Lily’s Story: I quitted the job and started my own brand

In this story, I invited my coaching client Lily Zhang to share her journey of transformation and awakening.

Before coaching, Lily was a marketing professional in a big tech company.

During the coaching process, we brainstormed together and unearthed the prototype of her own brand.

Eventually, she broke through her limitations, resigned from the big company, and established her own brand for a balanced lifestyle: Organic Feeling.

———Zoey

Hear her stories in the podcast “100 Ways to Evolution”!

Why I begin coaching with Zoey

Hello, I am Lily. I've known Zoey for a long time. Last year, my boyfriend started coaching with Zoey, and I occasionally overheard their phone conversations. At that time, I knew about coaching but didn't delve deeply into it. At the end of the year, Zoey organized a 2022 review session, and my boyfriend invited me to join.

During this review session, I realized for the first time that coaching conversations could be incredibly helpful and also met many other coachees. Zoey provided many insightful perspectives, and since she also works in marketing, we spoke the same language, which made me trust her judgment on career choices even more. This led me to start long-term coaching with Zoey, which has now been going on for over half a year.

Last year was particularly challenging for me, both professionally and personally. I found coaching to be an indispensable part of my life during these times. It's a form of self-exploration and a support system that helps maintain emotional and mental stability. It's also a way to see ourselves more clearly and look towards the future, because understanding ourselves is the driving force behind our creativity.

When to Resign? "Your Heart Will Know"

The coaching process with Zoey was a journey of gradual deepening. The first enlightenment I gained from her coaching was to make choices with my heart, not my brain. This was where I was stuck before deciding to resign and pursue things I was interested in and passionate about.

After completing my master's degree in the UK, I returned to work in Shenzhen. The first two years were marked by a state of intense ambition, driven by the belief that, having attended one of the world's top business schools, I had to be the best. In my third year, I encountered challenges that couldn't be overcome by sheer effort, leading to much self-criticism and self-doubt.

I started to think: I can't do this, I'm not capable. Yet, I pretended to be competent because I didn't want to admit my shortcomings. This created a significant mental block for me. I also began to develop fears - fear of authority, of being challenged, and of strict hierarchical structures. This fear felt like stones weighing down on my heart.

This prompted me to look inward more deeply, and I slowly realized that I might not be well-suited to a high-pressure, standardized, and mechanized system. I remember discussing this topic several times with Zoey during our coaching sessions.

One of these sessions involved a photo therapy exercise. I remember one of the pictures was of a cage. Zoey asked me what I saw. I said I saw a bird in a cage, wanting to fly but unable to. What about the darkness? She asked. There could be countless cages, trapping countless birds, creating an overwhelming sense of powerlessness.

After that session, I became more aware of my current state and feelings. In the last coaching session before I resigned, I asked Zoey when I could leave. At that time, I felt I couldn't bear it any longer, but I was also afraid of leaving the company and not being able to make money. My mind was in turmoil, constantly weighing options. Zoey then said: Follow your heart, and it will tell you when you can leave.

I trusted Zoey's words deeply. In coaching, I wasn't looking for a definite answer, but I trusted every coaching question and word from Zoey because I knew she could see deeply into me. My coach was like a living mirror. It felt like suddenly having a powerful GPS or a voice from beyond telling me, "Lily, you'll know soon." I believed her. If she said I would know soon, then I would.

The Story of Establishing the Brand: “It's Not About the Product, But How You Present It”

One day in April, before I had resigned but was preparing to go to Bali for a vacation, I had a coaching conversation with Zoey. She asked, "What do you want to create during this journey? What new possibilities do you see?"

We brainstormed, and some magic moments emerged. Zoey mentioned how I once introduced a sage purification product to her while wearing a robe, which had a strong sense of energy. She said, "It's important that Lily is recommending it, not how good the product is."

This was a significant insight for me. I thought about seeking out things that are full of natural inspiration, very 'Lily', and incorporating them into the brand. With this great insight from Zoey, I set off for Bali.

