Meet Liivi Kedelauk

China's immense size is a cause for dreaming for GROW participant Liivi Kedelauk, who recently finished an exchange there from her native Estonia. "Estonia is a small country with only 1.34 million people," says Kedelauk, "While China is the most populace country in the world, with 1.34 billion. I was dreaming how big our revenue could be in China after 10 years, if we could reach the same market share there as we have now in Estonia."

Kedelauk, director of handbooks and book publishing at business daily Äripäev, worked as a senior advisor at Bonnier Executive Learning in China from March to April. "I shared my experience with colleagues in China," she says. "I've been working with Estonian handbooks for more than 13 years, and in China I got experience in all stages of handbook publishing, negotiations with authors, marketing and sales, and customer service."

The cultural differences between China and Estonia were even bigger than the work differences, from behaviors to language. "The biggest challenge was communication," says Kedelauk. "Unfortunately, I don't understand Chinese and most local people don't speak English. I spent my free time sightseeing, and it was quite complicated to reach the right destination sometimes." But it was this inward perspective of China that gave her a more unique GROW experience. "I had a good opportunity to see China closer and work from day to day with Chinese people. Not to be just the tourist," she says.

Kedelauk highly recommends applying to GROW. "I miss most the hospitality, politeness and kindness of Chinese people," she says. "It is great to feel from the beginning you are welcome. There is a big advantage if you can at least speak a little of the local language. It makes it easier to understand the way people think."