FEI WU: From Beijing to Boston
#028 - From Beijing to Boston | Fei Wu
My guest this week is Fei Wu, a “reverse laowai” who made the move FROM China TO the US. Fei is a native-born Beijinger who has now been living in the US for 17 years. Fei and I had a great talk. We discuss her origins in Beijing, her move to Maine to finish high school - where she became both the captain of the boys' hockey team AND the prom queen - and then her move to Boston for college and the cool life and business she’s built for herself there ever since. We also dive deep into WHY we both love podcasting, and oh, yeah: besides all of that, Fei is a third degree black belt, proving that not all podcasters are desk jockeys like myself. Links to Fei’s World and more are in the show notes below and in the blog post as always.
This episode also introduces our NEW sponsor, AWA Health! AWA Health is a unique facility, the first of its kind in Beijing, that among other specialities offers anti-stress flotation therapy. Listeners of the show get a 20% discount just by mentioning the show or my name when you book. Check the links below to get more information, and extract the QR code to contact the owner directly and book your session today.
And I’m pleased to be helping in a small way to support The Beijinger’s 7th Annual Hot Pepper Eating Contest, a fundraiser for the Maovember charity. I’ll be there shooting some footage for CrazyHot, a feature documentary film I’m helping produce that is the deepest dive ever undertaken into the origins, uses, foods, chilehead culture, and the medical future of ultrahot peppers from around the world. If you will be in Beijing on December 2 or would just like to make a donation to some very worthy causes, follow the links below to learn more.
Fei Wu and Fei’s World podcast:
http://feisworld.com
AWA Health (mention the show and get a 20% discount):
4th Floor, THE PLACE mall
Guanhua Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing China
137-1618-2745 (Chinese)
186-0083-9624 (English)
The Beijinger’s 7th Annual Hot Pepper Eating Contest:
https://www.thebeijinger.com/blog/2017/11/29/gut-rupturing-peppers-prizes-chili-pepper-eating-contest
Maovember:
www.maovember.com
Punjabi:
http://punjabichina.com/
CrazyHot Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/CrazyHotTheFilm/
Brendan Davis on WeChat:
BrendanDavis
Brendan Davis on Twitter:
@VeritasInLux
BFMK website:
https://www.crazyinagoodway.com
Other links to LISTEN:
https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/podcast-links/
SUPPORT BFMK via PayPal or WeChat:
https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/donate/
New SPONSOR: AWA HEALTH!
Hi everybody - especially Beijing peoples!
Just a quick note to let you know that "Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom" now has it's first sponsor: AWA Health. I will have more to say on the next episode of the show, but for now, a little overview...
Located inside The Place mall in Beijing, AWA Health is a spa with a twist. AWA offers various unique treatments, mostly involving SALT. These include massage, cryotherapy, anti-pollution salt therapy, and - my new favorite thing - floating anti-stress therapy. I went earlier tonight to float for an hour, and it was probably the most relaxing 60 minutes I've spent in years.
For "Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom" listeners, co-owner Angelique is offering a 20% discount on your initial float session. Use the QR code below to contact her and mention my name OR "Big Fish" to check it out. :D
LIVE Event: "BECOMING AN ENTREPRENEUR FOR LIFE"
Bonus Episode, Nov 25, 2017 - “Becoming an Entrepreneur For Life” | Entrepreneur’s Organization (EO), Beijing Sanlitun chapter
Today I am happy to share another special LIVE episode with you, a panel presentation on the topic of "Becoming an Entrepreneur For Life”. The event was sponsored by the EO Beijing Sanlitun chapter, and was recorded from the naked HUB in Sanlitun.
For more information on the numerous speakers and sponsors, please search them using the information below. Enjoy!
Speakers:
Mike Wester (host) - Founder & CEO, True Run Media
Claudia Masueger - Founder & CEO, CHEERS Wines
Katherine Lui - Founder & Managing Partner, CanAsia Consulting
Christopher Dobbing - Founder & CEO, Cambridge Masks
Stacy Palestrant - Founder & CEO, Elite Scholars of China
AJ Warner - Co-Founder & Board Member, Touchdown!
Sponsors:
EO Beijing Sanlitun
naked HUB
Gung-Ho Pizza
CHEERS Wines
Awa Health
EO Beijing Sanlitun contact (AJ Warner):
email - ajwarner@touchdown.org.cn
WeChat - ajwarner
Entrepreneurs' Organization:
https://www.eonetwork.org
Ronald Paredes (“BFMK” logo):
WeChat, Instagram, Facebook - mundosanto
Brendan Davis on WeChat:
BrendanDavis
Brendan Davis on Twitter:
@VeritasInLux
BFMK website:
https://www.crazyinagoodway.com
Other links to LISTEN:
https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/podcast-links/
SUPPORT BFMK via PayPal or WeChat:
https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/donate/
New LOGO!
I woke up today to a very nice surprise: my friend and previous show guest Ronald Paredes (episode #022) sent me the new LOGO that he designed for me. He is writing a post about all the symbolism he included that I will quote and repost here when that goes live, but for now, let me just say THANK YOU to Ronald for doing such a great job! I think that in this image, he really captured the essence of what I am aiming for with this show, and I couldn't be happier with the result.
Please visit Ronald at his site for more information about this very talented artist, and if you missed his interview, listen to Episode #022 of "BFMK". Enjoy!
