Q&A

img_2250有許多人用email問我問題,問的問題都非常好,我真的認為問的問題本身就是值得大家分享的問題,因此我決定歡迎大家在這裡多多利用Q&A來問問題。

任何問題都可以問,因為我有決定不回答的權利!

398 thoughts on “Q&A”

  1. Dear 林果設計工作室:
    Dear Business Artist:

    Thank you for your thank you note. It means a lot to me. I am glad that I can be of help to you.

    We all need to know that we are not alone so we can push on and move on. There are so many like minded people who are facing the same challenges every day and every moment. This blog’s intention is to let you know that we are all here chasing our North Star and our dreams.

    One day, we shall meet.

    Love,

    Ping

  2. Dear 海洋 :

    http://www.ted.com/talks/sylvia_earle_s_ted_prize_wish_to_protect_our_oceans.html

    I totally agree with you. Actually, Canmeng Aveda just sponsored a TEDxTaipei event at Green Cherry office last week. The video we introduce is the Sylvia Earle’s Ted Prize winner.

    We should take a serious look at our lifeline: Ocean.

    I stop eating shark fins 12 years ago. I actually feel proud of myself for not eating shark fins for so long. I have no desire to eat shark fins and I hope more people will learn how to change their food selection.

    Can you provide me the website of this Ocean activist group? I want to pass along this info to the owner of my favorite Japanese restaurant. Once, I urged him to donate some of his profit to the Ocean protection organization so he can have sustainable fish stock to sustain his business. He told me he would like to do it. Well, I am going to call him to action by presenting this local Ocean awareness group.

    I know that every Canmeng Aveda team member who has left us would be an extension of Canmeng’s business philosophy and an advocate for the health of our eco system.

    This year, we are going to celebrate Earth Month with Daymaker Day at Xue Xue on April 11. Please call Canmeng to find out the ticket price and details. It will be wonderful to have you celebrate with us.

    Be inspired and get involved are not enough. It is time to Take Action.

    Love,

    Ping

  3. Dear Viva:

    You have asked a very interesting question.

    My thoughts on flower evolved over time.

    Phase one: I thought it was cruel to cut flower simply for our visual and emotional pleasure. I prefer to have small plants which we can keep alive. I even thought the flower wholesale market was a butcher house for plants and flower! I also instructed my team not to use flowers to decorate our window.

    Phase two: I realize that flowers are a commercial product nurtured from nursery and fields. It is meant to be visually appreciated. It is also a driver of the local economy that provides local jobs. I started to change my dogmatic thinking. I now will buy flowers to decorate my mom’s house or give flowers to friends to cheer them up.

    To answer your question, I think we need to educate our younger generation. I still remember vividly one experience on my travel to Yunnan. I saw an indigenous girl. She just finished picking and gathering some wild flowers in the valley and was ready to decorate her humble home. Wow, I was thinking then that she surely knows how to live an aesthetic life. It has nothing to do with being rich or poor. It is a lifestyle that needs to be taught and live with.

    Normally, if a mother likes flowers, her children will normally be receptive to live a life with flowers.

    Viva, please remember, we don’t judge people, we just have a different priority in using our money. If flowers are essential in your life, go for it. I admire people who would save their lunch money to buy some flowers for her desk or home.

    Ping

  4. Dear HW:

    Thank you for having the courage to write to me. ( Not many of my team members would actually write to me. )

    Please believe that team leaders need to be embraced too. They have to make tough decision which can be unpopular to team members.

    Canmeng Aveda is not a perfect system. We are working very hard to make us sustainable and profitable so we can do more new things to make a difference here in Taiwan.

    僕人-修道院的領導啟示錄 is a very good book. Canmeng Aveda is not even close to this book’s vision.

    Please give Canmeng Aveda a chance. Please give Winnie a hug for me.

    Be kind,

    Ping

  5. Dear Sharlene:

    You are a daymaker already by taking the time to write to me on this blog.

    It is people like you who replenish my passion to share. Not many bloggers can last for three years. Most bloggers suffer burned out due to the lack of input from his community.

