Daily Inspiration: Meet Jiaan Shen

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jiaan Shen

Hi Jiaan, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am Jiaan Shen, also known as 杰拉米 (Jeremy). I was born in a small town in Zhejiang Province and was raised in Shanghai. I left China to study in the United States at the age of 19. In 2018, at the age of 23, I returned to China and began my career as a content creator in 2020. Now I am in the United States again for further career development.

I published my first video on my birthday, July 11, on the Douyin platform, gaining over 8,000 followers overnight. By the end of 2020, I had accumulated a follower base of 300,000 with fewer than 10 videos published. As of March 2024, my total number of followers has surpassed two million across four Chinese social media platforms (Douyin, Xiaohongshu, WeChat, Bilibili), and my total video views have exceeded 400 million.

Before embarking on my creative career, I majored in business and had multiple entrepreneurial ventures starting at the age of 17. These ventures included merchandise trading, tattoo removal, and an online Mandarin school. I also worked for myself as a stock and options trader for about a year.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Being an influencer requires a strong mind and a strong heart. It has been a struggle to balance what I want to express with what the audience wants to hear. I have had to sacrifice my own voice and expression to meet market needs. There have also been many hardships that dampened my passion for creation, such as poor content performance data, internet censorship, online abuse, and decrease in followers. I experienced severe anxiety along this path, even to the point where I quit social media and content creation for almost a year.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a so-called trailblazer in the realm of awakening content, which encompasses positivity, inspiration, uplifting messages, and enlightenment. The core themes of my content revolve around confidence, freedom, and the meaning of life. Unlike American culture, Chinese culture often lacks individualism, with many young people struggling to live their own lives and find their passions. Instead, they frequently conform to the expectations of family and society.

My content aims to liberate these minds, particularly the youth who are confused or depressed, bringing light into their darkness. I seek to inspire and affirm those already on the path to fulfilling their life purposes. This mission goes beyond my own self-realization; I have become a mentor and life coach for millions of young people in China.

So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
A content creator usually operates as a “one-man team”, handling everything from idea generation to publishing videos on various platforms as part of our individual work. My job and mission is to serve people and the world with my passions and insights, at this point I would appreciate to have positive and constructive feedback from the people I’ve reached. Let us make this world a better place!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.douyin.com/user/MS4wLjABAAAA-jYKslzpqEMwf2mn_2jbrV1gEZTeAaCFsveHsiACBN8
• Instagram: Jeremy_Eternity

Image Credits
杰拉米Jeremy