- Brendan
AJ WARNER: Entrepreneurship and Education
#027 - Entrepreneurship and Education | AJ Warner
My guest this week is AJ Warner. AJ is the co-founder of Touchdown!, a leading Chinese higher education consultancy, as well as being the current President of the Beijing Sanlitun chapter of the Entrepreneur’s Organization (EO). In this episode, we discuss AJ’s interesting background, his earlier adventures in Asia by way of Japan and Korea, and his move to the Middle Kingdom in the mid-aughts (2005) and everything that has followed from there.
Also, this Saturday I will release a special BONUS episode of a live EO event focusing on the idea of becoming an “entrepreneur for life”, which AJ was kind enough to invite me to. More on that coming soon!
Links to contact AJ or me or to learn more about EO or the show are below. Enjoy!
AJ Warner email:
ajwarner@touchdown.org.cn
Touchdown! website:
http://www.touchdown.org.cn
AJ Warner WeChat:
ajwarner
Entrepreneurs' Organization:
https://www.eonetwork.org
Brendan Davis on WeChat:
BrendanDavis
Brendan Davis on Twitter:
@VeritasInLux
BFMK website:
https://www.crazyinagoodway.com
Other links to LISTEN:
https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/podcast-links/
SUPPORT BFMK via PayPal or WeChat:
https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/donate/
CORO URDANETA: Interior Architecture in China
#026 - Interior Architecture in China | Coro Urdaneta
My guest this week is architect Coro Urdaneta. Much like previous guest Ronald Paredes, Coro left the upheaval in Venezuela to seek a better life for herself. Her first stop was Miami in the US, but China was next, and in 6 short years Coro has established herself very well in Beijing with her work designing the interior architecture of Moka Bros, the Q-Mex Taqueria, La Social, Mosto, and many other local F&B standouts.
In “small world” news, I happened to meet her youngest brother Rafael last night while out and about. The expat community here in Beijing is very close-knit, and the more I dive into it, the smaller it becomes as well.
Links to contact Coro or me or to find out more about the show are below. Enjoy!
CoroMoto website:
coromotoad.com
Brendan Davis on WeChat:
BrendanDavis
Brendan Davis on Twitter:
@VeritasInLux
BFMK website:
https://www.crazyinagoodway.com
Other links to LISTEN:
https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/podcast-links/
SUPPORT BFMK via PayPal or WeChat:
https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/donate/
JOHN DIETZ: BangBang in Beijing
#025 - BangBang in Beijing | John Dietz
This week’s episode features John Dietz. John is the Founder of Bangbang, a Beijing-based VFX and full-service film company. John has worked on almost 20 Chinese films and has collaborated with some of China’s most successful directors, including Xu Zheng, Jiang Wen, Guan Hu, Han Yan, John Woo, Sun Zhou, Deng Chao, Lu Chuan, and Eva Jin, among others. In the West, he’s worked on over 20 Hollywood films including the Harry Potter franchise, Hunger Games, and X-Men: Wolverine.
John is respected and trusted by VFX and technology practitioners throughout Asia and around the world, and it was wonderful to have him on the show. The time slot wasn’t long enough for all we had to say, so this might be the first of a series of chats between us. To be continued!
John Dietz on WeChat:
jdietz
John Dietz email:
jdietz@bangbangasia.com
Brendan Davis on WeChat:
BrendanDavis
Brendan Davis on Twitter:
@VeritasInLux
BFMK website:
https://www.crazyinagoodway.com
Other links to LISTEN:
https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/podcast-links/
SUPPORT BFMK via PayPal or WeChat:
https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/donate/
MAOVEMBER 2017!
This week’s episode was a special treat, a group roundtable discussion recorded live from XL Bar in Beijing for the kickoff of Maovember 2017. It features Jim Boyce, Mike Wester, and Claudia Masueger of the Maovember Steering Committee as they tell us what that is; more on them in just a moment.
L-R: Claudia Masueger, Mike Wester, Brendan Davis, Jim Boyce
But what is Maovember, you might ask? Well, you’ve heard of MOvember (right?) - it’s a month-long fundraising drive during November done in cities and towns around the world where people undertake various challenges and get their friends to sponsor them, with the proceeds going to local charities. The classic challenge is for men to grow their mustaches out, or not shave in general, for a month, but it’s branched out from there so that everyone can participate. In this down and dirty episode, we learn about the origins of the Beijing version of Movember and meet three of the gang of organizers behind the event...
Our guests are all multi-faceted folks, but the short version of their bios is that Jim Boyce is a food and wine writer and cultural commentator here who posts on his popular Beijing Boyce blog; Mike Wester is the head of True Run Media which publishes the top expat magazine and website The Beijinger; and Claudia Masueger is the CEO of Cheers Wines, making fine wine fun and affordable in China.
Claudia is also a Returning Champion on “Big Fish”, having been my guest for a full interview on lucky Episode #013. I will do full-length interviews with Mike and Jim as well when they let me, and you can check out Claudia’s interview wherever you got your hands on this one right here. Everyone is so generous with their time and resources in contributing to make Maovember a big success, that I want to do a little unpaid plug for everyone involved...
Please visit the guest’s links below, of course, and especially check out Maovember.com to learn more about Bread of Life and the Library Project, the two local charities that Maovember benefits. Bread of Life is a bakery that employs disabled people, and the Library Project, which furnishes reading rooms in needy schools. These folks are doing selfless, amazing things to improve the quality of life of people who need it, and I’m glad to have also been convinced to join the cause this month. No more shaving or beard trimming for me until December 1 - yikes!