    The only way to drive blogger to go for a long distance is to have more people like you to support with action.

    I will continue to experiment with this blog if you all are going to go where I want to go. 🙂

    Thank you for buying Daymaker book from Canmeng Aveda. I am sure you will like what you read.

    Love,

    Ping

  6. Dear Rachel:

    Thank you for your most kind words. Actually, I am a businessmaker first. I do all the business model re-invention and financial planning all the time.

    The only difference is that I usually like to take a long view and find a game changing position that I am certain that I can provide a new and non-copyable solution to the needs of my specific customer base.

    I still think the best way to make a difference is through small to medium “conscious “ enterprise that can develop local goods and services that are attractive to local markets. This is why I started salon/spa service and Canmeng Institute, even though it is a segment that many big corporations have no interests.

    Now, you see that you can start a new business within a very traditional and mature business sectors. Actually, these businesses need to be updated and modernized with new management system and higher quality standard. If you want Taiwan to be a better place, you should boost your service business sector. Unfortunately, our government is only export oriented and treats small and medium service companies as an after thought.

    Now, the global economy has slowed down and this downturn will be with us for a long time. Every country is rethinking their growth strategy. I think there are lots of opportunities in the mature business.

    If you look closely on “ About Ping Chu “ in this blog, you will find that it is my vision to find a business model that can be useful for people like you: the inspired and enlightened entrepreneur.

    You also need to ask yourself what the motivation for you to start a business. I start a business to seek freedom, not wealth. What is yours? Are you ready to let go of your current lifestyle and risk losing everything?

    Yes, when the time is right and we both are ready, we shall meet. You know how to reach me.

    Let’s support Xue Xue and practice the mantra “ We vote with what we buy “.

    The ripple will become a tsunami.

    Be the change,

    Ping

  7. dear 朱平老師

    您好
    我想請教關於誠信 商業 美感之間的聯繫問題
    在暢談美感 不理性 感性 傻瓜等名詞時
    我訂閱了icb雜誌

    送來第一期訂閱的icb後,接著收到了退費單說明經營等問題
    現在 ppaper business 和 原來的icb
    相去不遠
    但是我連最基本的尊重都沒有發現
    在這本稱為新世紀的商業雜誌

    退費從09年一月底延至2月中到2月底
    其中都要打電話詢問,而另一個令人驚訝且難過的是半夜3-4點
    手機簡訊想起,睡眼惺忪後閱讀是icb款項要延到2月底

    新台幣 600元 對icb來說 是很小的數目
    但我卻因為這樣對這一本雜誌失望
    因為所寫的 和做的 是距離那麼的遙遠

    經濟不好 台灣人應該一起努力 從尊重開始

    ㄧ樣的雜誌 如果無法退費亦可把訂購轉為現在的ppaper business

    朱平老師 身為長期專欄老師

    對於這一本雜誌的經營狀況

    可以請教您的見解嗎?

  8. dear 朱平老師
    去年五月收到您的一封信真的很開心
    直到現在一直都夾在我的記事本
    你說的“成功的定義因人而異“
    我一直都把他當作我失意或是開心的最好座右銘
    我想要感謝你的溫暖與鼓勵
    也希望有一天可以當面謝謝您

    thank you for everything

    business artist

  9. 我曾經也是肯夢的一員..她教會了我好多事..其中一項就是環保..讓我知道~我~是地球的一份子~我要愛地球..接下來4月份最重要的日子地球月即將到來..很開心..因為我又可以參與到了..

    但也想跟朱先生分享另一個值得我們去關心的~那就是海洋及住在海洋的生物..
    你可知道這個~海洋守護協會~去年因為有這個保育團體..海洋裡多了好多可以僥倖悠遊於大海的鯨魚~沒錯..鯨魚..這是個多麼美麗又神袐的生物~
    這些人不顧自身的安危..去保護這些美麗的生物..真的讓我看了非常動容..
    如果每個人都能像你所說的只要拿出1%的心去看看去了解那麼這個世界就會如此美好丫..
    在我們關懷了水,植物,人,也請關心這些不會言語的動物吧..

