Daisuke Sugiyama discussed his life journey and how understanding his identity helped him find success. He went through 6 stages: growing up in New York, returning to Japan for high school, attending Keio University, getting his MBA, starting his own businesses, and founding INTERLITERACY. Throughout each stage, he focused on self-reflection to understand himself better and overcome challenges. Understanding one's identity is key to designing a fulfilling life and achieving goals.
6. 6
My Life as an example
• STRONG WILL
– What I do now links to my past experience
• Important to know yourself, your values, what you want
to do in life
• Everything is a PROCESS
Everything falls into place when you figure
out who you are, like a puzzle that
automatically comes together when you have
the corners and the sides.
7. 7
Six Stages of My life
Daisuke Sugiyama
INTERLITERACY President /MBA
1979 0 Born in Tokyo
Stage1 1982 1995
1982-1995 3-15
3 15 Bronxville New York
Stage2 1995-1998 16-18 Tokyo Gakugei University Senior High School
Stage3 1998-2002 19-22 Keio University Faculty of Policy Management
Started Creating Communications
Stage4 2002-2004 23-25 Keio Business School (MBA)
S age5
Stage5 2004-2007
00 00 25-27
5 Sa
Start up new Division ( sua C ea o )
e s o (Visual Creation)
Stage6 2007-2010 27-29 Established INTERLITERACY
8. 8
Introduction
• H
How I met Professor Suga
tP f S
– Guest Speaker at Keio Business School (2004)
–IInspiring story of Tully’s C ff Japan
ii t f T ll ’ Coffee J
「PASSION」,「NO fun NO Gain」, 「Importance of Humanity」
Jan 2004 Jan 2005 May 2007
9. 9
FOCUS
“Understanding Yourself” and “Designing your Identity”
Contents
1. Six Stages of my life
2. Link your experience
3.
3 Understanding yourself
4. Designing your Identity
5. Your life, Have fun!
10. 10
Stage 1 (3-
(3-15)
- New York
- Elementary School
y
- Junior High School
12. 12
Yonkers Public School #8
• Spent 7years in a p
p y public school
• I am Japanese
– How Japan is described in American History
– To get conscious of your nationality by getting discriminated
• Establish your Identity
– Must express yourself in order for people to understand you
Focusing on what you are good at
Episode No.1: “Is the cup half full or half empty?”
13. 13
Japanese School of New York
The J
Th Japanese school i an organization t provide f ll ti
h l is i ti to id full time equal compulsory
l l
education to Japanese children living abroad
• Entered the Japanese School of New York (6th -9th grade)
– First time to learn Japanese Science and History
• Difficulty reading and writing KANJI
y g g
– Almost everyone had Black hair, Black eyes
• 9th grade If somebody’s got to do it might as well be me
– Class Leader, Sports Festival leader
• Always wanted to be a leader who I would like to follow
• Classmates were mostly followers
Episode N 2 “Don’t d business i S h l”
E i d No.2: “D ’t do b i in School”
14. 14
Entrepreneurial Spirit
Naturally learn the entrepreneurial spirit by working at a young age
• Children can acquire a sense of responsibility through
chores or part-time jobs
• You can learn “you have to earn your money” by having fun!
My Experience
–Making and Selling LEMONADE at school events
–Mowing the lawn, Garage sale, Baby sitting
O
Old-Fashioned Lemonade Recipe
p
1) Juice of 6 lemons (1 cup) 2) 3/4 cup sugar or to taste
3) 4 cups cold water 4) 1 lemon, sliced
5) Ice cubes
In l
I a large pitcher, combine l
it h bi lemon j i and sugar; stir t
juice d ti to
dissolve sugar. Add water, lemon slices, and ice cubes; stir
until well blended. Serve in tall glasses over ice.
Episode No.3: “How much will satisfy you?”
