Season 2 - Episode 5 | Embracing Change and Taking Action: Dr. Jakarin Srimoon (Thailand / Hong Kong)

In this episode,  Dr. Ramesh delves into the life and experiences of  Dr. Jakarin (JK) Srimoon, an academic who embraced change with curiosity and entrepreneurial verve. Hailing from Thailand and now driving an Innovation Leadership program from the USA, Dr. JK's story highlights how being willing to act on opportunities without waiting for all the right answers, having a crisis-resilient and entrepreneurial mindset and practising gratitude allow him to thrive.

Dr. JK's journey unfolds through his multicultural upbringing, academic endeavors across the globe, and his leap out from his comfort zone in a conventional academic career, to successful new ventures. Along the way, he shares the pivotal moments and lessons that shaped his outlook on life.

Top 5 Takeaways from this Podcast: 

1. Change = Opportunity: Dr. JK was able to take the challenges of the Covid pandemic and the changes that were forced on him to grasp the opportunity to start new ventures.
2. Taking Action: Leaving his academia comfort zone to become Founding Dean of an International School of Management, in a new country, Dr. JK acted on this new growth opportunity, without waiting for perfect answers.
3. Curiosity and Adaptability: Dr. JK personifies curiosity and adaptability. Be it his pursuit of a Ph.D. in Japan, or his leap into a different role in Myanmar, he's open to venturing into the unknown.
4. Resilience: Faced with challenges, such as professional conflicts and uncertainty, Dr. JK persisted in his pursuit of meaningful impact in new environments.
5. Gratitude and Simplicity: Dr. JK's newfound gratitude for life's wonders reminds us to find joy in the everyday and be thankful for what we have.

These key takeaways offer valuable insights for listeners seeking inspiration, personal growth, and a deeper understanding of the entrepreneurial mindset.

Host: Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra, Author, Podcast Host, Founder of Talent Leadership Crucible & Founder of Impact Velocity

Guest Speaker: Dr. Jakarin (JK) Srimoon, Program Director for Leadership Development, United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia, Hong Kong

Tune in, and together we'll be Thriving in the Age of Disruption. 

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Transcript

To learn more about the entrepreneurial mindset with Dr. Ramesh, get your copy of The Big Jump into Entrepreneurship 2.0 on Amazon.com or www.Dr-Ramesh.com.

If you're interested in building crisis resilience, Dr. Ramesh will be launching her new book on the crisis ready mindset - Make sure you follow Dr. Ramesh on LinkedIn so that you’ll get her new book alert!

Host: Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra, Author, Podcast Host, Founder of Talent Leadership Crucible & Founder of Impact Velocity

Guest Speaker: Dr. Jakarin (JK) Srimoon, Program Director for Leadership Development, United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia, Hong Kong

Tune in, and together we'll be Thriving in the Age of Disruption. 

#EntrepreneurialMindset #Thailand #HongKong #JakarinSrimoon #Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra #The Big Jump into Entrepreneurship2.0 #CrisisReadyMindset #TalentLeadershipCrucible #ImpactVelocity #Thriving #AgeOfDisruption #GlobalEducation #LeadershipDevelopment #UTCC

Ho Lai Yun 00:00

Welcome to Thriving in the Age of Disruption. Today, Dr. Ramesh delves into the life and experiences of Dr. Jakarin Srimoon, known to many as Dr. JK, who shares his journey from academia to exciting ventures across the globe. Dr. JK comes from Thailand and is now based in the US, where he drives an Innovation Leadership program with Global Innovation Catalyst. 

Dr. JK’s unique journey takes us through his multicultural upbringing, academic endeavors across the world, and the leap out from his comfort zone in a conventional academic career, to exciting and thriving ventures. Listen out for the pivotal moments and lessons that shaped Dr. JK’s outlook on life.

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 00:46

Welcome to Thriving in the Age of Disruption, Dr. Jakarin or JK.

Jakarin Srimoon 

Sawadeekap.

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 

Sawadeekap, we've known each other now for I think close to 15 years and worked together as well. Do share with the listeners your diverse background in both academia as well as your own entrepreneurial experiences. So, introduce yourself first, tell us a little bit about what you're doing, where you are right now.

Jakarin Srimoon 01:08

Okay Ramesh, nice to meet all of you. I’m Jakarin, or you can call me JK. I'm from Thailand, actually, the North of Thailand, Chaing Rai, near Myanmar and Laos border. I was born there. I grew up in a multiracial, multilingual environment, where my mom is half Chinese, my dad is Thai. So, I grew up in different environments where it's just a blessing for me and made me who I am today.