    沒有買賣,就沒有殺害.

  10. 朱先生 你好,

    我想聽聽您對花,或著台灣人對花是什麼樣的關係,

    在台灣,花在大部分人的想法當中是一種很不切實際的物質,

    當然,台灣還是有很努力經營這塊領域的夢想者.
    不論他是花藝名人或著連鎖品牌,作品好與否,都向著`設計花藝`這個方向前進.
    但,切入的點,似乎很難走入一般消費者的生活.

    因為好友也是開花店,我不時的站在品牌與消費者的角度與他溝通.
    在台灣,花藝是否可以成功地做出一個真正的品牌,
    亦或著培養這個品牌是不是要有10年的文化教育.
    還是技術夠好,美感夠好只要有強大的商業宣傳,大眾的認知是不是會有所改變.

    台灣的花藝其實真的算是滿不錯的,只是我們在教育這方面可能得在辛苦好幾年.

    -題外話.
    2010台灣花博的整個美術文宣設計遭透了,網站尤其不專業.
    這真的是讓人很氣餒.

  11. 朱先生 你好,

    我想聽聽您對花,或著台灣人對花是什麼樣的關係,

    在台灣,花在大部分人的想法當中是一種很不切實際的物質.

  12. 朱先生:

    你好,我是你的員工
    只是想單純的對你說:
    在這麼不景氣中,謝謝你給我們的工作環境
    謝謝

    在此,我想推薦一本書:僕人-修道院的領導啟示錄
    我想你一定會喜歡這本書,所傳達的訊息

  13. Dear Mr. Chu

    Last Friday that was my first time go to 學學 and luckly i had a chance to listen your class. your thought is really nice and i just want to tell you that i did buy a book in AVEDA. and i hope that i also can be a daymaker.

    wish you have a good day..
    ^^

    Best regards
    Sharlene

  14. Dear Mr. Chu,

    I have experienced a wonderful afternoon today. Got to say “Thanks” to you, because I met you at Xue Xue, out of a sudden, not on my planned list, but your speech definitely touched my heart and it’s also worthy for everyone to keep those inspirations and actions you mentioned in class, keeping practicing all the good things and making it fresh in the rest of our life.
    You are the real owner who has a beautiful heart with healthy and positive thinking in the running of a business, for which I’d been looking for all of my life. I admire you and respect you and will take you as a good example for starting up my dream in the near future, if it really works.

    Thank you again! I will follow the steps and all the amazing mind you’ve created for us. Hope to meet you in person one day if you don’t mind, no matter where, your office or your restaurent. Look forward to the day’s coming! Best wishes,

    Rachel Teng

  15. Dear Chiquita:

    I am so glad that you like what we did in Canbran. Canbran is my first company ( founded in 1988 ) and my proudest achievement. The reason that I am so proud of Canbran is that the new team leader, Jack Sun, has done a much better work than I did when I was in charge.

    Thank you for voting with what you buy. Only when consumers decided to take the responsibility in choosing how to spend their money, we can let the nice people finish first. Let’s continue to support these salons for building a holistic salon culture, not only just a celebrity, ego centric or hero based culture.

    Please be a daymaker to your stylists. I also recommend you to give more opportunity to young and new stylists so they can get more confidence and serve you when your stylist has left the salon or on vacation. This is the holistic environment I want to create in Taiwan’s salon industry. I shall need more enlightened consumers like you.

    Be the change,

    Ping

  16. Dear Athena:

    First of all, your father has no obligation to support you for your study abroad. Especially, he has encountered big financial difficulty now.

    You are adult already. I will encourage you to find a quality time to talk to your father and free him off the guilty feeling of not being able to support you. He has enough challenges to face the coming economic turmoil.

    Of course, you need to control your own destiny or someone else will. You need to have a three year plan to save enough money for your first year of studying and living abroad. Once you are abroad, you can always find a part time job to support you. I worked two part time jobs to support me when I was in the States to pursue my master degree in Pharmacy. In my time, everyone did this. There was nothting special.