There are several surprises in this one, and I’ll spoil it maybe just a little and let you know that the name Maovember is NOT a political reference, actually, but it instead refers to a unit of currency. Check out the episode for more information, and to learn how to participate or for web links to learn more about the event, the charities benefited, or my guests, please visit the links in the show notes below.
Thanks and cheers!
Maovember official site:
http://www.maovember.com
Jim Boyce / Beijing Boyce:
http://beijingboyce.com
Mike Wester / The Beijinger:
https://www.thebeijinger.com
CHEERS Wines:
www.cheers-wines.com
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheers_Wines
XL Bar:
https://www.thebeijinger.com/directory/xl-bar-and-restaurant
Brendan Davis on WeChat:
BrendanDavis
Brendan Davis on Twitter:
@VeritasInLux
BFMK website:
https://www.crazyinagoodway.com
BFMK Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/BigFishMiddleKingdom/
Other links to LISTEN:
https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/podcast-links/
SUPPORT BFMK via PayPal or WeChat:
https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/donate/
MARCUS MEDINA: From Cal-Mex to QMex
My guest today is Marcus Medina. Marcus is a chef from California by way of Mexico, Manhattan, and many stops in between. He’s also the food mastermind behind QMex and it’s sister restaurant here in Beijing, QMex Taqueria. If you’re a long-time listener to the show, you might swear I’m on the PR payroll for QMex, but it’s honestly my favorite restaurant in Beijing. I have always loved Mexican food, and being from California, where Marcus first developed his style, I especially love and relate to the flavors he brings to his dishes. There’s also the fun fact that my very first guest on the show, Loren Heinold, is a partner in the restaurant and gets some of the credit for me being able to enjoy it in the first place, so there’s that.
This interview was recorded just before the lunch rush earlier today on the patio outside of QMex, so there’s a little street noise but it’s not obtrusive. I liked how alive it made it feel so much that this interview is very unedited, which is impressive considering just how much both Marcus and me like to talk! My average interview probably has about 150 edits, mostly to remove random noises or unproductive tangents, or to shorten pauses between thoughts and keep a consistent pace, but Marcus and I found a groove right off the bat that rocked along so well that the edits are mostly to wait for a passing delivery cart or loud conversation to pass.
I have known Marcus just a little before doing this interview but when we sat down with no distractions and got into it, it felt like I'd really found a kindred spirit. At a surface level that makes sense, since we each have the gift of easy conversation and we both have California as a home in common - his my birth, mine by choice - and that goes a long way to explaining it. But as we talked, I realized that I related to Marcus’s story on a different, much more philosophical level too...
He talks about his love for New York, but how he probably stayed a little too long in NY. I can relate, since I feel like I stayed a little too long in LA. We both have lots of love for the places that helped redefine us, but if you’re driven by the spirit of adventure, staying in one place too long is about as close to death as you get with your eyes still open, and one thing you will never say about Beijing is that it’s stagnant.
Speaking of stagnation: I want the show to grow and expand as organically as possible, but to do this, I need YOUR help. Moral support is great, and is sincerely appreciated, but that doesn’t pay the bills. If you like the show, please subscribe to us in iTunes / Apple Podcasts, on Google Play or Castbox, and give us a good rating or even a review. And if you REALLY like it, please visit the SUPPORT page on the website, which is crazyinagoodway.com, and you can make a one-time donation as you see fit. There are links to both PayPal and WeChat Pay, and any amount truly makes a difference. THANK YOU as always for your comments and positive feedback and moral support, and if your support becomes material as well, then that’s amazing.
QMex on WeChat: qmex_mexican_grill *** Marcus Medina interview on FM Lifestyle:
http://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/m1Fs0gSUAx7B5nZJPz_dDw *** Brendan Davis on WeChat: BrendanDavis *** Brendan Davis on Twitter: @VeritasInLux *** BFMK website: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com *** BFMK Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BigFishMiddleKingdom/ *** Other links to LISTEN:
https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/podcast-links/ *** SUPPORT BFMK via PayPal or WeChat:
https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/donate/ *** BFMK PayPal direct DONATION link:
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=K5W6EANCYSQHU
RONALD PAREDES: The War of Art
#022 - The War of Art | Ronald Paredes
This week’s show features artist and graphic designer Ronald Paredes. In it, we discuss the situation back in Ronald’s home country of Venezuela, what it’s been like to move and live in Nanjing for 11 years, his art and design background, charity and non-profit work and much more. Ronald has a serious passion to explore creativity in all its forms, and in his current and upcoming projects, he doesn’t shy away from the artist’s mission to explore life’s most meaningful, if painful, truths.
Note that some episodes are like a packed PowerPoint full of bullet points on a highly focused topic, and those will continue. But sometimes, the interview ended up feeling much more like a conversation between friends, and I think this one is more in that category - in a good way. Ronald and I have talked a good bit on WeChat previously and it was late when we recorded this, so it didn’t seem right to artificially amp it up too much.
