Why School Sucks! Why School Kills Creativity – An Entrepreneur’s Perspective – Dan Lok
Art welcome everyone we’re here with Dan Lok who is a business, iceman investor entrepreneur, and business coach and we’re here today talking to him about, education, what possible for education and what he thinks could be included in education, the help kids, achieve more and become the best they can be, so thanks for being with me today then, alright so my first question for you is, what was, your education like and where did you go to school well I came to Canada when I was 14 years, the time because, my mom and dad had some, issues, unfortunate a time my dad had an affair, so my mom decided that she didn’t want to stay in a relationship, and that’s why we immigrated to, canada, i was born in Hong Kong, so when I first came here I went to a course ESL School, english as a second language, I went to those schools for a while and then I went to high school and I went to school in Surrey, call Gifford Park, and at the time I was one of the only three Chinese, high School, and unfortunately, predict the kids at the school day were, they were very nice to be made fun of my accent, leaf bug, beam me up a couple times, people talk about bullying issues in school well it is true, happy happens, so at a time going through high school so I was alone all the way through High School, did have a lot of friends, growing up I didn’t have a lot of self-confidence, growing up I didn’t have, i’m not high self-esteem have very low self-esteem, and, didn’t like School. Much, because of the experience, i would skip classes and, i would barely pass all my courses become a CEO, She might a student but because of my mom so, i had to kind of stay through the school then to a point where that I went to college, that went to Douglas College, the different courses General business, by the time I was already starting my own business and my own companies, soldan, i thought to myself, well I’m going to school learning business all I’m doing business, i still remember there was a, instructor professor, in the business class, i would challenge him all the time, because he was talking about stuff from textbook, another challenge him well how do you know this stuff works how do you know, this is how business works, why does it matter do you study the book you pass the grades, but from my point of view will have you started the business do you know what it’s like to run a business, Which of course he hasn’t and it’s a big problem for me.
So we always have this conflict of course he didn’t like me so much, nFL, and then finally I just thought well you know what this is not for me, maybe for other people not for me so I just dropped out of college, i think, give me like what, is important about that is experienced, the education that the professor was trying to give you was not from his experience correct right and I think that that’s that’s one, one thing I feel education, improve the school system what they teach is out of date, right okay did teaching stuff from 5-10 years ago, it’s not stuff from The Real World, aftera, billy been in business for so many years, in fact I believe if you actually study, dad to stop drop stuff from school, On business or marketing, when you go out to the real world, just dude opposite, and you do very well, is a reverse blueprint, do you mind giving us an example if I can’t imagine what that, you know getting, example, financing a business, getting loans from the banks getting money in and raising money well if you don’t, order if you ever try to raise money, with no background no experience nothing but try to go to the bank how the bank system works is this, don’t get money when you don’t need money, grace, yeah I didn’t give you the umbrella umbrella umbrella, so it’s the same thing when I was getting started young guy and I went to the bank I said I want to start my own business can you loan me some, money, i say you crazy of course no way in hell I’m going to be any money, But when you have money, guess what did I do now today calling me as a painting, dan do you need to make a lot of credit, do you need a new mortgage do you get all that when you don’t need them, school system, it doesn’t teach you that it doesn’t teach you how to deal the distress you going to have, did the pressure you going to have to deal with, the headaches, the hassle the inconvenience, the setback do we jection you get experience as a businessman, as an entrepreneur, yeah when deaths, the most, important, things, most important things, we have to, master, as an entrepreneur, how to face obstacles Musical, while my business mentor, we were having a conversation, but he asked me the question, he said Dan what do you think, is the number one, characteristics, of an entrepreneur, the most important tourist characteristics, And I said well I guess, intelligence, it could be, experience, expertise, contacts, whatever I said a whole bunch of answers, please set where all those, high Point, play set the number one, characteristic of a successful entrepreneur, is there is the ability, to endure pain, a long period of time, the ability to endure pain for a long period of time, i thought to myself wow, how true is that, dad, most entrepreneurs we, people look at me is all I’m the overnight success, will keep in mind I started my first company when I was in high school, and I feel the 13th businesses have my first success so if you say, is an overnight success was more like a ten-year, overnight success, nobody talks about your failure everybody talks about your success, the only talk about your success, so I think the school system I mean think, YouVersion.
