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Women-Owned Business Series: Ran from Boba Bear Bilingual

Welcome back to our Women-Owned Business Series! To kick off the new year, we’re highlighting Ran from Boba Bear Bilingual, a book series that aims to introduce children to various cultures and languages. Read on to learn about Ran’s journey and the value of cultural diversity on your bookshelves.

First, tell us about your business and anything special we should know about it or you.

Hi there! I’m the founder and author of Boba Bear Bilingual, a bilingual book series featuring a bear cub named Boba Bear. The idea of Boba Bear started when I was pregnant with my daughter, and looking to fill her bookshelf with books that represented all different kinds of languages and cultures. I was surprised at the lack of the amount of them in the market, so sought to be the change I wanted to see in the world! Two years later, Boba Bear Bilingual was born!

Why do you feel a connection to your work?

I helped big brands sell goods for the first half of my career and the work was very unrewarding. Now, These books are in many ways a love letter to my daughter, Lily. I wanted to create relatable and engaging learning books that make reading a fun experience for both parents and children, in hopes that multicultural kids like Lily can find joy and take pride in seeing books on the shelves that celebrate their culture and language.

As a business owner, community is everything. In what ways do you serve your community and how has your community served you?

One of my big goals for Boba Bear is to donate as many as possible to local public libraries. We just launched this week, and are already in the process of getting the books into local libraries in the NJ/NY area!

What advice would you give to young women who want to start a small business?

You miss 100% of the shots you don’t go for. While we’re always wanting to perfect every plan before we set out and do it, sometimes not all the pieces need to be in place before you just go and do it. Life is short, take changes, believe in yourself and your ideas, go for it, and learn along the way!

What women inspire you and why?

My mother (and all mothers!) is my inspiration. Her and my father immigrated from China to the US without knowing anyone nor speaking any English, mainly so that I could have a better life. She’s been intentional about letting me explore the world growing up, embraced curiosities, and teach me the magic of culture and language that I hope to pass onto my daughter too. My ventures would not be possible without her help, encouragement, and support along the way.

What do you think are the most significant challenges for women business owners or women in leadership positions?

Oh gosh, they are many and varied. I think the biggest thing is mindset.

Often times I think we get in our own heads. As women, we tend to be hard on ourselves, and overthink many thinks due to our empathetic nature. Sometimes we need to overcome ourselves to then be the best and most confident version of ourselves.

Click here to learn more about Ran and shop all things Boba Bear!

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