Meet Teacher Ricky
In China, there are endless opportunities, and we like to speak to teachers in China who are pursuing other passions in their spare time!
This week, we spoke to Ricky Watson.
Ricky Watson is currently based in Shanghai and keeps himself extremely busy with his teaching job at an international school, studying his master’s degree, and running his entertainment business Best Life Entertainment (BLE). We couldn’t pass up an opportunity to speak to someone who is making the most of his time here!
Our interview with Ricky
Us: What kind of things are you doing outside your teaching job in Shanghai?
Ricky: I’m currently pursuing a master’s degree in International Relations and running my entertainment business Best Life Entertainment with friends and colleagues.
Us: What is BLE and why is it important to you?
Ricky: Best Life Entertainment (BLE) is a media production and artist management company that also organizes and collaborates on events in Shanghai and Greater China. BLE is important to me because it serves as a platform for people from many backgrounds, nationalities, abilities and interests to come together and celebrate certain cultures and sub-cultures. It is an entertainment entity that provides a base for Chinese, Western, and other artists to collaborate on projects, concepts, and events. BLE bridges any gaps between the cross-cultural domains in Shanghai and beyond, and I think that this is important in a world that becomes so divided by other issues. BLE is here to provide entertainment that allows people to live their best lives, no matter where you’re from.
Us: How did you get started?
Ricky: It’s quite funny you ask this question! BLE actually wasn’t an official business concept until we realized that the house parties we were hosting could become monetized. We started back in March 2019 with an idea to rent the largest AirBnb we could find in the city and throw a big birthday party for a friend. When we saw the turnout and how unique the concept could be, especially by bringing in bartenders, tattoo artists, hookah, etc., we went in full-steam.
We began to develop other unique concepts that would make us stand out and give the
Shanghai community something different to experience, from cocktail-making classes to group workouts and club promotions. Yet, as a result of the recent global crisis we had to adjust and go in a different direction. We started collaborating more with venues and really cultivating our hip-hop and fitness communities. We also have plans to immerse ourselves more into media and content production that tells stories of all the concepts we and our community are creating, aside form other projects.
Us: Who is part of BLE and what makes you guys unique?
Ricky: BLE is comprised of a rolling team, if that makes any sense. At its core, it’s myself; Ricky Watson, and Musa DeReese. We have had people come and go throughout the last year as a result of travel restrictions and visa issues, etc. but we’re always enlisting the support of others who share BLE’s vision. What makes my team unique is the passion they possess to see out the dream. To be an entrepreneur, one must be dedicated to the unyielding pursuit of their vision despite all obstacles that will undoubtedly arise. Musa has been an irreplaceable cog in the mechanism that drives BLE, as he is constantly networking and connecting assets to myself and other areas of business that need support. He is also a recording artist that is responsible for operating the artists management/agency division of BLE. The team is everything and is always growing, developing, and adapting.
Us: What do you hope to achieve and where are you headed?
Ricky: The ultimate goal is not only to organize large scale events of various types, or manage and represent artists, but to create and develop content that shows the word how cultures can converge, collaborate, and integrate together in the name of unity, prosperity, camaraderie and friendship. The goal is to advance all mediums BLE uses to their optimal levels to allow people within China and beyond to live their best lives. Furthermore, BLE intends on creating the Best Life Foundation that seeks to sponsor and fund initiatives that allow underprivileged children from different communities abroad the chance to travel and experience different cultures in their many dimensions.
Us: How often are you organizing events and how can people find you guys?
We have weekly events and larger scale monthly or bi-weekly events. You can know more by following our official page! Enter Best Life Entertainment on the official accounts page on WeChat and join the movement!
Thanks for talking to us Ricky! We absolutely love what you’re doing and we will look forward to seeing BLE continue to develop and grow. You have shown us so many possibilities of things you can achieve in China.