#400 Jean Zhou: Flipping the Script—From Spreadsheets to Storytelling

Jean Zhou’s journey defies every linear career chart.  After starting in accounting and dabbling in venture capital, she found herself chasing something spreadsheets couldn’t capture—emotion. That led to Wind Entertainment, a bold bet on storytelling rooted in sociology, psychology, and a lifelong obsession with television. In this episode, Jean reveals the early frustrations that sparked her producer dreams, why she believes storytelling is a survival skill, and how her sociology background became the secret sauce to building character-driven dramas that resonate worldwide.  This is the story of how data met drama—and lost. Key Highlights of Our Interview: How Bedtime Curfews Sparked a Creative Fire “Growing up, I had to go to bed at 9 p.m. while TV programs ran until 10. It wasn’t fair—and it burned into my brain. One day, I wanted to be the person who decided how stories end.” From Sociologist to Storyteller “Sociology gave me a backstage pass into human behavior. Understanding people—not just markets—is what powers great storytelling. It’s my foundation, even in business.” Wind Entertainment: Building Stories That Travel “In 2019, I launched Wind Entertainment to nurture writers. By 2020, we were producing our first TV drama. That show, The Starry Love, aired on four stations and sold in over 30 countries.” Why AI Can’t Write Your Script “AI summarizes the past. It can’t write to surprise, or break molds. A drama needs rhythm, tension, and emotion tailored to the buyer—it’s art, not automation.” Finding the Market in Emotion “In venture capital, I was taught to find value through data. In storytelling, I learned to find it through emotion. A great script isn’t just written—it’s felt.” _________________________ Connect with us: Host: Vince Chan | Guest: Jean Zhou   --Chief Change Officer-- Change Ambitiously. Outgrow Yourself. Open a World of Expansive Human Intelligence for Transformation Gurus, Black Sheep, Unsung Visionaries & Bold Hearts. EdTech Leadership Awards 2025 Finalist. 20 Million+ All-Time Downloads. 80+ Countries Reached Daily. Global Top 1% Podcast. Top 5 US Business. Top 1 US Careers. >>>180,000+ are outgrowing. Act Today.<<< See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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What’s Stopping You from Outgrowing Yourself? Change Ambitiously. Outgrow Yourself. Chief Change Officer isn’t just another podcast. It ranks in the Top 3% globally, hit #1 in Careers (US), and cracked the Top 10 in Business (US)—because it offers what others don’t: expansive human intelligence, shared by the world’s most extraordinary thinkers and doers. This is the space for transformation gurus, bold hearts, black sheep, and unsung visionaries. We go beyond digitized tips and AI-smooth talk. Here, you get real, time-tested, experience-driven wisdom—the kind that blends logic and love, art and science, hindsight and foresight. For me, this show marks career transition #18. Across 17 transitions, I’ve been mentored by global changemakers who helped me emerge stronger and freer. Now, I’m passing that power forward—through raw, unfiltered conversations with extraordinary people across cultures, industries, and identities. If you’re a growth progressive, a black horse, a visionary underdog, or someone boldly rewriting the rules—you’re already one of us. Because you are the Chief Change Officer. Our mission? To help you become wiser in action, clearer in thought, and more ambitious in motion—so you can outgrow yourself and unlock outcomes beyond imagination or calculation. A better you is already unfolding. 130,000+ followers are outgrowing. Join them on LinkedIn, Apple, Spotify, and YouTube @chiefchangeofficer.