This episode features an interview with Danny Hwang. Danny is the Founder & CEO of education technology company Point Avenue, and a Partner at NPX Capital. On this episode, Danny shares the major setbacks he overcame at West Point, how mentors like his brother shaped his life, and what you should be striving for instead of work-life balance.
This episode features an interview with Danny Hwang. Danny is the Founder & CEO of education technology company Point Avenue, and a Partner at NPX Capital.
On this episode, Danny shares the major setbacks he overcame at West Point, how mentors like his brother shaped his life, and what you should be striving for instead of work-life balance.
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“First is what I call work-life harmony. There's no such thing as work-life balance because that automatically assumes that those are two competing forces. And I always remind people including myself, that if you want to build success, the grinding, the hard work, the sacrifice, that is a must. There are no freebies.” — Danny Hwang
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Episode Timestamps:
*(2:12) - Danny’s four major setbacks while at West Point
*(4:55) - Where the Army took Danny after West Point
*(6:05) - Post military life for Danny where he wanted to go/do
*(8:46) - Danny and his brother’s close-knit relationship
*(14:06) - Measuring success at NPX Point Avenue
*(18:01) - All the different aspects of NPX
*(21:15) - Segment: SOP - Standard Operating Procedure
*(25:47) - Where Danny got his discipline from and when it began
*(27:37) - What Danny’s motivation is and how it compared to his past
*(32:07) - Giving Back
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Links
Connect with Danny on LinkedIn
Connect with Old Grad Club on LinkedIn
[00:01:29] Welcome to On Point. I'm Eddie Kang, founder of the old grad club and your host for today, I'm joined by a very special guest and my old company made in company H one, Danny Hwang, Danny, how are you this morning?
[00:01:45] Danny: Root Hog or Die. Thank you very much for having me here.
[00:01:52] Eddie: So you have lived all over kind of Asia, as well as the U S um, and we're gonna dig into all [00:02:00] of that, but, you know, the first segment of our podcast is usually the AAR. And we talk about basically your life from graduating west point in, in serving the military to today.
[00:02:10] And I know it's kind of a crazy story, you know, first off, maybe bringing it back to west point. You've talked before about how you have maybe four setbacks during your time there. What were they in, in, you know, kind of what brought you to the academy, the first place.
[00:02:22] Danny: The four setbacks almost failed.
[00:02:24] Beast barracks. I never did JRTC. Or had you had military service members in my family? Dropped out of the boxing team. Uh, wasn't wasn't fast enough, talented enough. Did it make the army crew team? No background and experience and crew. And finally didn't make class president lost her preps there by landslide.
[00:02:44] So yeah, those are four major setbacks. When I joined the academy, I remember calling my mom and saying, maybe this isn't for me. And my mom said I didn't raise it. So you got to figure it out and dry forward. And so I did, and after that I tried out for the parachute team is, was one to 10 who got [00:03:00] selected and then everything from there on with suicidally.
[00:03:03] Gotcha. When you
[00:03:04] Eddie: were at, um, graduating high school and stuff like that, where your parents were really supportive of you joining the academy, or was this something that was kind of foreign to them? I
[00:03:11] Danny: would say it was a little bit foreign, but you know, a little bit about my background. I'm a Korean immigrant born in South Korea.
[00:03:18] And as you know, South Korea has the conscription service. So that basically means that all male citizens between the ages of 18 to 28, have the two years of mandatory service, uh, I believe women are not required to serve, but they can volunteer. So growing up, my, my grandfather, my mom's dad and my father used to tell these military stories and sing the song.
[00:03:38] It goes something like sauna. which basically means like when you're born courageous, there's a lot to do, but that's the kind of idea. And, uh, fast forward now to September 11th, 2001, I was a senior in high school sitting in my AP literature class. I'm sure everybody remembers that day. And for me it was definitely very vivid.
[00:03:58] And around that time, when we saw [00:04:00] the second airplane crash into the world trade center, that was the moment I made the decision. I said, It's time to serve my country. I applied to west point. It's something I really want to do. And ultimately my parents decided to support. They really didn't know what I was signing up for and nor did I.
[00:04:14] And it was actually at that time when westbound was celebrating the bicentennial the 200 year anniversary, when.
[00:04:21] Eddie: Gotcha. That's awesome. Yeah. And so, you know, part of the reason for starting the old grad club and doing the podcast is to bring kind of inspirational stories out there. And there's a lot of people that are at west point and maybe even these younger classes that can look up to your stories.