I also took a gentler approach to the edit again, leaving more of the natural pauses than I typically do in order to preserve as much of the natural feel as possible this time, because we had WICKED Skype issues. It’s hard to hear Ronald introduce himself up top, I had to cut out some otherwise great chunks that just didn’t clean up enough to be legible, and it still gets a little distorted or “hashy” in places, but Ronald is a thoughtful observer of life and I think the interview is worth saving and posting, so I hope you enjoy.
Unpaid Plug time: Auphonic.com saved this episode, and consistently improves so many others. I started using their service a few shows in, and their algorithms are basically magic. Their service made THIS episode usable (since the Skype demons tried their damnedest to ruin it) but for a better example of what their wizardry when the signal is better (but imperfect) to start with, check out (for example) the Steve Barr episode, which was recorded in a hotel room on my iPhone, but sounds like it’s in a studio
And if you find value from the podcast, please consider SUPPORTING the show by a share, a direct referral, likes and comments on posts, a contribution of some kind (Paypal, WeChat, and bills large and small all accepted) via the various links and means below. Cheers!
Ronald Paredes on WeChat, Instagram, Facebook:
mundosanto
Ronald Paredes website:
http://www.mundosanto.co/
Ronald Paredes documentary:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vT7Z2tJWlcY&t=357s
Brendan Davis on WeChat:
BrendanDavis
Brendan Davis on Twitter:
@VeritasInLux
BFMK website:
https://www.crazyinagoodway.com
BFMK Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/BigFishMiddleKingdom/
Other links to LISTEN:
https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/podcast-links/
SUPPORT BFMK via PayPal or WeChat:
https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/donate/
BFMK PayPal direct DONATION link:
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=K5W6EANCYSQHU
GREGORY JOSEPH ALLEN: Acting on Stage & Screen in China
This week’s guest is stage and screen actor Gregory Joseph Allen. Greg brought a lifetime’s worth of acting training and experience with him when he moved here some years ago from California, and in addition to his own work he now uses his skills and background to teach young actors in Beijing.
Some guests had a very specific goal in mind when they made their first foray to the Middle Kingdom, but Greg talks about moving to China on more of an exploratory impulse and finding his new calling here. I’ve noticed that if you’re lucky, and stick with it through the rough spots, China can do that to you, or maybe I should say, allow you to change yourself in unexpected ways. Good times.
Greg took me back to an upbringing not too unlike parts of my own. We both have fond memories of the now-extinct practice of all the kids in high school (and a few older kids) ”parking” in a big supermarket lot somewhere after a football game or other big school event, and in plain site of everyone, openly drinking beers and being rowdy (but not seriously violent) as they hung out. It was a different world and time, but fun to reminisce about.
We talk about the differences between city versus country upbringings in the US, and how our mix of experiences informed who we are today and how we relate to China. Having seen enormous growth myself in my lifelong journey first across the US, then to Europe and Africa, and now finally to the Far East, I can relate to things here with a much different lens than if I had been either raised here OR never traveled as I did starting from way back home. Greg’s experience is his (of course) but there are a lot of syncs and parallels between us, which really helped me relate to his story even though it’s not exactly my own.
I really appreciated hearing about Greg’s approach to teaching, namely: how he doesn’t just give out gold ribbons for participation, but actually expects students to make the effort to EXCEL, and he rewards excellent work with appropriate recognition while still encouraging those struggling to find their footing. There is an art to doing this that I tried to find when teaching as well, and I still remember today the teachers I had who succeeded at it with me, so I know what a positive difference that makes.
We talk candidly about our thoughts regarding the norms and changing landscapes here as well as back home - economic, political, societal and cultural, etc - and we also get politically specific, in a new twist for the show. Overall I’d say that it gets pretty damn real, and I beeped a few choice words to keep our “Clean” rating, but I left it alone as much as possible in order to own what I think and to allow Greg the same courtesy. You don’t have to agree with either of us to appreciate the show, but let me know what you think regardless.
On a technical note: I used a slightly looser hand with this edit wherever I could, letting it breath a little more naturally, mostly because I thought Greg’s dramatic or thoughtful pauses added to the honesty of his story. He is a trained storyteller, after all, so I think it flows well but doesn’t feel too long (again, in my opinion). As I keep developing the show, I will keep tweaking my approach. Again - let me know, and I hope you enjoy.
Greg’s reel:
http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMjgwMTc2ODc4NA==.html?spm=a2h3j.8428770.3416059.1
The Queen show at Live Aid that Greg referenced:
https://youtu.be/A22oy8dFjqc
http://ultimateclassicrock.com/queen-live-aid/
Brendan Davis on WeChat:
BrendanDavis
Brendan Davis on Twitter:
@VeritasInLux
BFMK website:
https://www.crazyinagoodway.com
BFMK Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/BigFishMiddleKingdom/
Other links to LISTEN:
https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/podcast-links/
SUPPORT BFMK via PayPal or WeChat:
https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/donate/
BFMK PayPal direct DONATION link:
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=K5W6EANCYSQHU
MARTIN BARNES: Mountains of Imagination
“I used to introduce myself in the wrong way, and I used to talk about the mechanics, because I felt like that’s what people needed to know, and that that’d make me appear to be an expert. But I don’t need to know how my 4G works for me to buy a smartphone. I want to know: what are the results I get? And so I realized by my mistakes, I need to show the audience in my message. So my message went from WHAT I do, to WHY I do it.”
