Charming China

Unser heutiger Gast ist Wolfgang Hirn, Journalist beim Manager Magazin und Autor des Bestsellers Herausforderung China (2005).

Er berichtet seit vielen Jahren über China und seine Bücher bieten einen intensiven Einblick in die Geschehnisse vor Ort und was wir über das Reich der Mitte wissen sollten.

Wir haben uns in Shenzhen getroffen um die aktuellen Ereignisse in Bezug auf China zu diskutieren. 

Today´s guest is Rafa, an entrepreneur from Israel who came to China and noticed that some cultural differences such as the relationship between parents and children can lead to big problems if the mindset is not right.

That´s why he started his company where he teaches Chinese parents how to nurture a trusting and understanding relationship with their children to ensure they can lead successful and fulfilled lives.

Today´s guest is Zoe, who majored in biochemistry and biotechnology in Canada and is now working on her company called 7sense, which uses genomic sequencing to determine the best possible diet for their clients.

Today´s guest is Wolf, a German robotics engineer who previously worked at various robotics companies and also at the TU Berlin, where his team won the prestigious Amazon picking challenge in 2015 and could defeat teams from MIT, UC Berkeley as well as many other robotics companies.

We discuss the story of how the company he´s currently working at, Dorabot, got its name and what they´re currently doing to revolutionize logistics automation with smart robots.

He tells us what it´s like being a polyglot and speaking many different languages at the same time.

We also talk about working with global teams and the beautiful landscape of Yunnan province.

If you enjoy the show please subscribe and don´t forget to give it a review on Itunes so more people can find it and learn from it. Thank you so much for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode

Today´s guest is Brian, an American entrepreneur who has started his smart home company in Shenzhen.

We discuss how Brian got interested in all things IOT, current and future trends in the smarthome industry, and learn about the differences in market maturity in the US vs. China.

We also learn how smart, or AI, devices and systems can improve our wellbeing and life quality.

Today´s guest is Caferny who´s born in Guangzhou and has been living in London for over ten years.

She tells us about her reverse culture schock and the struggle of re-integrating in China.

She also explains how she founded her branding company Icarus where she aims to grasp the true spirit of a brand and communicates it to the right audience.

. If you enjoy the show please subscribe and give it a rating on Itunes so more people can find it and learn from it. Thank you so much for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode

Today´s guest is William, a Shanghai-born Chinese who emigrated to South Africa when he was young, studied in Australia afterwards and then worked on a start-up in Silicon Valley before returning to China to work in a venture capital firm where he specializes on AI start-ups.

We discuss growth hacks for start-ups in the US versus China and how to acquire new users in both markets.

We also learn what type of founders’ VCs in China are investing in at the moment and tips on how to have higher chances at getting funding by seeing the world through a VCs eye.

Thank you so much for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode

Today´s guest is Blake, a highly creative film maker who has a production company in Shenzhen.

We talk about how burning man brought him to the city and different approaches regarding process management and the decision-making order in film production in the US vs. China.

In this episode the importance of clear communication of workflow and the hard task to collaborate with international teams are highlighted and we also discuss how working in China teaches us patience and improves our overall soft skills.

Today´s guests are Julien and Christophe from JuKe, two industrial designers and entrepreneurs from Belgium and France, who have designed many fascinating products in the past and present.

We talk about the crossover of local culture and international influence and the advantages that arise from this hybrid in their designs.

We also discuss important IP protection tips and the challenges in the Chinese market, which make it one of the hardest to compete and succeed in.

Lastly, we talk about future trends and lifestyle products from Chinese culture which we will most likely be seeing in the next 5-10 years.

Today´s guest is Kathy, a Belgian entrepreneur and martial arts enthusiast who built up her e-commerce business with her Chinese husband.

We discuss the e-commerce landscape in Belgium and how Chinese factories and brands might struggle in Europe compared to the US.

We also talk about the drinking and dining culture and its importance for sustainable business relationships in China.

Furthermore, we address the meaning and understanding of contracts in China versus the West and what the Chinese “cha bu duo” culture means for foreigners doing business here.

If you have any questions you´d like to ask about China, please send them to my email address so I can address it in the next episode or discuss the topic with the guest.

Today´s guest is Tony, a Shanghainese marketing and PR veteran. He explains how he went from global trading to working in the Museum of Contemporary art in Shanghai up until managing the campaigns and market entry to China for big brands such as Henkel and New Balance.

We talk about the new WeChat functions and compare the app to Tik Tok and Weibo.

He also explains how they created a new term in marketing that is now used in Chinese language and the importance of offline marketing in today´s century.

If you have any questions you´d like to ask about China, please send them to my email address which is linked in the show notes so I can address it in the next episode or discuss the topic with the guest.

Today´s guest is Pernille, a Danish entrepreneur who built a successful global fashion brand based in Shanghai. She tells us how style and fashion in Shanghai changed in the past years, how a luxury bag can be helpful at a construction site and which opportunities lie in the Chinese market.

We also discuss trademarking and working with KOLs.

Thanks so much for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode!

Today´s guest is Timo, a German with Taiwanese roots. 
We talk about what it´s like growing up as a mixed child, what Chinese people think about Germans, and how status symbols like luxury cars are perceived in Chinese society versus in Germany.

We also talk about the 9-9-6 work concept and electromobility in China.

Today´s guest is Cody Giannotti, an educational development genius who started out with composing music for Interscope Records, then wrote his PhD thesis on play-based learning concepts for faster and more efficient learning for adults in organizations and thus came to China where he´s working in various leading HR and L&D positions for some great companies.

We talk about the difficulties of retaining employees in the age of a gig-economy mentality, what it´s like to come to China for the first time and the culture shock that it brings.

Great guy, we can learn a lot from him and especially if you´re planning to work and live in China this episode will give you a good glimpse into what it´s like and what you can expect.

Thanks so much for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode!

Today´s guest is John Graham Harper, an Australian entrepreneur who started out in the fitness industry in Shenzhen around 18 years ago.

He is so energetic and driven that his passion and positivity WILL motivate you.

We talk about why China was the perfect spot for adventurers, how to cater to the Chinese as well as the expat community and how to create a sports platform like WCFN.

It´s a very interesting interview where John shares some of the mistakes he made and tips on how to avoid them.

Thanks so much for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode!

Today´s guest is Nick, an e-commerce and branding specialist who tells us which important features to look for in a Chinese factory.

He is such a knowledgeable and resourceful guy and we talk about the new stage of evolution regarding sourcing from China, where quality, design and look & feel matter most with the goal to not only distribute, but also brand a product from China in foreign markets.

It´s a really insightful episode, not only regarding China, but also global business best practices.

Connect on WeChat: nickwechats

oday´s guest is Jason, a young entrepreneur from the US who has developed a bilingual map app for foreigners in China.

We talk about finding the right climate zone to live in, app development in China, secret bathrooms and the upsides and downsides of living in China.

Download the app by searching for “Lost Laowai” in your app store

In today´s episode, Alicia from Somos Digital and Isabel discuss the differences in western countries and China when it comes to knowledge about branding and customer relationships.

We can learn how to build a deep connection to your Chinese B2B customers and how to best coordinate and manage a multinational team.