[00:04:34] I know since you were, I believe so two years ahead of me. Uh, you're at oh six, right? That's all right. Yeah. So I was oh eight and being in the same company, it's good to see somebody kind of looks like you is doing well, the academy and all these kinds of things. And you're like, oh, maybe I can, you know, do you know, figure out how to graduate from this place and do well in the private sector as well.
[00:04:52] And so those stories are really, really important. Um, and so you graduated at a west point you're in infantry, PL where did the army. [00:05:00]
[00:05:00] Danny: Sure. So the first job out of the army was I was the battalion postal officer. Our unit had just redeployed. So this is after I finished all the military training, graduated from ranger school, did a bunch of different things, collected the badges at Fort Benning.
[00:05:15] And then I reported to Schofield barracks Hawaii. And at this time the unit was just redeploying and the battalion commander said, well, I don't really have a job for you, but you can manage. Postal office. So yeah, at that time I said, well, I'm going to be the best battalion post officer you can imagine and started helping with the mail system.
[00:05:32] After that. Of course I did two combat tours, uh, with the 25th, I was fortunate enough to serve as an aid to camp for four different general officers. Some west point graduates some not, and it was an incredibly humbling experience. One where I had to adapt and learn very fast. Otherwise I would have been left behind.
[00:05:51] And yeah, so, so that was kind of my journey. I served as a platoon leader, executive officer, uh, served as an aid to camp. And then after six years of service, I [00:06:00] transitioned out of the military and began my career in, in something very. So Danny,
[00:06:04] Eddie: you leave the military after six years of service, combat tours, aid to camp, um, rotations, which are, you know, obviously really competitive to get.
[00:06:12] Um, and then like, w what are you thinking? Life-wise? Are you like, okay, I need to figure out what I, what I can do in the private sector. What was your direction at that point in your life?
[00:06:23] Danny: Yeah, I think that, that's a great question. So reflecting on the past 15 years, since I tossed my hat up in the air and Mikey stadium raised my rates.
[00:06:32] Became a commission officer in the U S army. I think there are three main drivers for how I got to this point in my professional career and personal life. And what am I doing now? Well, I pivoted from the military into entrepreneurship, into venture building and into investing, which is what I have been doing for the past, nearly 10 years now.
[00:06:50] So the first one is what I would call the opportunity. The opportunity knocked on my older brother. Uh, Korean for older brother, Samuel 15 months apart, [00:07:00] he graduated from MIT with his undergrad and master's in mechanical engineering material science and is just a brilliant guy, is a visionary. And he made a macro bet on ed tech on China, gave up law school against my parent's wishes and his comfortable job to found his own company so that he could, in his own words, have control over his own destiny and learn from his own successes.
[00:07:22] So, you know, many years ago he presented this option to me, very black and white. Number one, you can stay in the army, make a career out of it. Number two, you can get your MBA. Like most of the old grads do five an hour or number three, you can join me in China and build with me. Should you choose a and B you're you're going to miss out on the opportunity of lifetime, but it's your.
[00:07:41] So, you know, that's the first kind of very important point. The second point I would say is faith. You know, sharing a little bit of faith in God. I grew up in a Christian household. Uh, my mom's dad, my grandpa was a pastor in Snellville, Georgia, which is where we grew up faith in yourself and what you can do in any environment, industry, or situation [00:08:00] in entrepreneurship.
[00:08:00] As you know, you have to be incredibly resilient and adaptable. And then the final one would be what I call the decision point. So I'm the type of person when I make a decision. Never looked back and just execute. You have to be decisive. Can't really sit on it or go through a detailed analysis of pros and cons, just like the Nike motto.
[00:08:18] Right. Just do it, which by the way, if you haven't read it and for anyone listening, I recommend you to read shoe dog by Phil Knight. It's one of my favorites. And then you just focus on executing and delivering results daily of fine work, take initiative, find your niche and occupied that today. Important and indispensable and an organization that you're a part of.
[00:08:38] So those are kind of the three key things as I reflect on the past 15 years that have allowed me to, to get to where I am today.
[00:08:46] Eddie: Gotcha. Were you always close with your brother? Like did, did you stay in contact while you were at west point in the army? Or like, how did you, cause he must have taken a pretty different route than you.