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 01:31

How long have you been living in the US now?

Jakarin Srimoon 

I have been on and off Thailand, like Asia and Europe, and mostly in LA since in 2020, almost three years now. Yeah.

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra  

So, tell me a little bit about what you're doing.

Jakarin Srimoon  

I’m still working with UTCC. I took a sabbatical. I'm on leave, I do some online teaching, work as a consultant with a company in San Francisco, in Palo Alto. I’m working with some companies in Thailand to create that innovation mindset for the people in that company. I am also teaching leadership, that I've been doing for the past 10 years, to the people in Myanmar, in China, Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia like that, right. And I've been building my small real estate business now.

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 02:14

You've always inspired me JK. You're working on something which is still cutting edge. And then you're looking at how to bring that in. But more importantly, how to bring that into academia, and to have students benefit from it. And the markets and your work in emerging markets is to also bring for them the new knowledge which will allow them to leapfrog rather than go through that normal curve.

Jakarin Srimoon 

I would just say while trying to be better, and to have a good life. That time I did my PhD in Japan, I spent seven years in Japan, and I came back to Thailand. Actually, I didn't know what to do when I graduate from my PhD, going to academia, it would be something easy to do. So, I joined the academy at the university. I had my PhD when I was 27. And I said I deserve to take a rest, right? I should reward myself after working hard for many years studying, and I rest for almost seven years after my PhD, oh my god, I would say I waste my time a lot, losing a lot opportunity to improve or develop myself. Because that time I would just enjoy in my comfort zone. I went to university, I teach, people listen to me. And I just got my salary, which is very good enough to be in Thailand, happily, I got to do what I wanted to do. And that's seven years, until I went to the course with Poorani at that time, changed my life after seven years of being in my comfort zone. And I start to see that, wow, actually, I didn't want that kind of life. I want to do something for other people. I was not born to be just comfortable. So, from then on in 2009, I start to begin to look into myself, and what I really want in my life, what I'm here for, and I did start to see and interact with life differently. And I start to see people in my life. They're part of me.

Jakarin Srimoon 03:58

It's not just I'm ok without them. But what I see was not the truth, right? Just only my perspective about life. Actually, at that time, during seven years, I didn't work very hard. I was not very inspired to work as a professor, as a teacher. So, when I got into fight with a lot of people in university, I had to move to another university. So, I moved to my current university, I was always going to be the same again. Lucky, I got myself into a course where I discovered something about myself, they gave me a kind of opportunity. At that time, I didn't want to be the Dean of the new school. That school was so insignificant, they've less than 100 people. I thought I deserve bigger kind of responsibility or position in university. But anyway, I took it. I don't know, it's luck or something, right? There's something happened in Myanmar at that time in 2010. People came to our university and then they said, the people of Myanmar Chamber of Commerce, they want UTCC, my university from Thai Chamber of Commerce in Bangkok, to open the program in Myanmar. At the time, wow, this is maybe what I'm looking forward to doing because I love Myanmar and I’d spent some time in Myanmar. And at that time, I was a student at university I went to visit Myanmar in 1997. And I kept something in my mind. I even cried and when I look down from the airplane, right? I was just lucky person like I got a chance to study, I got a chance to do a lot of things in life. And then when I got the chance from my boss, my president, I just said, wow, this is what I want to do. So, I took the job, and I created something I had no idea about. I didn't know what to do. I don't have any budget, no money. I just went there start something from zero and then at the end, you joined us too and we opened the MBA program in Yangon and Mandalay. At the end when I left the program as a Dean in 2020, we graduated over 1000 MBA from Myanmar at that time. That was 1000 MBA graduates over…

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 05:53

Over 10 years ago, you had about 13 cohorts…

Jakarin Srimoon 

13,14? Yeah.

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 

That's a great accomplishment.

Jakarin Srimoon 

But when I went there, I didn't expect that to happen. Even my boss, he said, we just go there and we'll see, maybe two or three batches combined, at least we’ll have good relationship with the Chamber of Commerce in Myanmar. But I said, if I do something, I want to make it happen. I want to make it big; I want to leave legacy. A lot of problems happened. But at the end, I look back, wow, I did it.

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 06:24

I really love how you took the time to take us through that entire experience that you had with starting the MBA program in Myanmar. To me, that is a combination of someone who has an entrepreneurial mindset, who was able to use that mindset in creating something of value for the university. And so, you became like a corporate-preneur. That’s amazing because you don’t hear of many academics doing that. 

