WHAT DO YOU SAY
To A Friend From China
I love and care deeply about our evolving story—How will China exist in harmony with the West moving forward? Still, I left China in 2017. Even before the pandemic, I had a general sense that the "reasons" I wanted an expat assignment in China were diminishing. My son JAYDEN was born in Irvine, California, in 2019, and I began writing books to contribute to a more positive conversation regarding China through business.
It's a crowded scene. In a pivot, I created a series of children's books, audiobooks, and videos—What Do You Say To A Friend From China? + Mandarin Storytime videos that translate and read our favorite kid's books into Mandarin Chinese.
Learn Chinese Phrases
Simple Cultural Tips
Daddy Says Lessons
Maybe we can make a more positive impact on the next generation.
MANDARIN STORYTIME
Curated and translated imagination-provoking stories
Raising my 4-year-old son, Jayden, in Irvine, California, has inspired me to create the type of content I would like to share with him growing up in a multicultural environment with so many classmates from China. My goal is to curate and translate imagination-provoking stories for all cross-cultural kiddos who aspire to excel in the collective harmony of US-China relations. Listening to great stories while learning a little Mandarin Chinese is excellent exposure for our kids today, and I hope you can watch this video with your little one, too.
Join my BOOK ARMY and get early insider access to my upcoming book, free enrollment for Solving CHINA's Unknown Unknowns ($297 value), and instant download of Do's & Don'ts for Winning Negotiations in China
THOUGHT-PROVOKING VIDEOS
PROVOCATIVE CHINA
Love, Hate, or Curious
Whether you hold affection for China, harbor reservations, or seek to understand its enigmatic allure, these videos will immersive you in the psyche of everyday Chinese to stimulate greater awareness of your misperceptions.
WATCH FOR FREE
IMAGINATION-TRIGGERING LISTENING
CHINA MYTH PODCAST
Close Your Eyes & Imagine
Immersion experience of my journey through the fascinating and misunderstood dilemmas of Chinese business culture - a reaction, a behavior, even a suggestion - and asks whether I could have achieved a better outcome with a different attitude, mindset, and approach. Because sometimes, learning how to listen is a lost art.
CHOOSE YOUR PODCAST
SYNOPSIS
Strategic Pragmatism for De-Risking Post-Covid China: Circumnavigating Cultural and Psychological Landmines Inside the Chinese Arena is a timely and indispensable guide for Westerners seeking to understand how to collaborate with Chinese stakeholders in the post-pandemic era. Drawing upon an overview of China's historical relationship with the West and how perceptions and misperceptions evolve, this book helps readers develop a winning approach to managing the interpersonal relationships they will need to succeed—Guanxi. This book serves students, entrepreneurs, and business leaders curious about assembling a repertoire of tactics and strategies that better align with the emotional psychologies of Chinese players and the rigid national sentiments they exhibit inside the Chinese arena.
As the global community adjusts to the new normal post-COVID-19, Westerners will encounter new idiosyncrasies with Chinese people, even while few have mastered their enduring cultural paradigms. Our narrative begins with a brief historical perspective, starting with China's dynastic past, its struggle through the "Century of Humiliation," and the rise of the People's Republic of China to help readers understand deep-rooted cultural norms and values that distinguish Chinese thinking. Readers will also learn how business practices and government policies today are affected by nationalism and tensions with the West.
This book explores shifts in Western perceptions of China as an attractive market and investment destination in the aftermath of Xi Jinping's ruthless pandemic mandates, macroeconomic headwinds, and increasing geopolitical tensions with the United States. Indelible scars imprinted on the Chinese psyche and negative perceptions of the West create new barriers to constructive dialogue. Readers will delve into the ramifications of our cultural divides and learn to embrace a new form of pragmatism that deepens Chinese Guanxi.
Strategic Pragmatism for De-Risking Post-Covid China will push readers to reimagine ethical and moral dilemmas, guiding them around hidden landmines that infest China's terrain. Readers will discover how to craft a new persona that levels the playing field and develop winning techniques to address today's most challenging interpersonal relationships—Demystify China's opaque topography. Assume control of the Guanxi engine that drives everything inside the Chinese arena. Create psychological advantages to thrive in post-COVID-19 China.
I would definitely recommend Gene as an advisor for any China-related project. His specific abilities to engage, understand Chinese business culture, and establish Guanxi-based relationships in China, make him a unique asset in a rapidly changing global economy.
____ Jaap van Ingen, Global Supply Chain Director (40-Wk Project in Nanjing, China)
Working in a diverse cultural environment like Shanghai, your creation of China-specific coaching methods were extremely valuable to me and others that attended your events. Your experience working with leaders in China provided unique and practical insights into how to bridge cultural differences in real-world settings.
____ James Warner, Vistage China CEO
Insightful, I found this of real value. Thank you Gene, even after my 21 years of living and building businesses in China, I've learned something new. This was packed with so much useful mindset insights, am going to watch it over again.
____ Michael Eagleton, Meetup Workshop Attendee (China Expat)
MORE RESOURCES.
Join my BOOK ARMY and get early insider access to my upcoming book, free enrollment for Solving CHINA's Unknown Unknowns ($297 value), and instant download of Do's & Don'ts for Winning Negotiations in China