Manuel Ferreras Moreno [00:00:00]:
Can have a friend, but then when you start a business, it’s a different thing. And maybe your friendship is amazing, but when you have to work together, you don’t actually know how that your friend works. Starting a business in a country that is not yours, even in your own country, is not easy. I don’t want to grow and grow and grow this mindset. Like, I’m happy with growing little, yes, but, like, everybody happy. We want the clients to be happy, and we want our workers to be happy. We don’t want to become one of those that we’re criticizing now. Right?
Scott Pressimone [00:00:33]:
Hey, Manuel. Thanks so much for joining me today.
Manuel Ferreras Moreno [00:00:37]:
Thank you very much for having me. It’s all it’s a it’s a pleasure. It’s an honor to be here. Thank you, really.
Scott Pressimone [00:00:43]:
Of course. So could you give yourself a brief introduction who you are and what you’re doing here in Thailand?
Manuel Ferreras Moreno [00:00:51]:
I am the cofounder of Raven Wing. I am also a teacher. I teach physics at a high school level in one of the international schools here in in Bangkok.
Scott Pressimone [00:01:06]:
Well, I think your background is really quite interesting. You mentioned that you have a PhD in physics and that is not a super common thing. From what I understand, that’s kind of a hard PhD to acquire. So, can you spend a bit of time maybe sharing what your experience was in the education system pursuing a PhD?
Manuel Ferreras Moreno [00:01:28]:
It was an interesting ride because it wasn’t my original idea when I start I I have also like a master’s or the equivalent of a master’s in physics from Spain, and it wasn’t my original idea to pursue like a career in science, but I I felt the gall at some point. Because, well, yeah, I I I finished my my masters. I became a Spanish teacher for a while. And then I after that I realized that I wanted to teach science instead. So I I I became like a science teacher in Spain, in an international school. And then I applied for a position as a PhD student in a university in New Zealand, and I got the scholarship. So I said like, why not? Let’s try. Let’s give a proper try to science, what it’s like to be a scientist.
Manuel Ferreras Moreno [00:02:20]:
Because when you’re doing your masters and all that, you are a student. But when you do a PhDs, when you really taste what it’s like to be a scientist, right? What is academia really like? It was painful. It was hard. It tested many in many ways my mental health, honestly. I learned a lot. It was a valuable I would do it again actually. I would do it again even though after a few months after a few months after starting I was like, I’m sure I maybe shouldn’t be doing this because I don’t think I see the profile of the successful PhD student in physics or in that field, right? You need a lot of dedication and passion for it. And I had the dedication, the passion not so much I realized after.
Manuel Ferreras Moreno [00:03:12]:
Right? Yeah. So it was hard.
Scott Pressimone [00:03:16]:
So it’s an interesting pivot you made though. I know that this is not your first venture in entrepreneurship and starting a business, with Raven Wing. So I really wanna know some of the background of number 1, why you decided to make that transition from academia to entrepreneurship. And then if you could explain a little bit more about that first venture that you had.
Manuel Ferreras Moreno [00:03:35]:
Sure. So after I finished the PhD I went back home, and it was COVID time so it was kinda like tricky for all of us, right? Like difficult times. And I was kind of stuck in Spain for almost a year, less than a year because it was I was defending my thesis. And in that year I wanted I wanted to start like a business I always dreamed with having a business in the cannabis field, right? And in Spain, and I think it was like all over Europe where there’s a few countries, CBD became a thing, right? Which is like every country the regulation is a little bit different but it’s basically cannabis with a low content of THC which is the psychoactive component of it, right? So there was kind of a wave of CBD and actually I was surprised I came back from New Zealand to do, yeah from to Spain and suddenly I realized that they were selling marijuana in the back shop. And I was like, what is this? So so I just tried it and I was like, this is great, right? Because it doesn’t have that like psychoactive and I’m not into that psychoactive anymore side of it, right? So I decided like this is it, this is this is it, this is what I wanna do, right? And then I have I had a chat with my closest friends and we all saw the potential of
Scott Pressimone [00:05:11]:
it
Manuel Ferreras Moreno [00:05:11]:
and and we decided to give it a shot. Little we know that it wasn’t as easy as as we thought it would be, right? To make a profitable business in that field you need, first of all you need to have a lot of money. You need to have a solid plan. You need to be a professional grower. It’s not like GS can grow, you know? There are many factors. So we started to cover all those bases but we realized that it wasn’t it wasn’t so easy and that we we didn’t have enough money pretty much for it, I think. That was the main the main the key thing. And also, let me tell you one more thing.