In school, if we are, taking exam, you sitting next to me, and I’m writing it down and I’m taking my exam I don’t know the answers, show me the answer, in the in the business world that coffee work, okay so in the business world, we are with learn from my mistakes, but in school, punished, student for making mistakes, but in business all about hate, let’s fail fast, let’s test it out, if it doesn’t work, let’s not waste our time let’s move forward, is Isabel failing fast, so guess what when they go to the real world, i don’t want to make mistakes I don’t want to screw this up, stop, please stop, bacchus new stop, learning new things, would you say that that is, kind of characteristic of what you might consider like the employee mentality, the history of the school system, Which holiday or started, basically a group of, wealthy individuals, and you know that’s why they donate to all these library and all that if you actually study school history, call the horses in King LaBelle it, august, industrialist, 40 Tycoon spray, wanted to make workers, that’s correct, they want to a little guys we need some workers man, let’s go make some school that’s that’s produced, like a like a sound that’s produced some workers let’s make sure we educate them, not to be like that we don’t want to and encourage entrepreneurship, it wasn’t you, programming condition have to save secure job after safety net, that let’s sell them on the idea of the 40-year plan the 45-year plan, dad there 165 and then they retire and then we give them to retirement and they’re so we have, steady workers laborers working for us, that’s how it came about as a very very simple it’s a group of guys, Wealthy individual saying hey, let’s do this, that’s why would the school system encourage you to take risk, why would the school system encourages think outside the box, that’s not intention, nolo, i like that that’s a pretty, i has a pretty truthful message, free big message for some people, alright so, i guess my next question that I had year was what do you see as the purpose of education then, i think that the purpose of Education because I believe, all types of knowledge, ultimately leads to self knowledge, is to understand yourself, what are your strengths what are your weaknesses, what is your purpose, what what kind of value are you here to contribute to the world, not just make a living, not just make a living, i think the education system, teach, students are individuals, realize he would have well gifts how can we, Make the world a better place how can we deliver more value to the marketplace, how can we be the best that we could be, not just academically, does right not going to school system if you are not, good with memorizing things you have not good at math, old annual pass student, but now there’s so many research out there people can Google internet is so many, different forms of intelligence, not everybody is meant to do just, be an accountant to be a lawyer, what if the person has towns to be a dancer, to be an athlete to be a singer to be an inventor to be, whatever, but now we just think of against do the school system is still okay, one form of challenges when we know for fact, there’s so many forms of intelligence but how can we do, How come we don’t.
Encourage students to develop their skills and talents, i can goes back to, the original idea on a school system, people recognize that, and people I believe they’re changing that on the YouTube now you have to, dekang University of course yeah okay it’s that’s why it’s like exploding people say you know what is a better way to learn, that’s a faster way to learn, the most effective way to learn, and people recognizing that also more people now doing homeschooling, because I don’t want the kids to be, poison by the whole school system, they want you to what I’m going to take care of my own kids education, i’m going to teach them, yet look how to write learn how to speak learn the basics, but the important education Ogden educate, what day did Hitler die, to survive and prosper that we were, I love I like that, so, getting back I guess a little bit to to your experience in the school system, how do you think that the school system helped you and how do you think it hindered you, nothing to hinder be more than help me, is, even back when I was in school how to calculate 1 + 1 +, it’s all good, but quite frankly lost unless you want to be a scientist anything, chemistry classes calculus classes, i don’t use those things 95%, so, from my own experience I actually learned, develop my skills and acquired knowledge, to all the forms, reading books, attending, educational workshops and seminars, bloating from, just talking to people, talking to successful people, alerting from my personal mentors, i found those are better ways to learn, i’m not a guy that likes to see the classroom and, and this professor lectures for 2 hours and, I’m trying to stay awake and I’m jumping falling asleep but I can’t learn that way, and that’s also why you’ve been to in my workshops and I’d like to be directing, i’d like to make it fun, i like people to be engaged I like people to, think of the old answers might like to participate, so, speaker, a trainer you can say, that’s what I like to do cuz I believe people learn better, participation to Activity 2 games through interaction, well that’s a perfect lead-in to my next question which is, it schools today usually use a lecture style approach yes how do you think, that students need to be taught, i think it’s through, instead of just giving them the answers, hey you know you should do this and you do this name m a b c and d, but now we have so many possibilities, What do you think, let them interact let them come up with things, what are the different things we can salt what different ways can solve his problem, and help them, discuss, just have them brainstorm, fM, play games have them, engage with different activities so instead of, example, okay well he’s how you build a company, he’s how you build a business, text back okay number one if you do, what was the time to accompany, let’s visit a company how do they do it, talk to senior manager what are the day-to-day challenges, how do you say the company grow, what works what does the word what are the biggest mistakes you’ve made, i think they look infinitely more, two observations to interaction, to questioning versus just, kia pasiva Cinder, yep yep yep, don’t get anything, yeah, no fun, no it’s not, we do it for a long time the correct, So if you could design a high school.
