Business and Money Tips

From Zero to Hero: How CHAGEE's Founder Turned Chinese Culture into a Global Dream What if you started with nothing, no wealth, no powerful connections, and little education, but dared to build a global brand? That is the inspiring story of Zhang Junjie (张俊杰), founder of CHAGEE (霸王茶姬). His journey was far from easy. His parents died, and he left school at 10.  Zhang entered the workforce young. He started in the tea industry at the frontline, learning how to prepare drinks,  serve customers, sweep the floors and operate stores. But he had a dream far bigger than selling tea. Why could coffee become a global lifestyle through Starbucks, while Chinese tea, with thousands of years of history, could not achieve the same? In 2017, he founded CHAGEE in Yunnan, China. Instead of simply copying conventional bubble tea brands, Zhang drew inspiration from Chinese culture, opera, history and the centuries-old tradition of tea drinking. His ambition was bold:  Bring Chinese tea cultu...

Bawang Chaji: A Hero, A War, and A Timeless Love Story He won countless battles, yet he lost the empire. What weighed most heavily on his heart was not the realm he sought to rule, but the woman he deeply loved. This is the moving historical tale behind the name "Bawang Chaji", the story of "The Chu Bawang (Overlord) Bids Farewell to His Concubine" (Bawang Bie Ji). In 202 BC, the Chu-Han Contention reached its final stage. Xiang Yu, the Chu Bawang or Overlord of Western Chu, found himself besieged by Liu Bang’s massive army at Gaixia; his troops were depleted, his provisions exhausted, and he was surrounded on all sides by the songs of his enemies. The hero, a man once capable of uprooting mountains and commanding the winds, realized that his cause was lost. Yet, his greatest concern remained Yu Ji, the beloved woman who had stood by his side throughout his journey. In that moment, he sang a verse that would echo through the ages: "Oh Yu, my Yu, what shall beco...

What if a cup of tea could remind us of the 3 things that make life truly meaningful: Purpose, Love and Gratitude? This is the story behind Da Hong Pao (大红袍), one of China's most legendary teas, now enjoyed through CHAGEE. Centuries ago, a young scholar was travelling to Beijing to sit for the imperial examinations.   Along the way, he fell seriously ill.  A monk from a temple in the Wuyi Mountains offered him tea made from leaves grown on the rocky mountain slopes. The scholar recovered, continued his journey and eventually achieved outstanding success in the imperial examinations. But he never forgot the kindness he had received.  He returned to express his gratitude and honor them by placing a red ceremonial robe over the tea bushes. That is how the tea came to be known as Da Hong Pao—The Big Red Robe. H idden within this cup of tea are three powerful lessons for life. 1. Purpose: Never Forget Why You Started We all face difficulties like the scholar.  But wh...

Ten Thousand Miles of Devotion What is the absolute limit of your love? Most of us say we would do anything for our family, but true devotion is measured not by words spoken in comfort, but by the sacrifices made in the dark. A child's love for a parent is a fierce, quiet flame. It is a profound gratitude that stands willing to face the impossible, simply to keep a loved one safe. In the freezing northern borderlands, a decree arrived at a humble village: one male from every family must join the Emperor’s army to fight a brutal invasion. In one household, the choice was devastating. The father was old, frail, and dynamic with sickness; the younger brother was a mere child. Seeing her father prepare to march to a certain death, a young woman named Mulan made a choice that altered history. Mulan cut her hair, cast aside her robes, and buckled on heavy iron armor. Disguised as a man, she took her father’s place in the army  and rode out into the blinding snowstorms. For twelve agoniz...

The Echo of Silence We collect hundreds of digital followers, but how many people truly understand the melody of your soul? True friendship is a rare masterpiece in a world of copies. Thousands of years ago in ancient China, a master luthier named Boya played the guqin , a seven-stringed instrument. His music was transcendent, but to the common ear, it was just noise.  Only one humble woodcutter, Ziqi , could truly hear the soul behind the notes. When Boya played of towering peaks, Ziqi would smile and say, "Magnificent, it is like Mount Tai." When Boya played of rushing waters, Ziqi would marvel, "Breathtaking, it is like the roaring Yellow River." Ziqi was Boya’s zhiyin,  the knower of his music, the keeper of his soul. But death, cruel and sudden, took Ziqi away. Standing before his friend’s fresh grave under a weeping autumn sky, Boya played one last, heart-shattering melody. As the final note faded into the wind, he pulled the strings until they violently snap...

Who never fail before? Even CHAGEE Failed in Singapore Before! From losing 12 franchise outlets to a remarkable comeback with 44 stores in just two years. But can the success last? Today, CHAGEE (霸王茶姬) is one of Singapore's most recognisable premium tea brands, with 44 outlets listed on its Singapore website . But did you know that CHAGEE once suffered a major setback in Singapore? The Failure: 12 Outlets Gone Overnight!  Bawang Chagee initially entered Singapore in 2019 through a local master franchisee. However, following a dispute and the subsequent parting of ways with the Chinese parent brand in early 2024, the former Singapore master franchisee abruptly closed all 12 existing CHAGEE outlets and rebranded them under an independent homegrown tea concept Amps Tea.  Imagine building a brand in a foreign market, only to see all 12 outlets disappear from your network! It was a painful lesson in franchise risk, brand control and corporate governance . But CHAGEE did not give u...

How CHAGEE Conquered the Tea World: One Cup at a Time While everyone else was bleeding in the milk tea red ocean, CHAGEE chose a road no one had taken: it turned milk tea into a "tea latte." In 2017, founder Zhang Junjie opened his first store in Kunming. He saw a hard truth clearly: in the fruit tea arena, he couldn't outspend Heytea or Nayuki—"and we couldn't afford the fight." So he deliberately avoided the war and aimed at a nearly empty space: "whole-leaf fresh milk tea, "whole-leaf tea plus fresh milk, a cleaner, healthier "tea latte." That choice put CHAGEE right on the pulse of the times. Surveys showed nearly half of consumers worried milk tea was unhealthy and fattening. CHAGEE was among the first to deliver "zero creamer, zero non-dairy creamer, zero hydrogenated vegetable oil," and launched a calorie calculator, turning health into a visible selling point. A radically simple recipe brought radically high efficiency. ...

How I Save Almost 90% on CHAGEE Boya Tea — and Practise Sustainability at the Same Time I love CHAGEE’s Boya Jasmine tea. At the shop, one cup costs S$5.60 . Then I discovered something interesting. I bought Boya Jasmine tea bags at S$1.80 per sachet . According to the instructions, one tea bag can be brewed three times while retaining its flavour. That means my effective cost is:  S$1.80 ÷ 3 = S$0.60 per cup.  Instead of paying S$5.60, I pay about S$0.60. I save S$5 per cup, about 89%, or almost 90%. If I drink one cup every day: S$5 × 365 = S$1,825 saved every year. And I can enjoy my favourite tea anytime, anywhere, without travelling to or waiting at the shop. But this isn't merely a story about saving S$5. It is Sustainability + Financial Governance By brewing the same tea bag three times as intended, I extract more value from the same resource instead of using it only once. That is a simple principle of sustainability: Use fewer resources to create more value, and do it...

Real Case Studies That Prove Love Intelligence Works 1. CHAGEE — Loyalty Built Through Heart-Led Consistency CHAGEE grew rapidly not because of tea, but because every outlet practised the same heart-led approach: warm greetings, consistency, and emotional safety. Customers return because they feel remembered . This is LQ in action: predictable care creates predictable loyalty. 2. MIXUE — The Power of Simple, Heartfelt Service MIXUE overtook global brands not through discounts, but through kindness and connection at the counter. Their young staff are trained not to follow scripts, but to create comfort. Even a $1 ice cream can carry $100 worth of warmth — that is Love Intelligence. 3. SAKIYA — Japanese Heart Service with Zero Tolerance for Coldness SAKIYA trains staff to deliver calm, sincere attention in every moment. Even when the queue is long, they maintain emotional presence. Customers sense this. Trust grows. Repeat visits multiply. This is LQ: emotional profession...