Manuel Ferreras Moreno [00:05:58]:
Regulation was a little bit tricky. It wasn’t clear and there was always a fear that they will change it. So it was also a little bit scary to start, like, a full on business in some field that you don’t know what is actually gonna happen in the next 1 year, 2, 3, 5 years. Right? So that was also another setback.
Scott Pressimone [00:06:19]:
What was that experience like for you though when you’re deciding that it’s not gonna work out? Was that something where you and your friends were all in agreement and you were all just gonna say, okay, let’s let’s close the doors. We’re not gonna make it. Or, was it just one over the other that was really pushing for you to you to stop? Because I I only asked this question because I think it can be hard sometimes to determine when something isn’t going to work, because, you know, that that hurts. Right? If it’s something you’ve said you’ve always wanted to do, so what was that like actually deciding to shutter the doors?
Manuel Ferreras Moreno [00:06:51]:
It was it was hard, and I think we all slowly realized, There was a moment I think, one day like going through regulation and going through one of those meetings that we had, and that we saw, we saw it clearly that we were in a in not in a good position to start a business and that we would have to get loans, right, to start a business and that it was too risky actually to take that step. So we show it clearly like I think it’s better and we all had a job, I didn’t have a job then but I knew that I could get a job somewhere so, but they all had jobs, right? So it wasn’t like, okay, let’s continue with our lives for now, right? Like, that’s it. This is not our time yet. Or maybe in the future it will be, but not now. Too hard.
Scott Pressimone [00:07:59]:
Yeah, I’m sure it was. Now what happened after that then? What were your next steps? And then if you could sort of draw the connection then to Thailand, how did you end up deciding to to move here? Well, you know that the market for international teachers it is, is
Manuel Ferreras Moreno [00:08:18]:
is very there’s a lot of competition, right? And I am Spanish first of all. As you can tell English is not my first language which I’m always at disadvantage with all the teachers. But I have an advantage over some other ones that is that I have a PhD. I think like if I didn’t get the PhD I wouldn’t be able to teach internationally as I’m doing, right? It gives me some like validation in a way. So yeah, I started to apply jobs. It was still COVID times so it was kind of maybe a little bit easier to find jobs in that time in the international education field because some people were afraid to leave their countries. Right? So And I I I got this job here in Bangkok and that was, yeah, for This is my 4th year. And, yeah.
Manuel Ferreras Moreno [00:09:13]:
Yeah, I mean I’m happy I took it, the step. It was great. Like I’m happy to be here.
Scott Pressimone [00:09:17]:
At the time, did you know a lot about Thailand? Had you visited here before?
Manuel Ferreras Moreno [00:09:21]:
No, I didn’t. I I was never here before and I I knew a little but I didn’t know much, honestly. I’ve always, I’ve lived in a few, well a few countries. I’ve lived in Czech Republic, in Holland, in New Zealand, I lived for a short period in the UK, and now here, right? And I like to be surprised. I don’t like, you know, and I like to do the research on the spot. Well back my first moves there was not even like good internet back then, or not much, right? So I had no smartphones or any of that. But here it was like, okay. And it was also COVID time so there was a lockdown.
Manuel Ferreras Moreno [00:10:06]:
I didn’t know much actually and I was placing the surprise in some aspects and in some others not so much, but the positive definitely beat the negative, and that’s why I’m here.
Scott Pressimone [00:10:19]:
And now you actually started a business in Thailand yourself Mhmm. Which wasn’t Raven Wing. And we’ll talk about that, in a bit. But I do want to first think about that transition. You had mentioned there were some good sides and bad sides. It obviously was a very, unique time given it was around COVID time, as you said. But, can you explain what it was like moving here? What things were most surprising when you moved and got settled into Thailand?