- Martin Barnes
Today’s guest is Martin Barnes. Martin is from South London and came to China 14 years ago. He has a very eclectic background and has worn a lot of hats professionally, mostly centered around art and design. He’s created logos, t-shirts - including a run back in the day with past show guest Dominic of Plastered8 - and done loads of work for advertising agencies, major car companies, etc.
His current company though, Mountains of Imagination, is based on designing presentations - you know, the need to stand up in front of a person or a group and drive a PowerPoint as you talk - in a way that you not only most effectively tell your story, but that you ENJOY yourself while doing it, too. The genius of this approach, as I saw for myself firsthand when I heard Martin speak at a event a few weeks ago, is that if you can prepare properly and relax enough to enjoy yourself while speaking, then your audience can relax enough to enjoy listening to you, and the story you’re sharing will stick in a way that isn’t possible otherwise.
This simple insight has proven to be a very successful one for Martin to build a company and a career around, but it’s the life lessons he learned leading up to this moment in his life that he shares in the interview that I think hit home the strongest with me. There’s a relevance in Martin’s methods to communicating that can positively impact ALL endeavors and transactions, both in business and in life. I think this is a very special one, and I hope you enjoy it.
On a personal level, I had a few takeaways that I’d like to share, too...
The first is about WeChat. I’m going to do a totally unpaid plug for WeChat - not that they need it here in Asia, but those of you listening from places where it hasn’t become the norm yet: my advice it to get it - it’s free - and learn it, live it, love it. I have friends & family back home that I’m basically their only WeChat friend, and we use it ALL THE TIME. Get it. Then add me! My WeChat ID is just my name, BrendanDavis, with no space between Brendan and Davis. Easy.
But the conversation also got me thinking about opportunity. As we talk about in the episode, opportunities are everywhere, but the ones in China are particularly significant. And interestingly, it’s the very things that often drive people from more Western cultures a bit crazy here that are the same things that CREATE massive opportunity for innovation.
For my industry, it’s the awareness that China will never be Hollywood. And I don't think for a second that it wants to be. It just wants to be...itself. But it's still discovering what that means. Luckily, I think I can help. Which is why I’M here. :D
On a more universal note, my take on things it that as an outsider, we need for our contributions to bring enough value that we are worth the extra effort it takes for locals to deal with and take care of us (between language issues, cultural difficulties, the higher pay we expect and the higher expectations that go along with that) and vice versa.
Anyway, speaking of opportunity and in the spirit of asking for what you want and need, and since you never know who's listening who might need exactly what I have to offer, I'm going to be super candid here and share that the personal benefit of hearing Martin’s lessons was that it gave me extra fuel to help me work out the business plan for the new company I want to build here - and the show is one small part of that.
I’m proud of the growth in both quality and audience that we’ve had so far, and with support, I can continue to make it better and better and also expose it to a much wider audience, which is essential to make this what I see that it can be.
So if you're a potential sponsor or partner for the show, please reach out and let's discuss what that could look like. And in the meantime: if you feel that you receive value from the show, you can help support it with a share, a like, a comment, or a donation to the cause. Support links to Paypal and WeChat Pay are in the show notes and on the website, crazyinagoodway.com. It's fast, it’s easy, and it would really make a difference. Thanks!
Okay, now on with the show. This one is long and in-depth, and highly practical but fun and philosophical, too. Enjoy it!
Martin Barnes & Mountains of Imagination:
http://www.mountainsofimagination.com
Start With Why by Simon Sinek:
https://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action
https://startwithwhy.com/
Brendan Davis on WeChat:
BrendanDavis
Brendan Davis on Twitter:
@VeritasInLux
BFMK website:
https://www.crazyinagoodway.com
BFMK Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/BigFishMiddleKingdom/
Other links to LISTEN:
https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/podcast-links/
SUPPORT BFMK via PayPal or WeChat:
https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/donate/
BFMK PayPal direct DONATION link:
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=K5W6EANCYSQHU
My Tom Petty Story
Since I work to keep the podcast episodes evergreen and not get into current events in them, my new favorite way of procrastinating when it's time to edit each week's show is to record a short video about my thoughts on the week.
In light of all the awful news from back home and the heightened geopolitical tensions around the world right now, I wanted to share a story that made me smile when I remembered it due to the untimely passing of musical legend Tom Petty...
*Spoiler alert* I didn't meet him in person; it was on a phone call. But still, I thought it was a funny little random story and worth sharing, in a time of such otherwise wretched news. It involves Athens, Georgia, a crappy telemarketing job at a place called DialAmerica, and my (then) young musician's sense of ethics.
Enjoy!
JESSE WEINER: Entertainment Law in China
#019 - Entertainment Law in China | Jesse Weiner
This week’s episode features Jesse Weiner. Jesse is an entertainment lawyer with 10 years experience living and working in China. And although he is based back in Los Angeles now, Jesse expects to spend much more time coming back to China now that the entertainment business here is reaching a new stage of maturation.
First, a few housekeeping notes:
As long time listeners are aware, the release day of the show each week has shifted around a bit since I first launched. This has been due to a variety of reasons, but the last two weeks have drifted to Thursday and I think that will become the new home for now. A practical benefit of this has to do with the time difference between the US and China, and how that affects information flow back and forth, which is often a factor.
