Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ms Shi Mr He. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Ms Shi, thanks for joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?
During the pandemic, I lost my full-time office job. That evening, as I drove home, my heart felt heavy with uncertainty. I had taken the same route countless times before, but that day, I was so lost in thought that I drove two blocks past my usual turn before realizing it. I had always been my family’s pride—graduating with a 4.0 GPA, securing a teaching position at my university for a year after graduation—but none of that mattered anymore. My department shut down completely, and with companies laying off employees left and right, I knew that finding a new job with my humanities degree as an international student would be nearly impossible. Losing my job made me feel like I had failed my family, and for the first time, I began to question my own worth.
The next day, I took a temporary job at a boba tea shop. I spent the entire morning memorizing drink recipes, and by the afternoon, I was tirelessly mixing, sealing, and handing out orders without a single moment to rest. That night, when I got home, my lower back ached so much that I could barely move. I collapsed onto the couch, completely exhausted. Seeing my miserable state, Mr. He gently urged me to quit the job. All the frustration and self-doubt I had been suppressing finally exploded. I burst into tears and shouted, “If I don’t work at the boba shop, then what else can I do? I don’t want to sit at home and be useless!”
He took my hand, his grip firm yet reassuring.
“Can I ask you for a favor?” he said.
I blinked, caught off guard, and hesitantly nodded.
“Please,” he said, “give me a chance to take care of you.”
I was stunned, about to protest, but he continued before I could speak.
“I love you—not because of how much money you make or how capable you are. I love you because you are you. You’ve always been outstanding—a great daughter, student, employee, and wife. But have you ever had the chance to truly be yourself? Your previous job was stable, but did it make you happy? Maybe losing your job isn’t a setback. Maybe it’s an opportunity. An opportunity to pause and rethink what you truly want. You’ve always been strong—so strong that sometimes, I feel like you don’t even need me. But this time, I want you to know that you can rely on me. I want you to put aside the pressure of financial expectations and societal norms, just for now. I want you to ask yourself: what truly makes you happy? Whatever it is, just do it. Don’t worry about the results—you have me.”
I was speechless. I had always thought of Mr. He as playful and carefree, yet here he was, speaking with such depth and clarity. Half-joking, I mumbled, “Maybe I should take this time to have a baby? If I get a job later, I won’t have time to take care of a child.”
He looked me in the eyes and asked, “Is that what *you* really want? Or is it just because your parents want a grandchild?”
That one question shook me to my core. I had spent so much of my life meeting others’ expectations that I had never truly asked myself what I wanted. That night, we talked for hours. He asked me, “What do you love doing the most?”
Without hesitation, I answered, “Cooking and writing.”
I had grown up in a family of chefs—my father and grandfather were both in the culinary world, and my mother worked in a restaurant. I inherited a keen sense of taste and a deep love for food. Cooking had always been my escape, my source of joy.
Mr. He beamed. “That’s perfect! Forget the boba shop. Start making videos. Share your recipes. Teach people how to cook the dishes you grew up with.”
At the time, I was still filled with doubts, but his words gave me the courage to try. I started filming cooking videos, building my own recipe website, and writing about the stories behind my dishes. As more people tried my recipes and told me how much their families loved them, I felt a sense of fulfillment I had never experienced before. To my surprise, as my content improved, my income grew as well—until one day, I realized *I* was the one financially supporting Mr. He!
One of the most incredible things we accomplished together was launching our own boba tea brand, **She Boba**. From sourcing ingredients and perfecting recipes to designing packaging and handling logistics, we poured our hearts into every step. Today, our drinks are enjoyed by customers who share our love for boba—a far cry from when I was just a temporary worker mixing drinks behind a counter. Looking back, I can’t believe how much has changed.
Losing my job, which once felt like the worst moment of my life, turned out to be the beginning of something extraordinary. If I had never been laid off, I might still be stuck in a stable but uninspiring career, never realizing my full potential.
Sometimes, life’s lowest points are actually the start of something greater.
I was lucky to have Mr. He by my side—someone who encouraged me to look inward and chase my true passions. But even if you don’t have a Mr. He, *be your own Mr. He.* Give yourself permission to explore, to fail, to dream. Dare to be yourself, and success will find you.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
From Homemade Dishes to Video Creation
I am a full-time cooking video creator. On all video platforms (TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and my recipe blog website), my username is “Ms Shi and Mr He,” and my logo features cartoon avatars of the two of us. As I shared earlier, all of my food creations and content stem from Mr. He’s initial encouragement and continuous support. So, even though the username itself doesn’t directly relate to food, and although Mr. He only occasionally appears in my videos as a taster, he and I are an inseparable team in all aspects of my business.
