#84: Life By Design with Yunzhe Zhou

Yunzhe Zhou helps people create a life that aligns with their natural passion, energy, and purpose. She talks with Lisa about her own experience growing up in the two very different worlds of Shanghai, China, and Virginia, and how they affected her own life path. She also shares how she got involved with EdTech, what life is like as a digital nomad, her thoughts on the alternative education space, ways to structure creative endeavors and advice for those that may want to start their own 30 Day Personal Projects.

Highlights:

Yunzhe came to the United States from Shanghai, China when she was 8. She grew up in Virginia and credits the dual upbringing of the individualist West and family-oriented East as a large part of how she shows up in life.
When people are in traditional careers, they don’t know what the untraditional way is like, so it’s hard to compare until you really live it.
Yunzhe had a transformational experience in college that took her off the “traditional” path of Commerce School that she had planned on. She evaluated her choices and decided she wanted to be more in charge of her own education, with a chance to really have a social impact. It was here she found EdTech in San Francisco.
Take space to explore what your interests are and how you want to design your life.
We can make big strides when we try something new and stick with it for 30 days. Often the hardest step is the first one, and Yunzhe recommends dedicating at least 5-10 hours a week towards the project to see real results.
Some tips when figuring out what personal project is right for you: choose something that feels exciting, and choose something relevant for where you currently are in life, or where you want to go in the future.
Yunzhe designed her life so she could be location independent as a digital nomad. This gives her the flexibility to spend time with family and friends.

Quotes:

“I can have both work and play, and love my career.”

“Sometimes “no” is not a definite no.”

“Just starting something is the hardest, and it all becomes so much easier after the first step.”

Mentioned in This Episode:

EdTech

The First 20 Hours

#74 Regeneration Through Art with Painter Alan Winter

One Month Projects

Yunzhe Zhou LinkedIn

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