For instance, in the unedited raw interview for this episode, Jesse spent about five minutes discussing a particular business deal he had been in the middle of, now closed, that is unprecedented and very interesting. If I released this episode with that chunk of information, it would've been a Big Fish exclusive! But of course, the clients have their own timetable for when they are going to put out their press release, which is “not yet”...and the back-and-forth between the US and China to nail that down pushed us an extra day this week. So I pulled that little chunk out of the final interview. Once the news is announceable, though, I will release it as a very short bonus feature for this episode.
There is a great deal of information in this one, with something for everyone, but lots that is especially of interest to my friends working in the film and TV business internationally or those who follow it. We talk about the current state of evolution of the industry, and do a deep dive into the mechanics of what works and what doesn't work between these two business cultures.
Also, it turns out that Jesse actually had a pretty cool story before ever deciding to enter law school. He has a graduate education in music, and initially came to China as a composer and conductor as well as being a professor at the Central Conservatory, which is the most preeminent music school in China. In the episode he draws a parallel between conducting music and the practice of law that I think probably only he could make, so check it out.
My last note is that while many of the recent few shows lately have had a heavy entertainment business focus, the next few episodes will shift things up a bit. If you’d like to give me feedback about the show in any way, please contact me at the links below. Thanks!
Jesse Weiner:
http://www.yingkeinternational.com/office/united-states
jesseweiner@yingkelawyer.com
Brendan Davis on Twitter:
@VeritasInLux
BFMK website:
https://www.crazyinagoodway.com
BFMK Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/BigFishMiddleKingdom/
Other links to LISTEN:
https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/podcast-links/
SUPPORT BFMK via PayPal or WeChat:
https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/donate/
BFMK PayPal direct DONATION link:
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=K5W6EANCYSQHU
AUGUSTA XU-HOLLAND: Acting With Purpose
#018 - Acting With Purpose | Augusta Xu-Holland
This week's guest is Augusta Xu-Holland. Augusta is from New Zealand, and she came to China originally to be involved in the renewable energy sector here. And like many foreigners before her, she found herself presented with opportunities to appear in film and television. But unlike most of the others, Augusta found success attaining larger and larger roles fairly early into her career here, and she is now a very busy professional actress. She also continues her work in the energy field and can increasingly use her growing profile in the arts to serve as an ambassador for her scientific interests.
This was a particularly enjoyable conversation for me on many levels. Regular listeners to the show know that I have a lot of friends and connections to New Zealand, so discovering NZ overlap between Augusta and I was a treat. But speaking strictly in a professional context, Augusta has a real insider's view of well the film and TV industry works here from an actor's perspective, so hearing her take on the ins and outs of the business was very enlightening for me and I think it will be interesting for you as well. As a special treat, Augusta runs through a handy check list of tips, tricks, and advice for people looking to work as talent in China and discusses some of the resources one needs to be familiar with to do so. But even if you're listening to this episode from a couch in Birmingham, Alabama, there's a lot to relate to, so I hope you enjoy it!
Augusta Xu-Holland online:
www.augustaxuholland.com
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm7468083/
Brendan Davis on Twitter:
@VeritasInLux
BFMK website:
https://www.crazyinagoodway.com
BFMK Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/BigFishMiddleKingdom/
Other links to LISTEN:
https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/podcast-links/
SUPPORT BFMK via PayPal or WeChat:
https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/donate/
BFMK PayPal direct DONATION link:
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=K5W6EANCYSQHU
JEFF POWELL: Chef de China
#017 - Chef de China | Jeff Powell
This week’s guest is Jeff Powell: owner and chef of Frost here in Beijing, but that only scratches the surface of his impressive career. In addition to being a master chef and an executive consultant in his industry, Jeff is also a father, a family man, and a very nice guy. In the interview, he’s incredibly open about the challenges and the downsides of his time here as well as generous with sharing valuable business information that will be applicable to almost anyone trying to build or launch an endeavor of their own here, too, so there’s lots to enjoy and learn from.
Jeff’s background includes a stint as Sous Chef at the world-famous Stars restaurant in San Francisco for Jeremiah Tower, who is widely acknowledged as the father of California & New American Cuisine and a man who Anthony Bourdain called “the first celebrity chef”. An interesting twist on the narrative is that while Jeff was cooking his way to glory in San Francisco, he also became a well-known rave DJ! But eventually he moved to China, and that’s where his life truly changed. During his time here, Jeff has had great successes, learned tough lessons, and learned loads to share that I found to be very moving as he told his story.
As they say in the restaurant business, we get seriously into the weeds a bit regarding the restaurant industry, but we jump around a lot too, from the professional to the personal, so I hope you enjoy the ride.
Links to find out more about Jeff’s restaurant Frost or to learn more about me, the show, or to show your support in any way are included in the show notes below. Now, please enjoy my interview with Jeff Powell!
Jeff Powell’s Frost:
http://www.thebeijinger.com/blog/2017/06/26/xingfucun-thaw-frost-returns-comfort-food-troubled-neighborhood
Jeremiah Tower interview:
http://www.bonappetit.com/story/jeremiah-tower-last-magnificent-interview
SUPPORT BFMK via PayPal or WeChat:
https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/donate/
BFMK PayPal direct DONATION link:
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=K5W6EANCYSQHU
Brendan Davis on Twitter:
@VeritasInLux
BFMK website:
https://www.crazyinagoodway.com
BFMK Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/BigFishMiddleKingdom/
Other links to LISTEN:
https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/podcast-links/
TROY'S TEAM: The Way of the Fist
#016 - The Way of the Fist | Troy’s Team
Welcome back to Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom! I'm Brendan Davis, your host, and this week’s episode features Troy Sandford plus Myra Mala and Mayela Magrou, who are core members of Troy's Team. Troy's Team is a martial arts and stunts team here in Beijing who also offer training in what they practice. Troy and his team members have distinguished themselves in many ways with their contributions to action filmmaking in China, and their work is really fantastic. If you like impressive action and martial arts sequences, you will want to check out their videos, and if you’re in or visiting Beijing, contact them to take a class!