What subjects would you include, so many so I would include way more than communication skill, because I didn’t we are not taught, at the end of the day it’s about connecting with people interacting with people, so I can people skills, i would add on the communication classes, public speaking classes, because I was a very example where I was a very shy kind of kid other stuff Emagine today, united High School, 323 friends I was very shy because my English wasn’t that good, and, and I was very isolated, but through the late on I join Toastmasters I learn how to speak to groups and, empty find my confidence, then I could, meet more people, i could enjoy the conversations more, so public speaking, that has helped, all areas of my life, so any Show how kids are nowadays of course more social media digital age and we all, Almost, addicted to technology, buttwhistle Institute of Technology, that we don’t connect with people anymore, and I think, kids, teenagers nowadays DMV losing that, basic people skills, you like it’s funny sometimes I see people in, anna Cafe, two two friends, like this, defacing book to Facebook each other, other, what the hell is this I can’t even have a normal conversation anymore, i don’t know how to have a normal conversation, i think that’s not helping, communication public speaking, i would definitely add some more, things on if I’m running on money, how money works, because I think is a huge stuffed, and it’s almost, money in our society it’s, label as a, it’s like sexy is not something to talk about, that you are you don’t talk about money, well guess what most people spend on tile lies, Working for money, no clue how to manage it, how to save it with no clue how to invest in, so how do we get information, money, what Moseley’s from the media, which is guess what, funny voice control, nnn, gap Visa control, by all these companies, credit card companies, any of these companies, spend money, get into debt, yeah everytime that you hear on the news like that we need to boost your car and it’s always about going out spending more and I, but don’t talk about well, how do you create wealth, how do you invest money how do you manage your money properly, and that’s why we have all these now even Estates Canada saying, critical problems in, leaving the government, it’s have kept that issue is because the attitude, right, so I think money, how the world Works business but also some creativity, Just like that’s why I love, tED Talk, a lot of cat talk, it gives you a different perspective, hear from this great thought leaders and thinkers and, and leaders and genius, how did they view the world, i need to be on any subject isn’t it fascinating subject, but just on human potential, any of these things, i think we need to be exposed to more of those, do you know what there’s way more knowledge than just, what is singing a textbook, yeah this is so this is such a big word, yeah that’s what I bought at some travel schedule that kids would go out there and, in trouble more and see more things than me different, cultures of people being, isolated and in debt, little city and they don’t know what the world is about, i just want to add one thing to your point about money and people being a debt is that I think, Did it create a huge burden.
Yes for all these people right and then and then there’s more stress in their lives, and we’re not quite sure how to get out of our debts, and so I think a lot of people struggle with that for years, and and they don’t even know how to get out yeah but guess, who did Lonnie from, most people there, what are the habits they have, the money management habits, they got it from the school, they got it from their parents, the parents by city kids a kids, make sure you, it’s just like my mom example, my mom has something to say to me, bill when I was a kid, dan finishing plate, you know the kids are starving in China and India Africa, finishing plate, you think money grows on trees, Your money is the root of all evil, all all these negative associations, well when I found out, after I grew up, that’s not true, so just what if, the data, that’s being, bing Bing, does feeding to you by your parents, what if it’s not true, what is a real data, leaving money is not the root of all evil, maybe, lack of money is the root of all evil, maybe maybe this money does grow on trees, maybe money is good and not evil, maybe it is, not just thinking of, well clean your plate while. Doesn’t help nobody, but how can maybe actually do something to help the kids in Africa, how to help the kids in China, not help the kids in India, it’s a different type of money, so it says around the topic of money, would you tell us a little bit about what you think we should teach in a class of money more specifically, I think it’s first earning it, best first step, and in many many ways to burn it other than just getting a job, the many many went to Arkansas running in his key, and then also then once you earn it how do you keep it, wanting to make money is a whole different things to just to keep the safe at the manager, then once you learn how to save not save money, your money properly, meaning gif, every dollar that comes in, maybe you put $10 towards your investment account, investing your future, you put 10%, paying off your debt, the 10%, development education however you however you manage your money, after that then how to invest money because I think I don’t care what you do I just an employee as an entrepreneur, whatever I think we all need nowadays we all need to be, Investors, we all need to have, acai investment business, how do you make your money work for us so we not working for money, quantile life funny thing is people who put down money, people have negative association with money, people who, damn, the rich, the wealthy, those are the ones, who are slaves to money, people who Master money, they don’t think money is evil funny just neutral, piece of paper, stop bad it’s like, if I hold up $100 bill if I crumpled it, put on the porch step on it I pick it up it’s $200 bill, just piece of paper nothing more than an idea if you think about it, yeah whatever you can think of it as a tool, you can use it to do evil things, you can use it to do great things, used to her people, What can you say to.
