‘Wellsinking’ Is a Clich? Self-Help Book?…Chairman Kelly Choi Says, "The Problem Is Knowing but Not Doing"

[Asia Economy Reporter Seomideum] Chairman Kelly Choi was extremely poor. He was unable to attend high school and came to Seoul alone. He got a job at a garment factory, which turned out to be "Chairman Chung Ju-young's dress shirt factory." At the factory, the young female workers were given bus rides to school, but Youngsook, who was close to him, choked on a Baeksulgi bread while on the bus to school and passed away. "I felt like life wasn't meant to be this way." He ran out of the factory right then. He headed to Japan and France to become a designer but ended up becoming a businessman. The food service company he founded, Kelly Deli, generates annual sales of about 620 billion won from 1,200 stores worldwide.

The process leading to his current status is receiving great response through his next book, Well Thinking (Dasan Books). So far, it has sold 200,000 copies. Many regard him as a mentor. Regarding this, he explained, "I am very ordinary, with poor academic background and dyslexia, and quite pathetic," adding, "I think readers see that even someone like me, who seems awkward, can do it, so maybe they can too."

How was he able to succeed? At a press conference held before his book concert for Well Thinking (Dasan Books) on the 25th at Daeyang Hall, Sejong University, Seoul, Kelly Choi (53, Korean name Choi Geumrye) cited 'role models' as a success factor. He said, "I set role models in each field, study them, and then execute with the mindset of devouring them," adding, "I studied and executed about 1,000 people and it took 15 years to write the book."

Chairman Choi confesses that he is satisfied and happy with his current life. Is it because he achieved great wealth? While that is not wrong, it is more accurate to say, "I am happy because I have dreams and am growing." He said, "Standing in front of 2,000 people (attending the book concert) today is also a first challenge," and added, "After the lecture ends, I think I will have grown and found it fun."

Regarding the negative views that classify Well Thinking as a self-help book, he explained, "Those who say it's a clich? are people who know but do not execute," and added, "There is a big difference between pioneering and following someone ahead (a role model). If you follow behind, you can go easily."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.