How many different careers can one person have in a single lifetime? For “Lucky Director Gu,” aka Gudao, the answer seems to be: There is no limit.
She has been a bank clerk, a café owner, a child counselor, a video director for an author and a career planning consultant. Today, she’s her own boss as a popular shop-hopping content creator. “Lucky Director Gu” is her online handle, and her job is to roam the city of Beijing in search of interesting activities, fun shops and delectable dishes. “I guess I’ve just never given up on experimenting” is how she summed herself up to Beijing Review.
What fits, is best
Her entry into this line of work was accidental. “It started with a cup of Luckin Coffee,” she recalled. Luckin is a popular Chinese coffee chain. She just casually posted a short video of her shopping at a Luckin café on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, and the video went viral. “That was when I realized you could attach group-buying links and store locations, and actually get paid collaborations.”
“To me, it felt like a win-win situation,” she said. “You go out, experience life, share it and you can make money from it.”
Becoming a store-hopping vlogger was a new role for her and, in a broader sense, a new kind of job altogether. In July 2024, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, along with other authorities, officially recognized 28 new occupations, including “life services experience tester.” Overnight, millions of people like Gudao gained an official name for what they do.
“Many people think our job is just about eating, drinking and having fun,” she said with a laugh. “But my routine usually involves editing videos, coordinating with brands and scripting in the morning. And I typically head out around noon and spend the afternoon filming.” The schedule is flexible and mostly hers to control.
“I’m an ENFP, very much a ‘P’ type. I don’t plan much,” she explained, referring to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. People with a “P” preference tend to favor flexibility and openness, keeping their options open rather than following rigid structures. “That’s why I dislike office jobs. I can’t stand the nine-to-five, fixed procedures—and endless rules. I really enjoy the freedom and sense of control I have now.”
Freedom, however, does come at a price: instability. Gudao is very open about the income swings that define the job. “In half a month, I might earn more than I did in an entire month before. But the opposite can also be true,” she said. “Online traffic could be great today and drop tomorrow. One month you make tens of thousands of yuan (thousands of U.S. dollars); the next, there’s nothing.”
While admitting that volatility worries many peers, she dismissed their concerns as inevitable: “Honestly, no matter what you do, you’ll feel anxious.”
“My balance comes from not pursuing stability in the first place, so this career fits me well,” she added. “But it’s not for everyone. If your personality is similar to mine, though, it could be a good option.”
Beyond personality, she believes two things are essential: genuine interest and a strong desire to share. “You need that impulse to wanna talk about even the smallest things,” she noted. “And you have to truly enjoy life. You need to like new experiences, food, wandering around and exploring.”
Gudao films a citywalk guide in a trendy complex transformed from a traditional shopping mall in Beijing in October 2025 (COURTESY PHOTO)
More than making a living
The places Gudao features fall into two categories. Some she discovers and wants to try herself, through daily life or social media. Others are paid collaborations, where businesses invite her to shoot promotional content.
“I’m more cautious with commercial partnerships to avoid harming my credibility with poor recommendations,” she said. She usually chooses restaurants with solid reviews and ratings and clearly labels ads. “The food and beverage industry is incredibly competitive now. Many shops launch group-buy deals to attract customers, and some hidden gems in the city’s hutongs (alleyways) need to be discovered.”
She regularly watches other content creators, especially one known as “Xiaolu Lawrence” on Chinese socials. “He’s great at crafting content,” she said. “Even his ads satisfy both the audience and the client—that’s the balance I admire and aspire to reach.”
When there is no commercial pressure, she prefers hunting for hidden spots in “out-of-the-way corners” and wandering through local markets. One of her most popular videos featured the Shahe Market, one of Beijing’s largest open-air markets spanning 120,000 square meters in suburban Changping District, packed with foodstalls. “As a Beijing native, I love that sense of everyday life,” she said. “The noise, the crowds, food that might not look very ‘clean’ but tastes amazing.”
“Sometimes, a single video can really help a hidden gem get noticed,” she said. “Or a merchant offers an affordable set meal, customers get a good deal and the shop gets foot traffic. It’s not some grand mission, but you do feel that you’ve helped someone. I like sharing, so I’m happy to pass on good information.”
She mentioned a vlogger in Guangdong Province who’d helped save a childhood favorite blueberry bun. The bakery planned to stop making it because profits were too thin. After a post on Xiaohongshu, China’s lifestyle-based social media and e-commerce platform also known as RedNote, drew attention, demand surged and the bun survived. “It shows a certain power and value in this profession,” she said.
The job is not without controversy. Foodwaste is one common criticism. Some vloggers leave behind large amounts of uneaten food after filming. Gudao makes a point of avoiding that. She always carries a backpack and packs leftovers to bring home and share with family. “It’s like you’re off hunting every day, coming home with a full backpack or even two bags of ‘spoils.’ I quite like that feeling of returning ‘loaded’,” she said.
The next, undefined stop
As Chinese society changes, new professions emerge. The rise of store-exploration content creators reflects a growing focus on lifestyle and everyday experiences.
But new careers evolve rapidly themselves. “I started in 2024,” she said. “Back then, if a café wanted 10 bloggers, they sometimes couldn’t even find enough people. There was demand, but few creators.” By 2025, the situation had reversed. “Now, if a shop looks for 10 people, a thousand might apply. Merchants screen more carefully, budgets drop and with so many people competing, someone will always accept a lower price.”
“The industry is already crowded,” Gudao said. She does not recommend jumping in full-time right now. What she does recommend is learning how to use self-media. “Self-media is a tool, not a job. It can amplify whatever you do: Writing a column, running a website, publishing a book, managing a small shop… It helps people to be seen.”
She is putting her faith in a “self-media+” model. In practice, this means she plans to continue her store-exploration vlog for another year or two, after which she may pivot to blending travel with retail discovery, launch a cultural venture or even transition into fields like psychology or metaphysics. “I still want to keep exploring possibilities,” she added.
She believes no experience is ever wasted. Her time as a career coach gave her insight into how new jobs emerge and old ones fade, while her current work has helped her build networks, skills and influence—all ammunition prepared in advance for her next journey.
“No path is walked in vain,” she said. Everything, she feels, is preparation for setting sail again, better equipped for what lies ahead. –The Daily Mail-Beijing Review news exchange item
