Change is Possible for Anyone
Being a part of the SF/NYC early-stage, high-growth tech scene in my 20s-30s, I got completely caught up in the hustle culture rat race. Coming from a working-class, immigrant upbringing — the dollar signs, bonuses, equity, valuations, proximity to C-levels, investors, and decision-makers. It all felt unreal.
For a long time, I loved it. I was addicted to the thrill of it all — the feeling of making it as an ‘other’ as I was often the only Asian on the sales side, getting to be around a founding team of innovators, going ‘all in’ to see these companies through to IPO, disrupting antiquated industries with tech, pulling all-nighters while messaging with team members from across the globe.
(typing all of this out now makes me wanna claw my effing eyes out) 👀
I used to work 14-hour days to spend 1.5 with my kid — wake up, drop off at daycare, commute to work by 9 am, eat lunch at my desk, do the walk of shame to leave by 6 pm, hustle back to feed, bathe, put my kid to bed (while responding to a million Slack messages), log back on, work until 1 am.
Do it all over again the next day. 😖
I was miserable. I could point fingers at poor leadership, the dangers of hustle culture, and the never-ending NYC rat race, but in the end, it was my own doing. I burned out because it was a result of everything I wanted then:
A desire for social status.
The need to have a seat at the table.
A belief that working long hours proved my worth.
An obsession with other people’s perceptions of me.
A commitment to putting work first, even before my family and health.
In July 2019, I was hospitalized for two days. I was admitted for early labor symptoms, being 28 weeks pregnant with my second kid. Thankfully, the medical team was able to prevent a pre-term birth, but the cause of it? STRESS.
My physical and mental health, the health of my unborn baby, the impact this was having on my relationships, and then a few months later, the added complexities of a pandemic, along with our reckoning with deep-rooted racial injustices 😡😤😵💫 I had to step back to reflect on what really mattered to me.
The shift was anything but easy and certainly didn't happen overnight or by luck, but I had to do it — I left my corporate job, became a stay-at-home parent, and uprooted our lives from New York City, where we'd been for 10 years.
Today, my life in Portland looks remarkably different. I do work that aligns with my values, serve those I care deeply about, and make time for things that genuinely bring me joy:
Playing piano during my lunch breaks.
Skiing with my kids on days off from school.
Volunteering at my kids’ school, being present for them.
Going to yoga between my coaching calls without rushing back.
Getting stoked when my calendar is jam-packed with client meetings!
My priorities have shifted, and my entire perspective on life has changed. What I once thought was important has been replaced by a deeper connection with my values and a commitment to a more balanced lifestyle.
I share all this with you not to brag (my life is far from perfect) but as a reminder that change is possible for anyone. It just requires clarity, a shift in mindset, and discipline.
Wildlight was created from this entire experience — my sales experience in high-growth companies, the teams I’ve led, the rooms I got to sit in, the ones I was denied from… the power of understanding our priorities, what truly matters, and having the courage to go after it.
My clients are often antsy and want to go straight into action, but I refuse to let them make the same mistakes. They’re coming to me because they’re bored, unfulfilled, and want change in their careers. So, we spend a lot of time doing the reflection and the inner work to get clarity — SO THAT they can find joy and fulfillment in their careers by making changes.
Life is too damn short to be lived on someone else’s terms. I'm all about helping my clients figure out their terms and then reclaiming them.
Want to talk more about how this could work for you? Set up a sales call to learn more about “Reset & Realign,” my signature 1:1 coaching program, and see if we’d be a good fit to work together.
