Lessons from a Meeting with a Person Who Manages $1.4 Billion in Vietnam

If you have the chance to meet someone who is 100,000 times wealthier than you in your chosen field, and it's for free, you're sure to learn something invaluable that no one else could teach you.

I want to share the story of how I strategically—and somewhat luckily—managed to schedule a meeting with a private equity investor who oversees approximately $1.4 billion at one of Vietnam’s largest investment funds.

Curious how it happened?

Here's my story.

It Started with a Book

It all started when I read the investor’s book.

Many investors write books that discuss their investing strategies, philosophies, and principles. These books are treasures of their teachings and the businesses they are involved in.

I was particularly impressed by this investor's teachings, which saved me from making a bad investment that could have impacted my savings.

After finishing the book, I decided to reach out to the author/investor.

A quick Google search for his name and email provided a few options. I decided to test some out, using his full name. I sent the author/investor a thank you message, expressing my gratitude for his work and how much I learned from his book.

To my surprise, he responded. Not only did he reply, but he also CC’d his assistant to arrange a meeting for coffee.

You can read a book and send the author a thank you message. The worst thing that can happen is they don’t respond.

The Greet and Meet

When we met, I noticed a few things right away:

• The investor was cool and calm.

• He asked questions.

• A lot of questions.

I've heard that people who ask questions control the conversation, and this was a perfect example of that in action.

Know the Numbers

Throughout our meeting, the investor spoke very little, but every word he said was pure fact.

As an investment manager, he emphasized the importance of knowing and keeping up with the numbers, such as:

• Gold prices

• Dow Jones Index

• Currency exchange rates

• Inflation rates

• And more

Interestingly, our conversation was less about him and more about me. He was trying to learn as much about me as possible. At his level, he could immediately sense if I was genuine and whether my actions were pure.

He could sense the bullsh*t right away.

Preparation Is Key, But Reality May Not Go As You Planned

Meeting someone at this investor's level requires preparation.

I spent a total of 8 hours over two weeks practicing and writing out the questions I planned to ask.

But guess how many questions I got to ask?

Zero.

Your plan to meet with someone might not go as expected, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't prepare.

A successful investor will challenge your thoughts, mind, strategy, and assumptions.

This experience was invaluable for me.

A Gratitude Message May Get You a Meeting

If you read or watch something from someone who inspires you, don't hesitate to send them a thank you message.

You never know; you might get a generous offer to meet them for coffee.

This experience taught me that reaching out and showing gratitude can open unexpected doors.

So, take that step, and you might find yourself in an interesting conversation with someone you admire.

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