15. 15
Stage 2 (16-
(16-18)
- Back to Japan
- Identity Crisis
- High School
16. 16
Back to Japan (Jan.1995)
(Jan 1995)
• Entered Tokyo Gakugei University Senior High School
Oizumi C
Oi i Campus
– Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake (January)
– Sarin attack on Tokyo's subways (March)
Tokyo s
Identity Crisis
A psychosocial state or condition of di i t ti and role confusion
h i l t t diti f disorientation d l f i
occurring especially in adolescents as a result of conflicting internal
and external experiences, pressures, and expectations and often
producing acute anxiety
anxiety.
Am I Japanese? Am I American?
Episode No.4: The definition of a RETURNEE
17. 17
Discovering myself
• High School Teacher (Ms.Yukiko Mihara)
– Excellent in Teaching Returnees Japanese and Japan History
• Every returnee has a different academic background
– Ta ght me the value of the Japanese C lt re and Societ
Taught al e Culture Society
– Guided me to what I wanted to do in the future
• 11th grade
– God of exams. YUSHIMA TENJIN
g pencil written 「Confidence comes from Effort」
– Bought p
– Wanted to go to Keio University
• 12th grade
– Set my goal
• Did what I had to do to go to Keio University SFC
• Enjoyed studying because I set my goal
18. 18
Part Time Experience (High School①)
Fish Store
・16 years old (year end-new year)
・17 years old(year end-new year)
• 1200 yen per h
hour
• back-breaking work but good pay
• Experienced the importance of working
p p g
Episode No.5: “Hey why don’t you work with us?”
Anaphylactic shock
The most severe type of anaphylaxis, occurs when an allergic
response triggers a quick release from mast cells of large quantities
of i
f immunological mediators. A
l i l di t Anaphylactic shock can l d t d th i
h l ti h k lead to death in
a matter of minutes if left untreated.
Episode N 6
E i d No.6: “I Al
Almost Died ”
t Di d
abalone
19. 19
Part Time Experience (High School②)
ITOYOKADO woman's department
18years old
• 900yen per hour
y p
• Experienced selling ladies clothes (35-70)
• Sold a lot !
• Noticed listening to consumers is very important
• Standing all day long is very hard work
All part timers were paid the
same even if you sold a lot
Episode N 7 “Very good T i i system”
E i d No.7: “V d Training t ”
20. 20
Stage 3 (19-
(19-22)
- Keio University
- Video Store
- Starting a business
- Working and Studying
21. 21
KEIO UNIVERSITY Shonan Fujisawa Campus
• Concept
– Borderless Education that Integrates the Arts and Sciences
「Problem Finding」 「Problem Solving」
Problem Problem
Interdisciplinary courses
• Studied basics of business and different academic fields
– Marketing, Accounting, Human Resource Management,
Business Law, Statistics, Genome
– UNIX, JAVA, Website, Computer Programming
Think, think, think, just think
• Important thing was to thi k thi k thi k
think,think,think
• If you have the ability to think and to find problems and to
make alternative solutions you can work in any field
y y
22. 22
Part Time Experience (University)
Convenience Store (Age 19)
• Able to eat foods that expired for free
• Why purchase too much food when you can’t sell?
can t
Video Store A (Age 19)
Vid St Age
• Manager gave me the opportunity to run the store
– Sales prices increased drastically
• Experienced giving orders to people
Running a video store at age 19 was a great experience
• Started to imagine running my own business
Episode No.8: Trying out the marketing strategies I learned
23. 23
Thinking of starting my business
Experience from almost dying
You only get one life
The importance of setting your goals
(short-term, long-term)
Didn’t want to go to my grave saying
My life was boring
24. 24
Education Consulting Company
• September 1999
– Creating Communications Ltd
• Education Consulting Company (Creating
Process)
– S
Started with my High S School Teacher
– Specialist in the field of Returnee Education
• Help returnees adjust to Japanese Education
Start Small
• Did everything
– Getting company phone number web site
number,
domain, making manuals, bank accounts
– Preparing business cards, furniture, company
brochures, websites
brochures websites, invitation cards etc
– Noticed the importance of Financial Statement
• Studied bookkeeping
– Teach English Guide high school students
English,
April 2000
25. 25
Education is not a product
1) University Entrance Exam Passing Percentage 95.3%
2)Limit the number of students per year and provide
PERSONAL CONTACT
• Ask students what they want to do in the future
– Recommend Universities that will link to their future
– Going to University is a PROCESS not a GOAL
• Support Returnees adjust to the Japanese
Environment
– Student coming from Hokkaido
– Record academic background, family data,
birthdays and make them feel that we care about
them
Make th t d t thi k!
