YIQING ZHAO - The Multi-Hyphenate Artist

Hi, I'm Tammy Gross, the Scriptprenuer. Welcome to Reel Life Stories where difference makers come to share their Hollywood worthy transformation stories. I love i

Okay, so today we have a really special guest that I'm going to be talking to, and I think you can really like her and what she offers the world. Her name is Yiqing Zhao, and she'll tell me if I said that wrong. And she'll even tell you something else about her name. That is kind of cool. But she is the multi hyphenate artist. And she helps artists and entrepreneurs combat overwhelm, unlock their creativity and become unstoppable. I don't want to tell you a whole lot more because I want her to tell you her story herself in, in her own words, but for right now. Oh, my goodness. Just Welcome to the show.

Hi, Tammy, thank you so much for having me.

Well, it's my pleasure we've had we've had a little talk before, I know a little bit about your story. But we have a lot in common. I'm, you know, I'm a screenwriter, and the first time that we ever even heard about each other, we're like, we got to talk

tExactly. We were just like grabbing each other.

Yeah, it's like we show up in the world, in different ways, but in the same circles and stuff. So it's really cool. And, and I and I, I love what you're doing. So what I want to do is kind of turn it over to you. Because I know that you've been on a journey over over, you know, over time and learning so much. And I've already mentioned it to you and others have to you too, that you're you have wisdom beyond your years. So you have a lot to give to people and and so I want to turn it over to you. But first, tell me what you told me about your name. I love that.

It means artistic use in Chinese.

It's so perfect.

I still use it. You know, whenever my parents were like, Oh, why are you doing what you're doing now? So I said, Well, remember this name you gave me? I did not ask for this name. You gave me this name. So what were you thinking when you named me? Right? You can't do that. So

they put it out there in the universe? And and so it's like, good, you you took it and ran with it. And I'm sure they're extremely proud. Actually.

They actually are your, they've

gotta be that? Well, I'm going to let you kind of start us out. Like I know that you've been on a soul searching journey. And I'll let you kind of tell us where you started out to that. It was like not obviously, where you are now. And and kind of what prompted you to make some changes over the years. And all that you just tell us about where you started out?

Yeah, so I eight years ago, I was a miserable medical student in China about to graduate college. And I had depression and anxiety from a depression study on rats. And because I was supposed to make the rats depressed and treat them. I didn't make them depressed. They were very resilient. I made myself depressed. So that gave me a wake up call. Because I realized at that point when I was it couldn't fall asleep for like three months straight. I was like a walking ghost. It was it was terrible. So at that, at that time, I was looking back at myself and I found myself to be really suffering throughout my teenage years all the way leading up to college and the entire college. I was like that. And I was like, What's the point? If I were to be a doctor, as a medical student, I was supposed to be treating people's bodies, but I myself was suffering. So what's the point? So I decided first, I need to help myself with my souls and minds. Second, I need to help others. But that realization didn't come. So first. I was very lucky. After that months of failed a depression study. I got a scholarship to go to Johns Hopkins for my master's in public health. And when I got the offer, I was like okay, now I know what to do for the next few years. But in between that all of a sudden I just I was free. I was about to graduate and I got into acting. I got into this college drama club and started acting. And guess what I got it paid acting gig from that. So I got a paid acting gig from the drama club saying and And then I just decided, You know what, maybe I should give it a shot. Because that reminded me of what I was doing when I was 11 years old, I wrote a show. And I put together a show and I directed it and, you know, put it in front of my classmates, put it up in front of my classmates, that was what I was doing when I was 11 years old. So basically, that whole misery just led me back to what I was doing. As a child. I published my first piece of article when I was seven years old, made my very first paycheck, when I was seven, from the newspaper that published my article, it just all came back to me and reminded me, this is really the thing you should be doing when you're suffering. It's because you know, your talents are not being used.

That is, that is so important when we when we realize that we're denying who we are, we even talked about that a little bit, where it's like, you're not being your true self. Because you were put into the you were in these programs by choice, but you were still in all these different things that was like kind of denying that childhood happiness that was already pointing you in a direction that you didn't realize was really the direction you needed to follow. I can see how that that happened to you.

Yeah. So um, so I came here, I came to the States in 2014. I made my theatre debut in 2015, literally, by submitting by emailing theatre companies and pitching myself, just being very bold, not knowing what to do very bold, not knowing what to do, hoping that they could give me a chance. And then that's really how I make my theater debut. And then a few months after the regional debut, I made my New York debut. And, you know, just one thing led to another and then moved to New York, started as a working actor and then transition into filmmaking when the pandemic happened, and, you know, started coaching at that time as well.

That is, you actually are living kind of the dream that so many screenwriters have that so many actors have and authors, where it's like, you just you had some grit, obviously, you know, when you were going through everything. So you never went to Johns Hopkins. At all?

