Then I realize, the most significant barriers women face are often internal. It's not just a lack of digital skills, but self-doubt, and self- limitation that holds them back. Questions like "Am I good enough?" or "Did I say something wrong?" holding back their progress more than lack of skills. These inner voices can be more challenging than any external obstacles.Founded in 2023, the Inner Mountain Foundation is dedicated to fostering a social movement that encourages women to begin by addressing the internal challenges and limiting beliefs that hinder their potential. By applying the practical tools of MIT's authorized Theory U, we aim to help women become the best versions of themselves and drive transformative change. Our goal is to focus on soft skills training, equipping women to be their greatest, most empowered selves in every aspect of their lives. Have you always planned to leverage your prominent position as a business leader to help other women reach their own business potential? How important is it to you personally to see more women succeed in business and what will be the global business impact when there are more women CEOs and entrepreneurs? I want to say that that helping others to reach their own business potential is in DHgate's corporate DNA. Our mission and primary objectives, which has remained unchanged for 20 years: Promote global trade and support entrepreneurial dreams. As I myself has built a sustainable and healthy business based on the success of sellers and buyers on our platform, it has been of vital importance for me for many years to see others succeed. There have been widely discussed benefits of what women CEOs or entrepreneurs can bring to the business world, such as diversity, resilience, better understanding of clients, more cooperation among others. There are apparent benefits of women CEOs or entrepreneurs in family and in the society as more confident girls, women, mothers can affect those around them more positively, spreading the spirit of "I can do it" more widely. I think more women in leadership roles leads to a more inclusive society. The Inner Mountain initiative places a strong emphasis on empowering female entrepreneurs. Could you share some of the impacts this initiative has had on women within the DHgate community? I need to clarify that Inner Mountain's current influence has already gone far beyond the DHgate community. We have gathered participants not only from the cross-border e-commerce focused DHgate community, but from many other areas, such as real estate and medical care in China or in the United States.
But from my close observation of the DHgate community, I can see that Inner Mountain has influenced women in many ways through education, community, and outreach.Women who have joined Inner Mountain are gaining more energy and support. Our community gathers link-minded people. While many women may have a lot of friends, it is rare that they have friends doing similar challenging thing. Inner Mountain allows them to connect, communicate, learn and grow, providing inspirational training sessions. Inner Mountain participants have also developed their e-commerce skills. For example, this year, We have combined our annual Seller Conference with some Inner Mountain offline events in China. Many women are informed with latest trend in cross-border e-commerce, AI large model tools among others. With enhanced leadership, internal energy and external support, skills, they are also solidifying their leadership and bringing them to the new level. I would also like to share a story from our China Chapter. Annie Wong, an accomplished entrepreneur in China, embarked on a remarkable journey from a corporate HR manager to co-founding her own women's bag brand, Talenteen, realizing her lifelong dream. She has sought personal growth and empowerment through The Inner Mountain Foundation, aligning her pursuit of inner strength with her entrepreneurial endeavors. Her knowledge from the community, as well as dedication to quality and design, have led to the brand's success, reaching consumers both in China and internationally through e-commerce platforms. I am happy she is now persistent in planning her brand for international growth. What have been some of the most significant challenges you've faced with the Inner Mountain initiative, and what are some key achievements since its inception? Nowadays, people are just too busy. Many women are just multi-battling, juggling a hard-to-find balance between career and family so that they do not have time left for them to care about themselves.
The most challenging part is that we're in an age where we get a lot of information all the time, with endless sharing, courses, and projects. While these can be inspiring, they don't last long, and we end up wanting something more meaningful. What we truly need is a space where we can integrate our learnings into action, continuously review and assimilate new information, and then generate new possibilities from this knowledge. This is the essence of the community of women helping women, and the Inner Mountain serves as a vital territory for this purpose.In the current stage, we are running both US and China chapters. In China, we have been closely working with U-Field, one of Otto and Theory U's affiliated partner across different pilot programs. By the end of 2023, the Inner Mountain launched its inaugural project in China, the "Women Go Global Training Camp". While the Women Go Global Program will eventually conclude, the "Inner Mountain" community is enduring—it's our foundation, our nurturing ground, our spiritual home. In the States, we just held our launch event, launched our California Chapter in Los Angeles and San Francisco in the first week of June, expanding our reach and impact, connecting with millions of our users and their families on DHGATE and MyyShop platforms. The foundation aims to connect Chinese entrepreneurs with the international women's community. What strategies are you using to foster these global connections? Internationalization: From its inception, Inner Mountain has been a global initiative. We aim to connect resources extensively, especially through international resource coordination and interaction with overseas women's communities. We need each other. For example, content creators active on major social media platforms overseas lack a supply chain, while our excellent suppliers in China have quality products but lack overseas exposure and distribution channels. It's natural for us to bridge all and foster collaborations. This deep and resonating connection, based on shared beliefs, will make our business connections more stable and long-lasting. Considering that the Inner Mountain Foundation is still in its early stages, how do you plan to expand the brand and its profile to help more female business leaders globally? Establish a Co-Creation Mechanism: A volunteer once shared with me that she perceived the "Inner Mountain" as an unprecedented, highly innovative, self-empowering, and self-evolving social enterprise with strong inherent vitality. Partners who join us will not only experience personal growth but also contribute to the society. It's a collective effort for the benefit of everyone. We have established an open operating system that fosters a co-creation mechanism where the community and partners are empowered and inspired. We are no longer bound by past experiences but are creating for the future through perception. Members identify problems and find solutions based on their own needs and experiences, making everyone a protagonist in their own journey. How has leading the Inner Mountain initiative influenced your views on leadership and entrepreneurship, and what personal lessons have you drawn from your involvement? What makes the Inner Mountain unique is our commitment to infusing a culture akin to water into the business realm. Unlike the prevalent "competition" or "wolf culture," the Inner Mountain advocates for a culture of serving others where individuals thrive as the community flourishes.
