Documentary reveals business life in a flux

The phrase "in the wake of" originally described the turbulent water trailing a ship — a literal marker of movement and change. Over time, it evolved into a metaphor for the aftermath of transformative events.

The recently aired documentary In the Wake of Change now applies this concept to the business world, capturing the personal struggles and triumphs of ordinary entrepreneurs navigating today's fast-evolving industries, including cross-border e-commerce, tea franchise booms and the competitive new energy vehicle sector.

Through intimate stories, the documentary reveals how global trends ripple through individual lives — forcing adaptation, resilience and sometimes reinvention.

This resonates particularly in China's ubiquitous tea shop landscape.

While tea franchises have long been regarded as accessible small-business opportunities, last year proved to be an inflection point: waves of store closures swept through the industry, prompting even established brands to halt franchise approvals while recalibrating for profitability.

The documentary team investigates how individual franchise owners weather these changes.

"We wanted to examine how these people are coping with the changing landscape — what pains them, what worries them, and what they're striving for," says producer Liu Dongxiao.