Content Round Up: Tokyo Cycling Routes for Beginners

Content Round Up: Tokyo Cycling Routes for Beginners

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Tokyoites needed safe ways to exercise and move about the city. Many residents found the answer to this dilemma in cycling, be it for weekday commutes or weekend exercise. If you’ve recently started cycling and are looking for some scenic urban routes for beginners, this content roundup is for you.

Read More

Sharing My Senpai Success Story with Ikigai Connections

Sharing My Senpai Success Story with Ikigai Connections

I recently had the opportunity to share my Senpai Success Story with Ikigai Connections, a brand dedicated to connecting Japanese-speaking job seekers with global companies. Senpai Success Stories feature those who have “walked a unique career path using their Japanese language/cultural skills.”

Read More

Discussing the Intersection of Cross-Cultural Coaching and Digital Marketing on the Business Success Japan Podcast

Discussing the Intersection of Cross-Cultural Coaching and Digital Marketing on the Business Success Japan Podcast

I recently had the pleasure of joining Lydia Beukelman on her podcast, Business Success Japan. This episode is a unique opportunity to peek behind the scenes of the coaching side of my business and how it complements my marketing work. In this episode, we cover the following topics and more:

Read More

Discussing Networking, Value Creation, and Global Expansion on the Business Karaoke Podcast

Discussing Networking, Value Creation, and  Global Expansion on the Business Karaoke Podcast

Brittany Arthur, creator and host of the Business Karaoke podcast, was kind enough to invite me on her show to discuss a variety of topics relevant to running a small to medium-sized enterprise (SME) in Japan. More of a conversation than an interview, we covered the following and much more:

Read More

The 2020 Saga (Late) Summer Reading List (with Bonus Video)

The 2020 Saga (Late) Summer Reading List (with Bonus Video)

Reading a few extra books over the summer months can be a great way to beat the heat. That especially holds true this year with people around the globe spending more time indoors and social distancing.

If you’ve attended any of my seminars or have been following my work, you’re probably familiar with the books that have changed the way I live and work. Only time will tell if the following books achieve that same legendary status. However, I can confidently say they are well worth a read during the waning months of summer.

Read More

Discussing Entrepreneurship, Business Development, and Marketing on the Small Business Japan Podcast

Discussing Entrepreneurship, Business Development, and Marketing on the Small Business Japan Podcast

I recently had the opportunity to share my story on the Small Business Japan Podcast, hosted by Josh Smith, a true global entrepreneur. In this wide-ranging interview, I explain how my career on both sides of the Pacific paved the way for Saga Consulting and my mission of helping Japanese companies and professionals communicate with global audiences.

Josh asked a variety of intriguing questions, and in this podcast you’ll learn how to:

Read More

My Social Media Marketing Mix as a Solopreneur in Japan (Video)

My Social Media Marketing Mix as a Solopreneur in Japan (Video)

If you are a sole proprietor or small business owner, time is your most important resource. How you use it has a direct impact on the success and profitability of your business.

Unfortunately, quality marketing demands a lot of time, and entrepreneurs constantly struggle with balancing their time between their core business and marketing efforts. Therefore, carefully selecting which social media channels to use and deciding how you use them is a critical business decision.

Read More

Japanese Copywriting Tips: Things to Consider Before Launching a Japanese Website (Guest Post)

Japanese Copywriting Tips: Things to Consider Before Launching a Japanese Website (Guest Post)

Although my services are primarily designed for small- to medium-sized Japanese companies that seek to engage global audiences, I’m often asked about what it takes to do business in the opposite direction: marketing to Japanese companies in Japanese.

To answer this question, I turned to a prominent member of my network, Takatomo Homma, who kindly agreed to write a guest blog post on this topic.

Read More

3 Essential Tips for Successfully Working from Home

3 Essential Tips for Successfully Working from Home

With more and more Japanese companies implementing remote working practices because of the Covid-19 pandemic, several clients and colleagues have asked me for tips on how to work efficiently from home.

