TIDE SHIFTS
1970s ~1980s
Early Influences, Beijing. Born and raised in a three-generation humble farmhouse in rural Beijing. We had just enough to get by. Everything we ate, we grew. Love was steady but never spoken. Art and music were always present. Ancient teachings like Daoism and Buddhism ran beneath the surface, while school and society took center stage. Wide-eyed and stubborn, I made sense of what I could, left what I couldn’t, quietly reconciling contrasts and softening contradictions. A curiosity about the world beyond began to rise.
Early 1990s
College Years: Beijing Foreign Studies University
Bachelor of Arts, Class of ‘92
After Graduation | Early Career Bridging East & West
Established joint-venture initiatives and facilitated high-level connections for some of the earliest companies introducing luxury brands to the Chinese market
1995 The Leap
Curiosity won. I arrived at JFK Airport in New York in the dead of winter, with the little cash I had saved and no clear plans. Disappointed to realize: not everyone looked like Cindy Crawford…
Mid-Late 1990s
A Literal Sponge: Self-dropped into New York, fresh from Beijing, I listened, watched, absorbed, hustled, and adapted. Like many first-gen immigrants, I moved through industries with curiosity and tenacity, from selling cars at Honda to selling diamonds at Tiffany’s. Along the way, I studied what intrigued me (diamond certification from GIA), and what I wasn’t allowed to pursue back home - classical voice
1999–2001
Grad School: Florida State University
Master of Arts, Theatre Arts, Class of ‘01
This phase cracked things open | Began questioning and shedding inherited beliefs | This was the beginning of rewiring and reshaping of world view
2002-2012 Big Apple
Finding Voice Between Acts
A decade of performance, production, and arts & culture leadership
After graduating from FSU, I dove headfirst into New York’s music, theatre, arts, and culture scene—working across music, theatre, musical theatre, and new works, both on stage and behind the scenes. To confront my fear of public speaking, I did original stand-up comedy sets at classic New York venues like Caroline’s, Gotham, and Stand Up NY. Over time, my focus organically shifted from performing to producing, managing, and leading, across creative platforms, live event productions, international indie film markets and conferences
2012-2015 San Francisco
Shifted focus to personal life. Another leap of faith and a coast-to-coast road trip later, settled down in the Bay Area. While managing the annual Trolley Dances, I got to know San Francisco’s hidden corners and the rhythm of West Coast culture. Strategic advisory work began, not so much by plan as by resonance. The passing of my beloved dog, Ruby, marked the end of an era, one in which I endured major surgery and physical trauma. In the middle of it all, I could hear the East Coast calling me home, and I listened
2016-2020 I’m Back Baby
‘New Yawk’, How I’ve missed you: I strategized and executed another coast-to-coast move, this time, again, alone, with no safety net, just gut instinct and the resolve to start over, rebuild, reinvent, and reclaim myself. With a viral flu amidst a nor’easter, I knocked down ten interviews in a week across the tri-state area, fevered, exhausted, and running on sheer willpower. It was a test of everything I had in body, will, and spirit. In that crucible, I met a version of myself I hadn’t known before: more resilient and resourceful than I thought, steadier, strategic, and most importantly, my compassion remained intact. This time, I even allowed a little of it for myself, with a sushi feast and a quiet pat on the back, and kept moving. For that, I’m proud.
In June 2016, I joined the Apollo Theater as Chief of Staff
Since 2021
A stroke of luck in 2021 amidst the global pandemic sparked a rude awakening and personal rupture. Dad’s passing in 2022 led to a spiritual reckoning and, consequently, the collapse of inherited belief systems. Relocating to the countryside full-time offered space for deep self-reflection, the stripping away of illusion, and the discovery of true clarity and direction. In the quiet of my intentional hermitage, I spend my days immersed in nature, surrounded by both wild and domestic animals. This stretch of solitude roots me, as my leadership strategy advisory work takes hold. From this organic and grounded place, I created HeartWired Logic™, a decision-making and strategic execution living philosophy that I embody, anchoring how I live, lead, create, and work
