Limitless Laowai — Expat Life, Business Strategy, Personal Development Cultural Adjustment in China | Learn Chinese

Jerel is a Tedx speaker and author of Sharpening China's Talent, which will be released in the early summer of 2015. He is the founder and principal consultant of Sharpening Axes, an employer engagement consulting firm and after a 23-year career in IT, Jerel has been advising and coaching senior level executives and managers of employers working for MNCs in China for the past nine years. In this episode, hear Jerel's insider's advice on how to land your dream job in China, specifically: the three books that will revolutionize how to position yourself in the job market; why using job sites and job boards does not cut it for job seekers anymore; what inside knowledge the average expat job seeker is missing and more!

If you've been following the Limitless Journey you may have noticed I've not recorded a Weekly Wrap-up in quite some time! Well, I've heard your feedback (thank you!) and have switched things up a bit. It's been so ridiculously exciting and I needed some time to clearly define and best articulate where we're heading. Tune in to this week's 8-minute Wrapup to hear how we're changing things up to better serve the needs of our awesome Limitless Community (that means YOU)! Enjoy!

If you are concerned about maintaining your health and fitness while abroad or looking for strategies to get back in the game (and stay there!) then this is an episode you must hear! Siri is the co-owner of Z&B Fitness and a fitness instructor. She has been in Shanghai for 4 years and is a new mom to 8-month-old, Sophia. Katherine is a holistic health coach and fitness instructor. She has been in Shanghai for just 8 months and is excited about the growing health and wellness trend in the city. In this show, Siri and Katherine talk through strategies for finding a healthier, fitter, and happier lifestyle in a simple and sustainable manner while living in China.

Katia is driven by the belief that people deserve to live their life to its fullest potential. Ultimately, her passion is to help her clients reach emotional and spiritual balance, reclaim their identity and have the courage to lead by example. When she couldn’t find a firm that offered a service she was looking for, Katia founded Elyts, which offers unique services ranging from Image Consulting, Interior Design and Feng Shui all the way to Creative Coaching. She is helping people dress smart, live in style and make better decisions. In this interview Katia covers what image consultancy is, and why she splits it up in three dimensions; the importance of outer appearance for confidence; tips for creative expats to get and stay motivated in China; how to create meaningful connections instead of superficial networking; and tips for preventing yourself from settling into autopilot.

David is CEO of Dotsub, a New York based online video start-up. He is also a member of the faculty of Singularity University, a joint venture between Google and NASA that studies exponential technologies, and the Founder of Network Society Research, a London based global nonprofit. David does quite a bit of travel and splits his time between New York and his home base in Italy. In this episode, David shares how new technologies will emancipate people who felt powerless before; challenges societies of the past faced when trying enforce a moral compass and how new technology can change that; why wars between nations are going out of fashion; how human creativity differentiates us from computers and machines, and how you can leverage that; why new technologies make social change possible and sustainable; what intrapreneurship is and why organizations can benefit from it; a discussion of whether or not university education is becoming outdated, and the future of education in a fast moving society.

Vitto is the managing Partner of Pacific Prime. She helped bring the company from Hong Kong to Shanghai in 2003 and has been in Shanghai now for 13 years. Under Vitto's lead, Pacific Prime has grown into an international company with five offices in four countries in East Asia and the Middle East. She is joined in Shanghai by her husband and two young children. In this episode Vitto shares her insight into the insurance industry in China and key factors to consider when looking for insurance as expats. In this episode, Vitto shares how an insurance start-up grew into a multinational organizational success story; the differences of direct billing vs. pay and claim in China; when to go to a local, and when to go to an international hospital; a short history of China's insurance industry; life insurance and home insurance options for expats.

Natalie has been working in the HR field for 8 years and is currently HR Manager Asia Pacific for Austrian company, ams. Also an academic, she enjoys providing career coaching for professionals while working on completing her own PhD thesis. The youngest ever member of the Rotary Club in Shanghai, Natalie considers herself a social entrepreneur relentlessly putting energy into various projects supporting the less privileged in China. In this episode, Natalie opens her HR tool kit and shares with us some strategies to successfully land a job as a foreigner in China. Specifically she covers the state of the current packages for expats, the importance of social media in the job search process; how to make sure your networking tactics are welcomed and not annoying; tips for setting up an effective social media profile and how to avoid getting your application stuck on the HR table.

A French architect and interior designer with 12 years of experience in France, Canada, the US and China, Lili can hardly rely anymore on her original culture. 124 concepts, 52 projects, a thousand vortexes of new knowledge, 500 deaf conversations, and millions of food delicacies later, China has become home for Lili and she is thankful for the journey this far. In this episode, Lili shares her experiences working as an architect in China, why understanding the language is important to understanding the culture, wisdom on choosing business partners and, of course, defining success for youself, rather than using the standards and benchmarks of those around you.

Born in the US, Michelle has lived overseas for over 30 years and has worked in the education, global relocation and media industries. An 11-year resident of Shanghai, she is a frequent guest on ICS Culture Matters and most recently went back to her roots in education as the Director of Students for American Baby International English, infusing this China-based English training center with current Western practices in education. Today she's going to share with us how she's building innovative bridges between her local team and international teams.

Driven by purpose, Cindy found her calling and moved from corporate American to the not-for-profit sector just last year, as the CEO for Chunhui Children’s Foundation. Today, Cindy is going to share with us her transition from the executive fast track to leading one of China’s most recognized NGOs, the importance of a personal mission statement and how you can get working on yours today!