Blogger of the month Jessie @jessieli

Until 3 years ago, I had a successful career in Investment banking and I had founded my own China-focused asset management firm. Whilst on the outside, many would have deemed my work in the corporate world to be a success, it didn’t fulfil me and I felt burnt out. I was exhausted and needed a change.

 Becoming an entrepreneur with a popular Instagram channel, a blog and my own Media & PR company called ‘Change Global Media’ has improved my happiness immeasurably. It has allowed me to build my career around my passions and, as a result, I truly love my job!

 Whatever business hat I am wearing, every day is different and I really enjoy the spontaneity and the challenges that bring. I love the creativity that comes with being an entrepreneur – I am constantly thinking of new ways to create content and new brands to partner with. It is also ever-evolving, so you never feel like you are standing still. For example, adapting to the new platforms that are coming through like TikTok has also been an exciting prospect. I never feel bored and I love that aspect of my job.

To me, my biggest achievement is not the success itself, but it’s the journey leading me towards it. From my investment banking career to becoming an international influencer, the journey has been amazing and I love how I can share my life experience and learnings with likeminded females. I always wanted to do something that would empower others and my social platforms have given me a voice – a chance to help others change their own lives and chase their dreams.

 I have spoken at many Female Entrepreneurs Worldwide conferences and events, and the most rewarding part is to see the other women take away advice and inspiration from my talks and use that to grow and achieve more. I have also coached many rising brands and it is such a thrill to see them succeed in the local and international markets.

 What has been the most memorable event you have attended within the last 12 months?

Every event is unique in its own way. If I have to pick one, I would say it’s the fashion weeks in Europe. I love attending Milan Fashion Week and Paris Fashion Week, not because they are the fashion capitals, but it is where all the most creative, inspirational people gather and share ideas. I got to meet Giuseppe Zanotti and Rene Caovilla in person and hearing their firsthand stories on how they created the most well-known shoe brands from scratch was an honour.

Do you have any tips for living a healthy lifestyle?

My definition of a healthy lifestyle focuses on 4 main areas: physical, spiritual, mental and emotional.

To be physically fit, I always ensure that I meet my weekly active goals - whether I’m travelling or working on projects. I exercise at least 4-5 times a week and often include both cardio and resistance exercises in my weekly schedule. Self-discipline is the key for me staying physically fit.   

My spiritual health helps to keep me feeling calm and aligned. I spend almost every morning meditating to kick start my day and I also meditate before bed, reflecting on my action and values before I sleep.

To stay mentally fit, I like to read a lot. I go through 1-2 books a month and when I don’t have time to read, I often listen to audible books when I drive or when I jog. I also found organising and planning things are a great way to keep your mind active.  

Finally, it is important to take care of your social & emotional health. Having empathy, seeking to understand others and building positive relationships both in my private life and on work projects has given me the highest form of satisfaction.

You live a busy life, so what do you like to do when you have some downtime?

To be honest, I didn’t get much downtime before COVID-19. I used to fly more than 60 times a year - that’s more than one flight per week! However, the silver lining of COVID-19 is that I finally get some downtime to catch up on the things I love to do but didn’t get a chance to do before. For example, I have been oil painting, baking and biking. 

Prior to the lockdown life, my favourite things to do during the limited downtime I had in between my trips was reading and exercising. I do also love to just be a couch potato and do nothing - that’s my ways of recharging.

 What does your morning routine entail for you?

My morning is often defined by First things First. Many people like to start their days with tasks that are urgent. However, I like to set my morning up with the routine, starting my day off with meditation to clear my headspace. I then spend some time on tasks that are important but not urgent (ie: revisiting my mission statement, building important relationships and planning for the future), before I attend to the urgent ones. Those tasks are the ones that will have an enormously positive impact on our lives, and when you work enough on those ones, you will find that you will have far fewer crisis emerging in your daily life. In other words, do the planning and realign your focuses each morning before you start the day.

 One little morning habit that really improves my morning efficiency is that I often leave the ‘flight mode’ on my phone after I get up. It means I don’t get sidetracked by the messages and emails that floods into my phone and I can focus on more important things for the first few hours of the day.

We want to thank Jessie Li for taking the time to answer our questions and for being such an inspiration for females to look up to! With everything she has achieved, there’s no doubt she’s amazing at what she does. We are honoured to have her featured on our blog. We have loved following our girl’s journey so far and we wish Jessie nothing but continued success for her future endeavours.

Love the X Team