Cho - The Little Book of Jeong: The Korean Art of Building Deep Connections And How It Changed My Life

Advance Praise for
The Little Book of Jeong

In a year where human connection has been put to the test and physical interactions limited due to social distancing, Charlotte Chos The Little Book of Jeong reminds us how important and powerful deep connections can be through Chos career journey from Samsung in South Korea and as the founder of Soko Glam and Then I Met You. Most importantly: its the call to action to slow down, be present, and revel in the deep appreciation for the people, places and things that hold a special place in your heart. Jeong is a universal concept that will change the way you see things and change the way you liveand its the reminder we need today.

Karin Eldor, Forbes contributor and host of the podcast Share of Voice

The Little Book of Jeong is inspiring and generous in its wisdom. Charlotte Cho reveals the power of jeong in your life, guiding readers to find the most authentic, connected version of themselves. Its a book that will inspire you, empower youa must read.

Catherine Cho, author of Inferno

The entire work dissects the Korean notion of jeong by masterfully weaving in Charlottes own personal anecdotes from her past and present. The result is an effective book that sheds light on why jeong is essential for living a well-rounded and connected life. Sweet, tender and oftentimes moving, Charlotte goes deep in her relationships and how they have shaped to become the founder she is today. A convincing case for why we all need jeong to have a more meaningful life.

David Yi, founder of Very Good Light and author of Pretty Boys

When writing about Korea, I often spend a lot of time contextualizing a definition of a word that doesnt have an equivalent in English, and Charlotte Cho has written an entire book about one of them that I have never even attempted to translate before! I loved her part personal memoir, part behind-the-scenes building-a-company memoir about her journey. The Little Book of Jeong is a tender-hearted deep-dive into the often inexplicable acts of love and the roots of relationships that take hold before one is even aware of it.

Frances Cha, author of If I Had Your Face

The Little Book of Jeong is a work of nonfiction.

Some names and identifying details have been changed.

Copyright 2021 by Charlotte Cho

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

The Little Book of Jeong may be purchased for educational, business, or sales promotional use. For more information, please e-mail

FIRST EDITION

Cover design by Na Kim

Interior design by Leah Carlson-Stanisic

Illustrations by Bae Sung-Tae

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data has been applied for.

ISBN 978-1-7355667-9-5

for Dave

My mentor, best friend, and ever-loving life partner.

Together, through jeong, well reach the stars.

Contents

Introduction

From the beginning, my journey of writing The Little Book of Jeong has been anything but conventional.

Three years after cofounding Soko Glam, I released my first book, The Little Book of Skin Care, which became an international best seller. Translated into ten different languages, it sold more copies than my agent and publisher had ever imagined it could. Ask any successful first-time author, and theyll tell you the next step is to write another hit. Why dont you write another skin care book? I remember my agent asked me. Considering how many people enjoyed your first, its guaranteed to be a success.

I said no. Between the book, Soko Glam, and The Klog (an online skin care resource guide we launched in 2012), I felt that I had enough channels to help people on their skin care journeys. It was through these outlets that I would be able to continue educating communities in real time. There was another element of Korean culture, though, that I did want to share in my second book. It had nothing to do with skin care, but I was equally passionate about introducing it to the world.

That concept is called jeong. Its an important aspect of Korean culture defined as the deep and meaningful connections built between people, places, and things. It takes time to create jeong, but the process encourages generosity, empathy, and the cultivation of lasting bonds. Jeong is something that I learned about and experienced while living in Korea, and I believe it has profoundly grounded me in my personal life and led to the success Ive achieved in my professional life.

When I tried to put this book out in the world, however, I was surprised to find that no one was interested. All of the publishers that had bid aggressively for The Little Book of Skin Care declined. My proposal was passed up several times; more than once I was asked to simply write a second skin care book.

So I decided to do what Ive always done my entire life: Stay authentic to my passionsand find a way to build it myself.

When I started Soko Glam in 2012 with my best friend and husband, Dave, no one in America really knew what Korean beauty was and most people werent thinking of buying skin care products online, especially from brands theyd never heard of. That didnt stop us. Neither did the fact that we werent experts in e-commerce and didnt have traditional beauty backgrounds. I believed in what I was doing and now, eight years later, Im proud to say that K-beauty is a global mainstay and has made fundamental shifts in the cosmetic industry.

I feel the same way now that I did back then. Its why I decided to self-fund this project and assembled a talented team of editors, illustrators, and designers who believed in my vision. What has resulted is not only a book about jeong, but a true expression of my love for Korean culture and the gratitude I have for the relationships I have built in this serendipitous life. All in all, it has felt invigorating to create something from scratch once again and to have the creative and editorial control to ensure my stories reach you in the way that I believe is best, which is true to me and my journey.

Why Read a Book About Jeong?

Jeong (also written as jung) is a Korean word and cultural concept that has no direct English translation, and to top it off, it can be tricky to pronounce. So why read a book about it?

Much of the world today is marked by superficial relationships, overwhelming anxiety, and a decline in empathy. I hope that learning about jeong will provide clarity about whats most valuable in lifein my view, that would be building deep and meaningful connections with the people who matter to you. Through my personal stories, Ill show how I came to understand the power of jeong and how it changed my life for the better. From giving me the chance to pursue my entrepreneurial dreams, to building strong bonds with my life partner, to strengthening familial ties and friendships and cultivating new relationships, Ill share how jeong has directly contributed to my happiness and success.

Throughout this book, Ill also emphasize the importance of practicing jeong through what I call Simple Acts of Jeong, which are practical ways that you can start to create these deep bonds. These are easy tips based on the pillars of jeong that I believe will open doors to a profound fulfillment that you might never have thought possible. After all, jeong is a feeling that is universal and that anyone can have. In fact, you likely already have jeong with others, but this book will teach you how to recognize it and let it blossom in your life. Lastly, if youre interested (or even obsessed) with Korean culture as I am, youll gain a deeper understanding of how jeong is ingrained in Korean people and their lifestyles, from the way they eat meals to the way they nourish their personal and professional relationships. (Bonus: For K-drama obsessives, there are plenty of references to catch and enjoy.)