From Answering Comments to Building a Recipe Website
In the beginning, I primarily focused on sharing videos of my hometown dishes (Chinese food) and other Asian cuisines I love. As my cooking videos gained more followers, the number of questions about my recipes increased as well. Initially, I spent a lot of time replying to each question, but as the comments grew, it became difficult to respond to everyone in time. To solve this, I created my own recipe website, where I could record in detail the ingredients, steps, and possible cooking problems along with their solutions. I started filming and sharing cooking videos on TikTok in January 2021, and in January 2022, I launched my recipe website and blog.
The Inspiration Behind Starting SHE BOBA
In early 2024, Mr. He and I co-founded our boba tea brand, SHE BOBA. The name “SHE BOBA” was chosen for two reasons. First, “SHE” includes both my first name “Shi” and his first name “He.” Secondly, as a brand founded by a woman, it symbolizes a pivotal step in my journey from being unemployed and working at a bubble tea shop to eventually becoming a female entrepreneur. I hope this brand inspires women who, like me, once felt lost or doubtful about themselves, showing them the strength and boundless possibilities we carry.
Why We Chose Boba Tea for Our First Product
Boba tea has become globally popular in recent years, but as two Chinese people, we’ve been drinking it since elementary school—about 20 years ago. We’ve witnessed the evolution of boba flavors in China. However, when we studied abroad in the U.S., we couldn’t find boba tea that matched the taste we loved, even at bubble tea shops. I worked at one such shop, where they used powdered mixes instead of fresh ingredients, and yet the drinks were sold for $7–$8 a cup. Specialty drinks with added toppings often exceeded $10. Meanwhile, the cheap, store-bought bubble tea products tasted awful. We tried many different brands of canned bubble tea, but the boba was either too hard, too soft, or had an unpleasant, powdery texture.
I couldn’t understand why many products made boba tea so overly sweet, to the point where you couldn’t taste the tea or the milk, just artificial sweetness. Making boba tea isn’t as complex as people think—you simply need quality black tea, ground into powder, mixed with the right amount of sugar and milk to create a rich, flavorful drink. So, we asked ourselves, “Why not make a product that allows people to make high-quality boba tea at home, that’s affordable and just as delicious as store-bought drinks?”
The Challenges and Triumphs of Creating Our Tea Powder
As I’m lactose intolerant, I often make my coffee or milk tea with oat milk instead of regular cow’s milk. I realized that many customers probably have their own preferences for dairy alternatives, so we decided to remove the powdered milk or non-dairy creamer that’s typically found in most tea powders. This way, customers could add the milk they prefer. Just as I predicted, some customers were excited to have the option to choose their own milk, while others found it a bit inconvenient and preferred a product they could simply add water to. However, I don’t regret this decision, as I want my product to address pain points that others don’t, even if it’s only meeting a small segment of the market’s needs. This is still a success for me.
Our Instant Boba and Eco-Friendly Glass Cups
Another product I’m particularly proud of is our Instant Boba. Without boba, boba tea is simply milk tea. While it’s easy to make the milk and tea part of the drink at home, replicating the chewy, fresh boba from a store is much harder. Boba tea originated in Taiwan, so Mr. He and I reached out to many suppliers and tested their samples to find the best boba. After numerous discussions and adjustments to the ingredients and manufacturing process, we finally launched a product that met our expectations for flavor and texture. We even blind-tested our boba against fresh, store-made boba, and surprisingly, almost all testers preferred our version. This boosted our confidence, as it’s so easy to make: simply tear open the packet, heat it in the microwave for a few seconds, and you have boba just like what you’d get in a store. This product quickly became our best-seller and garnered great feedback.
We are also proud of our custom-designed glass boba tea cups. These cups feature measurement markings, so by following our instructions, customers can make a perfect cup of tea without needing a scale. We created these cups after noticing the plastic boba cups in the trash at various bubble tea shops—cups that have a lifespan of only 5–10 minutes before being discarded and contributing to environmental pollution. So, we designed an eco-friendly, reusable glass cup that’s microwave-safe and easy to clean. We hope to reduce single-use plastic while providing a stylish and functional alternative for our customers.
What Makes Our Brand Stand Out
We are most proud of the fact that our brand isn’t just about selling products—it’s about sharing a philosophy. Our goal is to help consumers enjoy delicious, authentic boba tea at home, while also being more environmentally conscious. I want our products to bring more joy to people who love bubble tea and inspire others to believe in their potential, just like I did—from filming my first cooking video to becoming a business owner. Every step has been a journey of exploration and growth. We are currently working to get our products into supermarkets so that customers can buy them locally, saving on shipping costs and making it even more affordable. We’re also developing new products and flavors, with a new product line launching soon.
Message for New Followers and Customers
For those who are just getting to know us, I want you to know that SHE BOBA is a brand dedicated to creating high-quality, thoughtful products. While this is our first venture into physical products, we’ve encountered many unexpected challenges and obstacles. However, we’ve been fortunate to work with talented and like-minded partners who have helped us fine-tune every aspect of our products, from selecting ingredients to designing our eco-friendly glass cups. We strive to provide the best possible product and experience for every customer.
