ENTREPRENEURISM
ENTREPRENEURISM
Podcast Description
What makes a successful entrepreneur? It’s certainly not just about spotting opportunities. The entrepreneurial journey is full of tensions that must be managed. The most successful master the balance between vision and execution, short-term demands and long-term goals, opportunities and distractions. ENTREPRENEURISM unpacks what separates great entrepreneurs from the rest, mining the entrepreneurial journey for practical insights. Hosted by CEO coach Scott Pollack, this podcast brings you candid conversations, bold ideas, and actionable strategies from entrepreneurs who have built thriving ventures. Ready to unlock your full potential? This is the show for you.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast covers a range of topics, including resilience in entrepreneurship, team dynamics, and strategic decision-making. For instance, episodes feature discussions on parallel entrepreneurship with guests like Yoan Rigart-Lenisa, highlighting his approach to identifying market gaps, as well as the challenges of managing multiple business ventures. Other episodes, such as one with Xavier Naville, focus on overcoming imposter syndrome and creating an empowering team culture.
What makes a successful entrepreneur? It’s certainly not just about spotting opportunities. The entrepreneurial journey is full of tensions that must be managed. The most successful master the balance between vision and execution, short-term demands and long-term goals, opportunities and distractions. ENTREPRENEURISM unpacks what separates great entrepreneurs from the rest, mining the entrepreneurial journey for practical insights. Hosted by CEO coach Scott Pollack, this podcast brings you candid conversations, bold ideas, and actionable strategies from entrepreneurs who have built thriving ventures. Ready to unlock your full potential? This is the show for you.
Lin Lin Jacobs, CEO and Co-Chair of the China International Beauty Expo, shares her unconventional journey from creative agency co-founder to leading Asia’s largest beauty industry trade show organizer. She opens up about joining her family business, navigating cultural clashes with her mother, and transforming massive trade shows into curated, experiential events. Lin Lin also reflects on leadership, discipline, and preserving curiosity in entrepreneurship.
Show Notes
- [00:54] Show Intro (Scott Pollack)
- [02:17] Meet Lin Lin Jacobs – Serial entrepreneur and CEO of China International Beauty Expo
- [03:50] Early influences from her trailblazing mother, the first doctor in her family to turn entrepreneur
- [05:57] Founding a creative agency in London with Sam Jacobs and using it as a platform to connect with people despite being an “outgoing introvert”
- [07:29] Immersing in Beijing’s youth, music, and indie fashion culture to strengthen her connection to Chinese identity
- [11:37] Revitalizing cultural districts with design projects, including Daxila and Spoonful of Sugar café
- [13:16] Sustainability art project “Meeting Amy” — taking a farm-raised pig through fine dining, taxidermy, and street presentation to highlight full resource use
- [16:28] Entering the family business in 2016 and launching a new show at Shanghai’s National Exhibition and Convention Center
- [19:08] Building her own young, tech-forward, and collaborative culture that clashed at times with her mother’s more traditional, hierarchical style
- [22:34] Transforming trade shows from massive transactional halls into curated, thematic, and experiential events that maximize value for attendees
- [26:00] The grooming process that prepared her to be CEO and Co-Chair while protecting her from overexposure
- [30:16]Quick Fire Round:
- Book recommendation:Religion for Atheists by Alain de Botton – adopting timeless wisdom from religious traditions for community building and leadership (Amazon link)
- Morning success habit: 10–20 minutes of stretching
- Tool/app she can’t live without: Her phone (though not essential on holiday)
- Daily grounding habit: Making her bed and looking into sunlight or daylight
- Best business advice: “My life and my business are the sum of my habits” – build disciplined routines without imposing them on others
- Advice for new entrepreneurs: “Find ways to discover the comic in the seemingly tragic”
- [38:19] Show Outro
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