This episode was a first for me in that I got to interview three people at once. The resulting conversation was fast-paced as well as being very thoughtful in places, and the four-way interchange made it more dynamic than usual. As much as I enjoy the regular one on one interviews, the experience of doing this one makes me want to seek out more small groups and teams to speak with in the future as well. Links to find Troy’s Team online and learn more about them are available in the show notes. You can also visit my website, crazyinagoodway.com, to learn more about me, the show, to make a donation and support my efforts here, or just to say hi and let me know what you think. Any support or feedback is always greatly appreciated.
Also, in the show intro I also talk a bit about my recent trip as a cultural ambassador to Dunhuang, in Gansu Province, which was pretty amazing on many levels. I was a guest of my friend Amy Chen and her team at Global Communications and Cooperation Company, led by Bruce Huang. I’ve previously participated in other events for Global in Gannan, also in Gansu Province, as well as at the Zambia Embassy to China here in Beijing, and there’s never a dull moment. In Dunhuang, I got to ride a camel in the desert, tour grape vineyards and participate in an official kick-off ceremony for the season, and appear onstage at an event and make a few thousand people laugh, which was awesome and a load of fun - but the most profound moment was getting to visit the Mogao Caves and stand inside Buddhist temples dug into the hillside, some dating back more than a thousand years, in the presence of priceless antiquities. These kinds of opportunities are just one of the benefits I’ve found of being local here, making friends of all kinds, and remaining open to new experiences. I’m very grateful for the unexpected gift of this trip, for seeing my old friends Amy and Bruce and making my new friends Chen, Koen, Jean, Larissa, Liu Yue, and everyone else, and I'm excited to see what comes next.
Thanks as always for listening, I hope you enjoy, and I’ll see you next week!
Troy’s Team links:
Web - http://www.troysteamaction.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/troysteamaction
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/troysteam/
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/troysteam
WeChat - detroyt99
Dunhuang and the Mogao Cave Temples:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunhuang
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mogao_Caves
Brendan Davis on Twitter:
@VeritasInLux
BFMK website:
https://www.crazyinagoodway.com
BFMK Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/BigFishMiddleKingdom/
SUPPORT BFMK via PayPal or WeChat:
https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/donate/
BFMK PayPal direct link:
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=K5W6EANCYSQHU
Other links to LISTEN:
https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/podcast-links/
Carl King (composer):
http://carlkingdom.com
LINDSAY ARTKOP: The Rhythm of Education
#015 - The Rhythm of Education | Lindsay Artkop
Today’s show has a special twist. Usually our guests have anywhere between 5 and 30 years of China experience under their belts, and those conversations yield information and insights that you can only get with a lot of time spent on the ground. But my guest this week is unique in many ways, and only one of them is that she just got home from her very FIRST China trip...
My guest today is Lindsay Artkop. Lindsay is a professional drummer educated at the prestigious Berklee School of Music, where she earned a B.A in Professional Music with concentrations in Drum Set Performance and Music Business. She began playing drums at age 6, and though still a young woman, she has already distinguished herself in the world of performance, recording, and drum education in the US. And thanks to her recent whirlwind tour of Dalian, Zhuhai, Macau and Beijing, she can now add China to the list of places she has taken her Drum Clinic Tour to. In this episode, Lindsay talks about the unique challenges of teaching in such a different culture than what she’s used to, and she shares the lessons she took away from her experience that she feels will last her a lifetime.
In addition to her schedule of recording and performing, she also has drum students who study with her in Los Angeles as well as around the world, by Skype. Lindsay's full bio is available at the link below; check it out to learn more about her professional work, and to learn from and enjoy her insights as a first-time visitor to the Middle Kingdom, I hope you will enjoy the interview.
Okay! Don’t forget that if you’d like to learn more about Lindsay or the show, contact me, or support the podcast in any way, links to all of that are available in the show notes. Now, please enjoy my interview with Lindsay Artkop!
Lindsay Artkop online:
http://www.lindsayartkop.com/bio
Brendan Davis on Twitter:
@VeritasInLux
BFMK website:
https://www.crazyinagoodway.com
BFMK Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/BigFishMiddleKingdom/
SUPPORT BFMK via PayPal or WeChat:
https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/donate/
BFMK PayPal direct link:
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=K5W6EANCYSQHU
Other links to LISTEN:
https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/podcast-links/
ROB CAIN: The China-Hollywood Experiment
#014 - The China-Hollywood Experiment | Rob Cain
“I think (he) did a great disservice, to both himself and the industry, with his boastful approach, his pretty outlandish claims about everything he was going to accomplish, the really profligate spending, and that came back to bite him.” - Rob Cain
Today’s guest is Rob Cain. Rob is a partner in Pacific Bridge Pictures. He has worked for more than 25 years in Hollywood and the global entertainment industry, primarily as a production, finance, strategy and creative development expert. He writes a column for Forbes magazine focusing on the Chinese and Indian film industries and their intersections with Hollywood. Rob is also an award-winning screenwriter, with a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University and an MBA from the Wharton School of Business, and he has been doing business in China since 1987.