Manuel Ferreras Moreno [00:10:45]:
Everything because from the my other my other experiences abroad, they were like, and I hate this expression, but Western countries, right? Like they were in Europe or New Zealand that is similar culture to mine, right? They’re all like Christian countries in a way as well, no? And here you come to Buddhist country and the lifestyle here is for, and Thais how they are is different. So the cultural shock of moving here was the biggest one I had, right? Again at the beginning it was very weird because we were still in lockdown. I had to be like for 2 weeks in a hotel that almost that was tough for my mental health as well and then started here. It’s always scary to move to a new country where you don’t know anybody, right? Even though I’ve done it multiple times but still it’s hard and it gets harder actually in a way when you get older, no? So it was difficult but I I made connections with teachers already at the beginning and they helped me a lot through navigating the country and and it was not too long after I arrived that I met my my partner and that was super helpful as well to, yeah, adjust.
Scott Pressimone [00:12:12]:
Well, let’s also then talk about that transition when you you’re still in lockdown when you got here and you’re teaching. So I’m just kinda curious, are is your first assignment to teach online then? Or are you okay. Can you explain that a little bit? I can only imagine an orientation where you’re just joining a school and you are now trying to teach students and you’re not even used to the culture yet to some extent, I’d assume.
Manuel Ferreras Moreno [00:12:38]:
Mhmm.
Scott Pressimone [00:12:39]:
So what was what was that like for you?
Manuel Ferreras Moreno [00:12:41]:
That was that was so weird. So so hard Because also, let me tell you first that the students here in Thailand, in my experience, are amazing. At least in my school, my students, you know, I love them. They are great. They’re sweet, they’re hardworking, they’re amazing. But they didn’t know me first, right? We have to build this, our relationship and that it takes time, no? And suddenly you’re meeting 1 guy online that speaks weird and they wouldn’t turn their cameras on ever, you know. So I was talking to a black screen teaching and I was like trying, Come on guys, you’re gonna give me something. It was so hard, you know? So when I finally met them in person it was like, Ah, so you are a Jew and you are a Jew.
Manuel Ferreras Moreno [00:13:34]:
And like it was, and I was at that time, because the school is a new school, actually I started working there the 2nd year the school was open. So, and I’ve been moving up with the kids as they were growing up, right? So so yeah, there were like 6th graders, you know, or 7th graders when I first got them. And yeah, they were like so shy and it was tough, it was so difficult. And I wasn’t even sure, it has a special curriculum. It’s not like a normal curriculum established like IB or or IGCSE or whatever. No. They have their own curriculum. So it was I was that was tough also to get used to it.
Manuel Ferreras Moreno [00:14:18]:
Now it’s it’s better but yeah. And difficult.
Scott Pressimone [00:14:23]:
And you mentioned that you met your partner, not too long after getting settled in here. So can you explain how she has helped you, trend like, yeah, they get a better understanding of Thailand. Right?
Manuel Ferreras Moreno [00:14:35]:
Mhmm.
Scott Pressimone [00:14:35]:
And then additionally, how that might lead into your first business venture here.
Manuel Ferreras Moreno [00:14:40]:
Okay. So, how she helped me? Well, she speaks great English and that and she knows the culture. Right? And she keeps telling me what to do, what not to do, go to a temple. I don’t know how, you know, for as an example, right? What things are not polite or how all those things that were used to live in our countries or in our part of the world and here’s a different one. So, yeah. I’m super grateful to to have to have her because she’s been like kind and patient also with me. And she was working in a law firm when we met and doing like business registrations and that that will lead to later on the where we are now actually.
Scott Pressimone [00:15:34]:
Well, yeah. Let’s take that, middle step there. So the first business that you set up here was in the cannabis business. Right? Mhmm. Which is during that boom where here similar to CBD that you mentioned in Spain. Yes. Cannabis being, I I don’t know if I wanna call it legalized here. It’s a little bit strange how, it was rolled out.
Scott Pressimone [00:15:54]:
But but basically, it taking off in Thailand. So let’s just put it that way. So, can you explain how that business got started, who you started it with, and, what happened.
