

Tyrone:

And that’s all these -

Chris:

And the family that they bring is basically the culture and that just amazed me. And so that was the main reasons why we kind of really said this is what we’re putting in place, it’s going to happen now. And that’s exactly what we did. That’s in last quarter of 2010 was like, it was all about the Live2Sell culture.

Tyrone:

That is actually very interesting and actually very inspiring to see that as well because with any company that succeeds, you’d want to be able pretty much portray as much great culture in them because if they’re motivated, they’ll perform really well therefore your company grows as well. And also too, you yourself just continue to drive that through and you just expand, and expand without much more effort than that so – right.

Chris:

And I think it’s not just about the company growth. It’s about the individual growth of everybody involved in the company was well. Ah – and I think – I just – I mean as far as I know, there’s no other outsourcing company in the Philippines doing what we’re about to do.

Tyrone:

I haven’t even heard of that as well, too so you’re probably the first there. So awesome.

Chris:

So you know if you want to be a success, you’re going to innovate and they’ll follow. So hopefully we’ll see – we’ll see what the innovation does this year.

Tyrone:

We’ll soon see. All right well we’ve talked a lot about the company and also virtual CEO, what I’m actually curious to jump into now is what are your plans for the next 12 months, and also too, how you plan to live those 12 months?

Chris:

Ah – I’d like – you know I’d like to say for all the hard work of last year, I’d like to say that I’ll be doing very little, just spending all the time with the family and things like that but that would be a complete, an all-out lie. I think I’m going to be busier this year than I was last year.

It will be in different settings, it will be in different situations. Like I said I do plan to travel. I plan to spend at least 3 maybe 4 months outside of Philippines this year. Ah – I – I tend, I intend to launch 1-3 business models on Live2Sell banner. One of them actually might be quite beneficial for some of your followers as well and I’ll tell you about that more when I can. But being that they’re sort of Internet Marketers and things like that or inspiring online marketers, but yeah I mean for me it’s about – you know the last few years have been funny few years. It’s been a combination of survival, combination of sustainment, growth and I think actually it’s survival, growth, sustaining I think is the last way in terms of the last few years. And I think 2011 is about growth and about my versification for me as an entrepreneur.

I want to continue to grow my existing companies but I also want to launch these into another couple, probably another 2 or 3 product or service models based around those companies as well. I also am about 30 or 40% through my first book as well. And I want to get to the point of having that published some time this year so if you’re publisher -

Tyrone:

Give him a call.

Chris:

I mean I can’t – I’m not – I can, I could but I’m not going to tell you what the book is all about, because I don’t want something to come out with the similarity there obviously but I can, I can say that it does cover that virtual CEO journey of last year and the sort of things that I’m going to be doing this year and how to get those things into your life, blah blah. So you know, that sort of stuff.

Tyrone:

You look like you’re full flight ready for next year.

Chris:

I’m going to be tired, I know I will.

Tyrone:

I’m honest to that though, because you’re not going to be – you’re definitely not going to be tired because you’re taking those 5 trips during the year as well, too. So don’t worry, you have a good balanced life.

Chris:

That’s it, that’s it.

Tyrone:

Well, in terms of – I’m actually curious as well, to be able to live a virtual life like say, it’s not a virtual CEO but to live a life virtually without having to run a business in the office or work in an office situation, you still need to sustain kind of income to be able to help you live your lifestyle. I mean is there specific things that you plan to do, as you said maybe traveling, starting a few of those businesses, how much would your lifestyle cost or expenses become when you actually live this kind of lifestyle because you still have to consider those things to be able to live day to day in order to survive or even just to live the lifestyle?

Chris:

Sure, absolutely. I mean – I guess to answer your question firstly, I should point out that I have a very modest lifestyle here in the Philippines. I – I mean there’s a lot of you know, foreigners as we’re known here. There’s a lot of foreigners or expatriots living in the Philippines that have very, very, very lavish lifestyles. Because you know -

Tyrone:

It’s possible to do.