[00:08:55] And then you end up building this company together in China of all places, but [00:09:00] yeah,
[00:09:00] Danny: absolutely. Uh, growing up, it was just, it was just the two of us. We used to fight all the time. Um, and I think he always. Pushed me to be better, uh, created this kind of competition amongst us. That just allowed me to want more, to push myself beyond even my comfort zone.
[00:09:19] So, so I always looked up to him. I still look up to him as not only my young, but just an incredible role model. And even though we took very different paths. MIT. Uh, we absolutely kept in touch over the years and I make a joke about this, but he would always send me some propaganda while I was in the army and was always trying to try to convince me to get out, but I always felt it was necessary.
[00:09:41] If anything, for me to grow professionally, for me to learn for me to contribute as an officer, never thought when I grew up. I do five and out I did six years did two deployments, but I think around probably the time when I was doing the second deployment, more or less, I had made the decision to say, Hey, I'm ready for that next [00:10:00] step, that transition and the opportunities with my brother and China.
[00:10:03] So, so I will go,
[00:10:05] Eddie: how was your experience, um, in, you know, you worked for four different generals, I guess, as an aide de camp. And that's a very senior leadership position, obviously in the military when you are, when you leave. And you're essentially starting an organization from scratch. How did that affect how you thought about building point avenue or MPX or, you know, how did that,
[00:10:25] Danny: so I think it's important to recognize that nothing comes for free, right?
[00:10:30] It's something you have to fight for. It's something you have to earn. So every single day as an aid to camp, it was a matter of earning the respect, earning the trust over. The officers that I served on there, and it was a very humbling experience. Definitely. And I was fortunate enough that they were willing to coach and mentor me along the journey.
[00:10:49] When I first came to China, I had no background in education in entrepreneurship. I didn't speak Chinese. I studied Spanish. Maybe that was the wrong language. Um, [00:11:00] and the first company that my brother and I co-founded, this company is called new pathway education and technology. We exited this company within five years, uh, we exited to CVC capital partners built an ed tech company.
[00:11:12] We built a rule-based algorithm, uh, for all multiple choice question examinations for Chinese students studying abroad. And you know, this is a pretty large total addressable market, right? About 500,000 students a year from China, studying abroad in major markets, north America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.
[00:11:30] So, so after that first exit, we stayed on with CVC for two years. Scaled the business across to 30 cities in China, and then exited again in 2016, when CVC sold to a private equity group in China called NLD and the. At which point Daniel is, Hey, I think it's time for us to do something. Something else.
[00:11:49] Right? The pivot in 2016 was to then set up a family office. We learned a great deal about how these global private equity firms are able to leverage large amounts of capital to buy out deals M and a, [00:12:00] and then, uh, frankly, the impact that you can have is on a much greater scale than just managing one startup.
[00:12:05] So we were then inspired to build our own investment practice. And in 2016, we launched MPX capital, which started off as a family office. And now it's, it's something. Gotcha.
[00:12:16] Eddie: And so there's a lot that happened. I mean, we, you know, we can brush by five, five years like that, but when you're building this business, you know, you also get a bunch of west pointers involved at some point.
[00:12:27] Right. And how many west pointers have you worked with during your time? Kind of in the private sector.
[00:12:32] Danny: So probably about five to six. Uh, and that happened much later in my career when, when I founded this education technology company called NPX point avenue. So west point Massachusetts avenue, so that that's the road on, on MIT and Harvard.
[00:12:49] So that's sort of, the name comes from MPX pathway, which was the first company. And the idea of X is it's a variable, right. And in any new model, New industry, you have to be incredibly [00:13:00] resilient and adaptable, and that's where the name comes from. Yeah, so, so that was, that was in 2018. And before that it was just, you know, grinding alongside with my brother in 2014, after our exit two years after that, another exit.
[00:13:13] 2016 was starting MPX capital w where I'm a partner at. And then after that in 2018 founded, and currently I serve as the founder and CEO of MPX point avenue, which is a K-12 education technology. Founded in 2018 in Singapore with operating entities in Hanoi, Holtzman, city, and Bangkok. And we also have a technology team based in solar, South Korea.
[00:13:37] So this business has three main verticals. We have K-12 private bilingual schools. So we're in the physical business of building and operating. And then K-12 after schools. Uh, we call these hybrid centers because we have a combination of online to offline learning for students. And then we also have our own technology platforms, so complete learning management system, content management system, virtual classroom.[00:14:00]
[00:14:00] And, uh, right now we're positioning ourselves as, as the leading K-12 education group in APEC.