Manuel Ferreras Moreno [00:16:06]:
Yeah. I saw it as a new opportunity. I was like, this is a sign, no? I should try again this time. And I had a partner, a friend, that I talked to him at It’s like at the beginning when I was surprised, no? They legalized it or, yeah, whatever that was. And the day after they ordered, like, coffee shops or dispensaries all over the city and it was like, what? And so and I saw the prices and I thought this is this is crazy, this is outrageous, you know? So I was talking to to my and I already did my research about like cannabis, how much does it cost roughly to grow, right, and what are the profit margins there. And I was looking at the prices that they were selling here. We don’t dude, we can’t do so deep. No.
Manuel Ferreras Moreno [00:16:59]:
Let’s let’s try small, right? And let’s create our own thing, right? So that was the first motivation and to start this that cannabis business, right? Like I saw it, I saw an opportunity and it was this the early stages of it, right? So I thought like it’s not now is the time also, no? You want to get somewhere, you know, start a business soon, right? When something is legalized like this, right? So yeah, we started searched for a place, we got the place, all that. But things got complicated quite early with my partner, right? In the end we were like my my girlfriend, my business partner, and myself, we started the business together. Why? Because all the permits, all the company registration, everything, my girlfriend partner helped us through that, right? So everything worked out well in that sense. But the partnership with my other with my cannabis related partner, it didn’t work out very well.
Scott Pressimone [00:18:12]:
Right. So you learned some through that process. It was would would you say the main reason that you decided to move away from the cannabis business? Was it around the challenges with the industry? Or would you say it was more around the challenges with the partnership?
Manuel Ferreras Moreno [00:18:26]:
It was more about the partnership and let me tell you, I’m happy actually. Because looking the direction that the industry has taken, or it is at the moment, I’m happy that because of other reasons we decided to stop or to Yes. Yeah. To stop. Right? It was great. For now, in hindsight, right? Like looking back it’s like I think that was actually good that happened. Right? Because the competition is fierce, and I think we were not equipped honestly with the skills necessary to succeed. You know? In my idea I somehow idealized what would it be like, but I think we would have and we would have suffered financially more.
Manuel Ferreras Moreno [00:19:18]:
So I think even though I was really mad at him because basically we we got different approaches to how to work as a team. Right? And I think that is very important when you have a partner or multiple partners. Right? It’s super important in a business and in life in general, but especially in a business. That is something that I’ve learned. One of the big lessons, the hard ones, that one you can have a friend but then when you start a business it’s a different thing. And maybe your friendship is amazing but when you have to work together you don’t actually know how that your friend works. You only know him in the setup of being friends. Right? So that was an important lesson to learn actually throughout the whole journey.
Manuel Ferreras Moreno [00:20:06]:
So thanks to the lack of, I’m not gonna talk bad about him because probably, I don’t know, lack of compatibility. Right? We decided like to, no, this is not what I want. This is not the partner that we want. My girlfriend I decided. So let’s take this other option which was like help people setting up business because we know how what it’s like to set up a business in cannabis and she’s been doing it for a long time. She’s an expert in the field. So okay, so instead of focus on this, we can focus on that which is what we’re doing at the moment. That’s how it started, right? Only focus on cannabis.
Manuel Ferreras Moreno [00:20:44]:
But then we realize also like, well we just limit ourselves to only helping businesses, or cannabis related businesses in Thailand when we can just help people in general to start their businesses in Thailand. Right?
Scott Pressimone [00:20:59]:
Right. So you you’ve experienced a lot of the heartaches. I mean, of course, there’s problems with business partners. There’s finances. There’s all these things. And then you add to that what happens when you start a business in Thailand, which is there’s regulations, there’s registrations, there’s work permits, there’s a ton that goes into it, which, again, even if you have a great business idea, doesn’t mean you necessarily will succeed if you don’t have that all set up correctly. So that that seems like the inspiration behind Raven Wing. And I understand that you then, you know, started with the industry that you had just started the business in cannabis, but now you’re expanding and saying, okay, now Raven Wing is helping all businesses through things like registration and and whatnot.
Scott Pressimone [00:21:40]:
So maybe you could just give me a summary of as it stands today. Could you provide an overview of Raven Wing, the services that you offer to clients and how you help companies get started here in Thailand?
