Leo Lu Blog

THE ART OF NEGOTIATION AND PERSUASION     At its core, the word 'negotiation' simply means the act of reaching an agreement where both sides feel that they have won. As a buyer and seller of high-end goods, I am constantly going back and forth with people, negotiating down to the last cent. It happens more often than you might think, even outside of financial transactions. Whether you're discussing a salary, haggling at a market, or deciding what to watch with family, negotiation is part of daily life.  The key to winning a negotiation is to focus on five key factors: understanding your worth, actively listening, emphasizing mutual benefits, using storytelling, and always negotiating more. Understand Your Worth To understand your worth, you need to know what value you hold in your product or your offering. If you are planning to sell a product, make sure you know roughly what the item is worth to ensure that you are not overcharging or selling yourself short. If you are b...

 I chose Simu Liu’s autobiography We Were Dreamers: An Immigrant Superhero Origin Story  because I am a big Marvel fan. Simu Liu is an actor that I look up to because he has pushed the boundaries for Asian Americans. I hoped to gain more insight on his actor experiences and how he defied odds in a field dominated by non-minorities. The book explores his journey as a young boy from Canada, growing up into a mega Hollywood star. He reflects on challenges that he faced, including navigating cultural differences in the movie scene. I love how he includes humor into his story of resilience and identity, and the book so far has truly defined what it means to be an immigrant and work hard in his field. 

 Sneaker Store Owner I have fun explaining my job to people. It's rare, so they don't hear about it daily. When I tell people I own a sneaker store, they often don't understand what that means or what it entails. Luckily for everyone reading, I will do my best to explain my day-to-day. At the basis of my work, I am an entrepreneur, working as a sneaker reseller. If you are not familiar with streetwear culture, our work revolves around the buying and selling of limited sneakers and streetwear. When these items release for the retail price, they often sell out within minutes, and sometimes even within seconds. My job is to find retail buyers, pay their premium, and charge consumers a markup on my buying price.  Many look down on our job. They blame us for sneakers selling for 5-10x over retail. In reality, we are like any other sellers in any market. No one gets mad at Louis Vuitton for marking up a handbag 100x, or at a grocery store for charging 3-5x for daily essentials....