A 58 Year Old Chinese Self-Made Billionaire Shares Advice for Younger Self

Everybody we chase for the status, the wealths, the titles, achievements until someday I realize that is an endless

game. I remember when I was in the plan

game. I remember when I was in the plan to fly to Beijing, I wish the plan can never land. If the drawing forces to

never land. If the drawing forces to make money or become famous, then there's hundreds and thousands of reasons you quit. No matter how successful you are, you may still feel

something like a hole in your heart.

Some anxiety never go away.

You guys have loved seeing videos of self-made millionaire women on our channel, especially our good friend Janet. What about a self-made

Janet. What about a self-made billionaire though who grew up in a small town in northern China? Today I

will be in Beijing in China, sitting down with Diane Wang, the founder of one of the world's biggest e-commerce companies, DHGate, and I'll be asking her about her biggest regrets and about

how she came from absolutely nothing and turned her life into something that every single person would love to replicate. How old are you?

replicate. How old are you?

57.

But what does it feel like to be 57?

Extremely fantastic stage. I found

myself. I have that inner peace and inner abundance. The key is to find the truth of yourself.

If you can find the essence of that, you have to clean up a lot of limitations and burdens and especially some of the labels you think is right in the past.

What's a label that you had put onto yourself that you've let go of?

Perfectionism. I always feel I'm not good enough.

I'm not good enough until one day I realize that's the limitation.

If you can get rid of or let go of that limitation, you feel much, you know, uh lighter.

Mhm. Without you carry the burden for quite a long time, it's like you're free.

Why do you think that you had that mentality of that you were never good enough? underneath there is a saying I'm

enough? underneath there is a saying I'm not enough. I still need to work harder.

not enough. I still need to work harder.

But it's really hard for people to see something beneath. Just like the um the

something beneath. Just like the um the ice mountain the surface is the behavior people can can see obviously but there's a lot of things behind that

that's really you if we can have opportunity to see through that.

How old were you when that changed the the letting go? I'm curious.

Just several years ago.

Yeah. In your 50s.

Yeah. Around that time, 7 or 8 years ago, I started to uh enter into this sort of exploration journey.

Okay. Did something happen in your life?

In the past, I only see the first mountain which is the material world.

Everybody we chase for the status, the wealth, the titles, achievements, etc. Until someday I realize that is an endless game.

No matter how successful you are, you may still feel something like a hole in your heart, some anxiety never go away.

Are there any greater power? Uh are

there the so-called sustainable satisfaction over there?

Mhm.

So with that tiny question, I started to explore the answers along the way.

I'm curious. So two reasons. So one,

you're 57, you look amazing. At the same time, I feel like there's a lot of lessons that people don't learn soon enough and they think that as they get older, life gets worse. What do you

think people get wrong in terms of aging?

If people's always chasing the outside things, there's no time for the inner for the inner peace for the inner quiet.

Only when people look inward start this journey to find the true self and then I think we enter into the state with that inner abundance inner peace.

Yeah.

So if you feel good you actually attract people good people and good things around you.

So I think the best is yet come maybe 80 80 years old there's still something fabulous will happen. Yeah, that is interesting

will happen. Yeah, that is interesting for someone of your stature, the amount that you've achieved, material wealth or success that you've you've achieved to say that the most important thing to

enjoy that and to enjoy life is actually inwards. Do you think that you could be

inwards. Do you think that you could be as happy as you are now with a lot less?

Yeah, definitely. I think uh people used to think about I need to do things and I have you know like a wealth like a prosperity etc. and then I can become

happy.

That's wrong.

Yeah.

Yeah. I think on the contrary that's become first. So stay in a good status

become first. So stay in a good status being first and then you can have.

Yeah. I agree.

Yeah.

People always say when I have this I will feel this way.

Yeah.

But in order to feel that way I think chasing success and chasing happiness are not the same. You can be very materialistically successful but not happy.

And you can be very happy but not materialistically successful.

Exactly.

Yeah. I love that.

What do we need to know about your childhood and about how you grew up in order to understand the version of you that we're speaking with today?

I was born in Beijing. I'm the youngest kids in my family. I have one brother, one sister older than me. I think in my

childhood I'm I'm pretty lonely.

