Throughout life I have always set goals and worked hard to accomplish them. Some were easy – others were not. The easy goals accomplished were earning the number one academic rank from middle school through senior high school, winning the U18 National Saxophone Championship in 2005, and attending college in the states. However, after being admitted into college, I was lost with the new found freedom of being away from parents. And this was the beginning of experiencing challenging goals.
During the summer of 2010, I realized that I was not doing anything with my life since returning home from college. For the first time, I did not have any goals. However, inspired by Will Smith’s work ethic, I obtained an internship at ICBC, which was introduced by my father’s friend. And with the auto and music industry being a major interest, another goal was to set up a band and automobile club with friends in the US. With optimism and determination, this goal was easily achieved as well as fun to implement.
During the summer of 2011, my mother insisted that I attend a theater performance two days after returning home. Though feeling reluctant due to fatigue from jet lag, we went to the show. When arriving at the theater, I was shocked to see a huge traffic jam and how many people were there. Not a single seat in the theater was empty. This is when I realized that the rapidly growing economy in China had allowed people to afford and become more interested in the entertainment industry than ever before. And this is when another goal-oriented thought formulated in my mind: providing similar shows as a business venture.
The next day, I immediately shared this idea with a cousin, who is the same age as I, and together we now had a business goal to pursue. We approached my uncle, a very successful businessman, for support. However, getting his approval was not an easy task. After numerous meetings and discussions, he finally agreed on the proposal to set up a film and television company. This part of the entertainment industry was relatively new, but a promising business investment in China.
Next came the task of actually getting started on developing the business, which was even more challenging. This was the most challenging goal I had ever strived to achieve in my life. Because back then, we were "new to the game" and knew nothing about the industry. Additionally, no one in the family had experience in the entertainment industry. We did not know anyone in this industry or even know for sure what kind of company we should set up. Thus, we were frustrated because we felt ill-equipped to function in the “game.” We literally had nothing but my uncle's support along with research tools and resources available on the Internet. We were struggling to identify a starting point and mundane actions were producing little results. Eventually I talked about this business goal with friends, who said, “You cannot do it. Two 20-year old students wanting to set up a company and make movies – it’s just ridiculous.” At one point, we thought about quitting, but never tossed away the idea. I maintained focus on Will Smith’s work ethic: persistently move forward towards what you believe in.
One day, I reiterated the idea and discussed it with my best friend in college. He told me that he could help because he knew someone who works in the entertainment industry. It turned out to be his mother, one of the most famous screen writers in China. Upon hearing this exciting news, within two days I arranged a meeting with her.
We were told what kind of company to set up, what we needed to have, and how to find necessary rescourses. She also introduced us to some writers, directors, and other people who offered valuable knowledge. It was through these individuals that we received much needed advice. Within two weeks, we gathered all the resources and registered the company.
When returning to the states to continue college study, my cousin quit school in the US and focused on the company. On October 12, he called to share that the government had issued our business certification. Needless to say, this was a high moment in my life. However, it was just a beginning – a start for reaching the next goal. Now the company has produced two stage plays with the first losing almost all of his investments. But the second one gained approximately 20% profit.
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References
Inspiration, Motivation and Winning Videos. Will Smith on work ethic. Available from http://www.awakenedamerican.com/content/inspirational-video-will-smith-work-ethic.
Keegan, Rebecca, W. (2007). The legend of Will Smith. Time Magazine. November 29, 2007.
Murakami, Harkin (2008) What I talk about when I talk about running. Retrieved from http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Haruki+Murakami.-a0276438363.
