I got to speak with Kenneth Reyes-Lao about his interesting journey from living in a bustling city working in corporate, to moving to a smaller city with more nature, growing and selling his own chocolate!
Kenneth and his wife are founders of Cacao Culture, a social enterprise based in Davao which is in the south of the Philippines. Their mission is to spread love for Philippine Cacao and Chocolate!
They’re also financial literacy advocates and are founders of the Facebook group ‘FIRE Movement PH’, where they bring together Filipinos globally to help each other on their Financial Independence journeys.
The things you’ll learn:
Career Change & Domestic Geoarbitrage:
- Why and how he gave up a 6 figure salary to start his own chocolate business, earning around a third of what he was getting before.
- How he and his wife used lifestyle design to move from a capital bustling city to a smaller city with a slower pace of life and more nature
- How he used Domestic Geoarbitrage (i.e. spending around a quarter of his city apartment rent for a 150sqm house and garden) to give them a runway to experiment with entrepreneurship
- How he created the chocolate business with no farming or chocolate background at all
- How he finds purpose through his business and what he calls ‘living a blessed life’
Financial Independence:
- Why he started the Fire Movement PH Facebook group
- The advantages and disadvantages of pursuing FIRE in the Philippines
- Investment options for Filipino’s living in Philippines to pursue FIRE
- His 3 pillars of earning and accumulating money
- His FIRE number target and timeline to get there
Wrap-up questions at the end:
- Ken’s definition of Freedom
- Something Ken wished he done 10 years ago
- The daily habits that helped him in his life
- His most important lesson in life
- 2-3 Transformational book recommendations
- Quick things listeners can do this week if they want to get started doing something similar to him
Kenneth’s Socials:
- Cacao Culture Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/cacaocultureph/
- Cacao Culture Website: cacaoculture.ph (can order chocolates from website)
- Fire Movement PH Facebook group: //www.facebook.com/share/jQY9Yq8m1oV9ccnT/
Email: If you want to connect, send me a note at freedombeforefi@proton.me
Disclaimer:
This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice