We recently connected with Zihao Li and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, ZIHAO thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What do you think it takes to be successful?
I think it’s confidence. This is a very cliché word, but I find that most people don’t seem to understand it very well, or don’t know how to achieve it. For me, I gradually transformed from a sensitive and low-self-esteem person to a person who can control confidence very well. I think if I can’t even believe in myself, then no one will believe in me. So I try to give myself the necessary confidence by analyzing my strengths, and at the same time adjust myself to be humble when I am too confident and unwilling to listen to opinions. This balance can help me achieve success.
ZIHAO, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I am a graphic design student who is about to graduate from Artcenter College of Design. In high school, I was very confused. Everyone was taking the same courses, such as math, science, philosophy, literature and so on. I found that I was not very interested in these subjects. But at the same time, I also knew that if I didn’t have good grades, I would not be able to enter a good university, and I couldn’t find my own direction. At the same time, during spring break, my friends and I talked about our confusion about the future while traveling, and I accidentally realized that the camera in my hand could also be a direction. So I stepped into the field of visual art and then decided to choose graphic design to play to my strengths and avoid my weaknesses.
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
There are many texts and books that have had a profound impact on me. I think the one that has benefited me the most is Yu Hua’s “To Live”. The reason I mentioned this book is that when I first entered university, that is, when I first got involved in this industry, I felt very uncomfortable many times. I doubted whether I had chosen the right path, I doubted whether I loved my profession, and I thought about giving up many times. But the story of this book really inspired me. The book depicts a person who can still live a satisfying life after experiencing many turning points in life. This made me think deeply about the meaning behind being alive. If I am still alive, I should work hard to achieve my goals and overcome difficulties.
Have you ever had to pivot?
I once fell into a deep depression for a period of time. I felt that nothing could interest me and I felt that I was useless. I was confused by anxiety about the future and dissatisfaction with the present. I felt that there was no meaning in my life until I almost died due to a wrong operation during a photo shoot for my portfolio. According to my friends, I stopped breathing for a minute. But after that experience, I re-examined my life, everything I wanted and had, and what I dared not give up. I rethought and mustered up the courage to become better and walked out of the trough.
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