Born in China, Benjamin Wey came to the U.S. as a teenager on a full scholarship to Oklahoma Baptist University to study business management. Today he is the President of New York Global Group (“NYGG”), a New York and Beijing headquartered investment banking, venture investments and strategic consulting firm which specializes in advising China related projects.

LG: What did you think when you got off the plane in Oklahoma? Was it an enormous culture shock?
BW: It certainly was. I had several impressions. One, there’s so many cars on the streets; nobody was walking. Second, I thought it was so big. Houses are big; air conditioners are big; milk is so cold. Everything was cold. Nothing was cooked, and every time there was a meal on the table it was so big. As a little guy who was experiencing America for the first time everything was big and exciting.

LG: How many years did you spend in Oklahoma?
BW: I actually finished my college degree in about three years. I had a bachelor’s degree in business management, and during that time I started my own importing and exporting business. I imported silk ties from China. I sold 1,000 of those ties to school programs and to wholesalers. I sold sugar from Brazil to the Chinese. I sold fake Levi jeans from China to the Russian markets. Also, before I graduated, I became a consultant at Eaton Corporation. I joined that company with its market entry into China. and I helped them in their joint venture with Tata in their Titan division of their Bangalore hydraulic motor facility. They offered me a job, but I didn’t take it because I thought I was doing great on my own.

LG: Do you look at yourself now as American or Chinese, or do you look at yourself with two brains?
BW: I get asked that question often. I do look at myself as an American citizen. I don’t have a Chinese passport anymore. I changed my name from a Chinese name to Benjamin Wey. I’m Americanized, but when I go to China I’m still allowed into sensitive or governmental meetings. I’m always a Chinese person in their minds, but I’m an American or Chinese-American on Wall Street. I have a language advantage. I speak fluent Chinese, Mandarin Chinese as well, and my business contacts in China are extensive. I’m also executive director of a China investment association, an affiliate of a Chinese government agency. And I’m a visiting professor of finance at Shanghai University of Economics and Finance in China, and China’s University of Petroleum.

NG: What’s one of the most important differences between negotiating with Chinese companies and American companies?
BW: Cultural sensitivity and cultural knowledge of the Chinese state is extremely important. Many people going to China land in Beijing on Monday or Sunday, and they want to wrap up their main target in China within a week. The problem is that they don’t have enough information. It’s extremely difficult just to tap into China from the surface and hope a deal can be done.

NG: Can you give a specific example of cultural knowledge?
BW: Sure. Most people learning about China from newspapers or CNN do not realize China is a very sophisticated society. The New York Times broke a story on Chinese toys that had tainted paint. The reality is that the customer, Mattel, was actually providing the problem. The toys are made by Mattel’s own China factory, with their own employees, their own infrastructure, and their own technology. So China was actually serving only as a manufacturing-base providing labor. It was not China’s problem. It was Mattel’s own problem.

And remember the poison in the pet food? What the people don’t write about is that the same exporters of the counterfeit products got prosecuted and thrown in jail in China. The same products that were sold in the American market were also sold in the Chinese markets. They actually killed animals in China.

LG: I want to ask about the rule of law and stealing of intellectual property in China. Say I come to you and want to establish manufacturing plants to make a product that I’ve developed here. But I’m afraid that the intellectual property could be stolen in China and that I wouldn’t have good legal recourse to go against the people who took my intellectual property.
BW: I would say watch your back. It is a real issue. But it’s also something that any manufacturer going to any emerging market will look at. IP protection in China is weak, but I can also tell you that violators do get punished and the people bringing cases do get judgment all the time. But unlike America, in China there’s no such thing as punitive damages. The most you could get is probably a $20,000 award.

LG: Let’s talk about the two great events in China in 2008, the Olympics and the earthquake. Which will be considered the most significant event for the future of China?
BW: I think the future of China is going to come out of the Olympics. The earthquake happened in a distant but populace province with 100 million people. It is becoming a fantastic PR machine for the Chinese. If you look at what happened before the earthquake, all the talk was the Tibetans, right? Look at what happened. You don’t read that anymore. All we talk about is what to do to help the Chinese.

LG: What about the Olympics?
BW: The Olympics is going to become a very major event. The Chinese government is going to put on a very big PR machine, and make this Olympics a showcase of China. But the Chinese are united in a strong and open society. I’m telling you this Olympics is going to change China’s [image] fundamentally and positively for years to come.

