China Paradigms Daxue Consulting

Since its founding in 2001, Element Fresh has been a beacon of fresh and healthy western food in China’s most bustling cities. The Founder and President, Scott Minoie has been in China for 22 years and has accumulated over 30 years’ experience in the food and beverage industry. He is also co-Founder and COO of Planet O, a location-based mixed virtual reality and social experience hub. Moreover, Scott is the co-chair of AmCham Shanghai's Food, Agriculture, and Beverage committee. Let’s turn to the interview and see what Scott has to share!

00:00 – Scott Minoie’s introduction and background
05:21 – How did Element Fresh Start? From sandwich making in a friend’s bedroom to a premium restaurant chain in China.
07:31 – Element Fresh concept was created accidentally. Cross-industry is a clever way to find your niche.
10:52 – The two big steps that lead Scott Minoie to take Element Fresh seriously
13:27 – Where did the initial investments go to?
14:45 – How did Element Fresh make it through the SARS pandemic in 2003?
17:30 – What was the impact of Covid-19 on Element Fresh? How was it different from the SARS outbreak?
21:53 – How many months did Element Fresh need to be cash-flow positive and break-even?
21:51 – What was Scott Minoie’s vision after raising 250,000 USD and having a clear business plan?
29:04 – When did Element Fresh start to receive Chinese consumers?
31:11 – How does Scott Minoie ensure the safety, quality and consistency of the delivered products?
35:55 – How was the process of setting up the 2nd restaurant? Was it harder than setting up the 1st restaurant?
40:00 – How did Scott Minoie convince Frank Rasche (Coca-Cola’s operation director for mainland China and Coca-Cola’s general manager in Taiwan) to join the team?
46:40 – How did Scott Minoie raise the second round of financing?
48:35 – What was the growth model of Element Fresh?
50:49 – How did Element Fresh innovate to keep up with the different evolutions taking place in China at that time?
56:20 – Element Fresh’s marketing innovation: collaborations and customer loyalty program
1:03:00 – What did the partnership with LiNa (李娜) bring to Element Fresh?
1:04:00 – How does Scott Minoie innovate the menu and come up with new recipes and dishes?
1:10:10 – What is Planet O about?

daxue consulting website: https://daxueconsulting.com/
What do you have in mind for your expansion in China? Contact us now: https://daxueconsulting.com/contact-us-now/

Listen & Subscribe:
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/china-paradigms-daxue
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/china-paradigms/id1450916630
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/78qDpsYgQXWrkPpJyZJLtx
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2y6ixpQB1WIs6GMdUeoq4g?view_as=subscriber
Website: https://chinaparadigm.com/

Thanks for listening! If you like what you hear, do us a favor and write a review on iTunes.

What is China Paradigms Podcast?
China Paradigms is the China Business Podcast for entrepreneurs and China watchers. Learn from business professionals in China on our China Paradigms.

#ChinaParadigm #RestaurantChina #FoodAndBeverageChina

We interview Yael Farjun, who is present co-leader at Travel Massive and an experienced entrepreneur, who founded 2 travel companies. Both have now been shut down due to travel restrictions. In this episode, Yael shares her 10 years of experience in the travel industry in China, talking honestly about the ups and downs, challenges and achievements.
Growing a travel business in China has a learning curve that is different than growing a travel business in the West. So what are the pitfalls of growing a travel business in China? Where on the Chinese travel market should foreign travel entrepreneurs concentrate their efforts? How has the pandemic affected the travel industry in China vs the rest of the world? Find out the answers to these questions and more in this new China Paradigm podcast.

00:00 Intro
7:11 My Way PCM and ChinaClickGo - companies history
13:54 What is the size of the travel market in China?
18:57 Why has TripAdvisor failed to take over the Chinese travel market?
25:03 Yael Farjun's thoughts on the flash sale approach targeting people living in China
29:54 What would Yael Farjun do differently if she were to be on the board of a travel company trying to get a share of the Chinese travel market?
41:58 What is the standard commission charged by intermediaries functioning in the travel industry?
49:59 2 Travel Industries - China vs the rest of the world
55:46 Who are some of the players in the Chinese travel industry that have disappeared because of the pandemic?
1:04:04 What travel businesses have strived during the pandemic in China?
1:06:50 Outro

Listen & Subscribe:
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/china-paradigms-daxue
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/china-paradigms/id1450916630
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/78qDpsYgQXWrkPpJyZJLtx
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2y6ixpQB1WIs6GMdUeoq4g?view_as=subscriber
Website: https://chinaparadigm.com/

Thanks for listening! If you like what you hear, do us a favor and write a review on iTunes.

What is China Paradigms Podcast?
China Paradigms is the China Business Podcast for entrepreneurs and China watchers. Learn from business professionals in China on our China Paradigms.

#ChinaParadigm #TravelIndustry #TripAdvisor

We interview Douglas Corley, who is a Beijing-based healthcare entrepreneur and the Co-Founder and CEO at DHB Global. For ten years DHB Global has acted as a bridge between foreign private healthcare companies trying to get into the Chinese healthcare market and the Chinese healthcare regulatory institutions to facilitate successful transitions from foreign frameworks and regulations to Chinese frameworks and regulations.

