We asked insiders and experts from various industries to tell us something they think outsiders are unaware of and we’ve shared a few of those responses below.

Amy Shi | Actress & Producer

First and foremost I consider myself an artist in the entertainment industry. I think something about the entertainment industry that a lot of outsiders are probably unaware of is that many artists are also talented in other industries and may have another career co-developing along their artist journey. Even for some of Hollywood’s biggest name actors they may have had other careers before acting or they venture into the business world later on. For me, besides working as an actress and producer on TV and film projects, I was a banker for many years, and a few years ago due to the pandemic I moved to South Korea and later started doing business internationally. Something about the international business industry that outsiders may not know well is how specifically cultural differences would impact business dealings. For instance, South Korea is still a very patriarchal society, even more so than China in my opinion. Especially in higher level of business dealings, people would put their trust in a criminal if that person is an older man who happens to be called “회장님” (Mr. Chairman). Women are typically treated less authoritative, less credible, and less competent even if she does all the work that older men are not capable of accomplishing. A lot of those older business men go out drinking together every night till morning in those Korean style 술집 (bars) that may come with “special service” provided by hostesses (usually young girls) and they talk about business. This is their culture, and I think it is something that foreigners who want to do business here need to be aware of. Read more>>

Violet Tashchyan | Interior Architect & clothing designer

Upcycle, redone doesn’t necessarily mean used clothing. Items or articles of fabric/clothing can be new to be considered upcycled . Read more>>

Josie Huesca | Director of Product Development

One thing about the beauty industry that outsiders are unaware of is the dedication that goes into making one product from an R&D and Product Development end, the process often starts with extensive research into consumer trends, market demands, ingredient innovation and product differentiation studies. As a beauty product developers, we ensure that products comply with various safety standards, labeling requirements and rigorous testing for safety, efficacy, and stability all the way to the packaging designs and functionality. I think from an outside perspective many times outsiders can only see the end results once its available in beautiful content created for social media platforms but may be unaware of the steps before posted on social media platforms. Overall, its a really a team effort to bring a product to life, that usually starts with our customers! Read more>>