It has come to our attention that a website with the title "Africa Business Intelligence" has posted a profile of a business owner with the name "Joon I Sue", which claimed that he runs a telecomms business in Washington DC, has an attached profile that is STOLEN from the background of our previous co-founder Dr Seamus Phan. This notice serves to categorically state that McGallen & Bolden and Dr Seamus Phan has NO LINK WHATSOEVER with this fraudulent site page.
This passage extracted from their site is an EXACT COPY of our previous co-founder Dr Seamus Phan when he was interviewed by a SINGAPORE newspaper on 8 November 2002, when he was honored by the Business Owners Idea Cafe (run by Francine Ward) in 2002.
What does your business do?
Provides keynote speeches and custom training programs to corporate and government clients, and syndicate well-researched editorial content to trade publications, print media, newspapers, magazines, TV and radio stations.
When and why did you start the biz?
I co-founded a successful international consulting firm, McGallen & Bolden Group, since 1991 (with series of mergers involved), and subsequently decided to pursue a more independent path in late 2001. This venture was started as a personal vehicle to spend more time for myself.
COMMENTS: Please note that McGallen & Bolden HAS NO SUBSIDIARY, FRANCHISE OR ANY LINK IN AFRICA.
How Many People are in your Company?
2 to 5.
Where's your office?
I work mostly out of home, and share a small table with some other colleagues at a real work place as well, just to reduce my running costs. There is cable/DSL connectivity at home, and I have a full recording studio for on-air (TV and radio segments) production, as well as a fast Apple Mac for all kinds of creative, journalistic, writing and development work. Plus, I get to watch news on cable TV channels anytime, and can simply lie down for a quick nap when I'm really tired. There is also a minimalist home gym with free PowerBlock weights, bench and other equipment, to push my body around a bit.
COMMENTS: We have the print proof in the newspaper article.
What's the toughest part of running your biz?
As with any business, that of finding prospects and turning them into endearing customers. Prospects are harder to find these days, with less knowledgeable but hungry people entering every segment of the market with cut-throat basement prices with correspondingly low quality work. However, we soldier on.
What's the most fun part?
Obviously, you no longer report to bosses, and you are completely accountable and responsible for your own successes and failures. I enjoy that. Plus, you have better control of time, and can lead a decent, good quality personal life.
Anything you would have done differently?
Perhaps I can scale back my personal pursuits of additional studies on top of the PhD I have already earned, so that I can bring more personal attention to the work and business. But just a learning point in my life that I can't possibly do so many things at one time.
What's next on the horizon for your biz?
To continue to build allies with leading trade publications, magazines, dailies, TV and radio stations, and to foster more partnerships with North American book distributors and agents who can help enhance our book products business.
What advice do you have for others?
Never borrow money and expect to turn a fast profit, especially in these difficult times. I did borrow against credit in my first venture, an advertising and design studio, and that was exceptionally harsh for the heart. Subsequently, I build consulting firms with no loans whatsoever, and was able to steadily build the firms without bad sleep every night. For this venture, I continue the philosophy of not borrowing money from the banks. I'm free to do what I want, and grow the business slowly but surely.
School (where, still in school, degree)?
Greenwich University, PhD, Business (Quality Management)
Prior jobs or business?
Co-founder/Partner, McGallen & Bolden Group; Ernst & Young, Senior Consultant (Human Resource); Price Waterhouse, Practice Development Executive; Citibank Asia Pacific Banking Institute, Publications Director; Seagate Technology, Training Officer
COMMENTS: We have the print proof in the newspaper article.
We have stored the archive copy of the fraudulent page as evidence.