Um, I live in the countryside when I was in the p primary school. I have to spend at least 1 hour to walk to the uh

classroom and along the way maybe we met the boy bully us or some dogs chasing

us. So, it's not safe. But what

us. So, it's not safe. But what

impressed me most is the uh flat land.

It's ex extending far away this almost no limitation.

It's so vast, so spacious. It's around

seven 7 years old.

So I have a deep connect with the nature. So I think that's lived me

nature. So I think that's lived me profound impact in my whole life because with the connection of the nature there's no limitation for me. I can run I can do

things whatever I want. So that's the connection with the nature and um I think in my characteristic um I'm kind of creator. So I always like

to think dare to think and dare to do.

And that's something I think related to my childhood. Yeah, that's experience.

my childhood. Yeah, that's experience.

That is so interesting. Like it's not wealthy. It's more

wealthy. It's more It's pretty poor.

It's pretty.

Yeah. Yeah. I remember if we can uh have a rice. Yeah. That's pretty good.

a rice. Yeah. That's pretty good.

Yeah. Wow. Just white white rice. Plain

rice.

Yeah. Mhm.

Were you close with your parents growing up? You said you so you're the youngest

up? You said you so you're the youngest and your childhood felt lonely, but were you close with your parents growing up?

I think around that time uh my memory is uh they're always very busy.

Okay.

They're always working uh try to you know take care a lot of things. So in my childhood I don't have um the so-called

deep conversation or communication with others. So I think that made me very

others. So I think that made me very independent and resilient. I'm I'm also not sociable in school.

Yeah. So I remember um I tried to hide my light in order to be not so stand out.

Oh I see. Yeah.

Yeah.

Did you feel you were different than other people though?

I think so.

Yeah.

Uh I remember I uh write on uh diary. I

talked to myself and from the very young age I started to make decision. Yeah. So

when I look back I think through my life like this independent like this resilience is practiced through their

childhood. Yeah. So I really appreciate

childhood. Yeah. So I really appreciate that uh my parents they're so busy. So

I'm free right from very beginning I made all the decisions by myself. I think the good side is I used to listen to my heart and

make decisions. M

make decisions. M uh but on the other hand I I realized later um I think maybe I cannot rely on

any others. I have to totally rely on

any others. I have to totally rely on me. That's the areas later on I found I

me. That's the areas later on I found I need to appreciate the trust that's I learned from my husband. So,

and later on I build a trust Yeah.

environment for the organizations for the um nonprofit organization they've built.

Yeah.

Okay. Again, so for someone um again, first time that they're meeting you. So,

DHGate is probably the thing you're most well known for. Um if you can explain what it is in your words.

Yeah, DHGate is my second startup. Um

and we are the first mover in this crossber e-commerce marketplace. I think

about this like uh the Asian silk road.

We don't have camel but we have internet. So people around the world

internet. So people around the world that they can exchange products online that will look like beautiful.

Mhm. So from that picture we start to come up with the new business model which is nowadays is pretty common. But

around that time I remembered a lot of people in the traditional trading business think it's a nonsense. It's

ridiculous. This cannot happen. DHG

right now cover more than 230 countries worldwide and regions and um yeah we have more than two million manufacturers in China and they reach almost 100

million global small business individual consumers right now and this you had that idea 20 years ago correct 20 years ago.

What was life like for you from a career standpoint? Where were you? What were

standpoint? Where were you? What were

you doing before this idea came to mind?

Before the edgegate uh I was the uh co-founder of joyo.com at the end of 1999 Joyo was uh one of the first B2C

e-commerce platform in China and Joyo was acquired by Amazon in 2004.

M so that's my first startup and before that I worked for Microsoft in Cisco

as a um senior manager and before that I was work in Chinua University were you were a teacher teacher yeah

uh what drove you to go from teacher to management executive I'm curious on that every time I think I listen to my heart

this is not something I really want because I familiar you also choose different career because you're saying that's not something you really want

from bottom your heart.

