She Started 11 Companies Before She Finally Made A Breakthrough With Lens Technology. Today Zhou Qunfei Is The World’s Richest Self-made Female Billionaire

Socrates once said, “The secret of change is to focus all your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new” If Zhou Qunfei had spent all her days bothering about the condition of her family, without craving for change, then she wouldn’t have been the icon that she is today.

Zhou Qunfei is the founder of Lens technology, one of the biggest technology and Hardware companies in the world. Keep reading to find out how Zhou Qunfei started from nothing to become one of the most successful women in the world.

YOUNG ZHOU AND THE HARDSHIP SHE FACED

Sometimes, the most interesting stories come from the most unexpected places. In Zhou Qunfei’s case, her story started in Xiangxiang, Hunan province, China in 1970. She was born with an innocent smile and a pure heart. She didn’t have the slightest idea of what the world had in store for her.

Zhou Qunfei’s family was not well-to-do. They tried so much to live a comfortable life, but sometimes they were forced to endure the harsh living condition.

Zhou Qunfei was born to a father who retired from the army before she was born. Despite not being active in the force, he was still able to put his family together after retirement.

He used the earnings he got from making bamboo baskets and chairs, and also bicycle repairs to provide for his family. However, he couldn’t do that under total comfort due to his partially blinded eyes.

Zhou Qunfei was the youngest of 3 children, and as she grew, she became accustomed to her family’s living conditions. When Zhou Qunfei turned five, an event happened, one which shook her fragile and young mind.

Zhou Qunfei lost her mother to death. At that point in Zhou’s life, one of the vital things she needed was motherly love and support, but unfortunately for her, it was now beyond her reach.

Zhou Qunfei had to adapt fast to her new life without a mother. This experience made her grow up faster than her age.

She started supporting the survival status of her family by rearing animals. Sometimes some of these animals were used for feeding, or sold to earn little profits for her household.

Despite Zhou Qunfei’s living conditions, she was a brilliant child. Due to the intellectual promise she showed at a young, she had the opportunity to enroll in school. She was the only one out of all her siblings that had the opportunity to attend school, as the others had to keep working to support the household.

Although Zhou Qunfei was doing very well in school, she had to drop out when she was only 16 years old. The situation of the family wasn’t in its most favorable moment, and Zhou had to seek greener pastures elsewhere.

Zhou Qunfei moved out of the house to live with her uncle and his family. Shortly after moving in with her uncle, Zhou got a job as a migrant worker in Shenzhen, Guangdong province.

She was able to quickly wrap her head around the tasks assigned to her, and during her time working, she gained experiences that slowly prepared her for a more professional career.

At first, Zhou wanted to stay as a government worker, so she could be entitled to the benefits that came with the career line, one of which was financial stability. However, her vision was cut short when she realized she needed a degree to get a shot at this profession.

This drawback didn’t discourage Zhou Qunfei, instead, it made her come up with a solution that would give her a double win.

Zhou Qunfei decided to apply to study at Shenzhen University, but she realized she still needed to work so she could sustain herself while studying.

This made her choose the option of a part-time program at the University. She also started working at companies that were closer to school, so she could conveniently juggle her schedule.

During her part-time studies, Zhou studied various courses that interested her.

She studied accounting, customs processing, and computer operations.Zhou received her certificate after completing and acing her examinations in all these courses. She even got a license that made her eligible to drive commercial vehicles.

Zhou Qunfei was committed to a vision of success at that point in her life. The harsh conditions that shaped her childhood made her a determined individu

al. She had completed her education, what was left for her was to face what the future had to offer.

ZHOU QUNFEI’S EARLY CAREER