Chris:

Yeah, the dollar goes a long way here. Even with the peso being so disastrous against the dollar today compared to what it was 10 years ago when I first came to the country. Ah – you know it – I know some guys buy ridiculously huge houses with swimming pools and you know double car basement parking, it’s just freaking stupid. Why do you need that some – honestly if you want to swim, go to the beach, you don’t need a pool what are you doing? You don’t need a pool.

These sort of things I mean – cost money to maintain a pool as well it’s not cheap anywhere in the world. So yeah – I live a very modest lifestyle. I don’t – I have a – you know, a nice sized house, it’s not a mansion by any stretch of imagination and I live a comfortable lifestyle. I don’t you know, I don’t starve myself. If I want to go out and have a good meal with my wife or friends, and I’ll do it. If I want to pop over to Hongkong for a long weekend – you know -

Tyrone:

Which you do.

Chris:

You know, but I mean it’s a good question because you’re right. You know with the additional travel, and I mean I travel like regularly anyway on business but obviously that’s business expense and you know, a lot of what I want to do next year or 7 of that travel we’ll put that in business but some of it we’ll not so you know, for me personally I guess it’s going to be one of those things where I’m going to have sort of play by ear a little bit but I mean I have right there to – with friends, I want to spend a month in London – next year. And -

Tyrone:

London compared to the pesos is actually quite a big change in cost of living as well.

Chris:

It is, it is and I mean – you know – you know the runup to the Olympics next year and you know all that sorts of stuff. Everything’s – they say London is the second most expensive place in the world I can have a coffee now.

Tyrone:

Yeah, I’m not surprised.

Chris:

So you know – I mean I – I looked – I looked at some long term sort of or short term rental apartment places, you know and I was amazed. It was like the equivalent of about $1200 US a week.

Tyrone:

Not surprised. We pay those kind of things here.

Chris:

Yeah, yeah. So – to give you a rough idea, not going to pay that. Not going to pay that at all, stay with my problem now, much better.

Tyrone:

Thanks to you bro.

Chris:

Yeah ah you know – so just to give you an idea, he doesn’t have an email address I’m not lying. He has no email address so I had to pay a year worth of internet connection so that when I’m there in a month, I can have uninterrupted internet. But it’s – I’d rather do that across you know, 300 or 400bucks worth it was for a year to have an internet connection for the month in there and spend same amount of money renting.

Tyrone:

Exactly yeah.

Chris:

So I live a very modest lifestyle but I think you know – the other part of the virtual CEO lifestyle is for a part of the virtual business lifestyle, the phrase that I coined was that you have to try and develop different streams of income and one of the things I’m going to be doing this year is working on the passive income streams a lot more than I ever have done before. And I just – literally this month I’ve launched my first ever real true passive income which is an ecourse for sales professionals.

And, the launch actually went very well. I was quite surprised and the numbers were better than what I thought it’s going to be. Went huge, it’s already from this small niche but you know, this is a niche aint going anywhere and as long as I continue to market site properly, it will bring me in – you know, a good amount of money every month with very, very little effort.

Tyrone:

Exactly.

Chris:

So you know, I want to try and develop another 2 or 3 streams of income like that and you know, really try and pursue the online business world a lot more than I have done up into this point. And I like, I like the fact that I’ve got the balance of the real world marketing almost 20 years in the industry and I’m now going to be attacking the online marketing and I’m – you know, I’m really quite excited this year to see what I can put together online.

You know I flirted with it a little bit in 2010 and it worked out quite well so I’m looking to see what I can do on it.

Tyrone:

That’s awesome. Well the reason why I asked you that question was because for entrepreneurs out there who want to do what you’re doing becoming the virtual CEO, just so say travel over to Philippines and live in the Philippines for a few months and then travel throughout Asia and stuff like that, maybe just from an average point of view, how much would that cost them to live in the Philippines or something like that, so that way they can sort of get an idea and plan for ahead as well?

Chris:

Well you know, you see some blogs and websites out there for people who retire here – you know they say you can live for a couple few thousands a month – no.