I did. I graduated.

Oh, no. You just said you did that. But you but but you didn't. You didn't make any I'm sorry. You didn't make that your thing you made. You made everything.

Yeah, I actually made my theater debut. When I was there. I made my theater debut in Baltimore. I did, I got my master's, but I was taking acting classes on the side. I was doing theater on the side, I was reading a lot of plays. You know, I took a playwriting course. It just a bunch of artistic stuff going on beside. But yes, I did not follow. I did not follow the career paths. That's what you meant. Yeah.

That's what I meant to say. Yeah. That is, and that is bold, right? They're just doing that. It's like, wow, I spent all this time and all this money and everything. And they were there. All these hopes and dreams probably in your family. And and there you were doing that. But you were finding success in that. So that's, that's very empowering. I'm sure for you.

Yeah, well, just speaking about family, I just wanted to let everybody know, because I've spoke about this before. And, you know, they I've I've been asked about how my family has been responding to my choices. Um, at first, my parents, especially my dad was very, very upset. At one point, he was so upset that the mere mention of my name would be a huge trigger. Oh, wow. Like, some random family or friends just mention, Oh, how's your daughter doing? And he's like, we're not talking about our different subject Change of subject. It was really that bad at one point. And I'm the only child so think about it, just only child. And, but being an only child also gave me that kind of confidence, knowing that my parents are not going to disown me no matter what, you know, but no, they are very proud of me now. It's just very funny that because a lot of people I was born and raised in China, I was I grew up in a very, very traditional family and a lot of expectations is especially on women. And there's still a few of my family members or more on the extended family. They don't know what I what I'm doing here. They just don't know what I'm doing. And now like, she's 30 and she's has she has no jobs and she has no she's not marry like is she doing something indecent? You know, see

There's less true, but yeah, I can totally imagine that I laugh, but I know that that's actually very serious. You know, it's not it's not a stereotype, it's, it's just the way it is, with a lot of people who are in an Asian culture, they have traditional values. And then when you have somebody who is not doing the expected thing, it can open up a lot of problems. There's, there's Onyx single is he shows up in the world as an entrepreneur, and he helps a lot of people so that they can really learn to make money and become more of a business person, even if they're creative, like you and I are. And, and he has the same issue. It's like he, you know, he's, he makes millions, you know, he's generated like $300 million, just, that was a year ago. So it's more than that now, but in revenue up until about a year ago, and his family, he says, even his own parents are always like, so when are you going to get a real job? It's like, You're not a doctor, you're not a lawyer. And he's, he's from an Indian background, I do believe. And so it's the same, it's the same thing. And it's a real thing. And it can, you can laugh about it. But it's also it's, it's a major thing of tension. And I'm sure your parents, you know, they've come around, but then they have that continued frustration and everything. And I, I'm really proud of you that you've worked it out in a way that they're proud of you. And, and I'm sure that they defend you at times when you never even know about it. And I think that's that's actually really cool. You're you're following.

You don't want to just piggyback on that point, you know, what you said about my them. It was really surprised me when I made my first short last year, I made it. That's what won me like 10 awards or something. And I made it with my vacation money from 2020. Because I did not get to vacation on in 2020. So when that was my directing debut. And now I have, yeah, I have three directing credits now. And, you know, working on my feature now, but at that time, I was remember calling my mom and I said, I think I'm a good writer, I'm a good actor, I've been making money as an actress, so that I know. And I'm a good writer, I have an audio book and everything. And I said, I'm just not sure if I'm a good director. And my mom was like, Of course you are, what are you talking about? It remember when you were 11. And you put together a show. And when you were 16, you put together another show? And I was like, wow, mother like you actually, you know. So just to just to piggyback you on how now they're proud of me. And they actually now they are, you know, they are my cheerleaders in a way.

Yeah, they're advocates of what? Yeah. So, so cool. And so now, you are now kind of marrying creativity with business, because you're coaching other people to kind of find their own journey, and to go through a lot of what you've gone through, but hopefully in a in a faster way. And without some of the heartache and some of the money that would would have gone down the drain, I suppose. Or at least that's how people would look at it. And so tell us a little bit about what you're doing now, to help other people show up.

Yeah, um, so I offer one on one coaching. It's really, because that's what I find to be most effective, and intimate. And especially I, you know, when I work with women, they they really are not just women, with my guy clients, they, they tell me about their life. And you know, one on one coaching is really what's the most effective way to and I have one on one coaching myself to, to really look into your thoughts and see what's blocking you. But what I don't do is I don't, I don't get into the details of things. Because I trust that you have the resources of whatever you want to do. And you know your stuff much better than me. So I don't offer specific advice or you know, so what I do is always to whenever they get into the details, because that's just human brains, do you get into details and see this as a problem? That is a problem. I pulled them up and I said, Okay, I just want to remind you to look at the big picture and then we go from there and then you will find the solutions. Yep.