LG: Some people believe that after the Olympics China will have a hangover, that there will be a recession, and the boom will finally soften up. Do you think there is anything to that?
BW: No, I do not think that at all for a very simple reason. China’s economy is very much linked to the world right now. Everything is made in China. That manufacturing base is not going to go away with or without the Olympics. Second, the Olympics takes place in Beijing. Beijing is one city. There are 670 cities across China. Like here, China has different pockets of economic growth. Florida is not good for real estate, but New York City is not bad at all.

NG: How many people speak English in China?
BW: 200-250 million Chinese, or 20- to 25 percent speak English. China actually has the largest English speaking population in the world

NG: How often do you speak Chinese during the day?
BW: During the day here in New York I speak English, and evenings I speak Chinese. We have customers as well as friends coming into New York all the time. We also have people going to China every week. I’ve got to twist my brain.

LG: Thank you so much Benjamin.

The Secret To His Success
Priscilla Y. Huff

Hard Work, Focus, and Doing Right by His Clients

Ronn Torossian started 5W Public Relations in January, 2003, from his home office consisting of a desk, computer, phone, and fax machine. Though 5W Public Relations has grown to a 22,000 square foot office in a Class A NYC building with 80+ employees, Torossian still works extensively from home, in the evenings after his family falls asleep and early mornings before they wake.

5W Public Relations is a full-service public relations firm maintaining practice areas in consumer, technology, corporate communications, health and wellness, lifestyle, fashion, and entertainment. “We are known for implementing creative and customized public relations programs designed to impact a client’s specific business goals and objectives,” he says. Torossian’s extensive client experience involves PR programs for corporations like Coca-Cola, and Microsoft, to celebrities like Pamela Anderson and Snoop Dogg, and others.

Torossian says his best customers are good, hard-working, honest and strategic people. “We work for two of the 400 richest people in the world, but we also work for clients who have two or less employees.” Torossian promotes 5W Public Relations through networking; hosting high-profile speakers and events at his office; and being involved with non-profit organizations. “Giving back is the right thing to do,” he says, “with the bonus of attracting attention and making contacts with key people.”

Torossian and his business have garnered numerous achievements including being recognized as the fastest-growing PR firm three years in a row; and his being a semi-finalist for the 2010 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of The Year Award. “In the past seven years,” says Torossian, “I have learned it is truly impossible to prepare for the unpredictability of the ‘entrepreneurial experience.’ Communication is the key to success. Listen to your clients’ needs; understand their business models and what you can do to bring them measurable results.”

With all his success, Torossian still likes working from home. “I’m able to clear my head and focus 100% on the job I’m doing without any sudden interruptions.” He says, “Our secret to success is hard work, focus, and doing right by our clients.” For more information visit, www.5wpr.com/ .

September 2, 2010 8:29 AM EDT

http://smallbusiness.aol.com/2010/09/01/meet-and-greet/

 Meet and Greet

By Tip of the Day

Posted 9/ 1 10 at 6:00 AM | Tip of the Day

Always be networking. Successful entrepreneurs realize that professional and personal contacts bridge together. From the barbershop to the boardroom, there is always an opportunity to meet someone that can positively impact your business.

Ronn Torossian
5W Public Relations

New York

www.5wpr.com

“We are thrilled to be chosen as Private Stock’s PR agency of record. Working with a successful young entrepreneur like Jon Koon makes us look forward to launching his newest brand as we look forward to building the brand exponentially,” said Ronn Torossian, CEO and President of 5W Public Relations.

Private Stock Denim Company is a journey through the private closet of the world’s most infamous denim junkies. Each garment represents items of true distinction and exclusivity: custom weaved Japanese denim, rare indigo dyes, secret wash formulas, and a perfectionist approach to detail, fit, and finish. Each pair of jeans has its own identity proudly carrying on a denim tradition that has been nurtured for generations. Founded in Hong Kong, Private Stock Denim Company maintains the integrity and tradition of true denim purists worldwide, each garment is intended to be loved and cherished as one’s most valued possession.

5W Public Relations (www.5wpr.com) is a full-service public relations firm known for implementing cutting-edge, customized media programs designed to impact our clients’ specific business goals and objectives. 5WPR’s energetic, fast-paced, and focused culture earned the firm a spot on the INC. 500 list and the title of “fastest-growing agency” three years in a row. One of the 15 largest independent PR firms in the US, the agency maintains practice areas in consumer, technology, health and wellness, entertainment, lifestyle, fashion, and corporate communications. Our growth and recognition stem from a focused, smart, and creative staff that expertly communicates client messages to impact ROI. Our committed team has the understanding and ability to harness the newest tools in a rapidly changing media landscape. This 24/7 approach to the media led the industry’s foremost trade magazine to describe 5WPR as “aggressive in a way that clearly resonates with clients looking for a firm staffed with type A-plus personalities, a BS-free approach, and results from Day One.”