Tyrone:

No.

Chris:

Not if you want to eat decent food on a regular basis and have air conditioned room.

Tyrone:

You really need aircon, it’s hot there.

Chris:

You certainly need aircon over here. So I mean, rough ideas. One bedroom apartment, will cost you fully furnished will cost you around – a nice, in a nice area about $600 US a month.

Tyrone:

That’s still pretty good. Men, considering the fact that we spend at least 3grand a month on average to be able to get a decent accommodation here in Australia, in Sydney so -

Chris:

Right. Now then obviously you then have your expenses on top of that. Anything like a decent internet connection is going to cost you anything between 50 to 100bucks a month. And I mean a connection that’s you know fast and that’s not going to die every two days you know.

Tyrone:

Well 50 to $100 a month is actually the same as what we pay here so it’s no different.

Chris:

Right. But it’s – if you look at the average is, you know that the apartment is a lot cheaper and therefore you think the utilities is going to be cheaper. For good quality utilities, it’s not the case. So that’s the internet side of things. You know, electricity one bedroom apartment, let’s say you sleep with the aircon all night and you work with the aircon all day, you probably look at maybe another 150bucks a month on electricity US, and then you got your – obviously your grocery, and you’re going out, your entertainment, and things like that. So I think all in all, you could probably live a rather to a bit comfortable life for like, you know anything between two to $3,000 a month.

And that includes you know, eating at really niche once a week and you know, hitting the movies. You know, to give you rough ideas so that people can kind of differentiate in terms of costs. Ah – how much does a can of Coca Cola cost?

Tyrone:

A dollar, dollar twenty.

Chris:

So that’s about what, about US dollar something like that or Australian?

Tyrone:

$1.20 is US.

Chris:

Okay. Oh okay – $1.20 US. So $1.20 US, a can of coke here will cost about 80cents US.

Tyrone:

Yeah, it’s about two thirds.

Chris:

Yeah, cost of going to the movies, and I noticed because I went to a man’s Chinese theatre and I lie when I was there few months back. That will cost me about, I think it was about 10bucks per movie.

Tyrone:

Yeah, it’s about $15 here in Australia.

Chris:

Yeah so $10 a ticket, popcorn, drink, 20bucks. Here, like 5 or 6bucks.

Tyrone:

Yeah, that’s the biggest difference. So entertainment, groceries, food, dining out will definitely be a fraction of the cost because you’re living expenses or stand a living much lower in terms of comparison therefore your dollar stretches a long way. And easily, I mean if you’re to just get say kind of work, say you still retain a remote working situation with say your employer, say you’re employee, and you’re earning about 40, 50K a year, that’s more than enough to cover your living expenses in the Philippines plus, you know your traveling and so forth.

So anyone could actually live in the Philippines quite comfortably if they have a stream of income about 36 to about 40K a year.

Chris:

Sure and I mean, perfect example. I have a client here that’s got about 15 staff and he came over from North Carolina and he’s visited. We’ve been working together for a couple of years. He’s visited a few times within that period of time. The last time he was here, he extended and extended, and extended his trip and I thought is this guy ever going to leave? You know I mean what’s going on here?

So then he does eventually live and he calls me up and said Chris, I want to move to the Philippines. First thing I think from the business standpoint is shit, I’m going to lose a business. He’s going to open up his own office and blah, blah, blah. Right?

Tyrone:

Yep.

Chris:

As it happens, he’s actually not interested in doing that in anyway whatsoever. And he wants us to continue to manage his people and do things exactly the same as we’ve done before. He literally just doesn’t want to live in North Carolina any longer. He wants to live as he calls it, paradise on earth.

So ah – so he’s not saying that what can you do, can I help me sir? Anyway, I have a friend of mine, very good friend of mine here in real estate – mogul. He’s got lots of properties and all rests of it. He actually rented a three bedrooom house with a swimming pool, semi-furnished, this is going to hurt you because I know what you’re paying, semi-furnished for about $1500 US a month.