Protect people, got nothing to do with nothing, to do with, the money people get so emotionally charged topic, we can all crazy about, yeah religion money politics, okay, i’m curious now because you mentioned before that about 95% of, what you learn in school you feel you don’t use correct, so would you then, in your opinion get rid of, a lot of what we’re teaching in terms of chemistry math, no, but I think we need more, we need scientists, we we need doctors we need lawyers, but we also need to nurture our talents, how come there isn’t a class on, how to be a rockstar, how come there isn’t a class on, how to be, a, swimming teacher, i don’t know, what do you many many talents many hobbies many how to be a professional piano list, why is it not in the school system, Why is it we just so Focus are just academic intelligence, are we completely, ignore, and that’s very very ignorant, ignore all these are the talents, that’s what I’m talking about, keep those people who like science we need those people that Society, great do that, but what about of no interest being a scientist why am I spending all my time learning things that I don’t like, that I hate, i’m not even going to use, people spend 1 year 2 year 3 year 4 years, off the life, larry stop you’ll never juice, want to spend it for use living stuff that I love, i’m passionate about, i would love to, to build a career yet, why don’t do that but with so restricted to know, 101, you got to take these courses requirements, right mandatory, it says who, you know I talk to teacher friend of mine and I kind of discuss, Something like this and we, he thinks it it it’s a lot of, can insecurity, yes right because if we don’t do that, the academic stuff, i think we’re not sure if we can make it, you know without, like if we want to do art, you know or we want to be a dance teacher later this how we going to do that like that how we going to make money right now I think that, as people, if we have a hard time connecting the dots, about how to get there and I think that stops a lot of us, but if you look at the fact, desk security is an illusion, because if it, if there is, such a thing as a security, then why so many University graduates can’t get a job, why so many mbas, desperate for work, what phds can even, Work in the lab, you tell me, so that doesn’t work, especially now things are changing so fast, it doesn’t work, somebody asked me the question if you don’t do business with me, benjamin NBA, and I said well I, i have an MBA but that’s not the type of MV you think about, i have a massive bank account account, so, marketplace pays for value, and what determines your values your skills, if you have skill sets, can you can deliver value to the marketplace she can produce, result for people against off, problem for them, the marketplace, will always pay you for that, versus now all the students they have, they think I’ve dis certificate of this diploma this degree, and this paper would piece of paper would get me jobs, not true, that’s a really good point illusion, it’s not true, that’s it that’s it and that’s almost starting point, My friend.
The school starts, after you graduate, but funny thing off a couple what the numbers was for, it’s like 80% of adults after they graduate from University don’t read another book, crazy numbers, okay so if you think about that most people stop learning, i’m done, i graduated, don’t lie to myself, and that’s the problem so wrong mentality, you know what, in my opinion that because of, we’re teaching them stuff that they’re not interested in, correct and I think that if, if we do have some things you were saying we, excite them, get them involved in stuff they enjoy I don’t see why kids wouldn’t love it that’s it, and what do you take the time a simple s, when it get into the system this is before you go to university, instead of, parent, hey did you should take this all should take that why not, Do a survey do a test, find out what are the natural talents off what are the personality types, what they should focus on, what did they would naturally excel in, it’s a simple as that, but nobody does it, how to split them into this box, sosupersam now this is so many strengths, strength Finders, different personality test, if the person is naturally outgoing and love to talk to people, why do you just because your parents then you should be a doctor, you should do this, no they should know I want to do something, all these other things, but the system doesn’t allow you to do that, a simple as that, finding out how much is having a simple conversation for god sakes, what what’s your vision, what is fire what excites you, freedom, right, i think you’ll be amazed, i think a lot of students they do know what they want but it’s oppressive, Because the the normal because Society pressure, because, parents, just started way up you should do this you shouldn’t do that, kevin same thing, you never asked, what do you want to do when you grow up, what my expectation for years but, what do you truly want, that’s a good question to ask, i want to get into a little bit about the actual kind of planning an education though, because, like I’m doing with you today I’m talking with a businessman, yes and I don’t think education has done that, in a big way, i think for the most part it sort of, you know it’s the teachers becoming administrators and then, going in, trying to redirect the creek on right, and, i’m wondering just from your experience do you think we should kind of include, In the discussion about where education should go professionals, professor from all types of Industries, ., they can contribute, example of entrepreneur, that we can coach Bill to to the system of how can we make this better, how to remove make more efficient, is now the whole school system as you know, that, vista public school system, it’s not, we wouldn’t respect the teachers, i’m a teacher myself, what different type of teacher, but the system is not, rewarding, teleperformance, it’s not rewarding creativity, the teacher is also teachers I do a lot of stuff that it’s nothing too late, i bought down by Aldis, details, when their job is to inspire and nurture the kids, but they only spent a small amount of time because they got to do all this, so, i would say, the width, the existing system, different professionals, from all types of Industries, this imagine having a mastermind having a, A.
