The hustle and bustle of China

When you run a business like mine, you have to be aware of what is going happening ‘on the other side of the world’.  Such is my daily headache, because my retail buyers want to know that our quality products are being designed, manufactured and delivered, on time, to their outlets and online warehouses around the globe.

I have a great cadre of suppliers, with strong relationships that stretch back over the years.  We have learned to communicate at odd hours, on a variety of platforms, but there is nothing that beats a ‘face to face’ meeting (despite my lack of ability to converse in Mandarin).  Many of my key contacts speak and write excellent English, and they are learning my body language quickly, when I am not satisfied with an answer.

It’s a long flight to Shanghai, and I do have to work myself up for these quarterly trips to the garment factories that supply Forever Fit Jeans.  I plan well in advance, knowing that my Chinese hosts like to work long hours, and even Saturdays, to keep their export clients happy.  While there are plenty of opportunities for hospitality and tourism, I usually try to get the most out of my time in the country focused on business, which means plenty of late nights, and then time spent catching up back home.  I try to eat well and stay hydrated (bottled water only!), because I don’t want to be sick on the long flight home.  At 16+ hours, there’s plenty of time to catch up on my sleep.

As much as the trips can be draining, they also give me great energy – to know this hustle leads me to such interesting people and places. 

Got to go. It’s boarding time!