Podcasts

  Listen to Matthew Brennan, the author of "Attention Factory: The Story of TikTok and China's ByteDance" and the founder of China Channel share his insights on the ByteDance ecosystem and their attention-grabbing products such as TikTok, Douyin and Toutiao. ByteDance is a multinational inter...

  In this episode of Digital China, Ashley speaks with Adam Livermore, the equity partner from Dezan Shira & Associates about Human Resources in China and how to do it right. You'll learn everything from how to hire, manage and let go of your staff in China. China is a complex system when...

  Video is the name of the [marketing+ e-commerce] game in China today. So, how do you create great videos for Douyin, Bilibili and Kuaishou? How to work with creators to get results? All these and more can be found in Ashley’s interview with Will August, China’s first Up主 (video KOL) wi...

  This episode of Digital China welcomes guest Kristina Koehler-Coluccia, Head of Business Advisory at Woodburn Accountants & Advisors. Listen to Ashley and Kristina cover topics such as how to structure your business in China? How much taxes will you pay? What shall you know about hiring...

  2020 is a year of crisis with global ramifications, but guest Erwan Rambourg was on this episode of Digital China to share his optimistic stance on not just the Chinese luxury consumption but also the next 10 years for the luxury sector. Many trends that were necessary and visible in the lux...

  It is interesting to see how much China has evolved in the past 20 years. While some of the tech companies in China started off somewhat as copycats and came up with local versions of Facebook and Twitter, we also see lots of innovations and adaptations to the local market. Many tech compani...

  Entrepreneurship is being embraced by young people in China. They are not only located in vibrant cities like Shenzhen, Beijing, Shanghai but also in Hangzhou, Nanjing, Chengdu, Chongqing and even second or third tier cities. It’s exciting to see the entrepreneurial culture being ingrained...

  Male beauty and skincare is one of China’s fastest-growing consumer product segments in 2020. It's expected to reach over US$166 billion by 2022. Tmall even calls these few years the “Male Beauty Era” in China. The total number of Chinese men who are buying personal-care products...

  WeChat was launched in 2011 as a free instant messaging app from Tencent, but steadily grew and continuously added functions that were far beyond the usual scope of simple text and call apps. As the most used app and the most popular social communication platform in China, WeChat has penet...

  Bilibili, also known as B站, is a Chinese video sharing website based in Shanghai, themed around animation, comic, and games (ACG). Bilibili is known for its bullet screen function, where users can submit, view and add overlaid commentary on videos. Bilibili hosts videos in various fi...

AliExpress is an online retail service launched in 2010 by Alibaba Group that initially offered Chinese products to international online buyers. It now facilitates small businesses from around the globe to sell to customers all over the world. Now, it's the most visited e-commerce website in Russia...

Kuaishou, also known as Kwai outside China, is one of China’s hottest video-sharing and live-streaming apps. It allows users to create short-videos to share and record their lives freely, from fishing to squaring dancing, by live-streaming themselves and communicating with fans. Kuaishou digs deep...

Toutiao is an information and news aggregating platform as well as a search engine. Users can search for content they are interested in and subscribe to their favorite channels. It can also analyze a user’s interests based on the past search enquiries and make personalized recommendations. Up to J...

What's US-China trade war all about? Will Chinese consumers start rejecting American brands as US-China tensions escalate? What's the future of Hong Kong? How to do business in China in 2020. These and much more in my interview with the amazing Daniel Dumbrill, the founder of Taps Brewpub in Shenzhe...

Kuaishou, also known as Kwai outside China, is one of China’s hottest video-sharing and live-streaming apps. It allows users to create short-videos to share and record their lives freely, from fishing to squaring dancing, by live-streaming themselves and communicating with fans. Kuaishou digs deep...

Will Chinese consumers start rejecting American brands as US-China tensions escalate? What Alibaba, JD and Pinduoduo have to offer when it comes to the new retail? What’s the best platforms to sell luxury products online in China? Why PDD is still a limited play for foreign brands in China, and ho...

As one of the most popular social media platforms, Red, or Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book) combines community and e-commerce. As of October 2019, Red’s monthly active users exceeded 100 million. The majority of its users are 25-35 years old and have strong purchasing power. This shopping and sharing...

Zhihu is a Chinese-language Q&A platform where questions are created, answered, edited and organized by the community of its users. It is China’s largest Q&A platform with over 1 million registered users. Unlike other social networking platforms, Zhihu is committed to building a high-end Q...

Weibo means microblog in Chinese. It was launched in 2009 and quickly became popular. By the end of 2019, Weibo had 516 million monthly active users, 222 million daily active users who are widely distributed with more than half living in Tier 3 and Tier 4 cities. 78% of regular Weibo users are well...

