Zhou, a Booth alumna and entrepreneur in Beijing’s entertainment industry, shares a few of the things that bring her joy in life.
- By
- May 21, 2025
- APAC
Jean Zhou’s 10 Favorite Things
Jean Zhou, MBA ’16, is founder, CEO, chief producer, and writer at Wind Entertainment, a Chinese media company based in Beijing. Growing up in Zhangjiajie, a mountainous town in China, Zhou loved TV, though her journey to the entertainment world was anything but linear.
She earned a degree in accounting and finance from Indiana University and worked as a financial analyst before graduating from the Full-Time MBA Program at Booth with a concentration in entrepreneurship. She started Wind Entertainment in 2019. Since then, she has written numerous books and scripts, and produced movies and TV series that have won accolades in dozens of countries.
“Life is a story to make go as you want,” she says. “The most important thing is to enjoy it.” Here, Zhou shares some of the things she enjoys in life.
Walking
I don’t like to go to fitness centers, so I sometimes walk outside to accumulate steps. When the weather is good, I can walk in a park for three hours straight. Or I may head to SKP Beijing, which is said to be the busiest shopping destination in the world. One can browse luxury goods or buy groceries—it has everything, and it’s very close to home for me.
TV Shows—Most Any!
I love watching all genres—romance, revenge, crime, you name it. I would get fully immersed in shows like Sex and the City, Desperate Housewives, and Bones back when they came out. I currently unwind with Rock & Roast, a popular stand-up comedy competition series. The jokes are very specific to Chinese culture and always spot-on, whether about pressure from parents to marry, or ways the economic downturn has changed people’s lives.
Spicy Food
I love food and eating out—the spicier, the better. I recently discovered chili ice cream at Rong Pao. The chef there is known for his sophisticated use of heat, including chilies and Szechuan pepper.
Chinese Literature
My favorite writers of fiction include traditional Chinese authors such as Wu Cheng’en, who wrote Journey to the West, a fantasy novel about a monkey king. It’s a wonderful commentary on the society of its time and expresses emotions in a most poetic way. It’s important to experience different kinds of lives, and one way I do this is through books.
Going Home
I return to Zhangjiajie for every Spring Festival, and we have a family reunion. On the eve of the festival, 25 or so people gather at my grandmother’s house, including my three aunts and five uncles.
Wisdom from Investing Greats
As an entrepreneur, I loved reading the biography The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life. I’ve also enjoyed Principles by investor Ray Dalio and Charlie Munger’s talks at Berkshire Hathaway’s annual meetings during his time there, from 1978 until his death in 2023.
Taking a Spa Day
When I’m in the mood for some self-care, I head to the town of Xiaotangshan in the north of Beijing for its natural hot springs.
Natural hot springs in Xiaotangshan where Zhou enjoys taking a spa day
Role-Playing Games
When I was in America, I was hooked on RPGs. I once played Black Myth: Wukong for 40 hours nonstop until I reached the end. By then, I’d started seeing everything in black and white, literally, and had eaten a small mountain of Ferrero Rochers to keep myself going. To this day, I still play video games, Diablo being one.
The 798 Art Zone
Every week, I walk over to the Beijing art district and immerse myself in paintings on Asian themes, especially ancient ones. I like to go with friends who have studied art, so as to really understand what I’m viewing. This helps me learn things that I can use as background in my scripts or as a setting for a story. Art is indispensable to what I create.
Listening to Interesting Conversations
I love to know about people who have the courage to change, to step out of their comfort zone. I like to listen to podcasts, such as Chief Change Officer, about these people. I also enjoy the long-running talk show Yang Lan One on One for a similar reason. It’s hosted by journalist Yang Lan, who interviews leading figures from around the world.
The art district in Beijing that Zhou enjoys visiting with friends who studied art
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