How did you build your audience on social media?
My English had a strong Chinese accent, which often made me feel self-conscious. Because of this, I was too afraid to speak in my early short videos. Instead, I focused on filming the dishes I cooked daily, adding simple subtitles to convey my thoughts and cooking steps through text on the screen.
For the first three months of posting on TikTok, my videos struggled to gain traction, usually getting only a few hundred views, with my highest-performing video reaching just 7K views. Then, I posted a video about *clay pot rice*. The cooking process was quite complicated, and I worried that viewers wouldn’t have the patience to read all the steps if I only used text. So, for the first time, I mustered the courage to add a voiceover—whispering softly to guide my audience through the recipe. Yes, I was so insecure about my accent that I didn’t even dare to speak at a normal volume. I whispered to try and mask my pronunciation mistakes.
To my surprise, that video blew up overnight, reaching 100K views. Many people in the comments asked why I was whispering, while others said they loved my voice—some even compared it to ASMR and found it relaxing. Of course, there were also a few negative comments saying they couldn’t understand me, but those were rare. In fact, many people responded on my behalf, saying things like, *”It’s just her accent.”* *”She’s a foreigner, it’s normal to have an accent.”* *”She put subtitles, you can read.”* Seeing these supportive comments gave me the courage to use my real voice in future videos.
For my next video, I made a simple dish and, this time, spoke at a normal volume instead of whispering. Unexpectedly, the video reached 1 million views within a few days and gained me 10K followers. Most of the comments were compliments about my voice, with many saying it gave them a dopamine or serotonin boost. Gradually, more people started recognizing me for my unique voice. Of course, there were still negative comments—some accused me of using a *”fake voice”* for attention, (since my naturally high-pitched voice can sometimes sound like a young girl speaking), while others complained they couldn’t understand me. At first, these comments upset me, and I tried to explain myself. But over time, I realized that I didn’t need to make everyone like me. The overwhelming majority of comments were encouraging, and for those who appreciated my content, I wanted to continue creating more videos they would enjoy.
Nowadays, people have become familiar with my voice, and discussions in my comment section have shifted from my voice to my cooking. I’m grateful that my unique voice can capture even a second more of my audience’s attention—especially in an era where attention spans are so fleeting. Only when viewers pause for my content do I get the chance to share more about cooking with them.
I want to share this story with anyone just starting their journey in social media: don’t be afraid to show your authentic self. Even the flaws you try to hide might be the very things that make you special in the eyes of your audience. The internet is full of *perfect* personas—but if you try to compete in perfection, you’ll always find someone who seems better. What no one else can do better than you is being *you*.
There will always be chefs with better cooking skills, editors with superior video editing techniques, and creators who are funnier or more captivating. I can’t outshine everyone in every aspect, but my followers appreciate me for who I am—imperfect yet one of a kind. That’s why I believe that finding what makes you different and embracing it with confidence is the key to making a lasting impression. When people remember and connect with your authenticity, that’s when they truly start to love *you* for *you*.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
It has been over four years since I posted my first video, and perhaps the very act of consistently uploading a new video every two days throughout this period is a testament to resilience in itself. In my real life, none of the people I know—whether family, friends, or even neighbors—work in social media or as bloggers. This meant that every challenge I encountered along the way had no ready-made solutions or mentors to guide me; I had to figure everything out on my own.
For example, I believe every content creator experiences anxiety over fluctuating engagement at some point. From the moment my first video went viral, the fear of declining views and being forgotten by my audience became a constant concern. There were times when I felt frustrated and disheartened—especially when I had poured an immense amount of time and effort into a video, only for it to receive a lukewarm response. Sometimes, in a fit of frustration, I would say, “I don’t want to do this anymore. I just want a stable and easy office job!”
But after venting, I would always pull myself together, analyze why the video didn’t perform well, and make improvements in my next one. Over time, I also learned to shift my mindset so that my emotions were no longer dictated by view counts or follower numbers. A video’s poor performance doesn’t mean I’ve failed—it simply means there’s more to learn and improve. As long as even one person gains something from my video, whether it’s knowledge or joy, then that video was not made in vain.
I remind myself that low engagement doesn’t mean a video is useless—it just means it didn’t capture the attention of casual viewers scrolling for entertainment. But for someone searching for a step-by-step cake tutorial to surprise their mother on her birthday, that same video could be invaluable.
With this perspective shift, I also created my own recipe blog, where I upload my food videos as instructional guides. This way, regardless of how a video performs on social media, it still serves a purpose as a structured resource on my website.
In summary, I adapted both my actions and my mindset to handle the challenge of unpredictable engagement. These adjustments have allowed me to continue creating content to this day.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://msshiandmrhe.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ms_shi_mr_he
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@msshiandmrhe
- Other: https://sheboba.com