An entrepreneurial mindset is a key mindset, which is essential for today's world of disruption. And there are three key things. One is you've got to be resourceful. And by resourceful, we mean that you're able to identify the right problem, then you can get the right solution. Number two is that you're someone who can deal with uncertainty and take risks. And number three is, of course, then that you can create value, and it's just not financial value. And it's just not value for yourself. But for everybody else who was participating. And like you said, we were all part of that process going out there to Yangon and also Mandalay to teach some of the students.

Jakarin Srimoon 07:31

It was just something thrown to me, and I said, this is what I want. I didn't know what to do; It was just a seed of something and I want to plant it. I want to see the result. I don't know at that time; I just didn't think much about what kind of problem I will encounter. I just do it. Just do it, that time.

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 07:48

That's right. You worked hard. Got your PhD at 27. You just cruised along for the next seven years, right. And then you had this awakening at that program that you did with Poorani. But the more important point is, at that point, your passion and your purpose met the right opportunity. 

Jakarin Srimoon 

Yeah, it just came. 

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 08:06

The contribution that you've made as a result of taking that on, more than 1000 students who have completed the MBA program. I think that's phenomenal. Because a lot of large and established universities all over the world were trying to bring back international MBA program when Myanmar started to open up and UTCC was the first and for a long time, the only MBA program there. 

Jakarin Srimoon 

Yes.

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 

So awesome. So now you've started to do your own entrepreneurial ventures and your own business.

Jakarin Srimoon  

Oh, yes, I've been auditing my life for the past three years during the COVID time, right. I think this is a great opportunity for me to start reflecting the way that to move forward in my life that really, really fulfilling me. And nothing happen to my life, relationships, family. And we have a new president and I resigned from the position. And I'm looking for what is next for me. My family here need me to take care of my niece, send her to school. So, a lot of things happen. And when I look at those circumstances, they gave me a perfect ingredient for my life to move forward. So that's what I'm so grateful with what happened during the COVID time, right? 

And then I'm thinking right now I started my real estate Airbnb kind of a house for rental. I didn't expect it, I just bought a house and just decorate my house and then I said, why not start more of this kind of short-term rentals house, right? I bought a plot of land and I plan to still build four or five more, then doing some real estate work here in the United States. I'm looking for opportunity, right? But the thing is for me, I'm not saying that money is not important, but not the only thing that fulfills me, so when I do something, I'm asking myself every time, “What is this for? Why you do this? And then why you do what you do?” If I don't have the answers yet, when it's not clear, I’m still moving, because just like that in Myanmar, I didn't know why I do that. It just took some action. What I believe is that when you take action, you will see answer along the way. I don't have to wait for answer until I do something, even though I did something, it’s not what I want, at least I’m trying. I don't stop myself from…”I don’t have the right answers”, to do something. I just move on. And then even though what I'm doing right now is not what I really want, at least I move forward. And then I'm sure I'm getting closer to see what I really want in life. 

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 10:32

What you said is really impactful. We are working with a group of participants from a corporate here in Vietnam, Hanoi. And they are from the sales team, as usual sales teams go through their highs and lows. And they are at the point where, “Oh, we've got this gap. And this doesn't work, and the market is bad”. And everyone is waiting for everything to be picture perfect, right, everything to line up so that we can do something. And like you said it, we don't need the answer to do something, we can get going. So having that relationship with the current reality in whichever way that it shows up, to be able to take action, is a very important and powerful skill to have. So, thank you for highlighting that. 

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 11:18

I want to circle back to the point that you made about how you were able to take the challenges of COVID and the changes that were forced on you and to see the opportunity. Because I think that is a crisis-ready mindset. Usually in a setback, we get stuck because we don't know what to do. And we don't know whether to move forward or not. And most times, we try and ignore it. And the thing about crisis is that if we ignore it, it comes to a point where there's no turning back and a decision is made. So, what I liked about it is that you had the right context and saying, “Hey, this is the perfect ingredient for me to change and to move forward”.

Jakarin Srimoon 

Just perfect for me. Yeah, if it’d been the same, I will do the same thing over, until I'm 60. And I look back, what have I done? I'm not saying what I'm doing, is good or bad, right? But if I’m looking for something new, I welcome those setbacks, something that break down and even whatever I do, it's time to seek something new. 

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 12:19

How do you think people can create a positive and powerful relationship to setbacks?

Jakarin Srimoon 

Ramesh, one thing that I see in myself, I really trust my own ability that I can get over this no matter how bad. I have no doubt that I will get over it.

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 

But how did you develop this? 