M k the students think!
• Personal Contact is the key to supporting people
• Teach the students how to study, not give
Jerry Maguire answers
26. 26
Working and Studying (part 1)
• Working and studying was very hard
– My house to University (90minutes)
– University to Company (2 hours)
• Go to school in the daytime
• Go to work after University
– Work until the last train
There were many students who started their own business
during University but most students got employed
• I did not do any job hunting
– When I started my first business at the age of 19, my goal was to
have my company running when my friends were going to work for
companies when they graduate.
• MBA
Master of Business Administration
Administration.
An advanced university degree in business studies.
28. 28
Keio Business School
• Life at Keio Business School
– Entered at the age of 22
• Youngest student (average 36)
– Focused on Accounting ,Finance,Marketing
Working and Studying part 2
– Go straight to the office after school
– Work until 10pm go home and study until 3am
10pm, 3am.
– FRISK and COFFEE was a must
Case Study
Individual Study Group Discussion Class Discussion
Case Studied over 500 Companies
29. 29
Keio Business School
• Group and Class Discussions
– The importance of saying your opinion
– Not to be afraid to make mistakes
• Studied the concept of RISK
– Not to put all the eggs in one basket
– Started my business when I was single and
y g
living with my family
– Professor told me “You’re young so you don’t
have any risks”
a ea y s s
• Master’s Thesis
– The application of Identity Education
• Returnee Education is to understand yourself
• The method of supporting returnees (Identity
Education) can be applied for students in Japan
Graduated and finished my 5years of working and studying
30. 30
Stage 5 (24-
(24-27)
- Not a student anymore
- PRESSURE
- NEGATIVE to POSITIVE
31. 31
Started to worry about OUR future
Private Life
• 1st year at Business School
tB i S h l
– Got married (age 22)
– Very busy period but it was great timing
• Met my wife at the video store
• 2nd year at Business School
– First son was born (age 24)
– My wife took a maternity leave
• After I graduated Business school
– My wife had to choose whether to go back
– A child needs the mother the most
– Discussed with my wife and she became a
house wife
BRING HOME THE BACON
To earn a living, especially for a family
32. 32
Negative to a Positive
• Had a dark period for about 6months
– Took the time to analyze and reflect myself
– Started to question myself “Did my worries happen?”
– My sister gave me a book to read
TURNING POINT
• Mr.
Mr Akihiro Nakatani (Writer)
– Reading his books energized me
– I stopped worrying about the small stuff
– Do what I had to do with my life
– A man’s got to do what a man’s got to do
33. 33
Visualizing Core Values
• Started a new division VISUAL CREATION
– Visualize values of companies and individuals
• Understand the company’s mission , individuals identity
p y y
• Support and give alternative solutions (Experience at KBS)
– Direct the Keio Business School Marketing Strategy
• Had to win competitions to get work from Keio Business school
• Working seriously more than ever
34. 34
Stage 6 (27-
(27- )
- INTERLITERACY
- Designing your Identity
- SHU-HA-RI
-Communication Design
Communication
35. 35
“Interliteracy” our company s concept
Interliteracy company’s
inter
inter- + literacy
a prefix occurring in loanwords Literacy is the ability to identify,
from Latin, where it meant understand, interpret, create,
“between,” “among,” “in the communicate and compute,
midst of,” mutually,”“together,” using materials associated with
varying contexts. (UNESCO)
Literacy involves a continuum of
learning to enable an individual
to achieve his or her goals to
goals,
develop his or her knowledge
and potential, and to participate
fully in the wider society y.