Words like nourishment, support, safety, fearlessness, blossoming, and vitality embody our essence. We aspire to cultivate a business culture that is entirely different from the norm.Enterprise where staff well-being comes first: In essence, I aim to build a company, where staff well-being comes first at workplace. When I first shared this concept with others, many friends looked at me oddly. Their mindset revolves around maximizing economic value for the company, with little regard for employee welfare. However, I am undeterred by their lack of understanding; I follow my heart and forge ahead. Over the past two years, I have witnessed transformative changes within my company. These changes are evident in the demeanor, actions, and essence of our team. Our work environment is evolving. Therefore, I am confident that by starting within my own company, I can create an environment conducive to collective growth, rather than focusing solely on expansion. We build for good, not for big; we pursue goodness, not just scale. In this context, everyone is a dragon, capable of unlocking their potential and thriving fearlessly. What advice would you give to aspiring female entrepreneurs who wish to make a mark in global commerce? And could you distil the essence of your advice into three words? It is a little bit difficult but I can have a try. To succeed in the global commerce sector, one needs to stay ahead of the social commerce curve, leveraging on powerful AI tools and enhance soft skills. So, to sum up, three words can be social commerce, AI tools and fearless. In your experience, what are the main factors that currently hold women back from becoming entrepreneurs? Do you believe these challenges stem more from internal beliefs, or are there more tangible barriers such as access to funding and resources, or is it about the soft skills needed as mentioned in your 2024 book, "The Inner Mountain"? UNICEF's report last year highlighted that 65% of women have fewer digital skills compared to male counterparts, across 32 countries and territories. Having been a part of the tech industry for three decades, I have seen how technology and digital tools, especially for women, can be transformative. The digital economy has significantly lowered the barriers to entrepreneurship, enabling women from various backgrounds to pursue their dreams. This equal opportunity is a game-changer, ever. But my experience in recent years has shown that the most significant barriers women face are often internal. It's not just a lack of digital skills, but self-doubt, and self- limitation that holds them back. Questions like "Am I good enough?" or "Did I say something wrong?" holding back their progress more than lack of skills. These inner voices can be more challenging than any external obstacles. To address this, we founded The Inner Mountain Foundation. This global community is dedicated to empowering women through education, fostering a community, and engaging in outreach initiatives. Our primary goal is guiding a way to break down these inner barriers and unlocking their inner strength. Finally, what legacy do you hope the Inner Mountain Foundation will leave, and how? With a vision of sparking a social movement, we focus on helping women break internal barriers that limit their potential. There are many people who drive their own cars now, so let me use a different scenario to help everyone understand better. Imagine a gas station in town that's thriving, making others envious. In response, someone invests more money to open a larger gas station nearby, offering even lower prices. Eventually, the original gas station can't compete and is forced to close. But does this mean that those who remained have truly succeeded? Not really. There will always be someone else with bigger investments, offering lower prices, using their logic to defeat others, and then the cycle repeats. This is a typical example of a "wolf culture"—following the law of the jungle, a zero-sum game where there can only be one winner, but the final result often leaves both sides worse off.
In reality, we have another solution. With the gas station doing so well and having many customers, I decide to open a cafe next to it, while someone else opens a grocery store nearby, and someone even opens a small amusement park for children to play in while waiting.Gradually, more and more people get used to coming here. They can eat, shop, take their kids out, and fill up their cars with gas. This is the way of water that we advocate at The Inner Mountain—we don't compete directly, instead, we grow together, forming an ecosystem where everyone can succeed. This concept reflects the core of the Inner Mountain Foundation. We aim to connect, inspire, and organically grow into an ecosystem where everyone benefits and flourishes together. We're committed to fostering a new global civilization characterized by international harmony and exchange. DHGate Published by: www.ceotodaymagazine.com - June 7th, 2024