Douyin, also known as TikTok outside of China, is a video-sharing social media platform launched by ByteDance in 2017. It’s also one of the most downloaded apps in the world and it’s famous for the massive number of creative, fun short videos its users create. Some popular video categories inclu...

Are marketers still chasing social media metrics in China instead of building genuine connections with their followers? This and much more in my interview with Alex Duncan from KAWO....

Shall you really adapt your product to the China market, or is it good as is? Why is it a good idea to visit your Chinese customer homes? This and much more in my chat with Elaine Ann from Kaizor Innovation today....

Can a brand really manage their Douyin presence well, or shall they only go for bloggers and KOLs? How does Douyin algorithm really work? Are content creators really happy with the current set up, and why is it hard to convince big bloggers to sell for you on Douyin. This and much more in my chat wi...

Did you know that Sina actually started as a spots blog in China? Do you also think that Weibo's pushing hard for its second boom these days? What sports are Chinese most fond of, and how to use this opportunity to create and sell more relevant products?...

What's in a name? Apparently in China a lot is in a name. So much is coded directly in Chinese culture and understanding this culture is crucial for business people....

How cashless is life in China, really? Is China’s techfin globalising? What are the major fintech initiatives in China during covid19? Today I’m with Yassine Regragui talking about all these and much more....

How fast is e-commerce rebounding in China post covid10? What’s a better platform for selling online in China Tmall or JD?  Who shall NOT open stores in China right now. Today I’m with Josh Gardner talking about all these and much more....

What’s the difference between influencer, micro KOLs and KOCs?  How to build and leverage private pools? What’s in store for influencer marketing in China in 2020 post Covid19? Today I’m with Folke Engholm talking about all these and much more....

How’s Tencent going global with its cloud services?  Is Europe ready for the New Retail? How does it really feel working for one of China’s largest tech giants?  Today I’m with Markus Kuhlo from Tencent talking about all these and much more....

How JD stepped up during coronavirus outbreak in China? What’s next for China’s largest online retailer? Are Chinese consumers becoming ‘greener’ post covid19?  Today I’m with Ella Kidron from JD talking about all these and much more....

Is China’s ecommerce live-streaming just a shiny new toy or is it here to stay? Why are brands the only loosing side in the whole ecommerce live-streaming business? Today I’m with Elijah Whaley talking about all these and much more....

What’s Pinduoduo doing to adjust to China’s new realities post coronavirus? Why and how Pinduoduo raised $US 1.1 billion in a private share placement last week? What’s social e-commerce really like in China? Today I’m with Ada Yang from Pinduoduo talking about all these and much more....

Do western brands still have cross border opportunities in 2020? What’ kind of brands is Alibaba global team looking for right now to bring to China? Today I’m with Chloe Goncalves from Tmall Global, Alibaba talking about all these and much more....

What are the top mega trends to watch out for from China and Asia post-covid19? Do Asian consumers really care about brands, or do they just want better products? Today I’m with Jeffrey Towson talking about all these and much more....

How are Chinese startups responding to corona? What and how can foreign businesses learn from mainland in 2020?  Today I’m with Jan Smejkal talking about all these and much more....

Is there still hope for Hong Kong? After months of social unrest, dying tourism and now Covid19 - how will it all effect the life and business in the Fragrant Harbour?  Today I’m with Napoleon Biggs 拿破崙 talking about all these and much more....

Do Chinese consumers prefer Chinese brands over foreign ones post coronavirus? How does China’s new normal look like? Will we see even more tech innovation, domestic tourism and stronger local brands coming out of China as a result of this corona virus outbreak?  Today I’m with Shaun Rein talki...

Do you also feel frustrated how the Chinese (and often times the entire Asian) community is now being discriminated amidst the coronavirus outbreak? Today I'm with Lauren Hallanan talking about it....

Who are the TOP 3 Chinese consumer groups we need to watch amidst/post COVID-19? Are Chinese consumer preferences and journeys shifting massive or just subtly? These and more in my chat with an outstanding Jerry Clode....

As China starts its business recovery this week, shall brands invest in sales campaigns? Will the world see Chinese tourists and international students this year? This and more in my chat with the amazing Arnold Ma....

Is life getting back to normal across China?  Here's my chat with Artem Zhdanov all the way from Shanghai talking about what's up in China's wealthiest city.  We've also covered the new 'no-foreigner policy' local businesses introduced and other post-corona recovery topics....

Is Europe ready to adjust and digitalise swiftly amidst Coronavirus outbreak? Here's an interesting take from Alberto Antinucci reporting today all the way from Italy. What's your take on this?...