00:00 Intro
5:36 DHB Global - a brief company history
9:33 What services does DHB Global provide its customers?
13:22 How does DHB Global facilitate the link between the Chinese public health institutions and foreign private healthcare companies trying to sell their services on the Chinese market?
19:30 Are research universities in China incentivized totally different than foreign universities?
22:19 A precise example of the scope of services DHB Global provides
24:59 What is the level of internalization of operations for DHB Global?
31:43 Deep dive - the Chinese healthcare system
35:01 Is there a private healthcare sector developing for smaller Chinese cities?
38:52 Healthy China 2030 - what are the main directions?
43:55 What means will the Chinese government employ in order to fulfill the Healthy China 2030 objectives?
48:25 How much autonomy do science parks have in provincial China?
50:41 What is China's current vision on nursing homes?
54:59 How good is the Chinese public healthcare system? Is there room for a private sector?
1:03:28 What is DHB Global's experience in dealing with the COVID-19 crisis?
1:10:45 How does DHB Global use cryptography to reinforce transparency on its suppliers and supply chain?
1:16:15 What books have inspired Douglas Corley in his entrepreneurial journey?
1:17:18 What does Douglas Corley read to stay up to date with China?
1:20:01 What books on China have been a game-changing read for Douglas Corley?
1:22:25 What other activity would Douglas Corley pursue should he have extra time?
1:24:15 What advice would present Douglas Corley have for his ten years younger version?

Learn more about DHB Global: https://www.dhb.global/

Listen & Subscribe:
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/china-paradigms-daxue
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/china-paradigms/id1450916630
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/78qDpsYgQXWrkPpJyZJLtx
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2y6ixpQB1WIs6GMdUeoq4g?view_as=subscriber
Website: https://chinaparadigm.com/

Thanks for listening! If you like what you hear, do us a favor and write a review on iTunes.

What is China Paradigms Podcast?
China Paradigms is the China Business Podcast for entrepreneurs and China watchers. Learn from business professionals in China on our China Paradigms.

#ChinaParadigm #Healthcare #BusinessPodcastChina

We interview Jean-Philippe Benoist, Founder and CEO at GED. GED helps establish cosmetics brands on eCommerce platforms in China and helps them drive sales in the Chinese market. Their services include both distribution and marketing. So what is GED’s winning formula for brand integration on the Chinese market, which products tend to sell the fastest, and what are the pricing challenges when transitioning a product from the foreign market to the Chinese market? Find out the answers to these questions and more in this new China Paradigm podcast.

00:00 Intro
1:12 Guest introduction
14:29 GED - company size and services
17:59 What does the price point look like when GED buys products from brands they want to be in business with?
21:29 What is GED's business model?
26:58 Does GED tolerate Daigou trade?
28:31 What is typically the initial cost for GED to start distributing a new brand and how high was the very first funding to start the company?
31:31 What would be the characteristics of brands that would have the potential to be big in China, in Jean-Philippe Benoist's point of view?
34:04 What revenue should a brand earn on their original territory before considering selling products in China?
37:08 The Quick Win Formula for successful branding in China
42:34 Using networks of KOLs to find out if the product could be a winner
45:20 How has the beauty market evolved in China from Jean-Philippe Benoist's perspective?
51:30 How does GED handle competition from already established brands when introducing a new brand of make-up in China?
55:46 Which products from the make-up sector have the most momentum in China right now?
58:19 Why is festival promotion a phenomenon in China?
1:03:18 Is live streaming part of the market strategy for GED?
1:07:56 What books have inspired Jean-Philippe Benoist the most in his entrepreneurial journey?
1:12:19 What unexpected success and failure has Jean-Philippe Benoist witnessed in China?
1:16:44 Why does Jean-Philippe Benoist not have a Linkedin page?
1:18:30 Outro

Learn more about GED: https://www.gedchinabeauty.com

Listen & Subscribe:
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/china-paradigms-daxue
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/china-paradigms/id1450916630
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/78qDpsYgQXWrkPpJyZJLtx
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2y6ixpQB1WIs6GMdUeoq4g?view_as=subscriber
Website: https://chinaparadigm.com/

Thanks for listening! If you like what you hear, do us a favor and write a review on iTunes.

What is China Paradigms Podcast?
China Paradigms is the China Business Podcast for entrepreneurs and China watchers. Learn from business professionals in China on our China Paradigms.

#ChinaParadigm #BeautyBrands #CosmeticsBrands

In this episode of China Paradigm, we interview Philip Beck. Philip Beck - 贝曦贤 is an Australian-born entrepreneur who’s been living and working in China since 2005. After 32 years across Asia-Pacific (1976-2008) as CEO and/or COO of publicly-listed international 4A’s media agencies and recruitment companies, Philip became a full-time Entrepreneur and Non-Executive Director in 2009. Philip Beck is a highly experienced angel-investor in China and a chairman & co-founder at Moojing Market Intelligence. In this new China Paradigm podcast we find out why Philip beck decided to move from Australia to China, what is his formula for good investments and how to stay away from potentially bad investments as well as why his SaaS Moojing is one of the best on the market in China. Stay tuned.

