Sometimes in life, a chance meeting, a casual remark, a brief encounter, and a simple twist of fate can initiate a chain-reaction of events on a monumental scale. For Allan Hu, his attendance at a young entrepreneur’s conference proved to be a real game-changer.

In 2013 when Hu was 21, he was at a low point in his life. A year earlier, his e-commerce business had gone kaput, the degree he was studying so hard for seemed futile, and his ambitions to become a big-time and successful poker player had appeared to flounder on a rock called reality.

So when he headed to a young entrepreneur’s conference, he wasn’t expecting much. Hu explains, “Looking back I can see I was at a turning point in my life where I had everything to gain and nothing to lose, but at the time I just felt burned out and disillusioned that my life appeared to be going nowhere fast.”

At the conference, Hu noticed how those entrepreneurs involved in digital marketing had the most significant profit margins. Intrigued, Hu reached out and allied with a few individuals, which would prove extremely prosperous.

Hu explained, “Despite my lack of expertise and knowledge, these guys, who were online gurus and veterans, were pleased to share their insights with me. It was invaluable; I learned so much.”

Applying his lessons to real-life, Hu set about turning things around. It worked like a charm. Within his first several years, he had made his first million, and by 2015 he had begun a successful career investing in the US stock market. Hu was definitely on a roll; he even picked up the cards again and had another stab at trying his hand at the poker game.

Hu reveals, “Lady Luck was definitely on my side. This time around, I was winning some pretty big stakes, and although I think everyone needs a little bit of luck to be successful, I think it was my positive mindset that made all the difference. Before I attended that conference, I was viewing things in quite a negative light. Meeting those guys was the motivation I needed to help me get back on track and go for gold.”