Image Global Impact

About The Book

In her new book, Daughter of the Yellow River, Diana Lu recalls her rise from an impoverished girl growing up in Communist China during the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s, to becoming a strong pioneer in the fiber optics industry. As the youngest female executive in the field in China, she went on to become a multi-millionaire entrepreneur in America. Her memoir also offers dozens of principles on how one can live a vibrant and fulfilling life, and forge ahead with a successful career. She shares guidance on how to cross cultures and do business in and with China, and she presents her small company’s unique and valuable experience of standing firm in protracted litigation against a corporate Goliath -- a major Chinese joint venture.

Diana came to this country less than a decade ago, having changed careers and countries. She was trained as a doctor, but switched to being a teacher in a university, and then eventually became a businesswoman. She learned English by watching TV in China. When she came to America, she relied only on her husband, but her marriage soon began to crumble two months after her arrival. Working completely on her own, she started her international business venture from scratch. In 1993 she earned the equivalent of $30 a month in China. By the end of the decade, with no formal business training, she was on her way to making millions of dollars in the technology industry and other investment opportunities, working with some of the world’s top companies. By the age of 34, she retired from her telecom business venture as one of the leading female entrepreneurs in her field, and continued to explore new opportunities and engage in new ventures.

E X C E R P T S

“I am a daughter of the Yellow River. Its waters flow within me like the blood in my veins. I was born, raised, and educated in China, and shaped by the culture and traditions of that great land.

“I have also become a citizen of the world. I have traveled to several continents and many countries, and I now make my home in one of the world’s most cosmopolitan cities, San Francisco. I have lived my life fully and passionately, driven to follow my heart, find my true calling, and embrace my own personal power. I knew that this would be my route to success. And I was right.

“My journey has taken me along a path that has led me from hardship and poverty to a life of comfort, glamour, and wealth. Starting with no money, no power, and no formal business education, I became a successful international entrepreneur in a highly sophisticated technology industry working with major corporations worldwide – an amazing accomplishment for a young Chinese woman in a male-dominated business environment.”

At the end of each chapter, Diana presents her stepping-stones on the journey to success, offering inspiring, moving, and guiding wisdom. A sampling includes:

Listen to others, but above all, listen to your heart.
Understand your fears and learn how to control them.
You never know until you try, but know when to move on.
Understand business is about people, nothing else.
Use obstacles as teachers to develop our potential and strength.
When you are in despair, take action.
Take ownership of your life.
Our lives are what we choose to make them.
Do not limit ourselves by the circumstances which we come from.
Understand, respect and embrace cultural differences.
Success isn’t a destination, a pinnacle to strive for, it’s an ongoing journey.
Money doesn’t define success; it is side product of real success.
To accept parents for who they are and not let ourselves be restricted by the circumstances of their lives, by their success or failures, or by their expectations for us.

Use obstacles as teachers to develop our potentials and strength.

Diana shares many observations on doing business in and with China, providing insight into how the government, business community, and social culture operate. Diana notes: “Through my years working with Chinese business people and enterprises, and as a born and raised Chinese individual, I understand deeply how, even more than in other places, their society often runs on money, rank, and material possessions. To a large extent, these external factors tend to define your social status and become the basis of your identity and your personal power. They show other people how they should appreciate and accept you. If you lose these external things, you are considered to be nothing. This profoundly affects society’s moral values and promotes ego- and greed-based competition between individuals and enterprises.”

She suggests how businesses in the U.S. can successfully operate in a high-growth market of 1.3 billion people with the world’s fastest growing economy. Diana explains how government reforms and cultural changes are needed to keep pace with the nation’s burgeoning financial opportunities.

Diana also provides a step-by-step program for individuals to fulfill their dreams, whether you are planning a business or your life. Her program takes you from developing your goals and vision, to gathering information, allies, and resources, and to remaining flexible in dealing with change, as you pursue your dream with passion and one hundred percent effort.

Daughter of the Yellow River also explores how one can:

Transition from one culture to another (East to West).
Make surprising career changes smoothly and effectively.
Overcome sexual harassment or ethical breaches in the work environment.
Be separated from your roots and origins but still persevere.
Succeed in any industry as a woman and as an immigrant.
Rejuvenate after being worn out both physically and mentally.

Her personal story and professional accomplishments position her to serve as a mentor. Her newly formed company, Image Global Impact (IGI), works to provide inspiration for people to believe in themselves and to teach them how they can realize their dreams. IGI brings a new approach to understanding cross-cultural business relationships and to doing better business between the West/US and the East/China. Her firm is involved in promoting fresh, accurate, and more meaningful images of China’s people, culture, and business climate. IGI also encourages women to advance themselves.

Click here to order Daughter of the Yellow River at Amazon.com