0:00 Guest introduction
3:12 What made Australian Philip Beck establish his roots in China?
4:39 Why is life in China "7 times faster" than in Australia?
6:49 What is Philip Beck's screening method for good investing?
13:15 In how many companies has Philip Beck invested in since 2009?
14:36 How does Philip Beck protect himself from bad investments?
18:14 Does Philip Beck belong to a pool of investors?
20:45 Why is Philip Beck involved in angel investing rather than real estate investing?
24:39 What is Philip Beck's current rate of return on his investments?
27:14 What is Philip Beck's focus after investing in a company?
29:30 How are the companies that Philip Beck is still invested in performing currently?
36:18 Should investors also be vetted by company founders?
41:36 In what business sectors do foreign entrepreneurs have a bigger chance of succeeding in China?
48:46 What do clients value most about Philip Beck's non-executive involvement in their companies?
52:12 Are entrepreneurs late on making the decision of getting coaching for their businesses?
55:42 Breaking things - the process of growth for companies
57:55 Moojing Market Intelligence - how do they extract data from the marketplace?
1:04:51 Why are APIs less used than scrolling and crawling for data gathering in China?
1:06:25 Can Moojing be used as a tool by investors to make smart investments?
1:08:04 Being a SaaS does Moojing offer another layer of services to its users?
1:12:49 What is Philip Beck's view on the evolution of advertising in China, in the past 10 years?
1:18:23 How does Philip Beck manage his time?
1:21:02 Philip Beck's formula for saying "No"
1:23:12 Are to-do lists still a relevant way to approach business schedule?
1:26:49 Outro

Philip Beck: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philiphbeck/

Listen & Subscribe:
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/china-paradigms-daxue
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/china-paradigms/id1450916630
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/78qDpsYgQXWrkPpJyZJLtx
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2y6ixpQB1WIs6GMdUeoq4g?view_as=subscriber
Website: https://chinaparadigm.com/

Thanks for listening! If you like what you hear, do us a favor and write a review on iTunes.

What is China Paradigms Podcast?
China Paradigms is the China Business Podcast for entrepreneurs and China watchers. Learn from business professionals in China on our China Paradigms.

#ChinaParadigm #Investment #ROI

In this episode of China Paradigm, we interview Jie Zhang, a serial entrepreneur with a strong tech background and founder at AdChina.io a software as a service (SaaS) platform that makes advertising in China easier for foreign brands. The differences between advertising in China and the West are staggering when it comes to how the various Chinese social media platforms handle the way they push content to their users. This is where AdChina.io can be used by brands as a tool to test out different marketing strategies and gather valuable information about Chinese consumers’ behavior. But how does AdChina.io actually work and what level of integration does it provide in relation to the different Chinese social media platforms out there? Find out the answers to these questions and more in this new China Paradigm podcast.

1:10 Guest introduction
8:20 INSEAD - the missing link for beginning the entrepreneurial journey
10:18 AdChina.io - company size and funding
16:04 AdChina.io - how does it work, what does it offer clients, and pricing policy
23:47 How does AdChina.io handle censorship?
25:01 Can AdChina be used as an advertisement tool on Linkedin?
26:23 Does AdChina have access to all the big social media platforms in China?
27:50 SaaS - how can AdChina.io be used by it's customers?
31:45 The AdChina.io philosophy
36:13 Gathering the right info - what level of information does each platform offer AdChina.io?
38:54 Which social platform is the best to be targeted by advertisers in China?
40:37 Which Chinese social media platform makes it the easiest to target demographics according to their interests?
43:09 What level of programmable advertising can AdChina.io offer?
46:23 How are Nordic brands perceived in China?
50:29 What advice can Jie Zhang offer brands regarding cross-border eCommerce?
53:03 Which Chinese platform is best to start with for eCommerce?
55:31 What did Jie Zhang learn during his time spent working for Huawei?
1:01:24 Does the mispronunciation of Huawei in different parts of Europe affect brand recognition?
1:03:03 What is Jie Zhang's point of view on the success of Chinese brands overseas?
1:05:33 What does the next wave of Chinese companies that will be successful in the West look like in Jie Zhang's opinion?
1:09:31 Maotai - what is the experience of selling baijiu in the Nordic countries?
1:13:02 What unexpected business success has Jie Zhang witnessed in China?
1:15:20 How does Jie Zhang feel about working overseas as opposed to living and working in China?
1:16:50 What unexpected business failure has Jie Zhang witnessed in China?
1:18:41 Outro

Learn more about AdChina.io:
https://adchina.io/

Listen & Subscribe:
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/china-paradigms-daxue
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/china-paradigms/id1450916630
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/78qDpsYgQXWrkPpJyZJLtx
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2y6ixpQB1WIs6GMdUeoq4g?view_as=subscriber
Website: https://chinaparadigm.com/

Thanks for listening! If you like what you hear, do us a favor and write a review on iTunes.

What is China Paradigms Podcast?
China Paradigms is the China Business Podcast for entrepreneurs and China watchers. Learn from business professionals in China on our China Paradigms.

#ChinaParadigm #Advertising #Huawei