The short version of all that is that Rob is one of the original “old China hands” in the entertainment business, and his insights into the Hollywood-China experiment are as good as they get.
Before I get into the rest of this, let me share one note about what I mean when I say that I’m not trying to get too political here. By that, I mean that I’m not trying to stir anything up, plus I want shows to age well and not focus too much on current events. But I DO want to be as candid and honest as is polite and prudent, and to let guests speak for themselves without me censoring them as much as possible. Today’s episode is perhaps the best example of testing this idea in practice that we’ve had so far. Hopefully I got the balance right.
In this chat, both Rob and I reveal or underline (respectively) our fundamental positions as being optimists by default, able to find bright spots and some successes now and hoping to see even more in the future. But we also get very candid about the challenges to those optimistic positions, institutionally and otherwise. The conversation skips the standard talking points to provide a small glimpse at how those who are the most in-the-know about the realities of the complicated China-Hollywood relationship oftentimes discuss it in private...
We talk about the impact of capital outflow restrictions, the excessive regulations aimed at controlling content, and the giant attitudinal / cultural mistakes made by Wang Jianglin in particular as an example of how NOT to successfully work with Hollywood, or to build a business here in China that attracts foreign talent organically. On a more constructive note, we dig deep into what we think the smartest people in China need to know to best work with the international system, and vice versa. We talk about the perfect hypothetical pitch for a successful co-pro, and discuss where specifically even the most Chinese films that hope to be export-worthy fall short: STORY. And we even talk a little about how to fix this.
There is loads of both executive-level thinking and on the ground, practical advice in this episode, so I really encourage anyone who is either working in the entertainment business or who aspires to to check this one out. If you’d like to contact Rob, read his writing at Forbes, or learn more more about or support the show, you can do that via the appropriate links in the show notes. And I hope that you like the deeper-dive approach to the subject matter in this episode in general. Please let me know.
Rob Cain links:
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1863014/
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/robertdcain
Articles: Forbes
Blog: China Film Biz
Twitter: @robcain
Brendan Davis on Twitter:
@VeritasInLux
BFMK website:
https://www.crazyinagoodway.com
BFMK Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/BigFishMiddleKingdom/
SUPPORT BFMK via PayPal or WeChat:
https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/donate/
BFMK PayPal direct link:
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=K5W6EANCYSQHU
Other links to LISTEN:
https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/podcast-links/
CLAUDIA MASUEGER: Making Fine Wine Fun in China
#013 - Making Fine Wine Fun in China | Claudia Masueger
“I’m a Swiss mountain girl coming from a village with 300 people. I arrived in China in 2008 with two suitcases full of wine samples and a will to rock the dragon.” - Claudia Masueger
This week's interview was a whole lot of fun, and the fact that wine was involved is only part of the reason. The real credit goes to the great energy brought to the table by my guest, Claudia Masueger. Claudia is the Founder and CEO of CHEERS Wines, a chain of retail wine stores based in Beijing. She is from Switzerland and her family has been in the wine business for four generations. Claudia combines her genetic wine knowledge, a big-hearted enthusiasm for life, a love of meeting new people and learning about them, and her business acumen in a way that makes CHEERS a true laowai success story in China.
CHEERS’ goal is to make wine drinking fun and affordable for the emerging new wine generation in China. When Claudia arrived in 2008, she had huge dreams for China’s wine market, and she’s made a big impact already. She first built a successful wholesale business with B2B sales, but a changing landscape and then a massive warehouse fire that shut them down for four months gave her time to reevaluate her strategy, and CHEERS Wines was born. CHEERS focuses on the retail consumer, selling high quality imported wines at affordable prices, and with a special emphasis on offering unpretentious wine education to customers so that they can feel comfortable learning about and enjoying wine from around the world.
Contact links and more information about Claudia and CHEERS Wines can be found below.
Also, in show news: I spent several days updating the website and also getting the Facebook page in order. Please check them both out when you have a chance, LIKE the Facebook page, and let me know what you think!
Lastly this week, a bit of personal news that also affects the show: I have been planning to launch a big international press push right around now for some time, but a surprise (and drastic hit) to my income a couple months ago has really limited my ability to do what I was planning to do. The show will always be free, but if you enjoy it and would like to help support my efforts to make it better and to get it in front of even more people, I’ve added a new DONATION page to the website that will help you do so...
You can make a one-time contribution in any amount via the PayPal link or WeChat QR code. All funds will be used to build the show, and everything helps. Note that PayPal tells me who donates, but WeChat is anonymous - so if you contribute via WeChat I won’t know who to thank unless you tell me, but thanks all the same!
CHEERS Wines:
www.cheers-wines.com
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheers_Wines
Claudia Masueger:
http://www.linkedin.com/in/claudia-masueger-cheerswines/
WeChat: Tseringlo
Brendan Davis on Twitter:
@VeritasInLux
BFMK website:
https://www.crazyinagoodway.com
BFMK Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/BigFishMiddleKingdom/
SUPPORT BFMK via PayPal or WeChat:
https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/donate/
BFMK PayPal direct DONATION link:
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=K5W6EANCYSQHU
Other links to LISTEN:
https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/podcast-links/