Who is your role model?

I look up to two people. First and foremost: my mother. She worked in the music industry in a regional role, which required her to fly all over the place. She gave me a mini-MBA on how she would interact with people or how she would handle a situation.

Then, when I was 14, I attended Phillips Exeter Academy, a boarding school near Boston in the US. There I met this girl named Flora, who was a peer role model for me. She had an amazing way with people. I recall going to the dining hall for lunch and getting my food from the buffet line. I saw her sitting by herself, reading a book. So I took my tray over and sat down with her. And she said, “I just wanted to let you know that I won’t be very good company because I’m studying for an exam, but I still hope you’ll sit with me.” That kind of graceful maturity was amazing for a 14-year-old.

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What are the most rewarding and challenging parts of your job?

I love the bond that I share with my students and getting to know them on a deeper level. They are all incredibly strong women and their stories inspire me. I also enjoy redefining etiquette for people who think it’s elitist and stuffy.

The challenging part is that it drains me, because teaching from the heart involves a lot of emotions. You can probably tell that from the show. The highs are extremely high, but the lows are extremely low. Everyone has a story to tell, and everyone is going through something. So, I’m usually exhausted by the end of the day.

How did you find yourself on Netflix?

Singapore-headquartered Beach House Pictures read about me on the news and pitched my story to Netflix. I wasn’t required to pitch at all. They seemed to believe in my vision. And they agreed to let me share my method with the rest of the world.

How did you prepare for the Netflix show?

I felt like a fish out of water at the beginning of the production. I am a workaholic and I believe that success is 95 per cent based on preparations. So, from the very start, I was doing a lot of thinking and research, and taking notes. I went to bed at nine o’clock every night because I wanted to be well rested, in good shape and ready for the next day. I had no capacity for anything that was not positive in my life.

What has been your biggest achievement on this show?

I really wanted to incorporate Chinese tradition and wellness in the show because that is the setting in which I grew up. I’ve been taking Chinese traditional medicine [TCM] since I was four, not because I was unwell but because my parents believed it’s good for maintaining my health. To this day, I do acupuncture twice a week. So, it’s naturally been incorporated in my approach to life.

In Christine’s episode, I took her to tai chi. Since then, foreigners have been sending me Instagram messages saying that my show has opened their eyes to Chinese wellness and that they would like to get my recommendations for TCM doctors in their cities. On the other hand, Asians have been writing to me saying, “thank you so much for representing our culture in an elegant and cool way”.

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