    We all need to live a life with no guilty. It is time for you to grow up and take your own life in your hand. Be thankful and count your blessings.

    I just know you will come out of this set back and grow even stronger. I also will pray for your father. Your father has done the right thing to let you know that he cannot support you. He is your hero.

    Many hugs,

    Ping

    Thank you for your kind words. Thank you for choosing us. We are all dreamers in many different ways. We will continue working hard to earn the trust and loyalty from you all.

  17. Dear Jill Ma:

    You are my daymaker today.

    It is people like you to take the time to let me know how I have made a difference that has kept me on this lonely journey. Lonely, I meant in the business world. I am not lonely when I am with you and all my friends here.

    Please continue to be your sister’s daymaker by listening her story and giving her positive feedback on her behavior change. Canmeng is not a perfect system and we sometime made mistakes or side trip to the easy way out. However, we are very lucky to have so many people like your sister and you to encourage us to be back to the right track again.

    I firmly believe that we can change the world by being a daymaker.

    Thank you for joing in this kind conspiracy of being a part of daymaker movement.

    Love you,

    Ping

  18. Dear Roger:

    Thank you for writing to me.

    You are not the only one who has faced this universal dilemma.

    First thing first, we need to clarify what you have meant about the 專長. Is this 專長 a skill based or character based?

    I will recommend you to take a well known test on 價值實踐(VIA)突顯優點調查 with the following link: http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/Default.aspx

    I also want to point out that we always ask ourselves with limited one out of two zero sum questions. When you are asking this binary question, you created a limited thinking.

    The correct question is:

    How can I use my 專長 on something that has bigger meaning and higher purpose?

    Once you find out that you can actually achieve something that utilizes your signature strength, you will develop a deep and meaningful passion on what you can do.

    This is why I told people that “love what you do is more powerful than do what you love. ” I have a master degree in clinical pharmacy from the University of Oklahoma. I have passed the board exam and became a licensed pharmarcist in the State of Texas and Washington. Is practicing pharmacy my 專長? Apparently it is not. I am just pretty good at examination.

    Instead, I choose teaching and sharing to build a holistic corporate culture as my business philosophy. I love to share and teach and I know I am very good at this. 🙂 This is my strength.

    I love beautiful things. I belive in people’s goodness nature. I am always intereted in people and curious about new things. I embrace the uncertainty and ambiguity. This is part of my signature strength too.

    Now, you know that asking an “open minded” inclusive question is more important asking “either or” exclusive questions.

    It is up to you to make the decisoin and be accountable for this decison. No one can, not even me. 🙂 This is called life.

    Ping

  19. Dear Leza:

    I am sorry that I did not reply your comments earlier. I was in Tokyo for a while. Tokyo is one of my favorite cities too.

    Yes, we all miss Big Apple. Welcome back to Taiwan.

    “Experience is not what happens to a man: it is what a man does with what happens to him.”

    – Aldous Huxley-

    I understand how you are feeling. My daughter was back to Taiwan for one month not long ago and decided to go back to NYC to try her luck.

    There is reason that you stopped at my lecture at eslite bookstore that day. I am glad I made your day.

    Let me see if I can make your day today too. What I will recommend you is to expand your circle of friends in Taiwan. By writing to me, you are taking the fist step to engage with locals. There are thousands of people like me living in Taiwan. You also will like this blog community that embraces the bilingual too. I knew it is hard to make it in Taiwan with your limited ability to communicate in local language. However, I think you will learn the language over time. The challenge is to find a work that can utilize your signature strength.

    I have met so many talented young people educated and worked abroad. However, they all had hard time to adapt themselves to Taiwan’s way of doing business.

    I just started a Nonzero Club which celebrates the creative action heroes and engage with intellectual dialogue and networking. It is a bilingual club that will provide a wonderful chance to meet like minded people. Please write to me so I can put you on this mailing list for new gathering. my email address: pingc@canmeng.com.tw

    Please remember you may be lonely sometime, you are never alone.

    I hope I made your day.

