A Short Story About Me

I’m Arlo E.A. Temenggung. Hence, the name Arlo EAT that you could see on you explorer bar. The first of three children, i was born in Jakarta, Indonesia but at the age of 3 moved to a beautiful city called Ithaca, NY. My family spent about 7 years there accompanying my father on his post-graduate studies. As you may all know or read from my blog, i am not necessarily an academician. But I do have a deep sense of curiosity and a loving of science, both classical and modern.

I started my first ‘business’ at the age of 10 selling my collection of basketball cards. I couldn’t manage to sell a single one. At age 17, I became a multi level marketer. This experience propelled me to the lovely world of reading books, which in turn inspired me to become an entrepreneur. I later quit the MLM business and read books. A lot of them.

I started my “real business” career at 18, when with a couple of friends, distributed fresh milk across campus. But our supplier went bankrupt, and we had to fold our business. At 19, I opened up an ice cream franchise with a partner. We have managed to add another branch the following year. At 20, with a couple of friends, set up a business distributing fresh milk and selling instant fruits. We folded a year later.

At 21, I found my love for the world of finance and passed the Investment Manager’s test. This certification is needed as a requirement to open an investment company, and manage investors’ money, investing in businesses, private and public, and other financial instruments. Still at the age of 21, I co-founded a startup in the agro industry sector; building alternative energy facilities, patchouli oil production facilities and other agro industrial facilities.

Before the age of 17, I had no idea what to do with myself. I just wanted to graduate from a prestigious university and go to work in a company that will give me a good salary. That was before I started reading books. After reading books, I found out about the world available for me out there. This ignited a sense of curiosity in me that led me to see the world from different perspectives. Lucky now there is the internet that helps me see the world in different forms;videos, blogs, podcasts. I ‘found’ myself when I started to ’see’ the world. And I have never looked back, ever since.

I’m an entrepreneur, waiting for how great this day will end.