[00:14:06] Eddie: That's awesome. And how many students do you have today? How many schools, like, how do you think about your metrics for success? I guess at, at, um, you know, MPX point avenue.
[00:14:14] Danny: So we, we have thousands of students spread out across these, these major cities in Hanoi, ho Chi Minh city in Bangkok.
[00:14:20] Uh, we're also growing quite aggressively through acquisitions. So we're in the process of acquiring existing schools that have a great, great brand and reputation in the market. So it's going to be a combination of what we call Greenfield. Brownfield M and a for us to really accelerate our growth, to be able to increase in terms of the impact that we can have in the region.
[00:14:41] We're not just focused on Vietnam. Uh, we're focused in Vietnam and Thailand at current stage, but also focus on the region in Southeast Asia. We believe that there's just so much growth potential here. And so we're very committed and, you know, I, I foresee myself in, in Asia for a very long.
[00:14:58] Eddie: Gotcha. And how did you think, [00:15:00] um, like why Bangkok or why Thailand and Vietnam?
[00:15:02] I mean, you know, you've got huge populations in Indonesia, obviously a lot of different countries that are growing in Southeast Asia, uh, as well as the texting, but how did you think, you know, Vietnam and Thailand to begin with?
[00:15:15] Danny: I have to kind of rewind to the China story. So when we're in China, I think we always felt.
[00:15:20] In the longterm, China is just a very difficult market for foreigners to operate. If you look today at the regulatory nature of even education businesses, it is not a good place to be, especially as a foreign operators. So we're, we're glad that we were able to transition out when we did and the obvious next step for us.
[00:15:39] What's next and we want to still be in Asia. So, you know, is that in Korea? Is that in Japan? Is that Southern part in Southeast Asia? And I personally always had a draw to Vietnam, Thailand, Vietnam, Thailand, kind of that region. My wife actually is from Bangkok, Thailand. So I had spent some time in Southeast Asia, just more for kind of a family, you know, visiting.[00:16:00]
[00:16:00] More for personal reasons, but along the multiple trips, I started studying a bit more about the market after we had exited in 2014 and thought that the appropriate next step would be for us to move to Southeast Asia and really focus on Vietnam and Thailand in terms of macros. Right. Uh, I think you probably already know Vietnam population of a hundred million average.
[00:16:22] Thirties fastest growing middle class. Yeah, the K-12 population. So that population alone is nearly 20 million of a hundred million because they have such a young population. There is no one child policy. So on average families, two, three children, and similar to a lot of these Asian countries, right.
[00:16:40] There's a very great deal of emphasis and willingness to spend on high quality education. But. This high-quality education. It still needs time to develop in the market. And so we felt that we could come into this market and offer this type of high quality for families.
[00:16:55] Eddie: And how similar or different is your experience building point avenue [00:17:00] MPX than, you know, the, the original kind of company that you sold eventually to private equity, new pathway?
[00:17:05] Danny: Yeah. So I think each time you build a company, you have many lessons. You want to apply, integrate, and then do better. So the China story is much more of a technology platform that we're able to scale across to 30 cities, this multiple choice question. The rule-based based algorithm that I mentioned before, mostly mobile based for students in Vietnam and in Thailand.
[00:17:27] It's also a combination of, of more of the physical play. So we have existing schools, K-12 schools, we have existing after schools, and then we also have technology platforms. Into these two physical businesses that really allow us to scale beyond one center one school. So yeah, I would say it's a little bit different in terms of the business model, but in terms of the focus within education as an industry, in terms of high quality offering bilingual education for families, I would say that focus is, is [00:18:00] still, it's still.
[00:18:01] Gotcha.
[00:18:01] Eddie: And so like that's the education part of the house and then it, so, and it seems like you learned a lot through the acquisition of new pathway and that inspired you to build MPX cap. What is MPX capital these days when it comes to like today versus where you want it to be in five years. And w like, how do you split your time between kind of point avenue and MPX?
[00:18:21] And is it kind of like this, the same thing in your mind, or is it separate areas of kind of your brain that you're, that you're functioning there?
[00:18:29] Danny: Yeah. Yeah. So, great question. In terms of how I spend my time, it's probably hard to put a percentage on it, but let me just kind of tell you a little bit about NPS capital and how it's evolved over the years.
