CROSSING THE SWAMP

Shen shares the philosophies and strategies that took him from a single catastrophic failure to success in this business memoir.

In 2008, the author stood with one foot on the windowsill of his Honolulu hotel room, pondering the 16-story fall before him. The economic crisis had devastated his Florida-based real estate agency and left him mired in the “swamp of failure.” By 2023, the author had founded five companies (and still leads four of them), gaining numerous accolades for his business acumen from major media institutions while operating as a “parallel entrepreneur.”Unlike the solo or serial entrepreneur, these innovators seek “to launch and simultaneously operate many companies, with no intention of ‘flipping them’ as soon as they become profitable.” Shen shares the benefits of pursuing a parallel entrepreneurial path and discusses the talents necessary to succeed. These include knowing how to capitalize on new laws and legislation, valuing revenue over profit, and maintaining a work-life balance, concepts supported by helpful examples from the author’s own businesses, whether working internationally with Chinese citizens or weathering hardships and finding opportunities during the Covid pandemic. Shen’s experiences are illustrated with bright, colorful, and upbeat graphics, relatable analogies, and various sidebars that either emphasize important points or give more background on certain subjects. The memoir includes photographs and interviews with Shen’s colleagues, fellow CEOs, employees, and the author’s business partner and wife, Stella Zhang. Though the text is approachable for any aspiring entrepreneur, startup, or established organization, special care is taken to address immigrants, who often face obstacles due to differences in language or other unique challenges. Many business writings are framed as cutthroat; impressively, the opposite is true here, as the book focuses instead on the inspirational, often emphasizing aiding others who seek to become entrepreneurs and giving back to the community.

A well-constructed memoir/business guide with a special focus on first-generation immigrants.