[One Sip of a Book] First-Generation Star English Instructor Mun Dan-yeol's 'Life Is Two-Track'

Editor's NoteSome sentences encapsulate the entire content of a book, while others instantly resonate with readers, creating a connection with the book. Here, we introduce such meaningful sentences excerpted from books.

Moon Dan-yeol, who made a name for himself as South Korea's first-generation star English instructor, hit rock bottom after consecutive business failures and health deterioration at the peak of his life. From that point on, he abandoned pretension and greed, and through his long-standing habit of reading and relentless learning ability, he acquired knowledge and skills sufficient to make a living in a new field. Based on those skills, he co-founded the video company Sadari Film in 2015. Now in its eighth year, the company has established itself as an 'educational video' production company through collaborations with numerous corporations and institutions. However, every day since the startup has been a battle, struggling just to solve the situations faced. This book reveals the vivid 'record of bleeding' from the times he threw himself into solving problems encountered in the business field. It is also a life manual containing know-how for wisely resolving various problems encountered not only at work but also in life.

What exactly is entrepreneurship? I believe entrepreneurship is having a clear 'why,' 'how,' and 'what.' The 'why' explains one's motivation for doing the work. It corresponds to saying, "I do this because of these reasons." The 'how' shows the intersection between market demand and personal preference. There must be that intersection to make money, and making money is necessary for the business to continue. Lastly, the 'what' is the ultimate goal the business aims for. Having these three elements is entrepreneurship. If you have yourself, the market, and a goal, then a college student who secured an internship at a university-industry linked startup has succeeded in entrepreneurship, and so has a person working part-time at an ice cream shop. Didn't someone who used to wander around Dongdaemun Market trying to buy clothes without a fixed job eventually become the chairman of Group E? - From Chapter 1, 'Who Am I?'

During my school days, whenever I fought with my mother, I would always study English afterward. When I felt discouraged, I held a vocabulary book in my hands. When I broke up with my girlfriend, I read and memorized English books aloud. Even on nights when I drank with friends, I would come home and look at English books before falling asleep. Everyone said I was crazy. But I knew. The best gift from the 'two-track' passion and composure is that when one kicks me, the other will surely comfort me. When I get tired of studying, I have to play until I'm exhausted, and when my emotions are shaken and my heart is troubled, I have to dive into the rational activity of studying. Only then can I immediately restore the balance between passion and composure and regain calmness. - From Chapter 1, 'Life Is Two-Track'

When someone asks, "What is planning?" I respond by asking, "What is the purpose of the plan?" When asked, "What makes a good video?" I answer, "What is the purpose of the video?" I would probably give the same answer to the question, "What makes a good book?"

The same applies to leaders who lead organizations. To answer "What kind of leadership is good leadership?" it depends on the situation?it could be a leadership style of a wise leader, a virtuous leader, or a brave leader.

Depending on the purpose, the members involved, and the time remaining, the type of leadership required varies. Leadership can be defined as the total ability to accurately understand, direct, and execute these elements. - From Chapter 2, 'There Is No Good Leadership for All Situations'

When I do something, it is a verb; when others do it, it is a noun. Context is expressed as a verb. Every action has context, and human behavior is a product of context. That is why excuses abound like graves. However, that context is limited to my work and my situation, and when looking at others, regardless of their context, only the outcome is observed. Understanding everyone's actions in context requires too much energy. This is the essence of double standards. "I was busy focusing all my energy on the survival of the business. Therefore, I had no capacity to care about systems for employee growth. But from now on, I plan to do well." All these statements are verbs. However, the employee who wanted to quit saw us only as a noun?a 'company without a growth system.' - From Chapter 3, 'When I Do It, It's a Verb; When Others Do It, It's a Noun'

Life Is Two-Track | Written by Moon Dan-yeol | Haenam Publishing | 284 pages | 16,800 KRW

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.