(UNESCO)
Literacy is a tool Many kinds of ○○○+literacy
tool.
To fully use the literacy as a tool one must understand their Identity
36. 36
Japanese Philosophy SHU-HA-RI(守破離)
• S
SHU-HA-RI stands f three stages of skill mastery
for f
• SHU(守)
– You follow the examples given and master them completely
• HA (破)
– You add your creative touch to what y have learned and make
y you
the techniques and skills your own
• RI (離)
– Y take what you have learned even f th
You t k h t h l d further
The i i f d
Th origin of education
ti
SHU is the heart of knowledge transmission
51. 51
To the students at AIU
• What will you be doing next y
y g year?
• What about 5 years from now?
• What about 10 years from now?
• Do you have a dream?
• Do you have a goal?
Solid Identity is
y
the key to Success and Happiness
Everything falls into place when you figure out who you
are, like a puzzle that automatically comes together when
you hhave th corners and th sides.
the d the id
52. 52
Designing your Identity
How would you like to spend your life?
Financially
JUSTICE Challenge Records
Rich
Express
Help people FAME
Yourself
Academic Study Interaction Build
Something
60. 60
In small towns, and big cities
We came together
As democrats, republicans and independents
To stand up and say that we are
One ti
O nation, we are one people l
And out time for change has come! (Cheers)
Hey! Hey! Woah! Hey! Hey!
I believe, I believe, I believe
Ohh I believe, I believe I believe
believe believe,
Ohh I believe, I believe, I believe
Ohh I believe, I believe, I believe
Ohh I
61. 61
When the mountain seem to high (high, high)
And you don't have the courage nor the strength to climb
And the
A d th road you're on won't end
d ' 't d
But still you run, though you cannot see the finish line
And dark clouds are over you
Your skies no longer blue
But you marched on straight ahead
Somehow you made it through
Got to the mountain
They left a path for me
Your victory made history and now
I believe, I believe, I believe
Ohh I believe, I believe, I believe
Ohh I believe, I believe, I believe
, ,
Ohh I believe, I believe, I believe
Ohh I
62. 62
When it felt like you were weak
And couldn't fight no more (fight no more)
On the ropes and it seemed like you was gonna run out of breath
(run out of breath)
( t f b th)
When the world was on your shoulder
And the walls were in your way
You leaped and made it over
Through it all you kept the faith
With hope you set us free,
You showed us how to dream
And now we can lift our voices and forever sing
Now s
Now's the time to look ahead
And thank our heroes of the past
And celebrate this victory, let's raise the flag cause
I believe, I believe, I believe,
Ohh I believe, I believe, I believe,
Ohh I believe, I believe, I believe,
, , ,
Ohh I believe, I believe, I believe,
Ohh I
63. 63
And when they tried to keep you down
You kept up your head
Never loosing sight
You believed in what was right
You endured to the end
Walked through the strongest wind
g g
The storms over and a new day begins
And when our hope was dying
You bought as healing
And now I got something, to tell my children
I believe!, I believe, I believe,
Ohh I believe, I believe, I believe,
Ohh I believe, I believe, I believe,
Ohh I believe, I believe, I believe,
64. 64
Yeah
I believe!, I believe, I believe,
Yeah, yeah
Oh I believe, I believe, I believe
b li b li b li
I believe that a change is gonna come
Yes it will yes it will
will,
See I believe in the future
That a change is coming to America
So stand up, stand up stand up
up up,
Stand up, stand up, stand up
Lift every voice and sing
Hey!
That the soldiers are coming home, yeah
That it won t be long
won't
That a change is gonna come
Say it
I believe! Heyyy
yyy
65. 65
If you set you mind, you can do it
Don’t let anybody say you can’t
If you want people to believe y
y p p you, believe in y
yourself
Believing is Seeing
Fear is often an illusion
http://www.interliteracy.com
sugi@interliteracy.com