[00:18:39] So. Founded in 2006, initially as a family office, my brothers, Samuel, myself, and it's evolved into an alternative investment firm with various businesses and their investment arms. So we have a VC, a private equity, and also real estate. Uh, we have offices in teller in Hong Kong and Singapore, and then we're opening our office in LA Los Angeles.
[00:18:59] This [00:19:00] December. So within that we have MPX ventures. So I'm the managing partner for our Singapore office. So this idea of having the presence in Singapore, uh, we invest into early stage companies in Southeast Asia and also in India. We also have the private equity, which is, you know, where, where our team and I focus a wide range of investments from small to medium-sized enterprises, pre IPO buyout deals, mergers acquisitions.
[00:19:25] We've done deals in digital. Web tunes, education and education technology. Metaverse biotech and more.
[00:19:33] Eddie: Metaverse. Must've been
[00:19:35] Danny: similar reasons. Uh, yeah, that one's a little bit more recent. Um, we're, we're planning an initial public offering of one of our large digital contents web tunes platforms, uh, for next year.
[00:19:45] So this idea is we've consolidated majority ownership of a consortium of big players in the market to drop one vision, one goal, which is to be the leading digital contents company globally. And we're planning the same type of roll-up strategy for K-12 [00:20:00] education on their MPX point avenue. So first will be.
[00:20:02] The digital contents, web tunes, and then second will be the K-12 education. And then we also have what we call venture studio. So this is, uh, under MPX capital. This is called NPX Terra art. Then this part of the business we company build, we run businesses, provide strategic investment. And digital contents and education industries.
[00:20:21] We have a combination of direct businesses and strategic investments and the whole goal here, of course, across these different businesses and opportunities is to maximize return on investment with early global competitive startup investments really put founders first. We're not just an investment firm, but we also operate.
[00:20:40] Right. So, so we invest in and we operate and that's, that's the idea for MPX point avenue. So the funding for this project, this company came from MPX cap. From MPX tear arc the venture studios and gave life to MPX point avenue, which has really scaled and grown over the past three and a half years.
[00:20:59] Eddie: [00:21:00] Gotcha. That's um, it's a lot, it's hard for me to wrap my head around all the things that you're doing. I'm sure it's probably your calendar's probably crazy. So we really appreciate the time. So the next segment of our, of our podcast is called the SOP. Let's get into our next segment, the SOP or standard operating procedure in this segment, we're going to talk about the personal routines, habits and words to live by that have been instrumental to our guests success.
[00:21:27] And it's really about the things that you do on a daily basis that allow you to kind of handle. The workload handled the ambitious goals and stuff like that, and would love to kind of dig in. And I know that you, you know, obviously you've been done really, really well, whether it's west point in the military or the private sector, but is there anything that's been consistent throughout or that you've really maybe even adapted somewhat recently, that's helped you be successful in these different areas of.
[00:21:52] Yeah, happy
[00:21:53] Danny: to share just some of my thoughts. So first off, I'm a big fan of this podcast. So I got to throw that out there. I listened [00:22:00] to some of the other old grads, so thank you, Eddie and your team for the hard work that you're doing. And I'm just happy to just share my story. So, you know, along that question, in terms of habits or words to live by, uh, I would probably break it down into four different four different categories.
[00:22:15] First is what I call work life. No such thing as work-life balance, uh, because you know, that automatically assumes that those are two competing forces. And I always remind people including myself, right? If you want to build success. The grinding, the hard work, the sacrifice, uh, that, that, that is, that is a must.
[00:22:33] There's no freebies. Uh, but when I say work-life harmony, this is the idea that, you know, first off, I always remind myself and tell my wife, my wife's name is Honda. Very important part of my life. Of course. And we recently had twin boys who are six weeks, six weeks old now. That's awesome. Congrats, man.
[00:22:49] Thank you. Thank you. But I always tell her, I say I could lose all of this, everything that, that I've worked hard to build, uh, referring to my job. But I can never lose you and the kids. And by that, you [00:23:00] know, that means that I always put the family first. Right. But, but my wife and the kids first, so how do I balance that?
[00:23:05] Every morning I wake up at 4:00 AM. This idea of I can sleep a little bit less and have more time in the day for work. And also for family. Every weekend. We go to the park, we walk about eight to 10 kilometers with our babies now in an ergo baby. It's like a little harness for kids. And then we have breakfast together before I head to work.