Yeah. I worked at a bank before doing this. So I didn't really know what I

this. So I didn't really know what I wanted to do. But when you don't know your dream, it's easy for society to decide it for you. So my friends, my

teachers, school, they said, "Go get a job in a bank. It's good. It's a good idea." And when I worked there for

idea." And when I worked there for almost a year, I looked at my boss. I I

I wrote it down on a piece of paper. If

I become the CEO in 30 years, will I be happy? No.

happy? No.

I totally echo what they were saying. So

that's something similar when I left Cisco.

A lot of people have that feeling and they're still in that job.

Yeah. What's the difference between someone like you and someone like that?

What my passion? What's what things made my eyes light up? If people ask that question, what's really want?

But as you mentioned, although they get the answer, but they don't believe it.

They don't believe it.

A lot of people are interested in life, but not committed. They're interested in the idea of what life might look like if they were more creative or they dove into that passion. But being committed

to it, it's doing the work when nobody's watching you. It's doing the work when

watching you. It's doing the work when everyone is judging you. It's actually

taking action. I think the trend I've noticed from a lot of interviews with successful people who are successful and fulfilled is action.

Yeah.

A lot of people have thoughts. Everyone

has thoughts.

Well, Yes.

Cuz first is really talk to our heart to find that aspiration.

Yeah.

That passion. And secondly, if you believe it or not.

Yeah.

And thirdly, if you really want to take action or not.

Yeah.

And that's make life different.

Was it hard for you from um from a judgment standpoint? Did like when you

judgment standpoint? Did like when you quit your job, were people judging you?

Was it tough in that regard?

That's really good question.

If that answer coming from your heart, the answer is so simple, so clear, you don't need to have any struggle on it.

But once the answer come from your mind, from the logic, it's a lot of calculation, a lot of struggle back and forth, you couldn't, you know, make

decision. That's the key difference

decision. That's the key difference between the answer coming from your mind or coming from your heart. I always

connect with my heart. So I don't have that kind of struggle. No matter how many people fight against it or say you

are crazy. That's not difficult for me.

are crazy. That's not difficult for me.

That's so crisp. Just go for it.

What would be your advice for somebody to take action?

Yeah. I think in order to find the truth of ourself, we need to learn how to quiet ourself.

I think there's many different ways for people to find that stillness because in Chinese we are saying

with that stillness there's a wisdom coming from that I think especially in nowadays there's

so many chaos so many changes so this badly need human beings we regain the capability to enter into that stillness

stage.

So maybe people can do meditation, can do dairy, can put themselves into nature. There's different ways. But I

nature. There's different ways. But I

think this stillness is so important to let us see clearly from the chaos what's the key.

This is why I um why I journal. M

I think yeah a lot of people don't understand that they don't know who they are really they don't know who they want to be and they don't know how to make the two of those versions the same. So

how do you turn who I am today into who I want to be? You need stillness. You

can't find it while you're scrolling.

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Tell me about a failure. A lot of people will talk about successes, but I'm curious on a failure, a hard time that you experience with this business that that you had to get over that you had to

deal with. Is there one that comes to

deal with. Is there one that comes to mind there? I I think um as a startup

mind there? I I think um as a startup although I'm a pretty successful entrepreneurs but it's also really hard

for me to get the funding especially I remember one investor they already signed a deal with us that funding is so

critical if we don't have that funding we cannot launch our website for quite a long time I couldn't hear about um something from that investors I sense

something wrong. I gave him a phone call

something wrong. I gave him a phone call and um he said he didn't want to invest.

I can still remember his face is very cold. He make decision he doesn't want

cold. He make decision he doesn't want to invest this money. I remember when I was in the plan to fly to Beijing. I

wish the plan can never land because I don't know how to face my employees, how to face issues over there. we have to

think about sell cars or sell house etc to support uh the company moving forward that's kind of situation survival moment

what are you thinking at that time I think there's one shift moment this point is acceptance if we ask a lot of

why why they treat me like this why this is so unfair but happened to me we put ourself into that victim area. So it

will let you go down and down.

Yeah.

But I think the magic word is accept.

Once you accept immediately there's a what solutions, what action items what I can do next and that become positive if you

take action.

