Why I'm In Brazil, Part I

OK,  it's been awhile since I've written. I tried previously to write the post about why I came to Brazil, but I just wasn't able to get my thoughts out onto the computer. So, I'll do what I tell my children to do when they are faced with a large task; break up the job into smaller pieces and tackle those one by one. There are many reasons why I came here, but in this post I'll just cover part of the reason.

I like business. Even more than business, I like the idea of running my own business. Even more than that I like the idea of running a profitable business. This is hard to explain, but the profitable part isn't so much about the money that comes from it (though that's a nice perk), as it is about the feeling gained from doing something that others validate through purchases. It's easy for people to say, "Oh that's a cool idea" or "I would totally buy that," but when a transaction of currency actually happens then you know it really is a cool idea that people would buy. Maybe other people who know what I'm talking about can explain it better in the comments.

I majored in business in my undergrad studies and then four years later went back to school and got an MBA. I have started a couple of other businesses (one of which is still operational, just not being actively worked on), but for different reasons neither one of them worked out, at least not to the point of me being satisfied with them. So I've been left with the desire to start something else, something new.

The "face" of my currently operating business What's In This Stuff

I also like traveling and seeing different parts of the world. I like learning about different cultures and meeting new people. According to the interwebs, I still have a lot of that to do. I have almost 90% of the world's countries to visit still.

So, putting those things together into one happy international business experience has always been very appealing to me. Up until now though, the opportunities weren't as visibly available. Bridget wrote about this topic on her blog a few months ago.

During spring break of last year I took Elliott to Singapore to visit my brother Shad. 

Shad owns and operates Amped Trampoline Park there. It was very fun to be in Asia for the first time, but I found that a large part of my interest was in the parks he was running. He offered to share his business inside information with me if I wanted to start my own park. I finally had a business I could do overseas!

Amped Trampoline Park

I talked with Bridget about the idea of starting a trampoline park and she was quickly on board. The next decision was where we would go. We considered several possibilities, but when I asked my now business partner Caleb if he would be interested in doing the business with me and he said yes, Brazil quickly became the destination. Caleb's wife is Brazilian and her family lives here so we had immediate connections.

The Beard family getting stuff done.

It turns out Brazil is a very difficult place to do business, so even though we wanted to get started right away we had to wait to get business licenses, a Brazilian bank account, visas, etc. Despite it being over a year since my visit to Singapore, now I'm here working to fulfill a dream of many years to start a business in a foreign country. I'll write more about the challenges of doing business here more in another post. 

Let me know if there's anything specific you'd like to know about the process of getting here or doing business here in the comments.

Lost Passport

It is nearly midnight and I have lost my passport. The day before I fly out on a two week, four country trip to work through next year’s business plan financials with the regional managers who have invited management from around their regions to join in. Hotels have been reserved, flights booked, and venues established. A lot of expense has gone into these meetings so that I can get everybody on the same page with their plans and then present the final outcomes next month, and I can’t find my passport. Not to mention all the effort that has gone into preparing to leave for this trip. Since Bridget is joining me she has made arrangements with several different families to watch our children while we are away. Everything is set…except for the passport. I try to figure out a solution, but nothing comes to me. I can’t spend my way out of it, because buying another ticket isn’t the issue, I just can’t get into another country. The only thing I can do is look for it. I tear the house apart looking but it is nowhere. Bridget is looking too, but we’re having no luck. Exhausted, nervous, and depressed I lie down and pray for help. I have a few ideas, but they bear no fruit.

Bridget has an idea that maybe I could get a new passport. The flight leaves at 11:40 a.m. A new passport is out of the question, but since we have no other options I figure I can apply for it and hopefully only miss the meetings scheduled in the Middle East. Of course that means I would probably have to pay for my own flight to London, but I would rather do that than face the consequences of just not making it at all.

The offices open up at 8 a.m. EST so I get up, after sleeping horribly for about three hours, and give them a call. Reporting my passport missing means it is invalid, even if I do find it now. The first appointment I can schedule is for September 11^th. That’s enough time for me to make it to Europe…not all is lost. Still sucks, but better than not going at all. I ask if I can just show up at the offices this morning and hope somebody else doesn’t arrive so I can take their spot. I’m told that I can try if I want, but it’s not really advisable. Instead the lady on the other end of the line puts me on a waiting list and tells me they will call if something opens up. Not much hope, but at least it’s something.

