The MIC 🎤 MADE IN CHINA 🇨🇳 Podcast

Ian is from San Diego, California, and in 2014 he took a trip to China with his best friend that was supposed to last a couple of months. He's still here. Eleven years later, he's married to a Chinese woman, has a young daughter, owns his apartment in Dandong (a city on the North Korean border where he can see North Korea from his living room), just bought a BYD SUV that gets close to 1,00...

Peidra is a Jamaican-Canadian media producer who's worked Disney red carpets, the World Cup, and represented Jamaica at the International Diabetes Federation's global conferences. She'd been to Italy, the Vatican, and a dozen other countries — but she'd had zero interest in visiting China. Until one of my videos popped up on her TikTok in August. By January she'd booked her tic...

Evan Kail — known online as Pawn Man — has roughly 15 million followers across his platforms (4.7M on Douyin alone), was on track to be a screenwriter before life detoured him into a Minnesota gold and silver shop, and accidentally became one of the most recognized American voices in China after a single TikTok in 2022 changed everything. In August of that year, Evan received a leather-bound book...

In this episode of  The MIC (Made In China) Podcast , we sit down with Mackenzie to talk about her journey from growing up in Minnesota to building a life across Asia. What started as curiosity about traveling and studying abroad eventually turned into a life-changing experience living in China and exploring different parts of the world. We dive into the culture shocks, the challenges of adapting...

Mike grew up in LA doing a little bit of everything — reggae bands, Hollywood DJing, art modeling, acting, and co-owning a martial arts school that helped inner-city kids stay out of gangs. Then he moved to China in 2012 and built a dance studio from scratch. In this episode, Mike shares his journey from the LA hustle to building a life in China as a Black American entrepreneur. He earned a double...

In this episode of The MIC (Made In China) Podcast , we sit down with Teaira to talk about her unexpected journey from Iowa to China—and how she went from having no comedy background to helping build a stand-up scene from the ground up. She shares what it’s really like living in China beyond the stereotypes, navigating language barriers, and finding her place in a completely different culture. We...

In this episode, Olivia shares her journey as an American from Alabama who moved to China in 2025, building a new life in Suzhou after years of housing instability back home. We explore her experience as a primary school teacher at an international school, how her perception of China completely transformed from her first overwhelming visit in 2016 to seeing the country "with new eyes" nearly a dec...

In this episode, Chaniece shares her journey as an American who has been living in China for over 12 years, building a life, career, and identity abroad. We talk about her experience as a Black woman in China, what it’s like navigating a completely different culture long-term, and how her perspective has evolved over the years. Chaniece also shares her journey learning Mandarin, creating content,...

In this episode, we sit down with Jenna (aka @Jenna | Blonde In China 🇨🇳 ) a Northern California native who made the move to Shanghai in 2021. What started as a relationship turned into a completely new lifestyle. From beauty, travel, and everyday life content to pursuing her master’s degree in therapy, Jenna shares what it’s really like living in China as an American. We dive into the differences...

Katreena grew up about an hour outside of Chicago and started her teaching journey in inner-city schools, working with students from kindergarten through high school. After funding her own master’s degree in London and traveling through Asia, an opportunity eventually led her to teaching art overseas in China — where the job turned out to be more complex than she expected. In this episode, Katreen...

Marco came to China for what was supposed to be a short visit after getting an opportunity to work with a gym. But once he arrived, everything changed. In this episode, he talks about how a single decision turned into a completely new chapter of his life—building connections, coaching jiu-jitsu, and experiencing a country he never expected to call home. Follow Marco! IG : @checkmat_hangzhou 

We sit down with Shady (@shadyy_y) , a science teacher in China whose journey started in Sudan and took him across multiple countries before building a life in Hangzhou. From studying pharmacy to teaching, we talk about life in China, global experiences, and adapting to different cultures. Follow Shady on instagram: @shadyy_y

In this episode we sit down with  Thomas (@thesmitlocks on TikTok) , an American English teacher living in China. Thomas shares his journey from the United States to working in a  kindergarten classroom in China , what daily life is really like teaching abroad, and the cultural differences he’s experienced along the way. From education to life in China, this conversation gives a real look into wha...

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