Manuel Ferreras Moreno [00:21:54]:
We are a business consulting company, right? So we focus on company registration, work permits, licenses to run business, facilitating all that initial mess that you have when you’re starting a business in a country that is not yours. Even in your own country is not easy. And I found out when I was in Spain starting, right? So if somebody wants to start a business in Thailand we will help them with or with the whole process. Like we also have like accounting services, visa work permit services and all that. So we support basically business to operate in Thailand.
Scott Pressimone [00:22:36]:
Now this is where I think it’s really important to introduce your girlfriend because she, as you’ve mentioned, kind of in passing here, she had been working for a a company here and helped a ton of businesses get registered. Right? And you mentioned some specialization in the cannabis industry, but it sounds like she had a year a lot of years doing that. You’d also mentioned that she has been your business partner now for quite some time. Now I understand that your friend didn’t turn out to be as compatible with the business partner, but you also emphasize that you learn a lot going from a friend to business partner. I assume you learn a lot going from a girlfriend to a girlfriend and business partner.
Manuel Ferreras Moreno [00:23:12]:
I see.
Scott Pressimone [00:23:12]:
And yet, you 2 stuck together on both fronts, both in the relationship but then also on the business partner front. So maybe you could share a little bit more about her, her background Mhmm. How she works and how it is that you both complement each other to make good business partners for Rey and Nguyen.
Manuel Ferreras Moreno [00:23:32]:
Okay. So, as of now Raven Wing is 2 of us. Right? But in reality it’s basically it’s mostly her. I have been supporting mostly financially. And of course in the decision making She’s the business expert, like let’s say, right? She, well her background, she did like a pre law degree, she’s still now going through her degree in law as well, to finish it. And she is actually, I think she’s great. She pays attention to the details, she’s a perfectionist that I can be as well but she takes it to another level definitely. She really cares, she’s very methodical, she’s more like the business expert in the field and she knows the regulation, she’s been working as, doing this for a long time, right? And, and I’m more like a supporter, we make, well we talk about the company of course everyday, we share ideas and everything, and I bring ideas on the table, but the She’s the doer and more like she’s the one that get to get things done.
Scott Pressimone [00:24:54]:
Right. And her background too. I know, great education and also having worked for another firm that did similar things from my understanding. Right? So, without speaking anything negatively about other companies operating in Thailand, maybe more in generalities. She’s seen a lot. You both have talked about a lot. Have there been any trends or things that you’ve noticed in Thailand in this space of helping companies get started in Thailand? When it comes to their pricing, when it comes to how they operate, Any general, feelings that you can share, from maybe her experience?
Manuel Ferreras Moreno [00:25:33]:
Those were actually the main motivations that do, that are the 2 main points that motivated us to start our own business. 1st was pricing, as you said. We consider that some of the businesses here are a bit overcharged a little bit, take advantage of the ignorance of the foreigner that comes to Thailand which is like business, this is business, right? And then they’re like her experience was in a bigger company, there are bigger companies out there in which a client is just a number, is not a person, right? So we thought we could do better than that in those two aspects for the clients, right? So those were 2 biggest motivations at start, right? There are other motivations that we have that is like giving back to the community, helping people, treating our workers fairly. There are other things that motivate us also to succeed, Right? But to start the business where like, okay, we I think we can do good and because there’s that part of the market that maybe you can, like, fit, you know, in that that niche. Yeah.
Scott Pressimone [00:27:00]:
There’s an interesting parallel there between the first business that you started here in Thailand when you mentioned the cannabis industry and you were mentioning the prices seemed very very high Mhmm. From some of these businesses which they were offering to foreigners. And then I suppose there are the tourists that come here and they might not know that those prices are not necessarily fair. And so it seems like there’s a little bit of a similarity there from what you’ve what your girlfriend has seen through this process as well. Because if you are a foreigner and you, you know, you’re not a Thai citizen that’s starting a Thai business that knows I mean, it’s from my understanding, it’s quite inexpensive. You’re not dealing with so many capital expenditure requirements and things like this. As a Thai starting a business in Thailand. Right? Yeah.