Developer Bruce Ratner almost had to stop the building at 38 stories due to the economy, but got the project back to its full height after negotiating with labor unions to save costs. And though the 867-foot tower is is changing the city’s view of the iconic Woolworth Building (the city’s tallest building from its construction in 1913 until 1930), it has not seen nearly as much criticism as 15 Penn Plaza has in just the past few days.

The NY Times’ architecture review suggested why that may be the case, “A lesser architect might have spoiled one of the most fabled views in the Manhattan skyline. Instead Mr. Gehry has designed a landmark that will hold its own against the greatest skyscrapers of New York. It may even surpass them.” Also near the Woolworth Building, developer Larry Silverstein announced he will be building an 80-story Four Seasons hotel at 99 Church Street, which Alliance of Downtown New York president Elizabeth Berger called one of the “reasons why Lower Manhattan is a global model for urban centers of the 21st century.”

Developer Elie Hirschfeld, who sold The Hotel Pennsylvania to Vornado, is on the side of those who want to see that kind of support uptown. He said in a statement, “It brings me great sadness to see something that I have nurtured as well as a beloved New York City landmark go, but Vornado’s project will be a magnificent monument that will bring the city into the new millennium in such a way that only a great visionary like [Vornado Chairman of the Board] Steve Roth can.” Which may be true, but perhaps it would be more beloved if it were further away from the hallowed ground of the Empire State Building.

His emergency chute exit is the stuff movies are made of. One must wonder how many workplaces can survive if employees are made heroes for this sort of behavior. What sort of trouble are businesses in if we define workplace bravery by Slater’s extravagant resignation?

He didn’t win my empathy, nor did he win the consumers’ who experience universally awful service at airlines.

At many entrepreneurial companies, there are known ingredients to leadership: love, passion and initiative.

The flight attendant was clearly not having a good day, and probably didn’t have the required skills or personality to be the best at his job. This is despite the fact JetBlue stands as a company that provides all the tools that allow one to grow, develop and advance while fulfilling a passion. Slater does not have the passion, clearly, to deal with people tired after flying for hours and to deal with horrible delays and less than ideal security screeners; thus, his skills weren’t right for this job.

Young people often choose a job by the money it pays, by its accessibility or because it is the only option. It will be hard for such an employee to prevail for long. Success comes by people who ask, “How can I improve this product or service? How can I create a solution or approach that didn’t exist before? ” These are questions of passion, the foundation of professional leadership and success.

A few lessons job seekers and others can learn from Slater:

1. Find an ongoing success. There might be some activities that you are naturally very good at, and even better than others. Make note of these activities and consider making a career out of them.

2. Accept advice. We tend to believe we know what’s best for ourselves when, in fact, other people may have a better understanding of us. External views are valuable in that they help us see ourselves from a different perspective. If you ask three different people what you do best and they all offer the same response, then it’s worth giving more consideration and attention to those fields.

3. Be you. Try to recall an early dream, aspiration or source of motivation. It is something we all used to have, but have forgotten due to life, circumstances, routine, and outside discouragement. Go back to those early thoughts and try to reignite the flame around them.

4. Take action. Leadership is the result of passion combined with action. A passion for something is worthless if you don’t leverage it and recognize a course of action. Make a first move, a small step, or better yet, express your passion for something with a listening ear. Things in the world begin to materialize as soon as we express them verbally.

5. Develop confidence. If you’ve reached this point, you are almost carrying the title of “entrepreneur,” not to be confused with the title of “self-employed.” An entrepreneur can be someone who works and reports back like anyone else, the only difference being that he or she applies initiative. You can be a leader at work no matter what you do. You can be an entrepreneur no matter who you work for. Come up with a new idea, express a new initiative and make a remark on the way things can improve efficiently.

Whatever you end up doing, in order to be a leader and fly with passion you have to remind yourself of Henry David Thoreau’s saying: “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams!” Just avoid fire chutes and PA systems.

Ronn Torossian is president and CEO of 5WPR, one of the 20 largest independent PR firms in the United States. He may be reached via e-mail at rtorossian@5wpr.com.