Jakarin Srimoon 12:39

When I left my first job and then had, like, very little money in my bank account? And this is it. What am I doing? And then my sister, she said, “Brother, I know you you're one of the top students, and you are very smart, you came from the great university, all you have done. What do you worry about? And she said, “Look at me, I have nothing, and I still survive!” And then from then on, I say, “You're right.” Sometimes, I didn't see myself, but people might see me differently. Sometimes, I have to listen to other people who are near me and ask them how they see me. You know, sometimes I just think less of myself. After, I say now, whatever it is, I get it.

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra  13:19 

It's amazing, right? Sometimes, in just a conversation like this with your sister, you can change your entire perspective to life, and take on this confidence for every other situation. 

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra  13:31

How do you define spirituality? And where are you in your spiritual journey?

Jakarin Srimoon 

I just came back from Kyoto, Japan. I used to study there for six to seven years. And this time, when I see Kyoto, I see the temples, right. Before I went there, took some photos, and enjoy the scenery. Nice, beautiful Sakura, but this time, I look at things. Wow, I just amazed that the beauty of nature and everything around me so I just start to see things with new eyes, meaning I start to have wonder, right? When I see life, I see people like, just wow. Thank you for being here. Thank you for doing this. Wow, I enjoyed life because you've done this. Of course, I still complain about life, but I appreciate life and feel how lucky I am to be born in this world, just beautiful.

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 14:23

That's really awesome because having a sense of gratitude and being thankful for what we have, what we see, what we experience, what we enjoy, actually gives us that new eyes, like you said, because then same thing can be so different.

Jakarin Srimoon 

I went to Japan this time, my god I took so many photos, and I’m like crazy, a little boy, I see something new. But I was there, I didn't really see the things around me, like I see it right now.

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 

So, spirituality is bringing wonderment to us, to our life.

Jakarin Srimoon 

I see people look at flowers and things. I think, what are you doing, wasting your time, right? But I can slow down and be with things around. Like the nature. Wow.

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 15:08

Great, and do you think it's possible to live a simple life?

Jakarin Srimoon 

For right now I can see the change in me, before I like to buy things. But now, just to have less and be happy what I have. But I know if I didn't have what I had, I wouldn't be able to let go. So, for me, at that time, you say, “Jakarin don't use luxury car, luxury house, and all those brand names, products, clothes, everything? I said, “No, it's not possible.” But once I have all those, then I can choose, now I can let go or I can keep. So, I try a lot of things in life. And then I know, this for me, this is not for me. So, for me right now, like you said, a simple life is just beautiful and powerful. Wake up in the morning with a cup of coffee, reading some books, watering my garden, running, do exercise, take care of my family. It’s just happiness!

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 15:59

That’s right, in the simplicity you have bliss and happiness. 

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 16:05

Everyone all over the world is talking about sustainability, ESG. What's your view about that?

Jakarin Srimoon 

I think everything start from us, right now start from everyday living, you live sustainability, your life, how you make things sustainable in your life. Every area. Of course, I cannot say I don't care about the world, but how I care about the world, it reflects on what I do every day in my life. So, when I drink water, when I go shopping, then I see what’s my action related to sustainability for this planet. So, I also start to share this with people I know. But I'm not forcing them that what they do is right or wrong, but just to see, “Hey, why not?”

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 16:44

That's powerful when you're not forcing people and you're demonstrating to them that they have choices to live more responsibly.

Jakarin Srimoon 

I went to Italy, my best friend, she lives in America. And she likes to have big house, big car and all that. And we went to Italy, we have small car and then we have small room, where they have to save electricity and all that. Now that when she came back, the husband said, “Thank you for taking her to Italy, she doesn't want big car anymore. She doesn't want a big house anymore.” So sometimes we have to let people see for themselves, no matter how much we tell them to do this, don't do that, how good, how bad the things are for the environment. But once they experience like firsthand, right, the behavior, that way we're thinking, might also change or alter. 

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 17:21

That's true. In our work at TLC now, we incorporate Sustainability. But we take the definition that Sustainability is the ongoing thriving of a living system. So, it starts with us as a human being and our instant connection and awareness to the relationship that we have to all these other parts and how we are connected, and we impact that. So, then it becomes very easy for people to embrace Sustainability, and also to say, “Okay, what can I do at my workplace? What can the company do?” 

Jakarin Srimoon 

Yes. 

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 18:08

If you had to choose words that represent thriving?

Jakarin Srimoon 

Thriving, I would say discovering, yeah discovering, just nothing stopping you. I don't let what I know stop me from knowing more. Keep learning, keep discovering, and then start from nothing every day, you know, like carry your life as nothing.

