How Entrepreneur and Producer Kelly Mi Li Has Built Her Own Empire

Welcome to Second Life, a podcast spotlighting successful women who've made major career changes—and fearlessly mastered the pivot. Hosted by Hillary Kerr, co-founder and chief content officer at Who What Wear, each episode gives you a direct line to women who are game changers in their fields. Subscribe to Second Life on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere you get your podcasts to stay tuned.

This month, one of our favorite Netflix shows returned: Bling Empire. The show first aired in January of 2021, welcoming viewers into the glamorous lives of the cast and garnering a deep affection for the members on the show—in particular, Kelly Mi Li. She not only stars in the megahit Netflix reality show, but she is also an executive producer of the series. Mi Li's energy on the show is calming and incredibly empowering to aspiring entrepreneurs, as she reveals her journey as she navigates her multifaceted career that transcends the show. She is a Chinese American serial entrepreneur, film and television producer, investor, and more.

To say Mi Li has had an impressive history within multiple industries is an understatement. Within film and television, Mi Li has produced projects like the Michael Shannon film Echo Boomers and the Sonar Entertainment series Cypher, and she currently has five projects in the pipeline under her new production company, Wet Paws Media. In the entertainment industry, she spent three years as a managing partner at East West Artists, where she worked with some of the most notable musicians and actors in Asia and America. And in the tech industry, she established one of the first and most successful tech incubators in Los Angeles, Be Great Partners, and has since invested in over 20 startups. Combining her interest in the food and beverage industry with real estate development, Mi Li has also launched massive projects like Palihouse in West Hollywood and converted Jim Morrison's old Sunset Boulevard apartment into an exclusive speakeasy. And it doesn't stop there—Mi Li also worked in life insurance in Chicago prior to it all.

Mi Li has, undoubtedly, lived many career lives and shows no signs of slowing down. Listen to the latest episode of Second Life to hear how Mi Li continues to build and expand her empire while remaining incredibly grounded.

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