Today I've invited Erik Cheong to be my guest on the AshleyTalks podcast. Eric is a co-founder of Park N Parcel and had the honour of being named as one of Forbes Asia's 30 under 30. In this episode we'll talk about entrepreneurship, e-commerce and partnerships with Alibaba and Taobao. Eric will tal...

Today I have phenomenal guest Keyis Ng. Keyis had the honour of being on the Forbes 30 under 30 list and he's the CEO and Co-founder of Cafebond.com, Asia’s largest specialty coffee bean e-commence marketplace. We’ll talk about defining yourself and your company and Keyis will also share his opi...

Today I’ve invited the founder and CEO of Cosmose, Miron Mironiuk to be my guest on the Ashley Talks Podcast. Miron was recently recognized in Forbes' 30 under 30 list and as one of the Financial Times New Europe 100 Challengers in 2017. Miron specializes in AI with a major focus on customer relat...

In today’s podcast, I have the phenomenal Galit Ventura Rozen. Galit is a professional speaker, business performance expert, entrepreneur, and the author of the book, «The Successful Woman's Mindset». In this episode, we'll talk about female leadership, empowerment, and successful mindsets in th...

Today my guest is the director of Bridge to China, John Zhang. John helps international businesses set up their legal presence in China. In this episode, we'll talk about changes in the process for foreigners who want to register companies. John will also share his opinion on market opportunities an...

Today my guest is the amazing Chenchao Liu. Chenchao is a China Healthcare expert, keynote speaker and participant in the World Economic Forum. Healthcare is quite a wide topic and includes many spheres, so in this podcast we'll focus on recent trends like 3-D printed hearts and how medical innovati...

In today’s podcast, Tim Hamons will talk about his passion to bring individuals and teams to higher levels of awareness and performance through innovative thinking and tools. Tim is a visual facilitator, speaker and trainer. He uses live sketching and drawing to build interactive storytelling. He...

Do you want to hear from a very accomplished young Australian entrepreneur? My guest for today’s AshleyTalks Podcast, Caitlin Figueiredo, is one of Australia's 100 Most Influential Women and an Obama White House Changemaker for Gender Equality. Caitlin has also been included in the Forbes 30 Unde...

Esports are booming in Asia. Want to know more about them? Check out today’s AshleyTalks podcast with guest, Derek Cheung, founder of Hong Kong Esports (HKES). Recognized as one of Forbes's 30 Under 30 entrepreneurs in Asia, he sees huge potential in the Esports industry. Derek has a vision of Hon...

All of us have heard about the importance of being a go-getter. But what about making this your own brand? In today’s Ashley Talks episode, I speak with The Go-Getter Girl herself, Shinjini Das. She's the CEO and Founder at Das Media Group, an empowering media production agency. She's also an engi...

Is tech entrepreneurship something you’re interested in? I’ll be speaking with the amazing Jenny Guo. She’s the co-founder of LumiereVR, a company which uses VR to make films. Supported by HTC Vive China and Techstars, in 2016 her company was in the top 10 VR projects in China. She’s also re...

Renee Wang is today’s guest on the AshleyTalks Podcast. She’s the founder and CEO of award-winning global podcast platform Castbox. Previously she was a global app monetization expert and worked in user acquisition and publisher engagement at Google. Don’t forget to tune in to hear her inspiri...

This week we speak with the amazing Akash Karia. He's a global keynote speaker who helps teams increase their influence and a good friend of mine who taught me the ins and outs of Amazon publishing and marketing. He's also a three-time #1 most popular business author on Amazon. In this episode, we'...

If you’re into AI technology, investing, tech opportunities and startups across Asia, don’t miss this episode of AshleyTalks Podcasts. My guest is Tak Lo, an influential entrepreneur and investor in Asia. He is a Partner at Zeroth, an AI-focused early stage funding program. Previously he was Dir...

My guest today is Natalie Kyriacou, an inspirational leader and influencer on Green Initiatives and youth education on wildlife. Natalie is recognised in Forbes 30 under 30, also being the founder of ‘My Green World’ and Creator of ‘World of the Wild’ app. In this episode, we speak about wom...

Did you know that 17% of all migrant workers worldwide live in China and South-East Asia? If you’re interested in social entrepreneurship,on AshleyTalks episode 22 I’m tallking talking to my amazing guest Scott Stiles. Recognised as a ‘Forbes 30 under 30’ social entrepreneur in Asia, he’s...

Today my guest is Edith Yeung, a remarkable investor and partner at 500 Startups. In 2016, she was selected by Inc. magazine as one of the Silicon Valley investors you need to know. In this episode, we'll talk about tech investments and hear her stories from the business and startup world. Check out...