Tyrone:

I’m not saying anymore.

Chris:

Yeah.

Tyrone:

There you go.

Chris:

Yeah it just goes to show you, you can live here very – very, very cheaply but still have some with the thrills that you might want back home. But you know there are also down, you know there’s pros and cons to everything and there are certain things that drive me nuts here like – perfect example, it’s kind of a funny story but it’s very true one.

I used to get regularly pulled over in my car.

Tyrone:

By cops?

Chris:

By cops, by traffic cops. All they’re looking for is this.

Tyrone:

Ah yeah. They happen in same situation too. We had that same situation when we’re traveling.

Chris:

Yeah I think, any developing country or any country where you know – that sort of thing is doable, it can probably happen. I’m not joking. Once a month I get pulled over. And I just put it down as a form of tax. You know after – after a bit, I was like I gave everyone 10bucks that sort of thing.

But eventually something snapped in me one day and this guy pulled me over and he said I ran a red light. I never ran a red light in my life. I’m about the safest driver. I’m the guy you’ll beat and say things like -

Tyrone:

Hurry up!

Chris:

It’s who? God damn it, use it for price sake! You know what I mean? So – so I – when he pulled me over and nodded. I didn’t ran a red light, you’re talking out of your whole. You don’t even got no idea what you’re talking about, blah, blah, blah. And he said I’ll arrest you. You can be arrested in the Philippines for arrogance apparently, I didn’t know of this fact.

So I was being arrogant and eventually I just like bit my lip and said okay, is there a fine I can pay? You know the usual thing, right. So we end up getting 500pesos from me.

The next day, my office is above a high-end dealership and I drive a high-end one and – great cars. And the next day, I pulled in to the dealership, I rolled into the office and I say I want you to put in 80% tint on every single window that I’ve got. I never want to be pulled over again.

And you know what Tyrone, til this day that was about a year ago, til this day, I have not been pulled over once.

Tyrone:

And I think I know why. Because as soon as they see who you are – that’s -

Chris:

For me that happens to basically every handsome -

Tyrone:

Ah.

Chris:

No I bet you’re right. You know they see the foreigner behind the wheels and they obviously figure well you know he’s got more money than Filipinos which is complete fancy call because I know plenty of Filipinos that are rolling in it compared to me.

So you know I just – it just goes to show. It is what it is. So currently yeah – it is what it is but I love the Philippines. I’ve been here 10 years and I’ve made it my home. It’s given my business, my family, my life. I love it, it’s great.

Tyrone:

And it’s also let you to become a virtual CEO too so -

Chris:

Yeah absolutely.

Tyrone:

All right one last question I just want to ask you as well to share with the audience is I know that next year – I keep referring to next year. It’s 2011.

Chris:

Are you on some sort of drugs or something? What is going?

Tyrone:

I don’t know, I don’t know.

Chris:

Just so everybody knows, we are marketers yes. You can believe us or not. Just so we are genuinely filming this in the first week of January okay. We’re not lying. It is genuine which is idiot, that’s all it is.

Tyrone:

Exactly, we’re still referring to last year because 2010 was such a great year for us.

Chris:

Right. Yes! That’s the reason why.

Tyrone:

What I wanted to know though is to share with everyone is you mentioned you’re going to be doing some traveling. What are some of the places are you going to and why, why those places?

Chris:

Well London is first stuff obviously because I’m from London originally. Ah – I’ve been with my beautiful, beautiful wife for almost 6 years now and we have never gone to London together. We’ve traveled to other – we’ve been in the US twice together, we’ve been in Hongkong like 5-time together, and Thailand and a lot of other places but we’ve never been to London together.

So I want to take her to London, take my little one over there as well. We’re in the process of getting his British passport now. That aint easy from the Philippines I can assure you.

Tyrone:

I was going to say how is that going to be possible to get British passport for since it’s born in – was he born in?

