Ying’s Blog

How time flies. It was two months ago when I set to fly to China to launch LA YIN in more cities.

Upon my arrival in China, I decided to set up some meetings down the road with Professor Kristina Köök who has been doing exciting researches in the mobile life. And I got an email back and said she’d be in Hangzhou the next day!

I don’t remember how many times I’ve been amazed by how small the world is!

So, in a raining afternoon, I sit down with Kia and her dear husband in a rustic cafe at the west lake shore. We discussed China and mobile life and etc. Everytime I discuss with Kia about her researches I get excited and inspired. Hope one day we get to work together!

A few weeks ago, I met with my dear friend Richard Von Essen and wonderful artist Helena Sellergren (who is a Swedish native but has been living in France for many years) to appreciate some of Helena’s artistic creations. I felt simultaneously the Scandinavians simplicity, french seduction and a hint of Japanese expression. And I loved this exquisite fusion! Aren’t they beautiful!

Environment is one of the issues that are close to my heart! Many LA YIN panel members share the same concerns and some asked me when LA YIN will come out with Eco-friendly stuff.

I have been paying attention to ECO friendly materials: recycled, bio-degradable and etc.

We are now working with engineers in China on some good environment friendly materials and I hope we can launch an ECO-friendly collection in not too distant future. Stay tuned!

The excitement was so contagious as I was listening to all the changes my dear friend Anki is making in her career path.

Anki has provided her leadership in many organizations including her very early HR director assignment with Apple Sweden, and her most recent one as HR director at one of the largest insurance companies in the Europe (Trygg-Hansa). It was a highly challenging leadership assignment of transforming an old and conservative establishment into a modern one. In my impression, Anki is always calm and elegantly presented. The glitters in her eyes give away her fondness for next level of challenges. She recently decided to leave her latest executive role and pursue her next adventure! Much to my delight, we’ll soon see another outstanding woman entrepreneur among us. I’ll keep it secret as for what her business will be about, but stay tuned!

For many of us, boredom is not an option. Anki and I very much share this philosophy.

Shanghai has been a very special place for me. It has a mysterious seductive charm. During my early university days, I knew intimately well the streets where one could find stylish outfits, shoes and accessories. To many Chinese then, Shanghai stood for fine things. Today it is still the capital of style and fine living.

It is an obvious place where I want LA YIN to be present. If compared to Beijing people, Shanghai consumers are far more complex. After much observation and learning, we are finally there to offer LA YIN products to stylish and demanding Shanghai customers! How cool!

We are conducting a survey about the iPad. Please tell us about how you’d like to use it, what you’d like to come with it and so on so forth! We’d love to have you input regardless gender and age :))

Survey on iPad

https://app.icontact.com/icp/sub/survey/take

Thousands of thanks!

The very reason that we have March 8th marked as International Women Day is that women have not been regarded as equal to the opposite gender!

Believe it or not, I grew up in red China being told ‘women hold half of the sky’ or 妇女半边天。It hadn’t occurred to me that it’s not actually how most of the world looks at us until one day I received an email written by a female secretary that addressed the entire leadership team as ‘Dear gentlemen’. A wake-up call. We’ve got much work to do before we truly hold half of the sky’.

It’s an international women’s day today, it should be a No Pink Phone day too!

What a match! Both Canadian and US hockey teams played extremely well during the Olympic Gold match.

I felt so proud of being Canadian!

The take-away learning from this incredible game for me as an entrepreneur is never never never give-up!

I dropped by Anna’s (the CEO at Swedish Media Association www.tu.se) new office yesterday to catch up on the news and gossips in 2010. I met Anna a couple of years ago, and we have kept periodic yet spontaneous getting-togethers ever since. She is an energetic and brilliant person who is not afraid to voice her opinions and I admire very much these qualities of hers! I believe we need more women thinker leaders like her.

Interestingly, big part of our conversation was about iPad. We definitely share the fascination and passion for this mysterious gadget which has only been seen in the videos and pictures. Unlike any other gadgets, I feel significantly more vibes from female segment of the market towards the iPad. I bet most woman readers of this post will agree with me.

The Chinese Tiger year has just arrived! Wish everyone a great tiger year!

Are you a tiger? Check out the following years, if you were born in one of these years then you’re a tiger:
1938    31 Jan 1938 - 18 Feb 1939 (Earth)
1950    17 Feb 1950 - 05 Feb 1951 (Metal)
1962    05 Feb 1962 - 24 Jan 1963 (Water)
1974    23 Jan 1974 - 10 Feb 1975 (Wood)
1986    09 Feb 1986 - 28 Jan 1987 (Fire)
1998    28 Jan 1998 - 15 Feb 1999 (Earth)
2010    14 Feb 2010 - 02 Feb 2011 (Metal)

Go tiger!