The Grow Givers Project has a new podcast! On the show, we aim to spotlight successful entrepreneurs and achievers, share their stories, and equip our audience with the tools, inspiration, and mental frameworks to level up in their businesses and lives. Today, I’m excited to share a written recap of “Episode 3: Creating Value & Building Freedom Through Business Development Internationally.” In this episode, I connected with Faruq Hunter, co-founder of the Freedom Nation and Freedom Village, international business development specialist, and community builder employing innovation, technology, and creativity to form sustainable, dynamic ecosystems.
About Faruq Hunter
Faruq Hunter is a proven global professional, project manager, and entrepreneur who specializes in investing in, and establishing projects that are revenue generating, with low operating costs, and debt free with the capacity to fuel growth at scale.
Faruq Hunter is the co-founder of the Freedom Nation and Freedom Village, having constructed a town for manufactures, innovators, and creatives providing the agency for people to live a lifestyle of experimentation, growth and freedom. The entire town produces its own food, electricity, water and natural gas on an internally developed distributed energy production smart grid.
Hunter has been a featured speaker in Black Enterprise Magazine, SXSW, Georgia Tech’s Impact Series, and over 50 additional venues throughout 80 plus countries on the topics of innovation, collaboration and technology. Hunter completed his first degree at the International University of Africa in Khartoum, Sudan at the age of 13, and has continued to be a trailblazer transforming the concept of making economic progress and production on an international stage into reality.
Faruq Hunter | Freedom Nation
Lessons from Episode 3
#1. Closed Minds Don’t Get Fed: When establishing yourself in a foreign country you may be shocked by the slow pace of commerce, the norms and expectations of people regarding what is quality or not, or how counterproductive their customs may appear to you. The speed of your business growth will be determined by your ability to be holistic in your approach, and getting on the same side of the table as the decision makers you’re serving.
#2. Be Intentional About Establishing Roots: There is nothing passive about establishing business interest internationally. People who gain traction quickly find ways to immerse themselves in the culture: attending school, living in countries intermittently to understand customs and values, and being highly aware of how locals perceive you as the foreigner.
#3. Be the Plug. Sharing is Caring, and Profitable. - A thriving ecosystem where information can travel is required to build a thriving business anywhere. One of the greatest hindrances to achieving international success is people gatekeeping, rather than investing in the idea that a rising tide lifts all ships. Also, the inability to tolerate complexity handicaps and stunts progress.
#4. See the Entire Chess Board. It is mission critical to be aware of the needs of the people, but also the government, industries, and other stakeholders. A heightened sense of awareness is necessary, and you must tailor your business strategies to address needs at every level. The business in a box is a myth.
#5. Study Human Behavior & Work Relentlessly on Becoming a Person of Value. Faruq Hunter spent years studying why people make decisions, and understanding where the skill, talent, and knowledge stacks he’s developed would be in greatest demand. Suggested books included "The Tipping Point," "Good to Great," and "The Little Black Book of Connections."
#6, You Need to Know How to Assemble a Team.
Mavens: People who generate and are highly effective at communicating ideas. Information specialists who accumulate and share knowledge.
Connectors: People who crossover social, business, religious, political, and criminal boundaries, developing networks and relationships in diverse groups.
Salespeople: Persuasive individuals who drive the adoption of new ideas.
#7. Shiny Object Syndrome is the Kiss of Death Overseas. Research the local economy and learn about development plans. Take inventory of whether the raw resources are easily accessible (don’t take this for granted), whether people who are capable of executing plans (leadership) is present, and whether all the following vectors are on the same page: political, financial, religious, and criminal.
#8. Open Source Intelligence. Gathering all available online information to find points of convergence or consensus. Consensus isn’t always tantamount to the truth, but it is the window to what people believe and what they perceive.
#9. The Successful are Paranoid. Your ace in the hole is the person that can walk into spaces, be disarming to people, and gather valuable information about what people really want and need.
#10. Study Private-Public Partnerships. The information is not hard to find. When you find the intersection between the private and public sector, you have found the honey pot… especially internationally.
#11. The Human Biases that Kill Ideas in Their Infancy. Become a savant at understanding human psychology and anthropology.
Availability Bias: People over index and overestimate based on their singular experiences, or what they know. If they haven’t seen it, observed it, or been apart of something, they will dismiss or violently oppose it.
Social Proof Bias: People will take their cues from what others are doing, specifically people who they believe are popular. Monkey see. Monkeys do. Seeing other people move differently or make different decisions greatly unnerves people.
12. You Attract Great People By Being Unabashedly Committed to Excellence & Greatness. Be patient, do amazing stuff, give yourself time to cook, and be patient.
Want to Learn More?
Discover even more invaluable lessons in greater detail from a fascinating video interview with Faruq Hunter. The summary above is just a short introduction to the valuable insights shared during this compelling interview.
Want to learn more? Join the conversation in the full video. Let's grow together! ➡️ [Watch Video]
The world around us wasn’t built by the exceptional. It was built by everyday people who were willing to do exceptional things. Go build something.
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