How Mixue and  Chagee Each Used Yijing in Their Own Way People often ask me why both Mixue and Chagee can grow so fast, yet their styles are completely different. The truth is, both brands follow the principles of Yijing , but they apply them in two very different ways. When you understand this, you see why they both succeed without needing to fight each other. Everything begins with Oneness . Mixue positions itself as part of everyday life, almost like the air people breathe. Affordable, accessible, always there. Chagee, on the other hand, positions itself as part of a personal ritual, something people enjoy, appreciate and even show off. One becomes daily life, the other becomes lifestyle. Both are One with their audience, but in different layers of human living. Then comes Yin and Yang . Mixue represents extreme Yin: simple, cool, friendly, low price, low barrier. Chagee represents rising Yang: premium, warm, beautiful, expressive. Yin attracts the masses, Yang attracts tho...

How Chagee Used Yijing to Beat Starbucks Many people wonder how a young Asian brand like Chagee could rise so fast and become a serious challenger to Starbucks , the world’s coffee giant. The answer lies in the wisdom of Yijing , the study of change. First, Chagee understands Oneness . While Starbucks sees itself as a coffee company, Chagee sees itself as part of people’s lifestyle and emotional space. It unites the old and new, East and West, tea and trend. This sense of Oneness allows it to move with the times yet stay rooted in its essence. Second, Chagee mastered Yin and Yang . Where Starbucks represents strong, masculine, and global energy, Chagee brings soft, feminine, and local energy. Yin does not fight Yang. Instead, it balances and complements it. When coffee culture became too heavy and serious, Chagee came in with lightness, beauty, and flow. That is Yin winning through harmony. Third, Chagee moves with the Ba Gua , or the eight trigrams of life. Each outlet reflects a...

Chagee didn’t beat Starbucks by copying its coffee empire.  It changed the definition of victory:  from caffeine energy to mindful elegance, from Western dominance to Eastern pride. Through Sun Tzu’s strategic invisibility , Yijing’s timing and flow , and Love Intelligence’s emotional connection , Chagee created a new battlefield, one where Starbucks cannot fight without losing its identity. How Chagee Uses Art of War to Challenge Starbucks “He who knows himself and knows the enemy will not be imperiled in a hundred battles.” — Sun Tzu, Chapter III 1. “Know Yourself, Know the Enemy” — Deep Understanding Before Action “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you will not fear the result of a hundred battles.” Chagee’s Application Knew Starbucks’ strengths: lifestyle branding, consistency, coffee culture. Knew Starbucks’ weaknesses: high price, Western flavor, urban elitism. Knew its own identity: premium Chinese tea heritage blended with modern aesthetic...

Today let AndyTheCoach analyse for you how Zhang Junjie, founder and CEO of CHAGEE (茶姬), used the SuperME framework, Yijing, and Art of War, to start and succeed in his own business.  Who is Zhang Junjie? Zhang Junjie, 30 and now a billionaire, is the visionary CEO who transformed CHAGEE from a traditional tea brand into a regional lifestyle icon, known for premium Chinese tea culture served in modern formats. From 2017 to 2025, CHAGEE expanded rapidly across China, Singapore, Malaysia, and USA. It is listed in NASDAQ with a market capitalization of US$3 billion.  How Zhang Junjie Embodied SuperME Principles 1. Purpose (天命 Tianming) — Return to Roots with a Modern Vision He believed tea is not just a drink. It is a cultural identity, a daily ritual, and a way to feel proud of Chinese heritage. He didn’t enter F&B to chase trends — he entered to reclaim pride in Chinese tea. This strong Purpose energy helped him make bold, clear decisions that inspired both staff and custom...