From Having a Boss to Being My Own Boss: How I took control of my future to become independent (time-wise and money-wise) in Japan

by Leonard Loo

An ordinary employee decides to start his own business and become his own boss. As if this endeavor isn't challenging enough, imagine doing this in a foreign country, where additional obstacles like cultural differences and language barriers abound. How can he succeed? In this candid memoir, Leonard Loo shares what it took to achieve his goal of being a self-sufficient individual in Japan. You’ll learn about how he set himself up to run his own business while still working 12 hours a day; how the response rate to his cold emails grew from less than 1% to more than 50%; how he managed to supplement his business income (and indirectly prepare for retirement) with smart and forward-thinking investments; and more. With his analytical mindset and resolute approach, Loo’s story is an in-depth account of a Filipino national taking charge of his own future through sheer hard work, resourcefulness, and simple decency.* This was published in October 2019 so some of the details may be outdated.

109 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 26, 2019

Reviews

[Favian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leonard Loo's newly-published book, “From Having a Boss to Being My Own Boss,” is centered around courage and foresight. It takes bravery to thrive in a foreign country without the security blanket of a monthly salary entering the bank account.

I had the opportunity to speak face-to-face with Leo during the initial stages of GengoLooKan Co., Ltd. back in September 2017. He shared his long-term outlook and thoroughly discussed the investments and business ventures that he wanted to pursue. Most of the topics we covered in that meeting are systematically explained in this book. His anecdotes are candid, as he shares his experiences without sugarcoating the shortcomings.

Highly recommended for foreign Japanese residents who are considering starting their own business or diversifying their streams of income. This book will serve as a reliable jump-off point as it includes relevant Japanese terms and a general overview of the process that needs to be followed.

[Sophie Sam-Soon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed the book! The author gave details on obstacles met during his path to becoming his own boss. It’s basically a short step by step guide on how to become an entrepreneur in a foreign country (in this case, Japan). Most of the time we always tell ourselves that we can’t do this or that and find an excuse. The author showed how he didn’t find any excuses but went on to pursue his goals. I personally found it very inspiring. It’s a must read !