Melody liu on entrepreneurship, love language and mental health

published in enya Fashion Queen issue #189, find the original interview here; cover photo © 2021 enya Fashion Queen, all rights reserved

Taking on life lessons with stride—self challenges, family life, child education, facing negativity—Melody Liu stays true to herself even when her roles continue to change. With her confident charm and wisdom, she is like a warm beacon in this cold winter, a role model for all the young ladies out there and the ideal version of how a mature woman should be. 

A Brand New Challenge 

Always willing to challenge herself, Melody has taken on a new role—the founder of her brand Whatever Whatever. The story behind her brand is simple, she wanted to share what she likes with the world. Every woman always needs an extra classic piece, such as a white T-shirt, a pair of jeans or a cardigan to add to her wardrobe. Melody jokingly says she had already mastered the challenges of taking on new identities. Whenever life becomes tedious, she can’t help but want to try another new task; it seems like breaking free from her comfort zone has already become a norm. “I like all of my jobs. Being a writer and podcaster is like self-care, while being a host and facing different guests is for self-improvement. And deep down, acting is a profession I really admire.” When asked if there are any acting roles she would want to try, Melody says if the right opportunity presents itself, she wants to do roles that are true-to-life and explore women’s inner psyche. In the face of success and failures, she believes that it depends on being at the right place at the right time, your innate talent and most important of all, the effort you are willing to put in. 

Marks of Growth 

After leaving Los Angeles at age 22, Melody came to Taipei to pursue her dream. Now 20 years have passed, she has taken up multiple roles and raised her own family. During this pandemic, she got the chance to visit her parents. As Melody got to spend more time with them, she realized their family dynamic became more like friends and that she was gradually learning to cherish the stories her parents shared with her. Indeed, time is a fascinating concept. Melody remembers when she was younger, her dad always said everyone should own a tea set during his or her lifetime. Resisting her dad’s offer in every way, she thought to herself, I don’t even drink Elder’s Tea, why should I get one? Fast forward twenty years, Melody starts to recognize the beauty in the art of tea and finds herself purchasing tea sets and visiting tea exhibitions. Smiling while shaking her head, she says, “Never say never, because there is a chance we’ll become just like our parents.” Meanwhile, she also had the opportunity to revisit the UCLA campus with her dad. As she walked through the familiar setting, it was as if she saw her younger self again, whose mind was filled with all kinds of crazy dreams. When we were young, we were always impatient about growing up. The forty-year-olds we were aspiring to be were always successful examples. However, as we gradually get older, we will soon realize all the hard work and responsibilities we weren’t able to see on the surface. Feeling sentimental, Melody recognizes that time waits for no man and that with one step after another, she had slowly grown into the kind of adult she aspired to be when she was younger. 

Love Language 

From the pressure of Taiwanese education she received as a kid, to getting along with her parents and becoming more like friends, these experiences indirectly affected Melody’s way of educating her daughters.  “Every kid has his or her own love language. As parents, we have to find the one that works.” In this digital era, she simply hopes that her daughters can grow up freely and happily within the right set of boundaries. As many parents are juggling between work and family, Melody admits it is difficult to find the perfect balance and the only way to do that is by establishing a clear division of time for both. “There is only a ten-year window in which you can shape and influence who your child becomes, because real education starts within the family.” Therefore, no matter how busy she gets, Melody insists that she needs to be home when her kids come home from school. She chuckles and says, “Even though helping them with school work sometimes does make me question life and go have a drink instead, it’s a commitment.” Jokes aside, the way Melody answered with such affirmation shows how much she values a proper upbringing and her dedication to becoming an ideal mother. 

Embrace the Low 

As the darling of the fashion industry, Melody predicts the early spring season will be filled with colorful, exaggerated prints. However, the most important thing is to understand our own body type, in order to pick out the proper tailoring design. As for handbags, besides the trending styles such as mini handbags, she tends to stick with classic, natural colors that go with any outfit. “I think style is extremely introspective, so understanding yourself is an important fashion attitude.” The attitude of learning to be yourself does not limit to fashion, but also to the different aspects of life. As mental health issues are gaining more awareness, Melody shares with us how she doesn’t immediately try to break free or reject her negative feelings. “We should all learn to embrace our negative emotions.” Only by learning to accept it and co-exist with it can we truly learn how to process our inner feelings. In the wake of the pandemic, staying at home provided people with a chance to take a break and acknowledge the effects of emotional exhaustion; self-care became a necessity. For Melody, her first step to self-care is understanding herself and the next is to learn to accept it. “You will start to see a lot of things about yourself that you don’t like, but you have to learn to cherish them because that is who you are.” Like a big sister sharing her personal experiences, Melody’s confidence shines bright like a charm, while her every gesture and response reflect her ability to take on any life problems in stride and with ease. 

With Content and Gratitude 

Speaking of self-care, Melody says there are many methods. Personally, she likes to cook to relax herself and clear her mind. “Because you don’t have to worry about anything, all you have to do is focus on the dish in front of you and that’s all.” From not knowing how to cook, taking classes, to being able to make several classic dishes—braised pork meatballs in brown sauce, Yuxiang shredded pork, spicy chicken, Yanduxian and more—she is very proud of her accomplishments. When asked about the goals she wants to achieve next, Melody says she’s actually quite content with where she is right now. “Sometimes enough is good as a feast.” After trying out different fields and industries, she understands happiness is simple. It can be a warm greeting, a cup of coffee from your favorite place, or a long, enduring company of your loved ones. Either way, true happiness usually stems from the most simple deeds. As for where she sees herself in five years, Melody gives it a thought and speaks with content, “Honestly I have accomplished more than what I had in mind when I was eighteen, so I am happy with everything at the moment.” Towards the end of our interview, eyes beaming with gratitude, Melody sits in front of me as her etiquette radiates with the precious lessons of the past twenty years. Deeply inspired, I believe she will stay true to her most authentic self and continue to shine as she moves forward on this journey of life.