Burn
Описание книги
Learn the fascinating story of one of America’s most successful entrepreneurs The American Dream continues to resonate with immigrants from around the world. Millions of people hope to come to the United States to build a better life for themselves and their families, often by creating and growing new ventures and companies. While not everyone succeeds, many do. Mei Xu is one of those successes. In Burn, entrepreneur and international businesswoman Mei Xu tells her story of ingenuity, determination, and luck. Spanning three decades, from 1991 when she arrived at Washington’s Dulles Airport, to today, Xu’s story is one of stunning success. She built a multi-million dollar company, met and counseled thousands of entrepreneurs and businesspeople, and even advised President of the United States Barack Obama on the topic of job creation. In Burn , you’ll learn: About the creation of Mei Xu’s international lifestyle business and the success stories of other female leaders who triumphed over adversity to achieve their dreams Why the American Dream is still within your grasp, and how to reach for it How creators like Xu think differently about innovation and how you can harness her insights to build something new and exciting for yourself Burn explains how Xu’s embrace of design-driven entrepreneurship and thoughtful manufacturing powered her growth and prosperity in a truly international company. Design leadership remains vital to a robust and global economy. Burn will inspire you to follow your vision and have an impact on the world around you. Perfect for anyone seeking an engrossing and inspirational tale of success, Burn belongs on the bookshelves of professionals and entrepreneurs everywhere.
Оглавление
Mei Xu. Burn
Table of Contents
Guide
Pages
Prologue
Endnote
1 A TALE OF TWO CHINAS
A Peaceful Harbor
Revolutionary Peril and Promise
Harmony in Hangzhou
Hogwarts Bound
Beijing Bound
Endnotes
2 AMERICAN ODYSSEY
America Bound
Stranger in a Strange Land
Pacific Traders
A Happy Accident
3 AMERICAN ENTREPRENEURS
From Traders to Taste Makers
Chesapeake Rising
Right on Target
A Date with Destiny
Chesapeake Maturing
Endnotes
4 FRAGRANCE FORWARD
A Random Harvest
A Symphony of Fragrance
Fragrant Storytelling
Fragrance Delivery
A Legacy of Fragrance
Endnotes
5 MADE IN AMERICA
Vietnamese Victory
Burned in Maryland
Made in Maryland
Taking Care of Mind and Body
Manufacturing the American Dream
Endnotes
Conclusion
Endnote
About the Author
Acknowledgments
Index
WILEY END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT
Отрывок из книги
I dedicate this book to my father, Jianxu Xu, and my mother, Yanyun Lin. Although we have been apart for such a long time, I brought their love, dedication, and work ethic with me as I traveled the world. This is as much their story as it is my own.
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Though I built Chesapeake Bay atop these same foundations of design leadership, letting innovation and creativity dictate business decisions, it was only by controlling manufacturing that I could maximize creativity and fuel my products' popularity among consumers. When factories in Asia refused to work with my design‐driven collections, my passion and vision convinced my sister to quit her job and build a factory to help grow my business. Together, we created new consumer‐product lines in the home fragrance and wellness industries and brought these luxuries, once reserved for wealthy department‐store consumers, to a mainstream American market. But I could only achieve peak innovation when I stopped outsourcing manufacturing, breaking with my US counterparts in reshoring many of my operations to America.
By bringing industrial processes in‐house, I increased the quality of my source ingredients, marrying manufacturing and innovation to reach my highest creative potential. In America, my company accomplished the seemingly impossible: building a factory outside Baltimore, where manufacturing was long considered dead. I hope other product categories follow my lead, leveraging design leadership and creative manufacturing to better observe and respond to markets, decrease costs, increase innovation, and improve quality.
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