Story & Lesson Highlights with Jiayan He

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Jiayan He. Check out our conversation below.

Hi Jiayan, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?
Working.

I think working often makes me feel like I’m losing track of time. Because I’m so focused on it and…it feels a bit boring.

I tried to watch some movies or just spend some time alone, probably a whole day off would be ideal for me to find myself.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Jiayan He; you may call me Henry. I’m a writer/director.

I’m currently working as a vertical-series screenwriter and sometimes working as a on-set 1st AD/script supervisor for verticals. Yeah, so, verticals are my main income, or job, or work.

In my spare time, I’m making my own film. I did a documentary shoot last year about my autistic cousin in China, and I’m working on the post-production.

Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
I recently had an experience that changed me deeply.

I believe every student, or anyone just starting their career, will eventually have a moment like this — getting completely chewed out by their boss.

Yeah, I’d never been roasted that hard in my entire life. My boss is a woman, so of course I didn’t fight back — but she shouted at me in ways I’d never experienced before. My girlfriend was standing right next to me as she accused me of not being able to afford her salary, threatened me, and screamed that I was nothing but a piece of shit.

Still, that night gave me a new perspective — it changed how I see the world.

First of all, I don’t want to be called “gracious” anymore.
After my boss went off on me, her partner and a few coworkers came to comfort me. They said I handled it with grace — because everyone knew I hadn’t done anything wrong, and she was completely drunk.
Maybe I did look “gracious” to them. It even helped me in a way — one of the partners later offered me another job.
But looking back, I regret it. I didn’t fight back because she was a woman, but there had to be another way to defend myself with dignity.
My dignity was trampled that night.
And friends — remember this — nothing matters more than your dignity and your character. Protect them with everything you have.

Since then, I’ve thought about it a lot.
She called me a privileged, rich kid who knew nothing about hardship. She said I was an ABC — an “American-born Chinese” — who didn’t understand China, and that people like me should get out of the country.
Yet, in front of a truly American-born director — someone with far more privilege than I ever had — she acted completely deferential.
The irony wasn’t lost on me.

There are many other reflections I could share, but it’s hard to put them all into words. I don’t want to sound sentimental — but that night truly changed the way I see the world.

If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
Hey, my friend. You’re wasting time — it’s me, your future self.

I just want to tell you: don’t carry any mental burden. Overthinking won’t help.

Keep wasting your time — freely, comfortably, the way you like.

Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Is the public version of you the real you?
It’s the real me — or at least, a part of the real me.

I have many sides. I don’t think I’ve ever tried to hide who I am; it’s just that sometimes, what people see is only one layer of me.

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
Working on verticals.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://henryhefilm.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jhe103/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jiayan-he-a6a3a0360/