[00:23:24] We have couples nights. So, you know, there's some shared hobbies that you should always have with your spouse. If you're married in a relationship for us, that happens to be like doing iron man's, ultra marathons. We're both. Uh, so going out to nicer restaurants together, that also means giving up on things.
[00:23:39] So I don't, I don't golf, right? Because golf takes a lot of time. I mean, my golf game is also not very good, but no golfing with buddies, no personal hobbies where it's just me away from the wife and kids, no late nights, you know, this kind of thing. So that's the first. Work-life harmony. The second part is what I call, build a Bulletproof mind.
[00:23:57] So this comes from west point for sure, [00:24:00] right? This idea of embracing the suck and suffering for me. I love complex problems. So I love challenges. I love enduring their pain, physical pain plus mental toughness is what we call Bulletproof mind. So give you an example. Just a couple of days ago, it was pouring rain.
[00:24:15] Got up usual, 4:00 AM put on my sneakers and I went for a 10 kilometer run out in the rain and there's nobody else out there cause it was pouring. And as the water started seeping into my socks shorts tank top, I gritted my teeth and kept going. And you know, this applies to work. It applies to your personal life.
[00:24:32] You just have to embrace the suck and suffering to enjoy the upside and reward. We reap what we sow. The third one is build a routine. This idea of discipline equals freedom. So once again, waking up very early in the. No rest day off day, it's about building a healthy routine that works for you. So for me, what works for me is I read a lot in the morning.
[00:24:53] Do some quiet meditation. I think it's important to have personal time for reflection. I get my run in, do some weight [00:25:00] training. It's important to stay fit because staying physically fit also means that you're ready, ready, set, go, and meetings and strategy discussions for the rest of. So I feel very alive and energized all day because my day begins at 4:00 AM.
[00:25:12] And then around 10:00 PM, you know, maybe on average, about six hours, hours a day, I'm sleeping. And then the fourth one is actually advice that my mom gave me, you know, growing up and it seems quite simple, but it served me well. And it's two simple words and she always said, Be sweet. So, you know, the idea of be sweet means understand how to work and communicate with people.
[00:25:32] It's a two way communication, which also means to be a good listener and you can build incredible teams around you. I've been fortunate enough to have some incredible people around me to be able to do what we've been able to accomplish over the.
[00:25:46] Eddie: Gotcha. And would you say like some of these disciplines or some of these ways and that you've been living, are they things that you've picked up along the way mainly, or have you really kind of, you know, basically from early adulthood always kind of lived by these [00:26:00] kind of principles.
[00:26:01] Danny: It's a combination of. So I've always worked hard, right? Like hard work was something that my father taught me as a kid every weekend, my brother and I would have to actually do yard work. So doing a lot of yard work, you know, I remember one time my hand was bleeding cause it blistered up. I went to my dad, started crying and he said, son, go put on.
[00:26:22] So, so I learned this at a young age and it's something that we took pride in as the brothers, the young brothers growing up in this environment. And it's something that I was able to apply every single day in my life, personal and also in my work. And then of course, along the journey, right, you learn so much from the giants, the mentors, the people around you.
[00:26:42] And this goes back to this idea of, we need to surround ourselves with people. Who are more successful Ford moving, positive, positive forces, people who focus on producing results and in doing so, it challenges you to do more, to share more and to grow. So I've always, you [00:27:00] know, whether, whether it's people I know on a personal level or it's just people I find on Google or people I read about always had that.
[00:27:08] To stand on the shoulder of giants, surround myself with people who are positive, have this idea of eternal optimism, accomplished and successful because I wanted to achieve that for myself. Right. For future generations. It's a combination of wanting. Uh, great father be a great husband, son, mother, daughter, you know, all of these things.
[00:27:30] And at the same time also achieve a level of success in your life where, where whatever you're doing is meaningful.
[00:27:37] Eddie: Yeah. I mean, that's, uh, that's kind of questioning, I kind of want to dig into a little bit more because when you leave the military and you're trying to figure out your private sector life, obviously none of us probably made that much money in the military.
[00:27:47] Right. But then you start these companies, you sell companies to private equity and you found these companies. And life has kind of probably more stable now than it was maybe 10, 15 years ago for you. So is the motivation different [00:28:00] today than it was before? You know, how do you think about that and what do you do with your mind in order to kind of push yourself to keep going or, or do you take, you know, a slightly slower paced.
