Lee Hae-in, CCO(Chief Creative Officer, chief creative officer) who founded the start-up entertainment company all my anecdotes(all my anecdotes).
Transforming from an idol trainee into a creative director, and then into a producer, Lee Hae-in is an icon of tenacity. What made her who she is today is precisely the ‘Haein-like way of thinking’.
“I think everything has two sides. I try to look only at the good side, and I tend to forget bad things easily, so I could get through many situations well. Perhaps it was thanks to the ‘Haein-like way of thinking’? I took a lot of flak while going through audition competition programs. Even when I watched the broadcasts and thought I was not good at all, I still gained fans. When I thought, ‘Wow, even seeing this, people become fans,’ my heart grew steadier. Now I would say I no longer pay attention to such looks.”
Recently, in an interview with Sports Kyunghyang, Lee Hae-in spoke candidly about a range of stories, from transforming from an idol trainee into a creative director to producing the virtual girl group OWIS.
Lee Hae-in, CCO of all my anecdotes.
■“Those long, long years as an idol trainee, it all turned out to be useful”
She remained an idol trainee until the age of 27. The long trainee years felt stifling at the time, but in retrospect she confessed that they became very useful nourishment for her as a creative director.
“From age 17, for ten years, I was a trainee and moved through many companies. I appeared on audition programs twice and met many different people. In doing so, I learned that each company has different ‘aspirational qualities’ it wants from trainees, and that there are diverse perspectives and standards that drive this industry. I have come to feel strongly that no experience is useless.”
As a creative director, she designed the concepts and key points for groups Kiss of Life and Close Your Eyes, among others, and found success.
Lee Hae-in, CCO of all my anecdotes.
“Kiss of Life was a blank slate from the start. With no members and no staff, I discussed with the agency head, ‘What kind of team should we make’. At the time, Natti happened to have left her former company at the right moment, so we decided to build a hip girl group that leveraged the strengths of Natti. I had lived in the dorm with Natti for a long time, so I knew her strengths well. We aimed to form a team of distinctly individual artists starting with Natti, and gathered people who could stand as solo artists to create the Kiss of Life you see today. By contrast, Close Your Eyes was a team composed of friends chosen through a competition program, so we had to prepare the team without knowing who the members would be. Therefore we needed a team concept that would suit anyone, and we had to structure it at a pace that would let them begin activities right after the program ended. I believe I learned a great deal then.”
Lee Hae-in, CCO of all my anecdotes.
■ “Advice for those who dream of becoming idols? There is no need to be overly sensitive”
Her story of stumbling yet never collapsing has drawn support from many. She expressed gratitude for that.
“I have not achieved enormous success, but I think the extra attention I receive is because my narrative is distinctive and I have a story people enjoy. I am simply grateful that they add a spoonful of encouragement and show their support.”
She says that becoming a producer has made her more at ease.
“I wonder why I clung so hard to such small things back then. Looking back now, even those times all speak to people meaningfully, yet my moods swung up and down over something extremely small. So I try to guide and talk to the trainees around me so that they do not hold on to such a mindset. Just as I was able to get through things in a healthy way because I met many good adults, I try to share good stories with the kids when I have them. I have also broken many of my own prejudices about first impressions, so I tend to see the potential of trainee friends higher than others do. In that sense, I think my strength as a producer is being specialized in aligning the images and abilities of artists into one coherent context without being trapped by prejudice.”
Lee Hae-in, CCO of all my anecdotes.
She said she also often provides career counseling for idols around her.
“I receive many messages. Some friends who once dreamed of being artists now come and say they want to work as staff. Each time I say just one thing. I ask, ‘If you move from being an artist to working as staff, the sense of dissonance can be big. Can you overcome that in a healthy way?’ On site, the artist must be prioritized, and if someone has always been protected by a manager and suddenly becomes staff, they often find it hard to handle. You need to approach this with the mindset of caring for a child. Haha. At our company now there are friends who have transitioned in a healthy way like that. Ki Hee-hyun, formerly of DIA, also works on our visual team. She is very diligent.”
Lastly, she offered warm advice to those who dream of becoming idols.
“There is no need to be sensitive about small things. Do not be shaken by a single remark of evaluation from others, and there is no need to compare yourself with others. If you strive to improve for yourself, I believe a time will come when you shine.”