In Bali, I visited many places but couldn't find what was very 'Lily', what kind of lifestyle I wanted to represent. Until the last day of the trip, I went to a brand collection store at the southern end of Bali with a friend. There was a row of essential oils on the shelves. I found them more special than any I had encountered before.

I said to my friend, "Should we buy some?" My friend, who is in e-commerce, then had a great idea: "Why don't we contact the brand and bring it to China as a channel?"

That night, after getting the essential oils, I went back to the hotel, took photos, wrote copy, and posted on social media. Everything sold out in one night, which was beyond my expectations. My friend and I excitedly thought this could really work. It seemed like we had triggered something. So she contacted the brand on Instagram, and they said, "Let's have a video call tomorrow morning."

The next morning, the person on the other end of the phone was an Indonesian girl our age, who had also established her brand during the pandemic. She was excited too, saying, "We have never entered the Chinese market before, so let's give it a try." We immediately hit it off, marking the small beginning of the Organic Feeling brand's entrepreneurial story. Then we returned to China, shipped products, and made packaging. About a month later, I resigned.

Unleashing the Source of Vitality: “Are You Willing to Take Your Spiky Self for a Walk?”

I used to have many inauthentic aspects about myself. I always pretended to be hardworking, ambitious, and obedient, hoping to gain some benefits. This stemmed from the oppression in my patriarchal family. If I didn't listen to my father, he would get very angry, and I wouldn't have a home to return to; the family would not want me.

Over time, this led to my behavior of never daring to disobey. I had to study hard to be recognized by others. I had to work hard to possibly gain my superiors' recognition.

During one coaching session with Zoey, we discovered something interesting – Lily's inner anger. Why was there so much anger, so much cynicism? Digging deeper, we found that Lily had a secret room in her heart, housing a spiky, somewhat fierce yet funny and cute character. It was curious and mischievous.

Zoey asked, "What does the spiky self want to say to you? Does it want to come out? Are you willing to take it to work?" I shook my head frantically: No way, that's too scary! Imagine bringing it to work!

Zoey asked again, "What about taking it out when you travel?”. I thought, "I can try that."

One night, riding on an electric scooter with my boyfriend, I was sitting behind him on a steep slope in a park. The night breeze was incredibly comfortable and gentle, and the park was almost empty. Suddenly, I spread my arms wide and screamed loudly!

Later, passing through a park where someone was urinating, I started speaking in the spiky self's tone: "No peeing here! Hahaha." Through these somewhat abnormal and crazy behaviors, I released the spiky self and encountered my truest self and life force.

I thought of a metaphor. When we are born, we come with a precious sword. As we grow, this sword gets hidden under the bed at home. We bring a bunch of short knives from school; in college, we learn to use bigger machetes; at work, we are supplied with handguns. Suddenly, we feel heavily armed and powerful.

But then we realize we are uncomfortable using these weapons. We look formidable, but why do we still feel something's missing inside? It's because we haven't achieved unity with the weapon, so we are still weak and unable to defeat the monsters outside.

That's when we remember the sword that has been with us since birth. When we clean off the dust and pull it out, we feel our truest selves. Lastly, I want to share a quote: "The world needs more people to come alive. This is how we spend our life, not just exist, but live it.”

——Lily Zhang

This is a hero's journey of facing one's true self. I am truly grateful to Lily for being willing to share her vulnerable side here. I believe that stories can infect people, empower them, and awaken actions.

I also thank Lily for her trust. When we have a very trusting coaching relationship, it can really produce wonderful and highly creative results. I believe this is the same in both coaching and interpersonal relationships. When a coach believes in the essence of a person, believing in their inherent life force, we can inspire more lives to embark on the path of self-awakening.

You cannot chase the trends that are not true to yourself; you can only become the person you truly are. The coaching process is like peeling an onion. In the process of growth, we gradually impose many shackles and burdens upon ourselves. When we strip away the external hustle and bustle, we find that the inner truth is invincible. I hope that through our transformation story, everyone can face themselves truthfully, both their highlights and their struggles, and have more energy in the future to pursue the life they want.

——Zoey