Who can be an entrepreneur in your opinion? um the motivation if the

opinion? um the motivation if the drawing force is to make money or become famous then there's a hundreds and thousands of reasons you quit but if

that coming from you know the deep aspiration or passion that's the strong that's the endless energy to feel you

and then I think that's a strong heart you know you failed again and again but you you you back up you back up I think

that kind of resilience is um is important for entrepreneurs.

Getting a having a business that starts as an idea and growing it to where you've grown it now to be doing as much business that you are right now. Uh what

would you say are three key pillars of success?

I don't want to talk about things I really would like to say about people.

We're so used to a system based on fear, based on competition, based on winner takes all. You or me, that mentality.

takes all. You or me, that mentality.

But I think if more people shift to this system where based on kind, love, collaborate, you and me collective, we can become more successful. That kind of

me mentality.

Yeah.

That start from people. that start from people with heart. It's no longer such a pressure.

Yeah.

Right. It's it's no longer the KPI.

Yeah.

It's something from our heart. We enjoy

it. It's within us.

That essence within every one of us.

Okay. So, you mentioned you're married.

Yeah.

How long have you been married for?

39 years ago. I met my husband in university.

Wow.

He's my first boyfriend. And then

nowadays our mar mar mar mar mar mar mar mar mar mar mar mar mar mar mar mar mar mar mar mar mar mar mar mar mar mar mar mar mar mar mar mar mar mar mar mar mar mar mar mar marriage is um 32 years.

Wow. Okay. Doing the math here.

Yeah. Doing the math.

So you were 18. You were 18 basically.

Yeah. It's like we grow up together 100%.

Yeah.

Still very happy.

Um well if if you say no then he won't watch this. But if you

watch this. But if you if you say yes then he'll watch.

Reach like uh in the soul level. Yeah.

Wear one.

Yeah.

Yeah. But that's have a different stages. He recognized me through his

stages. He recognized me through his eyes. I recognized him through my heart.

eyes. I recognized him through my heart.

First day in our university, he met me in the bike shed. This kind of love the first sight.

Yeah.

For him, but he's not my type around that time.

But I started to see him from my heart.

So 39 years together, a lot of relationships, they don't last even close to that. What's the secret?

Firstly, we don't see each other from superficial level. Something like the

superficial level. Something like the family background, the titles, the wells, not not like that. We see each other from a deeper level. It's a loving

heart is kind of person. And then I think the key is we support each other and give each other a space to grow. We

never think about change the others. I

think we allow ourselves to become ourselves.

So you see some examples in the world where people achieve uh they make a lot of money, they run a good business and the marriage that they had ends. I'm

just curious on your train of thought as you've gone through how success hasn't changed who you've been with and how you feel.

I asked him the question in his heart and the person never change.

Yeah. just the the girl he met in the first day and I think that's it. So I

think he's very smart man. Not only this but he understand how to support his partner to bloom to become herself and

then she can also build a beautiful garden for him. So both of us we have the so-called the safe heaven. That's

the warm harbor we can return to have that rest.

Can you define the word love for me?

I think you don't want any return.

You just allow the others to become themselves.

You are always there. Be prescious. You

are there. Your heart are there. So they

can feel this warm.

Yeah. Just like honey.

I have a Yeah.

Now you filled out um part of just a a daily journal and uh what's so cool I I mean I try to show it in the camera

another angle but um it's in Mandarin.

If you can share what you wrote here what's on my mind today chaos world to become the stillness to have the inner you know grounded is so important. I

would like to re remind me to be present to remind me to connect with the source your highlight of the day and what you're grateful for.

Yeah. And uh yesterday um I really enjoy the uh the conversation, the discussion brainstorming with my team. We talk

about to build the future. uh in Chinese we talk to um but in English you can call this dream garden to make this inner peace inner abundance with the

outer success. So we're foresee that we

outer success. So we're foresee that we building the new earth, the sustainable earth. I like that.

Yeah. Our home garden.

On the side of this journal here, you wrote one piece of advice that you would offer to anyone who were to read it. Can

you read out what you wrote and explain why that's what you you chose to write?

Yeah. Remember, talk to your heart and follow your passion. And along the way, always ask fundamental questions to understand who you really are and live

it out.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.