[00:28:12] Danny: Yeah. So slower paced things. Probably not so much.
[00:28:18] Eddie: Yeah. It doesn't seem like it.
[00:28:19] Danny: So I think, I think, uh, this idea of just keep going, right. And it's not that I necessarily have a specific metric or a specific number in line, but, uh, two things, one is, is being an entrepreneur is, is incredibly difficult.
[00:28:37] It's a lonely journey, but it's also an incredibly rewarding journey because you have control. Over your own destiny. It's the decision my brother made when he transitioned, you know, instead of going to law school, he decided to be his own boss and to found his own company. And the great thing about being an entrepreneur is, is you don't sit around and you talk and you complain, you, you just do it right.
[00:28:57] You have to go out there and you do it sink or [00:29:00] float, fight or flight. It's this type of model. And the second thing would be this idea of paying. Right. So what really drives and motivates me is, is when you build companies, you give opportunities to so many people, hundreds of thousands of people, each journey, you build relationships, authentic relationships with people who come along that journey.
[00:29:18] Some people who come and go, and some people who are part of that journey from beginning to the finish line. And as you're going along, that journey you pay afford, because I am where I am today because of these incredible giants that I've, that I've mentioned before. So you take people under your wing, give them.
[00:29:34] That you received, help them grow, and then you create this endless cycle of giving more than you are receiving. And that's really what fuels my motivation to want to do more, to keep going. Yeah. Can you speak
[00:29:46] Eddie: to some of the mentors that kind of have helped you along the way? Um, either in the military or in the private sector, when it comes to giving a little bit of guidance, seeing around a corner or two, who's been instrumental and allowing you to, to really, you know, [00:30:00] forge your own path.
[00:30:01] Danny: Yeah. So not to be too cheesy, but I keep going back to the same theme, but it's my brother hands down the most influential figure in my life outside of, of course my parents, but you know, it's different, right? Parents or parents, they teach you many things, values, priorities, you know, um, how to be good parents now that my wife and I are parents, but in terms of professionalism, in terms of motivation, in terms of vision casting, in terms of.
[00:30:29] You know where I am today. I attribute so much of that. Going back to that opportunity, right? When my brother said, Hey, three opportunities here. I'm reminded of the poem by Robert Frost, the road not taken, I took the one less travel and that has made all the difference. Yeah. He, he's just an incredible role model, uh, to be Frank he's, he's very hard on me.
[00:30:50] When I first came out of the military with no background in any of this stuff, it was, it was a very challenged. Time, two things, one working for my brother,
[00:30:59] Eddie: Korean older [00:31:00] brothers
[00:31:00] Danny: can be tough, of course. Right. And then too, just, just not knowing very much and trying to, trying to keep up with the pace of the growth of the company.
[00:31:10] And I didn't want to let them. Right. Um, so every, every single time I looked, he was working harder and doing more than anybody else in the organization as the, as the founder and CEO of the company that he founded. Yeah. So, so he's just been an incredible role model for me and even today, right. He continues to challenge me.
[00:31:29] We have conversations every single day, actually. Like from the moment I wake up, you know, besides my wife, he's the person who I spend more time communicating with than anybody else. Sending messages on KakaoTalk emails, picking up the phone, talking to each other, sharing ideas about strategy, about opportunities.
[00:31:46] Thinking about, you know, five years ahead where we want to be. Uh, we have these conversations on a regular basis and he's really challenged me to push myself outside of my comfort zone and to think a lot bigger than, than what I did when I first arrived as you know, uh, [00:32:00] civilians, right. Transitioning out of the military with very limited.
[00:32:04] Yeah, that's
[00:32:04] Eddie: awesome. All right, Danny. So transitioning to our last segment, you've already shared a lot of, kind of recipes for success or however you want to call them. But our last segment is called giving back. And I like to end on this, uh, the segment, because I feel like everybody's path is unique. So the younger grads these days, or even the middle, you know, middle-aged.
[00:32:25] Uh, you know, people always ask like these stories, you know, these questions to people that have made it, like what was, you know, key to your success and all these different things. But, you know, after compiling a bunch of these stories, I realized the answer is very different for everybody. But, you know, I'd love to hear from, from you kind of, you know, if you were to give advice to somebody who's.