Benjamin Joffe is an angel investor to dozens of startups. He’s lived in Asia since 2000 and seen the huge tech changes in Japan, Korea and China. Benjamin is also a guest writer for Forbes, TechCrunch, Tech in Asia and many others. Check out more in the podcast! Podcast highlights: T11:15 If...

Olga Oleinikova a is a co-founder and the CEO of Persollo, the world's first omnichannel instant checkout platform. Now Persollo powers more than 800 e-boutiques across 16 countries and in 2018, Olga was included in Forbes 30 under 30 in the e-commerce and retail category. Some podcast highlights...

Ankit Prasad is one of the founders and the CEO of Bobble Keyboard and is in Forbes' Asia 30 Under 30 class of 2018. At the age of 6, Ankit wrote his first program and by the age of 16, he had made his first technology startup profitable. Ankit is the founder of Bobble Keyboard, the world's most vir...

Jasen is a robotics enthusiast. In 2013 Jasen founded Makeblock Co.,Ltd. , a leading STEAM education solution provider. He and Ashley talk about entrepreneurship in China and technology in Episode 17. Some Podcast Highlights T00:55 Tell us more about Makeblock -- It's a company whose aim is to h...

Do you want to know more about programming from a female tech entrepreneur? Fransiska Hadiwidjana is a tech entrepreneur who made Forbes' 30 under 30 Asia list for 2018. In 2012 she won a scholarship to Singularity University at NASA Research Park in Silicon Valley and went on to become the found...

Amy Blaschka is a writer, brand strategist and popular storytellers on social media. In less than a year, her LinkedIn videos and other content have garnered nearly 3 million views. In Episode 15, Amy will share her best tips on how to be a good writer and build your reputation as a thought leader....

In Episode 14, Ashley interviewed Sam Waldo, co-founder And CEO of Mantra, an eyewear brand whose mission is to provide vision care for under-resourced rural Chinese students. Sam helped establish and grow Education In Sight, a non-profit organisation which to date has conducted over 170,000 free e...

The guest of Episode 13 is an outstanding Indian lady Nabomita Mazumdar. Nabomita was named to the “100 Women Achievers in India” list. She’ll share how she found her passion and became one of the most prominent voices for the empowerment of women and children in India. Podcast highlights:...

One of the “Top Voices” on LinkedIn, String Nguyen, is joining Episode 12. She created the first B2B video channel on LinkedIn and was a producer for the award-winning Snapchat channel “Women In Tech”. She'll talk about video production for social media and share how she grew her follower ba...

How does China maintain its spot as the manufacturing hub of the world? In Episode 11, Ashley interviewed Case Engelen, CEO of Titoma. Case has been living in Taiwan and Mainland China since 1994 and has a lot of experience in China’s manufacturing industry. If you want to understand the manuf...

The fantastic business strategist Dan Waldschmidt is on Episode 10 of the Ashley Talks podcast. He's an international bestselling author, speaker and business coach who's obsessed with success. The Wall Street Journal praised his blog as one of the most influential in sales and business. He'll share...

Want to become a global speaker? In Episode 9, Fredrik Haren and Ashley will talk about the art of public speaking. Fredrik is an author and keynote speaker on business creativity, change and global business. Check it out if you want to know more about the concept of "Inner Theme" and how to be a...

Want to know more about female entrepreneurship in China? In Episode 8, Virginia Tan, the co-founder and president of Lean In China, and Ashley will talk about female entrepreneurship in China and how it's different from the West. Check it out to learn more about how the business community is emp...

In episode 7, globetrotting psychologist Owen Fitzpatrick and Ashley talk about the keys of influence, effective storytelling and leadership. Check it out to learn how to engage with clients and be a good storyteller. Podcast highlights: T06:45 What’s NLP? Critics call it an evil cult, but O...

Linkedin Master Chris J is on Episode 6 of the AshleyTalks Podcast. Want to know how to build an Official Linkedin Power Profile with almost 500 recommendations? Get exclusive tips in the podcast. Podcast highlights: T09:13 Why is Linkedin so important for business owners? T32:14 The elusive Li...

How to connect with great people like Richard Branson and Brian Tracy? Get tips in Episode 5, where networking expert Gil Petersil will talk about his success and passion and share exciting stories of connecting with giants. You’ll learn about his new code of networking which I'm sure will be e...

Podcast highlights: [00:50] A first look at Ashley Galina Dudarenok's new book about China: Unlocking the World's Largest E-Market [16:30] Different Chinese mobile payments systems and how embedded they are in day-to-day life. Will China become the world's first cashless society? [42:50] What are...