As one of the millions of practitioners in China's automotive industry, Liu Rongxue had always kept a close eye on Dongfeng Nissan's development. Owning an automobile 4S dealership of his own was a dream shared by many industry professionals of his generation.
"I am a restless person, and I have always had an entrepreneurial dream in my heart," he said. When Dongfeng Nissan launched its Elite Entrepreneurship strategy, he gained the opportunity to start a business together with the brand and pursue a more self-directed path of personal value creation.
Opportunity favors the prepared mind. Winning the championship was a major surprise, but every round of planning and business competition was something I approached steadily, step by step.
During the reality competition process, one of the most unforgettable moments came on the day of the first recording, when his wife was waiting to give birth. Speaking with her by phone from the stage gave him both emotional strength and renewed determination. The day after he returned home, his daughter was born safely.
Through the competition and training process, he realized that team success does not mean the leader must be the most outstanding individual. What matters more is the ability to unite like-minded people, help each person make full use of their strengths, and move forward together toward a shared goal. He also developed a deeper understanding of the difference between a boss and a professional manager: a true entrepreneur does not casually give up, even when facing major difficulties.
When the store-building phase began, Liu Rongxue took on broader responsibilities. Site selection, licensing, decoration, equipment procurement, personnel training, and early-stage operations all required coordination under real business constraints. Before launch, he carried out field visits and data analysis on lower-tier county markets, studying registrations, population, and economic indicators.
From opening day to the following months of adjustment, the store gradually entered a healthier operating rhythm. Sales and after-sales performance continued to improve, reinforcing his view that entrepreneurship is not simply about opening a store. It is about sustained operation, organizational construction, and efficient use of capital.
He believes the automotive industry is capital-intensive, technology-intensive, and talent-intensive. Learning how to use limited resources efficiently without creating waste or financial strain became one of the most practical lessons after entering real operations. At the same time, the company grew from a 17-person team to more than 40 people, making clearer role definition, better systems, and human-centered management an ongoing focus.
If asked to describe himself in one word, Liu Rongxue chooses "diligent." In his view, he may not be the smartest person in the room, but he can take simple work seriously and repeat it with discipline. For him, that is the foundation of long-term success.
Looking ahead, he hopes to develop and refine a management and marketing approach better suited to lower-tier markets, then replicate that successful model across additional stores while continuing to deepen local market operations.