[00:32:44] That 27, 28 year old, a junior officer who's leaving or somebody who's perhaps, you know, 10 years out or 15 years out or something that is trying to really like Excel in their career. Like what would that be from your perspective, given all the great experiences that. [00:33:00]
[00:33:00] Danny: Yeah. So I think it goes back to some of the points that I've mentioned about, you know, building a Bulletproof mind, building routine discipline equals freedom, be sweet.
[00:33:09] And you know, this idea of work-life harmony. I think what's most important is, is you have to ask yourself when you wake up in the morning, what really. What really motivates you for me, it's just, when I wake up, it's a very clear sense of purpose, right? We're the results are tangible on a regular basis.
[00:33:25] We're making progress. We're executing upon the goals that we've set out the short-term mid-term long-term goals. So, you know, like those kinds of things. Fuel my motivation and I don't struggle to wake up in the morning and every evening I also practice this idea of gratitude, right? So whether it's through reflection through prayer, through conversing with my brother or through my wife, this idea of, Hey, like we are just so grateful.
[00:33:51] The things that we have in our life. We don't want to take those things for granted. We want to be reminded of those things, hold onto those things, but also do [00:34:00] more for other people who maybe have not been given those opportunities. Right. And how do we do that? Well, through a company building through venture building, we give people opportunities through mentorship within the organization, through building great company culture.
[00:34:14] It's a combination of those things. So yeah, I think when you transition that. Whether it's 27, 28, whether it's 35, whether it's 40, uh, whatever decision is right for you. I think the first point is, is you have to think about that years in advance. So you can't think the moment you're transitioning out, what's next, you have to map out.
[00:34:34] Maybe, you know, generally I always talk to people like three to five years out. Maybe 10 years is too far of a horizon, but Hey, where do I see myself? Where do I want to be three to five years? The second point is, is don't be a lemming, right? So don't follow what everybody else is doing. And I'm not saying business school is not, uh, is not a good path, but you know, you have to really think about what are ways in which you can [00:35:00] differentiate yourself and not be like everyone else.
[00:35:03] Uh, it's very important. Any organization that you're a part of, you have to find your niche. You have to figure out how you can be indispensable, right. Basically important. To the organization. So, so it's not something that somebody will find for you. You have to discover that for yourself and in doing so that's where their greatest growth will happen.
[00:35:23] And then of course, surrounding yourself with people who are much better than you. Right? So, you know, there are people on this podcast I've listened to, and these, these individuals are incredibly successful and I'm very inspired when I listened to their podcast. So, um, Absorbing information, listening, communicating, reaching out to people who are very accomplished and successful in their own.
[00:35:46] Right. And trying to learn from their best practices. And in order to do that, you have to humble yourself, right? You can't think that, you know everything because surely you don't and you have to be willing to open up your mind, go to people, learn from [00:36:00] them. And also eventually over time, you also can do.
[00:36:04] And teach others, right? So, yeah, it's, it's this kind of cycle that I think is important, but everything begins, uh, just with the right mindset and this desire to want to help others and to, to put more good into the ecosystem than
[00:36:18] Eddie: bad. That's big then. Well, Danny, thanks so much, man. I appreciate the time and I'm sure the listeners out there due to due to your story is one that's inspirational, even though.
[00:36:29] You're still, probably one of the younger, old grads that are out there, especially amongst those that we've recorded with. Um, we wish you the best of success with both the family, uh, as well as with MPX point avenue really appreciate the time today, Danny.
[00:36:41] Danny: Thank you so much, Eddie, for the opportunity and for allowing me to share my story, I hope many others out there.
[00:36:48] Are willing to do the same. And in doing so, we inspire the people, right? The old grads, uh, to, to also do something meaningful, what their life, right beyond the military, whether it's still in the [00:37:00] military after the military, you know, part of it is you also have to have courage, right? You have to be willing to take the risk, you know, go big or go home.
[00:37:07] Right. You have to be willing to, to go to the. Less traveled and to, uh, build something. I think that will hopefully outlive you and in doing so, you, you inspire many others to kind of follow in that path. And that's the kind of legacy that I hope that, that, uh, these old grads can leave behind and I'm just glad to have been a part of it.
[00:37:26] So thank you very much for this opportunity. You of
[00:37:28] Eddie: course. Thank you for sharing, Danny.
[00:37:31] Producer: Thank you for listening to OnPoint. Please take a moment to rate and review the show. Wherever you're listening. It really helps. Also subscribe to our newsletter@oldgradclub.com and follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn at old grad club.
[00:37:45] We'll see you on the next episode.