I decide I will go to the Passport office and wait, even though my chances of getting in are slim. What else am I going to do this morning? So I pack as though I’m going and a couple hours later I head out. Traffic is about the worst I’ve ever seen it. Stop. And. Go. I need to fill out a couple forms for the passport people and since our printer doesn’t work I stop in the office (after waiting for construction crews to let my car pass). As I’m printing out the forms I get a call from the passport people saying to come in as soon as possible.

That was exciting. And would have been more so if “as soon as possible” wasn’t more sitting in traffic waiting to move. I use the time to fill out the forms. I call Bridget and have her look up some information for me, which she was fortunate enough to find and get back to me with.

When I finally get in to Seattle it is about 8:30 a.m. Only a half an hour or so later than their opening time. After driving the wrong way down a one way street looking for parking, I get to the office and they take my information right away. Then I wait for them to call me up. I know there is nothing I can do to speed things up so I just practice being happy and patient so the person that does call me up wants to help me as much as possible.

When it is finally my turn, I get a lady that I would love to have as an employee. She is very detail oriented, and pleasant. Her detail orientedness isn’t very good for me in this situation however. She notices that on my license my name is spelled Tymon and my passport was spelled Timon. Fortunately she just maks a few notes and is on to the fact that my passport picture is the same as the one on my lost passport. She says that would probably be a problem. Then she realizes my lost passport is only about 6 months old so she goes and checks with her Supervisor if that is OK. It is. Another blessing. Good thing I recently shaved the beard or I would probably have to go get a new picture. I’m now onto another period of waiting for the passport to be processed. I am told it will take about an hour and a half.

Now I am down to just missing my flight to Chicago where I have my layover to Abu Dhabi. Not the worst outcome. By 10:30 a.m. I have gotten my new passport and I am on my way to the airport. The self checker thing doesn’t let me get my boarding pass so I have to see an airline representative. I think it must be too late to check my luggage, but she doesn’t even seem to notice the boarding time and gets me right through. The security line is huge, but moves extremely fast. I get through a few minutes after the boarding time of the flight. I run through the terminal to get to my gate, as much to make it look like a movie as to arrive just in the nick of time for my flight…which is exactly what happens.

Trip to Bahrain

Last week I was given the opportunity to go to Bahrain for a business trip. I got up at 3:30 a.m. on Wednesday June 17th and went to the SEA airport. I started off flying to Orange County, California to meet up with a colleague from our offices in Lake Forest.

I thought it was funny they had security driving around on Segways. It would be hilarious watching a cop chase somebody on one of those.

I was picked up from the airport and the two of us went to the CA offices where I was able to meet several people that I have talked to a lot but have never met. After about an hour there, we took a shuttle bus to LAX.


Our only layover was at the AMS airport in Amsterdam.

The urinals were funny.

That's not a fly in the toilet...it's a picture. I guess it helps guys to aim better. Wonder if it works.

We got into Bahrain at around 9 p.m. on Friday evening. It was 100 degrees outside. Going through customs there was a guy from Spain that didn't speak English in front of me, so I ended up translating for him. It's always nice to use my Spanish in situations like that.

The airport.


My hotel room...

Gotta love the bidet.

The view from my room.

On Saturday afternoon a couple guys and I walked around a bit, but we couldn't go too far because of the heat.

World Trade Centers

Moda Mall.

About 4 p.m. we met up with the managers and supervisors from around the region for some team building exercises at Al Jazair beach.




It was nice finally getting to meet many of the people I have worked with over the last couple of years in person. And despite it being 100+ degrees it didn't feel that ridiculously hot like I would have expected. When I finally got back to my hotel room I began working on my presentation for the next day. Because my laptop only had a 10 minute battery life and the hotel didn't have an adapter for their 230 volt outlets I wasn't able to get any work done before hand.

I didn't get to sleep until about 3:30 a.m. but I was able to give my presentation the next day and it seemed to go over pretty well.


That evening, for dinner, we went to the Regional Director's house. It was a beautiful house and the food was delightful...though I don't know what most of it was.



Some drink with Saffron in it.

The next day was meetings until about 5 or 6 p.m. and then we went to a Lebanese restaurant with the group. Again, excellent food.

And it came with a belly dancer.

She made the Americans and a Brit dance with her.


The next day was meetings again. Afterwards the American I came over with and I went to the biggest mall in Bahrain.

The final day I was there I was able to see the Panasonic office located at the airport.

This is a video taken from the office back to the hotel.


In the evening a couple of the guys and I went to the tallest building in Bahrain where we were invited to watch the English play Slovenia in a private room on the 52nd floor of the building.

The view from the urinal.

I left for home that night at 1 a.m.

After a layover in Paris at the CDG airport I was off for home.

It was a good trip. Hopefully they let me go again next year.