Nick Taylor---the missing link · The Big Brain Club

Nick Taylor---the missing link

Origin: Originally from Chicago and now a 20-year resident of Japan, I began my entrepreneurial journey in mid-2024 after a long corporate career. Since then, I have built a wide network across industries and geographies, driven by a natural instinct to connect good people and businesses. I am usually just one or two degrees of separation from someone who can help solve a business problem, and I love making those connections when there is clear alignment and momentum.

At Nikudera, I do not lead with a pitch. I lead with curiosity. I want to know what people are building, what challenges they are facing, and whom I can link them up with to help move things forward. That is where the most meaningful business conversations and opportunities tend to begin.

That said, the realities of entrepreneurship mean I sometimes take on engagements outside my core strengths just to keep things moving. One of my ongoing goals is to find smarter and faster ways to monetize the value of my network and the relationships I have worked hard to build.

Desired Future State: NikuDera is quietly running in the background, even while I sleep. I am not looking to be the all-singing, all-dancing version of myself every day. What I want is to build and maintain a solid foundation of at least $50 to $75K in monthly recurring revenue while helping businesses find the right partners to unlock their next stage of growth.

My interests span a lot of areas, so working with a variety of clients across food and beverage, events, and tourism lets me stay engaged, tick the business boxes, and have fun doing it. I would also love the freedom to travel once a month to meet partners and collaborators in other markets without having to stress about every dollar (or yen) spent.

Why: Reaching that level of stability would ease some of the financial pressure we have felt since early 2024 and help me get my mojo back, both personally and professionally. I genuinely love helping people and learning along the way, so building a business around those values feels right. I live in a beachside community just outside of Tokyo, and I want to continue curating a life that balances time in the city, spending a couple of days a week in the Big Mikan, with the slower pace and clarity I find by the ocean.

Fears: One of my ongoing challenges is my tendency to take on too much at once. I can be scattered, juggling multiple things at the same time, which sometimes makes it hard to stay focused. That said, I always follow through to a point where my partners are satisfied with the effort and the results. Still, not having a clearly defined set of core competencies or a singular focus can make it difficult for people to fully understand what I bring to the table, or to take me seriously at first glance.

On top of that, my personal life often finds a way to throw up roadblocks just as I start building positive momentum. It is a cycle I am working hard to break, but I know it is there.

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