    Ping

  20. Dear Mr. Chu
    我非常喜歡肯邦的產品

    會喜歡的原因
    不是只是單純的喜愛產品本身
    而是,每每我去整理頭髮時
    我有發現,每一間堅持使用肯邦的環境
    一定都讓人有一種踏進去
    就不會擔心,我能不能如期做好
    我想做的造型
    每每到了我在去的那間髮型設計工作時
    總有一種,像是在自家修整頭髪的感覺
    這讓我著實放開心胸,好好的enjoy在這午後時光

    直到,我發現,原來你也開始寫起專欄時
    我才知道這不是我愛用洗髮精的那品牌的那老板嗎?
    一切都太巧了

    我喜歡你在專欄中的一些看法
    可以讓我花一整個下午好好想一件事
    這對我來說,卻是很值得的一件事情
    關於其他的,下次再說

    不過,謝謝你持續寫出
    讓我們這些輕年學子有益的方向
    讓我們更有勇氣去做自己想做的事
    我想,別怕做錯事
    才能自己挑戰做人與做事情的廣度與深度
    真的感謝。

  21. Btw, I really admire your concept of store running organization. There are few entrepreneurs like you. So keep on, dreamer.

    PS1 I’ve known your ideas from the book, 美學的經濟, being one of my favorites.

    PS2 I am working in SKM Shinyi district. So I’ve been fond of Aveda since I was in this company. Your outstanding service will definetly attract more apparentices to come!

  22. Dear Mr.Chu

    So glad I got a chance to browse your website. I can luckily call it a coincidence as well just because something happened in my surroundings today. My coworker, also my good friend, decided to quit but he was so tight-lipped just told some of his good frds, of course, including me. He confessed that he was struggling in his mind and had some quarrel with his family owing to this. Anyway, some of us encouraged him via several emails back and forth. And I whispered them through email that I had difficulties in my life. They all knew I decided to study abroad this Sep and everything has been on the go consistently. But couple of days ago, my father asked me not to go and I was like being splashed by the icy cold water. He said he was in a huge economic problem in domestic. He could’t support me and questioned me, “What if you study abroad, there’s no financial sustainability at home? What if I was fired esp I am so old?” I knew he was on the edge and I was reluctant to make him feel this way. He was my respectful father. How can I treat him like this? But I still have my strong faith to not to disobey my will. I don’t want this big chance vanish though our life is always struggling between dreams and reality. I always have answers to my life and problems but sometimes need more ppl’s support. I believe I will tackle this problems first then I can handle my personal study. I hope I can go over this eventually and luckily.
    Most importantly, thanks to todays’ gloomy mood, I got off the bus on my way home, unexpectedly bought ICB for my spiritual food (a channel to get away). Since subscription of PPaper last time, it has been a year ago. Thank you for giving me so much inspiration and ideals for life just like your company’s name, for those who are willing to dream.

    Best wishes.

    Athena

  23. 朱先生,您好,
    昨天,在肯夢學院當染髮課程麻豆時;看到了悅日人這本書,
    今天,在上網搜尋”悅日人”時看到了您的blog,

    所以,決定上來謝謝您,
    謝謝您讓我的妹妹愈來愈好;在她進入肯夢後變了很多,
    謝謝您讓我的想法有所改變;在Meggy回來分享很多想法之後…

    雖然我不是肯夢的一員,但我想;應該也要努力作個”悅日人”…

  24. 朱老師

    您好

    我是明道大學時尚造形系二年級的學生

    想請問朱老師一個我目前所遇到的疑惑

    當興趣與專長同時存在時

    我應該如何去做選擇會是較為適切的呢?

    謝謝老師願意給我們機會提問^^

  25. Dear Mr. Chu:

    What an inspiring lecture you gave to us at Eslite on Sat. I was so “happy” to listen to your talking in English. I’d moved back tentatively from NYC last June. After living in the Big Apple for two decades, it’s quite difficult to adapt myself to this strange society! Especially I can’t express myself in English. I have been experiencing the cultural shocks on a daily basis. I was so glad to hear your emphasis on the importance of English ability.

    As a loner in this city, I need to learn how to understand and communicate with people in Chinese way. And it makes me miss NY so much.