Chris:

He’s born in the Philippines but he’s got a British dad. Oh now we had blood extracted DNA test the whole lot. It’s going through the process right now but he would eventually get it. It’s going to probably cost me a few grand but he will eventually get it and I feel like I have to get for him because the Filipino passport is very limited travel wise. You’re going to get visas, pretty much everywhere.

Tyrone:

Yeah, you got it yeah.

Chris:

Asia you know so this stuff. But yeah so London is definitely there and I’m thinking probably April or May, I like London in spring time, it’s very, very beautiful. I want to do San Francisco for a month or so. I’m a big fan of San Fran, I love it, it’s my favorite city in the US. It’s just something about San Francisco to me, it’s got actually it’s got nothing to do with the whole text in the valley thing, it’s just the culture.

The fact that you can sit there in the Fisher’s wharf, you know Fisher’s wharf in the evening and then you get downtown and you got bluish cloud, and you know, it’s just a very, very cool city. So we want to do San Fran for a month as well. And – we’re also thinking about Tuscany.

Tyrone:

Oh, that’s interesting. I don’t even know where it is. I’ve heard of it, where is that located?

Chris:

Italy. So my wife is I want to go to Tuscany. Why? Because I’ve seen it in movies. So you know, and made no mistake, I might be virtual CEO but I know who real boss is and so if the wife wants to go to Tuscany, Tuscany here we come.

So we’re thinking about Tuscany for the autumn time.

Tyrone:

Ah, it’s beautiful.

Chris:

So she see trees with brown leaves all over instead of just green ones like here in Philippines all the time. When we’re in New York in February last year, she saw an extreme snow for the first time.

Tyrone:

Of course.

Chris:

And it’s not – I wish I shot video of this but it’s not everyday you see a beautiful Filipina in the middle of Manhattan, and I’m not lying on the side of the sidewalk on the floor making snow angels with his husband.

I would have filmed it. If I wasn’t enjoying it too, all these New Yorkers walking pass us are going are you stupid? What are you doing? Get up it’s cold, it’s snow. We’re making snow angels, leave us alone!

Tyrone:

Well that’s what happens. When I was first in Germany, that’s for my first ever snow experience. I didn’t do anything and just stay outside and make snow. That’s what you’ll do if you’ve never seen snow before.

Chris:

Yeah, snow men, snow cars, snow houses. It doesn’t matter. You’re making stuff out of snow. It doesn’t happen regularly.

Tyrone:

It doesn’t happen at all actually.

Chris:

So yeah, we’re – we want to sort of try and experience every season in different place. That’s the plan, that’s the plan.

Tyrone:

Nice. Well definitely when you do get to those places, we’re going to have to do an interview and just check out what you’re up to and share all that on -

Chris:

We’re going to take some backdrop right – it’ll be the vineyards of Tuscany, it’ll be the downtown of San Fran, and maybe we’ll – maybe we’ll shoot one video from you know in Wimbledon or something like that.

Tyrone:

I’ll definitely be looking forward to getting those from you so I’ll be calling you there.

Chris:

All right.

Tyrone:

Well Chris, thank you so much for coming on today. It was an absolute pleasure to be able to find out your story. I know there’s been a lot of people who’ve been following you for the virtual CEO and it’s really exciting now because you know, you’re actually living it right now.

Chris:

It’s the start of the journey you know what. I might hate it six months from now but I very much doubt it.

Tyrone:

No I very much doubt it because you still go with that entrepreneurial spirit in you so – well for people who don’t know you and also have just come onto also watching this video for you, how can they get in contact with you to find out more about you.

Chris:

Easiest way is just to go and find me over to my blog, VirtualBusinessLifestyle.com.

Tyrone:

Awesome. All right Chris well thank you again and I guess I’ll let you go so that you can catch up on your family and enjoy the rest of your afternoon as well, too so.

Chris:

No I’m going to be on a meeting with my marketing team now. So I’ll do that and then I’ll go over and beat the kid up for couple of hours.

Tyrone:

Sounds good to me. Well, thanks again.

Chris:

No problem mate. I’ll talk to you soon. Take good care.

Tyrone:

You too, bye for now.