Choosing to 'Work Long and Flexibly' — Exclusive Interview with Mai Shin

Summary

1. Careers Should Be Enjoyed Long-Term Rather Than Climbed Rapidly

Following childbirth and encountering the book "LIFE SHIFT", Mai Shin shifted from a sprint-type career to a long-term, multi-stage career perspective that assumes relearning. Rather than denying the success in fast-promotion foreign financial institutions, she envisions a life working until the age of 80, deciding that a career that incorporates change and continues is richer, leading her to choose entrepreneurship.

2. A Continuous Learning Attitude Generates Flexibility Across Fields

While her career spans finance, entrepreneurship, entertainment, modeling, and external directorships, at its core are 'curiosity' and 'flexibility towards learning'. She prioritizes range over consistency, expanding possibilities by creating her own work. Even in the growth process of GENDA, she emphasizes a learning attitude in interactions with people and organizations, believing that unrigid thinking is the key to surviving an era of change.

3. Decision-Making in an Era Without Clear Answers Focuses on 'Excitement' and 'Growth'

The criteria she values are not just rationality but also the intuitive axes of 'does it excite me' and 'can it foster growth'. She articulates what she wants to be in ten-year increments, shifting to a value system that prioritizes the state of continuous learning over quantitative goals like annual income. Those who learn without haste can go further — this attitude permeates her entire career.

── You made a significant shift from foreign finance to entrepreneurship, but what kind of emotional changes did you experience at that time?

Mai Shin (hereafter, Mai): I started my own business in 2018, but it was shortly after giving birth to my first daughter in 2016. During my maternity leave, reading "LIFE SHIFT" had a huge impact on me.

The book discussed a multi-stage life that includes relearning, rather than the traditional three stages of 'learn, work, retire', in the era of a 100-year lifespan.

While I was aware that lifespans were increasing, being confronted with '100 years' changed my thinking.

Foreign financial institutions promote quickly, and many retire in their mid-forties. However, if you consider working until about 80, a career that can be enjoyed longer seems richer as a life choice. I loved my job at Goldman Sachs and the company itself. However, I thought that introducing significant changes to my career would allow me to enjoy it longer, which led to my decision.

── Even when working in the finance industry, it must have been demanding. Did you consciously make time for reading?

Mai: I have always enjoyed reading since childhood, and it was naturally a part of my life rather than something I consciously made time for. It was akin to time off from myself, a way to disconnect from work.

I read "LIFE SHIFT" during my maternity leave, but the time I spent reading books after my child went to sleep was a precious habit that helped me relax.

── After a career in financial engineering, you founded GENDA. Do you feel a consistency between finance and entertainment?

Mai: To be honest, I don't think there is much consistency. After working for Goldman Sachs for 11 years, when I thought about making a significant career change, changing jobs was also an option. However, changing jobs would likely have led to work similar to my previous career. If I wanted to introduce a greater range, I thought it better to create my own job rather than choosing one created by someone else, which led to entrepreneurship.

── On the contrary, are there any points you felt were distinctly different?

Mai: Finance fundamentally does not hold inventory and works BtoB, keeping close to customers and carefully crafting products through conversations. On the other hand, entertainment has a strong BtoC element, often making decisions based on predictions of 'this will be a hit', and taking on inventory risks. I felt the difference more as between BtoB and BtoC rather than between finance and entertainment.