    Thank you for making me feel at home. Indeed, you made my day in a big way!!!

    All the best,
    Leza

  26. Dear Kacqan:

    Thank you for your most generous comment. I am not only flattered but also floating in the air. 🙂

    Yes, I agree with you. Once you know me too well, you will find out that I am just like everyone who has weakness, sins and foilbles.

    I really treasure this cyber space that we can freely exchange our thougts and engage intelligent dialogue. We maybe lonely sometime, but we are never alone.

    Big terrace living is a lifestyle and a value shift. It will take times to accumulate the critical mass to make it a mainstream demand.

    One day, when I can get an inspiring developer who is willing to trust us and create this kind of housing project, I will ask you all to support this brave developer and make sure he/she will not lose money on this project by saving all the wasteful marketing cost and expensive building materials.

    Let’s keep our positive energy and live everyday as having a big terrace living day.

    Happy Chinese New Year.

    It is my privilege to get to know you here.

    Ping

  27. hi朱平先生
    其實當我在肯夢看見您的名字時就開始產生對您的好奇
    在生活上當有轉折就會想起悅日人的宗旨
    其實在這麼過度快速過度科技只能對著電腦向你留留言互換心情的現在
    真的太寂寞了 世代的交替嬰兒潮後的50歲70歲的台灣人大多數人心中都
    告訴自己 東西可以用就好 何必要丟掉浪費 大陽台計畫有一日一定會實現
    但我們怎麼告訴自己 告訴下一個孩子 我們該慢慢改變觀念改變習慣
    讓我們有個大陽台 能夠讓家人朋友聚一聚聊一聊未來
    但當我知道朱平您的名字的時候我並沒有馬上上網找找您的照片
    一直到現在還是忠於幻想 多一些空間 至少在這空間裡我是自由的奢侈的

    感謝有這一個平台 感謝台灣有你

  28. Dear Daniel:

    Thank you for taking time to post this question. I will recommend you to call Canmeng directly 2721-7909 and ask for Winnie for any specific answers.

    The problem with answering this kind of question is that all story has two sides. Unless you know the full picture and talk to the parties involved, you simply don’t know how to handle it.

    You have actually answered your question already. There should be no difference in terms of serving guests. However, every salon is independent owned, there is not much leverage to discipline the network partners. I will always recommend people : You vote with what you buy. If you don’t think any business worthy of your vote, stop buying from them. In the same token, I also recommend any business: If you think the guest is way out of line and make unreasonable demand, you should let this customer go. It is not worth it if customer cannot share our values in decency, civility and integrity.

    By the way, Canmeng has no 加盟店.

    I will delete this Q&A after one week of this posting. I really don’t want to take too much of our reader’s time to deal with Canmeng’s customer service issue here. Please email to winniey@canmeng.com.tw for any operational and service issue.

    Thank you again for your concern. I am happy to get to know you here.

    Cheers,

    Ping

  29. 親愛的朱先生:
    請問加盟店對於顧客有岐視態度與行為,有向總店客服反映,但是沒有回覆處理情形, 請問對與顧客與加盟店 處理態度有大小眼嗎?

  30. Dear Wendy:

    Balcony could be part of our lives too, starting from your generation.

    Your English writing is very good. English is a human language which will get your the key to the wealth of knowledge in the world, most importantly, English will help you to engage with different culture and become more tolerated and humbled by the diversity of our world. English will also sharpen your logics and thinking pattern. English also can make your more creative with rich description of the nuances and subtleness.

    Yes, one day, we will see more properties developed for outdoor living. I just hope we can inspire more real estate developers to create big terrace living in the future. I have talked to two well known developers not long ago. The news is not good. They told me the price of the land in Taipei is too expensive to develop a big balcony living project. I have concluded that the only way to do this is through our own effort.

    I gave up on Taiwan’s developers.

    Volunteering in Turkey! What a great way to explore the world!

    Please share with us what you did in Turkey and how other people could follow your steps to volunteer in a foreign land.

    Thanks for joining this community by sharing your insight in life.

    Ping

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