Thrown in the Deep End: Lin Lin Jacobs’ Rise to Family Business CEO

Lin Lin Jacobs, CEO and Co-Chair of the China International Beauty Expo, shares her unconventional journey from creative agency co-founder to leading Asia’s largest beauty industry trade show organizer. She opens up about joining her family business, navigating cultural clashes with her mother, and transforming massive trade shows into curated, experiential events. Lin Lin also reflects on leadership, discipline, and preserving curiosity in entrepreneurship.Show Notes[00:54] Show Intro (Scott Pollack)[02:17] Meet Lin Lin Jacobs – Serial entrepreneur and CEO of China International Beauty Expo[03:50] Early influences from her trailblazing mother, the first doctor in her family to turn entrepreneur[05:57] Founding a creative agency in London with Sam Jacobs and using it as a platform to connect with people despite being an “outgoing introvert”[07:29] Immersing in Beijing’s youth, music, and indie fashion culture to strengthen her connection to Chinese identity[11:37] Revitalizing cultural districts with design projects, including Daxila and Spoonful of Sugar café[13:16] Sustainability art project “Meeting Amy” — taking a farm-raised pig through fine dining, taxidermy, and street presentation to highlight full resource use[16:28] Entering the family business in 2016 and launching a new show at Shanghai’s National Exhibition and Convention Center[19:08] Building her own young, tech-forward, and collaborative culture that clashed at times with her mother’s more traditional, hierarchical style[22:34] Transforming trade shows from massive transactional halls into curated, thematic, and experiential events that maximize value for attendees[26:00] The grooming process that prepared her to be CEO and Co-Chair while protecting her from overexposure[30:16] Quick Fire Round:Book recommendation: Religion for Atheists by Alain de Botton – adopting timeless wisdom from religious traditions for community building and leadership (Amazon link)Morning success habit: 10–20 minutes of stretchingTool/app she can’t live without: Her phone (though not essential on holiday)Daily grounding habit: Making her bed and looking into sunlight or daylightBest business advice: “My life and my business are the sum of my habits” – build disciplined routines without imposing them on othersAdvice for new entrepreneurs: “Find ways to discover the comic in the seemingly tragic”[38:19] Show Outro