Scott Pressimone [00:27:45]:
But as soon as you’re a foreigner, well, those prices go up a lot and understandably, and a lot of the regulations may go up a lot, understandably.
Manuel Ferreras Moreno [00:27:53]:
But you
Scott Pressimone [00:27:53]:
need to know what the fair price is. And so I think that’s why it’s now so essential to think, not just is this person professional that I’m working with that’s helping me set up a business, but are they the type of person that I trust Mhmm. To tell me the truth about this? Because I think you can get taken advantage of. And it seems like you may be you you’ve heard of people experiencing not not the best situation.
Manuel Ferreras Moreno [00:28:20]:
Yes. For for us, it’s very important to be fair. For me, I mean, I never thought I would become an entrepreneur. It was never, when I grew up I was never, I didn’t have that motivation, right? And I don’t consider myself like a Alright, let me put it this way. I am aware of my mortality. I know that, okay, this is this journey whatever happens after we don’t know but I’m not gonna take anything with me after so I need to find, like, a balance for me, like, of, like, my life and I want to go to sleep and sleep soundly. And for that I need to be fair, and if it’s not fair it’s not good, right? That is how I was raised up, you know? Yes, yes. So, yeah.
Manuel Ferreras Moreno [00:29:12]:
That is important for us to be kind of fair. Of course we need to make money. I’m not saying that we are here running a charity. Right? But but, yeah. We don’t we we don’t wanna rip off people. It’s it’s not why we’re here. I wouldn’t feel comfortable doing
Scott Pressimone [00:29:28]:
it. Right. Now I know we touched on these a bit already, but I would think it’s helpful to have a bit of a summary of, of this as well. So what are the some of the common challenges that you’ve observed foreign entrepreneurs and businesses face when they’re trying to establish themselves Mhmm. In Thailand? And then how does Raven Wing aim to help these clients overcome these challenges?
Manuel Ferreras Moreno [00:29:53]:
The the the most obvious one, of course, is, like, our language. Language barrier is is a crucial one. You don’t speak the language, and it’s not something that is easy to navigate because they even have a different alphabet, right? So it’s like very hard for a foreigner. The regulations, you don’t know the regulations of the country, you don’t know how it works, the laws and none of that. Right? Also like for example, you you you got this like 51 to 49% of ownership. Right? You so type if you start a business, this is a if you start a business in Thailand you can own like well there are different options but mostly you can own the 100% of the business. You need to have a Thai person that owns 51% of the business, and the foreigner can own the 49%, right? I think that is kinda that’s good in our sense because it helps the locals. So you don’t know when you get here and you start a business, if you’re here living for a while maybe you’d know Thai people.
Manuel Ferreras Moreno [00:30:54]:
But if you don’t, like then who how can you trust, right, a random person that is gonna own or 51% of the shares of the company? Right? So we help with all those processes. Right?
Scott Pressimone [00:31:10]:
Right. You mentioned trust, which I think we we’ve been talking about a lot today. But something that I also find interesting is if you meet someone who either helped you with business registration or maybe helped you with accounting or whatever else. Right? When you find someone that you can trust, well, now they don’t have to do everything but they can refer you to people that they trust. And so now you have a bit of a support network. So I’m just imagining if you’re a bit of a fish out of water and you are in a new country with a new place and a new language and a new regulations, If you’re coming in and I assume that you or or more likely your girlfriend is kinda one of the first people that on a professional level that someone is speaking with, now she can help with some things and then she can also say, oh, this is another company that can help with this. Is that how you operate? Do you have some sort of partner networks or Yes. People that you refer to?
Manuel Ferreras Moreno [00:32:02]:
Yes. And we are expanding that too. We try Yeah. Things that we we are only that is one of our challenges at the moment. It’s only the 2 of us. We’re starting from nothing. We don’t come from wealthy families, right? Like we’re doing this from from the ground, right? Building it. So, yeah, we are establishing partnerships so we can also, in a way not delegate but yeah, we help each other, right? In a sense.
Manuel Ferreras Moreno [00:32:35]:
So that is also very important, definitely. And through us, I think people when they get to know us, especially her, they she’s a very trustworthy person. So you get that.