A brainstorm of that, that what what could, why is it so fascinating because it’s all types of people all kinds of topics, it’s not what you is, you don’t know what they’re going to talk about, yeah you don’t know what the speaker is going to say, and it’s it’s, putting together the, the best the most brilliant people, on the planet together on a platform, and in 20 minutes 18 minutes 60 Minutes they share their best ideas and strategies and resources expire, that’s why I need the school system needs to do more of that, beautiful, alright so, if there was one thing you think the school system needs to change, right now, what would you say that is, the one thing that needs to change, let me think, i think just be as simple as taking the first step and being, little bit more flexible, Looking, at the fact, that our system and I know a lot of teachers they already try, trying to change that, yeah because of so much, democracy this so much, which systems did they getting, if you want to do something is very difficult for them to do the resistance, be more flexible, looking at, and you know what, 5 years ago, no there is not a metaphor using social media, what movie did should be a class one, how to use social media to deal with Facebook how do you how do we manage our time, how do we deal with even cyberbullying, these issues that we didn’t experience many years ago now if you are experiencing everyday, but it doesn’t talk about that, so I think just being open and flexible enough, let’s, i’m not asking the school system to change like overnight, how much is ticket, Little step, let’s do that, let’s look at the fact that, you know what we’re teaching guys, can we energy at this piece, sleepy Hollow, and maybe change a few things here, maybe just that, and I think if we can do that and think of that builds momentum, and people can, the parents, the students they would see a different result, a different perspective, get the ball rolling, okay, so, i’ve observed just by my parent’s I’ve done a little bit of on furniture myself, but my attitude has changed towards wealth, and it’s, and I think that it can be learned and I’m just wondering, what you, think about whether or not kids can be taught, about how to be wealthy or can everyone like to be wealthy, hundred percent absolutely, it’s not, i think it when you are born, at the hospital when we when you were just a baby, Nobody appoints okay this baby’s going to be wealthy, is it is available skill, it’s a lot of us it’s like swimming, least-liked ask me can everyone learn how to swim, yeah I think so, almost everyone, can you learn how to ride a bike, yeah GIF enough time with the proper training yes, so it’s the same thing with money now not everyone can be an entrepreneur, because not everyone is suitable to be an entrepreneur, but everyone can be wealthy, i goes back to if you manage your money properly invest your money properly, everybody can accumulate a pretty good that states when they retire, and we tied come from, yes absolutely, i don’t think we should all learn, how money works, we’re getting pretty close to the end here so is there, is there anything else that’s kind of on your mind that maybe I haven’t brought up that you, Things people need to know about.
I just want to say I think it’s very nice to see a, in a, officious smart young man like you like you. Just doing a project like this, and getting out to do to the world, cuz I think people need to hear this message, an hour, it’s time, it’s time that we do something about it, maybe who knows maybe we cannot change the school system, it’s your typical, but maybe we can get in spine of people, we can get them to, maybe make some changes, into thinking, baby to take more responsibility, afford the only education, education, maybe as a parent we can be leaving more open-minded, if we have done that, with this interview, i think this project gets as what, thank you very much, you’re welcome, okay well I think that’s about it I just want to say, Dan thank you very much for being here today, i found it fascinating and I hoping that everyone, watching as well as well thank you very much.
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