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 

Keep discovering and start from nothing every day, like bring it back to zero and then start all over. 

Jakarin Srimoon 

Yeah. 

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 18:30

Well, wonderful. I just want to circle back to that point that you made earlier on that you're doing some consulting work with a company in the US, which wants to do something in Thailand. It was in an area of innovation and how does that work? Are they thinking that Thailand has got ideas which are more innovative, and they can create it there, or is the opposite? Which is they're trying to bring their innovations to Thailand?

Jakarin Srimoon 

They want to do both, bring innovation to Thailand, and then for Thai people to create innovation themselves. But the thing, to start with that is just to create innovation mindset, it’s not just giving them some knowledge or technology, whether they start from there. So, we do a lot of trial-and-error, starting project for the people in the company and let them fail, pitching their idea and if it's successful, the company also finance the project. But for me, I want my experience doing this kind of work. As long as people don't see innovation as part of life, or they see innovation, it’s just something extra for them, it would not work for any company.

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra  19:35 

You're talking about innovation mindset, which is that they embrace it totally as part of their own thinking. Then you're continuously looking for new ideas. You're curious, you're open.

Jakarin Srimoon 

And we’re moving forward. We see what worked, what didn't work, we move forward with them. Yeah.

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 

So basically, you're prototyping projects, you fail fast. Then you go back to the designing table and you adapt, you pivot, or you kill it off. It's continuous.

Jakarin Srimoon 

Continuous part of your innovation journey. 

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 

Well awesome. Two years ago, we set up a new company called Impact Velocity. And its job is to look at how we can promote the 3P commitments in People inner development, Planet renewal and Prosperity sharing. And as a result of that, we work a lot with incubators and accelerators. The journey for young startups is that they go out there and they start their businesses. And they'll have to keep modifying it because it's not ever complete, even while you're fundraising or even after you fundraiseD. So, a lot of what you're talking in terms of having this innovation mindset is very important for entrepreneurs and young startups. 

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra  20:48

What I wanted to do now is to ask you some rapid-fire questions. Don't think too much about it. Give me the first one word that comes to mind. So, Dr. Jakarin, what's your favorite book?

Jakarin Srimoon 

Human Nature. Robert Greene.

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 

And your favorite travel destination.

Jakarin Srimoon  

I love Paris. Yes. 

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra

That, I know. And if you could have dinner with anyone? Who would it be?

Jakarin Srimoon  

The new Prime Minister of Thailand.

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra  

What's your guilty pleasure?

Jakarin Srimoon  

Too much coffee.

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra  

I got that. Your favorite song? 

Jakarin Srimoon  

Wow, my favorite song, my favorite song, right, it will be “I will survive.”

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra  

And the most unusual food that you've ever tried.

Jakarin Srimoon  

Monkey brain in China.

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra  

Oh, you're serious? And what's the interest or a hobby that people may be surprised to learn?

Jakarin Srimoon  

My hobby, I do gardening, I do interior design. And also learn a lot of languages every day.

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra  

And if you could have another superpower, what would it be?

Jakarin Srimoon  

I wish I can have power to bring more rain to the dry area so they can have enough rain, so life can sustain. Yeah.

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra  

Now what about the movie that is unforgettable?

Jakarin Srimoon  

Oh, it was Torch Song Trilogy, in the 1970s, yes, a guy was born in the Jewish family and he’s gay, transgender, and he fight with his family and everything to just be himself. Yes.

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra  

And the best advice that you've ever received?

Jakarin Srimoon 

I like to do new things. When I start something, sometimes, you know, I can get bored easily. And then I want to do something new again and again. And she said, “That's okay, it’s just your brain pattern. And then you have to do something to deal with your brain pattern by giving kind of worth there, to leave behind a legacy or something. So that gave me, sustain my action in Myanmar, otherwise I was, “Oh, I go to Vietnam, somewhere more exciting, like I get bored”.

Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 22:36

That's awesome. Thank you for sharing that. Dr. Jakarin, I want to thank you for being on this podcast with us and sharing about your life journey. It's going to inspire many people, not just in Thailand but in Southeast Asia and in the rest of the world. We'll have to get it out so that all your students and your friends and hear about it as well.

Jakarin Srimoon 

Thank you very much, Ramesh. It's my pleasure. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to share about my life and what I believe and then I hope that it'll be meaningful for some people, yeah.

Ho Lai Yun 23:09

Thank you Dr. Ramesh and Dr. JK. We hope you’ve enjoyed Dr. JK’s story, which is a testament to the power of gratitude, crisis resilience and a deep commitment to making positive impact.