Scott Pressimone [00:32:49]:
Yeah. And again, you’ve she’s earned that over time because you’ve been through, now multiple, business ventures with her. I know it’s kind of a little bit of a pivot, but still seems like a separate, direction a little bit. And you’ve had time to see how she works and how trustworthy she is with with clients. Right? Now in a prior conversation, you and I talked a little bit more about the social side of things. And you touched on this a little bit where as your company grows, you wanna make sure that you’re hiring the right people and helping people and not taking advantage of them. Mhmm. So I wanted to dig a little bit deeper into your philosophy around this.
Scott Pressimone [00:33:27]:
It seems like you have a strong desire to help disadvantaged communities. And, could you expand on that a bit and your viewpoint on, how to hire and how to, you know, again, have people that you’re working with?
Manuel Ferreras Moreno [00:33:43]:
This is something that I experienced because I worked in different companies. When the people are happy at work, even from a purely capitalistic point of view, if you get workers working for you and they’re happy they’re gonna do a better job, right? That I think is the, is the pure logic. Some people don’t seem to see it that way. And they have, like, workers working for their miserable and they feel miserable and and I don’t want that because I’ve experienced that and it’s awful. So even if I As I said, of course I want to have a good life but my life will be better if the people around me have a better life too. You know? So that is super important for us. We want to be fair and here in Thailand, there is like that happens everywhere but here in Thailand, there’s like this social thing that you cannot make certain amount of money until you get to certain age. Like there is a correlation between age and money you can earn which happens everywhere to a degree but here I think it’s more from what I heard of course, right? In the within Thais, right? Thai community.
Manuel Ferreras Moreno [00:34:58]:
So we want to have we want to hire people and we want to support people that are in a disadvantaged too, that they don’t get many opportunities because yeah, they don’t have many big social, net to support people that are not very lucky with, you know, the lottery of life in the luxury of life. So we want to have them too. And we want to, like, the profit of our company also goes down to our workers because they are the ones who are making, you know, like, the company work. So for my philosophy is basically not like fully like a well, yes, in a way, like a cooperative business model, but, like, pointing in that direction. Right? Because once you have, like, yeah, if my this business that I work for does better, I’m gonna also profit from that is feels like it’s also yours in a way and that it because it is. Right? So we want to have that philosophy in our business in which people are really happy and they want to come to work happy, not miserable.
Scott Pressimone [00:36:10]:
Now I’m gonna again pull on something that I is a generality, here in Thailand but sometimes I see companies I’m gonna use an example of a coffee shop. Right? So let’s say there’s a large chain coffee shop. A lot of times you will see a lot of workers may be behind the, in working in the shop at the same time. And let’s assume that they’re all relatively low paid workers. So 10 Thai employees that are working for the shop, and they’re all slightly above the poverty line, let’s say. And I’m not sure that this is exactly the case for coffee shops, but you get my point. I do. Now going back to your philosophy, as you continue to find more success with Raven Wing, you help other companies grow and get started, and then you yourself grow and start to hire more employees.
Scott Pressimone [00:37:01]:
Would you tend to hire more employees at the lower salaries and allow yourself to, you know, help to some extent a larger number, or would you prefer to, start and help a smaller number but help them more? And by help, I I get that I’m not saying this is a charity, as you said. Yeah. But let’s just say from a from a career standpoint, are you low volume or high volume, when you think you’re gonna grow the business this way?
Manuel Ferreras Moreno [00:37:30]:
We have had this discussion, my girlfriend and and me, we have had this discussion because she’s she’s got a lot to do. We both have a lot to do, right? So we could definitely use people helping, right? And we we gave it a thought and we agreed, like, we will have to continue like this until we can afford to hire somebody and give a proper salary and give, like, proper conditions. So for us, in that scenario that you presented, which I know exactly what you mean, we would rather be low volume and and better conditions and all that because other way yeah. I mean, I think that is a common issue here, what you mentioned. And if you’re making like 10, 15,000 a month, that is okay. But, like, that is about just right there. Right? The poverty line, I think. So, yeah, that is our our our vision is that, like we will hire somebody when we can really afford to to pay what they deserve for the job that they do in our eyes.
