Lihong Yu grew up in Ningbo, China, during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. Yu was just six years old when her parents were exiled, forcing her into the care of her grandparents. Yu took on the duty of handling the household finances during this difficult time to ensure that the entire family was fed. She sought, purchased, and negotiated her way into stretching her family’s income — her persistence became a key factor in her later success in America.
After Lihong Yu reunited with her parents, she attended the Beijing Foreign Studies University which helped her land a sales position at a Chinese-based chemical company. She was later relocated to Los Angeles where she served as the Sales Manager at the company.
Lihong Yu’s interest in the chemical industry was sparked by her curiosity about the manufacturing process. As a sales manager for a Chinese-based chemical company, she would often get questions about the variations in the quality of the products. Without any insights into how chemicals were made, she couldn’t answer her customer’s questions and felt very embarrassed. She asked the higher-ups to explain the various processes, but they refused, claiming that this knowledge was outside the scope of her job.
This frustration got Lihong thinking. “What if I just…stick with one factory…What if I groom and train [my employees] and share with them [the level of quality] my customers need?” With these ideas in mind, she used the five thousand dollars she brought to America to start her own chemical manufacturing business, PHT International. Her experience as a sales manager taught her that consistency was the key to a successful relationship with her buyers. She points out, “If I want to control my own name, I have to control my quality.” This guiding principle allowed her to carve her own space in the industry and become the inspiration she is today.
Lihong’s success was unlikely after coming to America with five thousand dollars in her pocket. Still, through the uncertainty, she started PHT International Inc. From her experiences in founding a chemical manufacturing company, Lihong has garnered a unique perspective on Asian American success. To her audience, she refers to her biggest inspirations, Marie Curie and Coco Chanel. These empowering women demonstrate to Lihong that to be irreplaceable, her business needed to be unique.
“Determination and focus are the first steps,” she tells aspiring entrepreneurs, “then you can start working hard on it.” She holds that there are no shortcuts to success, and having strong support systems-such as a mentor-are imperative. She advises Asian Americans to consider their cultural roots and family because ignoring filial piety through short-term thinking poses a danger to sustained AAPI success.
Lihong’s hard work, paired with her enduring passion and creativity, catapulted her to the success she sees today. While having determination is imperative, Lihong’s story shows excellence is best achieved and most sustained when one is supported by a tight-knit and encouraging community.
