And if Chan’s career is any indication, success in business should n’t be at odds with a self-assured person. While she now considers herself” culturally, emotionally and mentally richer” for having chosen to sing in Mandarin, the decision was n’t always so clear cut.
” I was asked ( by my first label, Ocean Butterflies ) to reflect on this: Okay, you want to sing in English? Do you want to pursue singing for a hobby or simply a part-time job? Or do you want to become a professional and make a living, create a brand, create your own product as an artiste? Next you’d have to do it in Taiwanese”, she recalled.  ,
” Of course I could n’t be 100 per cent sure, but that was what was offered to me. Literally, it was like, if you do n’t sing in Chinese, we’re not interested in signing you”.
Even though Chan would n’t say she was “very ambitious,” entering Mandopop was the more realistic choice if she wanted to pursue a career that matched her values and objectives.
” I am a very philosophical people. It really was n’t about how far I could go or how high I could go. It was about the truth that I think my work has benefit, and one of the ways to determine price is whether someone will pay to watch me do or purchase my CDs. It gives you a very sensible edge”, she said.  ,
” We can all dream and it’s great to dream, but that ( practicality ) sort of anchors me and makes it possible for me to go on and on and on” . ,
Chan made note of the fact that it was her first business success, which she said was “extremely important when you’re starting out,” that gave her the opportunity to enjoy the later years of her profession.  ,  ,
” I’ve paid my taxes many times over. I’m pretty happy to say that I’m at this point in my career, in living, where I actually work on projects that I just want to do, that interest me as a man, that however move me forth as an artiste, items that attract my attention, things that make me think I could expand and learn”, she said.
Chan has managed to maintain a devoted fan base in the area that has kept her career going despite acknowledging that she does n’t currently have a “huge mass market.”  ,
Being true to who I am and choosing the right projects for myself have also helped me define myself as an artist. Being able to stand out from the competition is also important, she continued.
” It eventually paid off for me to just sort of march to the beat of my own drum, because I believe that is one of the reasons my career has lasted so long.”