Scott Pressimone [00:38:44]:
Got it. And I think not just from the social responsibility standpoint, but I assume from the, standpoint of the service that you’re providing to your clients. Mhmm. I assume that would go up quite a bit because I do think some some companies might throw numbers and volume at something and say, okay, if some people quit, they quit. Other but that that employee churn, of course, affects the customer and client relationship as well. So being that your girlfriend is quite detail oriented, I know you are as well but not as much, let’s say. Mhmm. And then if you have new hires joining and you’re doing it at a slower pace and people likely of higher salaries, maybe higher skill set or whatever else, then I assume that’s gonna help the customer experience.
Manuel Ferreras Moreno [00:39:31]:
Yes. Totally. Totally. And we’re dealing with international clients. So for example, there’s one key factor there. The person that we hire has to speak English, to a to a high at a high level. Right? To communicate some of the positions. Right? So that is already like a high skill value, right, here in in Thailand.
Manuel Ferreras Moreno [00:39:54]:
I mean, can be. Right? So, yeah. We want to we want to do a good job and and we want the clients to be happy and we want our workers to be happy. Yep.
Scott Pressimone [00:40:09]:
I I just wanna know what your vision is for the company. So as in, what do you think in the next few years, is either gonna change or can you imagine, you’re you’re gonna be offering or what’s gonna be different than today? You know, just just what’s your what’s your vision for the next few years?
Manuel Ferreras Moreno [00:40:26]:
I would love to be like a successful company of course, in which my the workers are super happy to work at. There is like a cooperative environment in which, and the clients are super happy and we grow in that sense. But I don’t want to grow and grow and grow this mindset like I’m happy with growing little, yes, but like everybody happy, you know, that so of course we want to grow. But we don’t want to lose the essence of keep the workers happy, keep the clients happy by having like a personable relationship with them, right? Like they feel comfortable with us. We don’t want to become one of those that we’re criticizing now, Right? So we will take care of that.
Scott Pressimone [00:41:10]:
So slow and steady.
Manuel Ferreras Moreno [00:41:11]:
Mhmm. Yes. Yes.
Scott Pressimone [00:41:14]:
Yes. Well, no. That’s that’s really helpful. And, just on that point of entrepreneurship, I know you haven’t had, you know, 15 years of experience operating here or something like this, but I still think you’ve learned quite a bit since you’ve been here. So I’m curious, are there any words and advice that you share for someone that’s considering starting a business in Thailand?
Manuel Ferreras Moreno [00:41:34]:
Well, to call us. I I think that’s the best advice I can give. That person will help them. Yeah. Well, to first to compare and not jump with the first, company that offers what we offer, for example. Right? You compare different prices. You see Thailand is a huge market. Bangkok is a huge market.
Manuel Ferreras Moreno [00:41:55]:
Right? But also well, there are, like, many different Bangkok’s. Maybe you agree. You’ve been living here longer than me. You know this better than me. Right? So I should be asking you now. Right? Like, what do you think? Because I see that there are like different many many Bangkok’s within Bangkok and different, of course, different economic levels like it’s it’s brutal, the disparity and the between like the different So depends on the business that you’re gonna start. If you want to start, right, you need to consider also that what is your target. If you want to target 4 trainers or you want to target Thai people, and the margins are gonna be very different, I think.
Scott Pressimone [00:42:38]:
What’s the best way for people to get in touch with you and learn more about Raven Wing?
Manuel Ferreras Moreno [00:42:44]:
Mhmm. Well, they can they can go to our website, ravenwing.co. We also have Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn profiles. They can reach out through them as well. And, yeah, we will as soon as they contact us, we will be there to help them whenever they need.
Scott Pressimone [00:43:04]:
So thank you so much for the time, Manuel. Thank you, man.
Manuel Ferreras Moreno [00:43:06]:
It’s been a
Scott Pressimone [00:43:06]:
great conversation. I really appreciate it. And, I’m looking forward to seeing what you and your girlfriend, do in the future with Raven Wing. Super exciting. So thanks so much.
Manuel Ferreras Moreno [00:43:16]:
Thank you very much. Thank you for this opportunity to share my experience and to, yeah, to host me here in this amazing podcast that you have. I really appreciate it.