As a sole proprietor in the marketing and communication field, I was already doing at least 50 percent of my work remotely before the pandemic. Now that, for the time being, I’m doing nearly all of my work from home, I’ve realized that there are three basic behaviors that keep me productive when working at a coworking space or on-site with a client is no longer an option.

Read More

Finding Your First Clients in Japan: Event Summary and Insights

Finding Your First Clients in Japan: Event Summary and Insights

On Friday, March 20, 2020, I presented the latest version of Finding Your First Clients in Japan, a seminar designed to help designers, coders, writers, and other service providers launch sole proprietorships or small businesses in their fields.

Occurring during the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic, organizing this seminar presented the unique challenge of shifting what was intended to be an in-person networking event to a live, virtual format. Thankfully Asama Toyozawa of Blink Smart Workspace and Saga Partner LIFE.14 stepped up to deliver an online event with exceptional production values.

Read More

Proud Contributor to Startup Guide Tokyo: The Entrepreneur’s Handbook

Proud Contributor to Startup Guide Tokyo: The Entrepreneur’s Handbook

November 29, 2019, marked the release of the highly anticipated Startup Guide Tokyo. Often referred to as the “Lonely Planet for aspiring entrepreneurs,” the paperback book is packed with valuable resources regarding the startup scene of the world’s third-largest economy.

Read More

Upcoming Event: Social Networking and Personal Branding on the Global Stage

Upcoming Event: Social Networking and Personal Branding on the Global Stage

I’ll be presenting the latest version of my social networking and personal branding seminar on November 22, 2019, at Blink Smart Space in Roppongi Tokyo. This event is designed for university students and entry-level professionals, however, anyone interested in getting started with global networking tools such as LinkedIn is welcome to join us. Sign up here and read on to learn more.

Read More

Profiled in The Japan Times

Profiled in The Japan Times

I'm grateful to be featured in the "Japan Network Updates" section of The Japan Times. A “directory of who’s who in the world of business in Japan,” this section of the country’s leading source of English-language news furthers communication with Japan’s foreign community and compiles profiles of company presidents, ambassadors, and other active leaders.

Read More

Join Us at the 2019 ACCJ Kansai Women in Business Summit

Join Us at the 2019 ACCJ Kansai Women in Business Summit

For the third year in a row, we are proud to collaborate with LIFE.14 to produce video interviews and social media content at the ACCJ Kansai Women in Business Summit. This year’s event is on September 24 and will once again be held at the Hilton Osaka. For those attending, look for us during the reception for a chance to get in front of the camera and share your thoughts on the event.

Read More

Tackling the Toughest Interview Questions

Tackling the Toughest Interview Questions

A large part of being a cross-cultural communications coach is helping mid-career professionals achieve their career goals through résumé writing and interview coaching.

On September 17, 2019, I gave the latest version of my résumé and interview seminar at the Blink Smart Workspace in Roppongi, Tokyo. In addition to the latest résumé writing tips, we also covered interview strategy and practiced the most common and challenging interview questions.

Read More

6 Resources to Help You Launch a Small Business in Japan (Or Anywhere Else in the World)

6 Resources to Help You Launch a Small Business in Japan (Or Anywhere Else in the World)

During my recent Tokyo Digital Marketers Meetup presentation, I referenced several books that influenced my entrepreneurial journey. Audience members also asked about legal services such as immigration and accounting. Read on for a list filled with several books, a podcast, and a couple of legal and accounting resources that will give you the confidence you need to build your business.

Read More

Upcoming Event: How to Start a Small Business and Discover Your First Clients in Japan

Upcoming Event: How to Start a Small Business and Discover Your First Clients in Japan

The organizers of the Tokyo Digital Marketers Meetup have graciously invited me to share my story at an event on August 27, 2019. Here’s the full event summary of “How to Start a Small Business and Discover Your First Clients in Japan.”

Read More