Yeah, sometimes we need that aerial view so that we can see we can like, keep ourselves flying through to where we're headed. And other times, we find ourselves just diving down in and then we're in the nitty gritty and we don't know how to pull ourselves back up.

And especially that's true with creative business meaning either if you have a creative business or word like you are an artist. The thing is, a lot of times we give power away to strategies, like we follow the roadmaps. And that's actually what some, some people are selling those things, you know, but I'm like, Okay, you just got to understand each person is different. What I help you to do is to help you find your own personal GPS, and to help you build that ability to do that, so that you're not going to just follow random trends, and they're not knowing what to do. Because strategies can fail. A lot of times strategies do fail.

Right? Yeah. Especially when it isn't a match to the personality. And if it's not, if it doesn't have wiggle room for different personalities, you know, some some roadmaps are great because it like it, just it, it gives you the room to be you. But you kind of if you start getting off the path, you know where you're coming back, but a lot of them want you to just stay on this one path. And that's the only way or, or it's a different highway. So I totally understand that. Well, one of the ways that you can help people that are listening today is that you have something that we call a downloadable or a freebie, it's a freebie, and it's called 10 questions to quickly get you unstuck. So that sounds like a really, really good place to start people out. So we're going to put the link to that in the chat. Not in the chat. Sorry, in the show notes. We're also we're also zoom experts these days. So we will definitely put that in and, and tell us what your website is. Again, it's coaching. Oh, it's what's your name? Okay. So, so it's coaching eaching jow.com, or no? Sorry, coaching dot? Yeah, yeah. And we'll put that in the show notes because obviously the way to to spell that is probably hard for some people. And it's

really tight my name, there's a coaching tab. Also find me on Instagram because that's where you see me real like I would just show up on Instagram Rios or doing Instagram Live with zero makeup one, zero makeup on like I am right now. I'm just like, This is me, you know, and I really think that's, that's, that's empowering, especially for women, like we always show up with perfect and this hair and makeup and nails. And I'm just like, Can Can we just have a moment of being unapologetically makeup free wearing sweatshirt, but also having that spirits in us? That that the spirits are so strong? We don't even need makeup to you know, that's just speaking my

language. Because yeah, I'll, I'll just stay in my pajamas. If I can. I can't because I have to go out with my dog all the time. But yeah, it's like, it's like, just just be yourself. And I love that. And you know, that's, that's something that I really advocate is the you that you stay true to yourself that yes, you want to be a growing person. And I think that's what you do, too, is that you help people to grow. And you help them to move in the right direction and to keep moving in the right direction without taking away or making them feel like they have to change themselves. And I just totally love that. So this has been a wonderful way to get to know you what you do how you show up in the world. And what I'd love to know is if money were never an issue at all, what is your big fat hairy, audacious goal in life? And or what is the legacy that you want to leave behind?

I live a very simple life. So like I don't I never buy and I rarely buy designer stuff occasionally. Yes, I do. But it's never a thing for me, like I was just so if money were never an issue, I certainly look at that legacy. I really want to go to developing countries, third world countries, and to gather a bunch of artists to teach girls art.

That now that is an amazing goal. So I mean, that's an amazing legacy to leave. I think that's really really cool. And in the fact that you have so much grounding and you are young and and you're amazing. You are totally amazing. But I could go on and on about how amazing you are. But what I want to do is actually kind of give you the final word. Just you know anything that you want the listeners to kind of take away of who you are or what what they should do. Anything you want to say. It's all you

I see the thing about this as it changes over time, of course just like we evolve over time, and this is what my most recent thing that I all of a sudden I realized I realized said, recalling my experience as a medical student. And even I did two real surgeries on people, real people as an assistant. I understood, even at that time, that failure was to be avoided by professionals. Like if you're a doctor, if you're a lawyer, even like my dad and accountant, you need to avoid failure and repeat success. But we creatives do exactly the opposite. Our goal is to fail as often as we can, as big as we can. And we always fail forward. And it's a huge privilege that people tend to overlook. Because the, the privilege of failure is really probably one of the greatest privileges of all. And we do have that. And I just want to send that into to your audience as a reminder that we regardless of where you're at, in your journey, regardless if you're struggling financially, or dealing with some really tough issues in life, whatever that is, as long as we have the privilege to fail, we are lucky. And we need to be grateful for that.

That is so wonderful. I don't want to take away from your last word. But that's that's that's the word that I think everybody definitely needed to hear. See, we have permi ssion we can we can fail. We're not going for perfection. We're going for failing forward. Thank you so much Yiqing. This has been wonderful

Thank you. Bye.

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