#30 Aaron Chang – E-commerce and web design wiz talks life and business in China
Aaron is Founder and General Manager of JING Digital, which designs and develops e-Commerce websites, web applications and most recently, and advanced social marketing WeChat platform. Originally from New Mexico, Aaron has been in Shanghai for 8 years and still maintains long-time client relationships in the U.S. He and his wife have been married for five amazing years.
This is an incredible time to be in China and experience a unique point in history. Enjoy it!
Show Notes
How he got to China
Walking on the streets of Madrid while on holiday, Aaron had an amazing ‘ah-ha’ moment: it occurred to him that life and work didn’t need to be confined to the continental US, and thus his adventure abroad began. Originally, he was considering going to Barcelona to pursue his passion as a musician, but all of his frequent flyer miles were blocked out to Spain, yet fully open to Shanghai. Coincidence? I think not! (As a side-note: After working with Aaron on a long-term project, I know that he is doing amazing work here in China and I, for one, am glad he’s here!)
His current project
JING Digital focuses loads on digital commerce, servicing clients in both the US and China, especially foreign-owned enterprises who are looking to interact successfully with the Chinese market. As mentioned in his bio, most recently, Aaron and his team have developed a sophisticated WeChat platform that has his super excited and super busy these days!
Biggest challenge
Finding people on a Chinese HR website without having a fully licensed company yet… tune in to find out how he did it!
Lessons learned along the way
- [On partnership] Pick the right partners – ensure that you share the same vision, have complimentary skill sets, and work ethic!
- Advice for the budding entrepreneur: take the first step, but have a client first!
- Have someone on your side (a local partner) who knows what they’re doing and understands your business landscape.
How Aaron stays motivated
Aaron shares, “I just try to be grateful that I have this opportunity to be in the middle of this incredible feat of human development and probably the greatest growth and uplift of people in the history of the world.” To keep his perspective wide open, Aaron like to take walks, but not your normal around-the-block ones – he hops on the metro and gets off at a remote stop somewhere to experience something new.
What has him super jazzed
WeChat (of course) and less obvious, his new BBQ grill and a nice balcony to put it on at his new apartment! Aaron is relishing in his little slice of home after 8 years of what he called ‘very local living.’
Episode Links
Thinking, Fast and Slow, book by Daniel Kahneman
The Master Switch, book by Tim Wu
Connect to Aaron
Find him on WeChat, search achang939, or send him an email at achang@jingdigital.com.
1 Comment
Leave your reply.