These are my core values.

• Self respect. If we don’t respect ourselves, it’s difficult for us to respect others, too. In an effort to combat low self-esteem from childhood, I lean into asking myself, “What do you think?”
• Self awareness. You can’t respect yourself if you aren’t self aware. I believe in the power of deep introspection, and massively respect the people around me who constantly evaluate their blindspots and do things that encourage self-awareness, like coaching and therapy.
• Gratitude. It’s easy to focus on what you don’t have. There’s always someone with more. But we fail to remember, there are always people with less. Gratitude is the greatest driver of a joy state of mind, and joy helps us make great decisions.
• Humility. I am always humbled by the people around me that know so much. Humility helps me lean into my curiosity to learn more about many things.
• Compassion. We tend to overvalue IQ and undervalue EQ. To this effect, I respect people who display kindness and generosity to others, especially if the other person doesn’t deserve it. I seek to be this kind of person.

This is me 🙂

What are some honest, unfiltered things about you?

• Here's the most honest, unfiltered part of my life story in a (very long) bullet point. Born and raised in SF. From a poor family - parents are both refugees from China and Vietnam. I left home at age sixteen due to a chaotic, life-or-death situation home environment. CPS was involved. Failed high school with a 0.83 GPA. **I saved this transcript (see photo) and still have it (to this day) to remind myself of my roots. **Ran off to Los Angeles at 18, and took the 2.5-hour bus ride to community college every day (two buses and a light rail.) While in Community College, started my music teaching business - the first prototype was just a pencil box full of pens, stickers, and tape. I made straight As in community college and transferred to USC. Worked three work-study jobs while running my music teaching business to put myself through school. ****Graduated with a Bachelors from USC (Magna cum laude) and a Masters from Bob Cole Conservatory (Summa cum laude.) I sold my music school in 2019 to my employees who run it to this day. I'm the first person in my family to go to college, first to graduate, and first to get an undergrad/graduate degree. The end.

Ask me if you want to learn how to get a C in Health Ed, or how to get a D in your literal native tongue (Chinese is my first language.)

More honest, unfiltered things...

• I’m mission-driven. My work ethic is what it is, regardless of if I’m an intern or a co-founder. Life is too short for purposeless work. I really hate ladder climbers who only help whenever it inherently benefits them.
• I consider myself an amateur theologian — ask me all of your burning Bible questions. I can talk about hermeneutics and the thousands of contradictions in the Bible all day. I believe America has hijacked a lot of what it means to be a Christian.
• I try to humble myself every day by thinking about the temporary nature of life. One of my favorite things to read about is Stoicism, so memento mori (and therefore premeditatio malorum) are concepts I meditate on frequently.
• I believe joy is a better motivator than fear. So...I try to do things that bring me joy.
• Previous hats include:
  • Age 16: Club promoter (first for 18+ clubs, then 21+ clubs), jewelry sales person, music tutor
  • Age 18: Music tutor, music teacher, slinger of cheap sunglasses on Hollywood Blvd 😉
  • Age 19: Started first company (opened music school!)
  • Age 20: Secretary for three work studies at USC, still teaching and running music school (hits profitability)
  • Age 24: Music competition coordinator, (eventually) music school CEO - hits ~$1M in ARR
  • Age 26: Sold music school, started learning to code and started second company
  • Age 27: Software engineer, and finally Operations at On Deck
  • Age 28: Chief of Staff to Matt Mochary, then COO and Executive Coach at Mochary Method
  • Now: Executive Coach

What drives you nuts?

• Laziness. I don’t like it when people half-ass their work or don’t seem to invest full effort into the things they do.
• Excuses. I hate when people aren't honest with themselves on where they need to improve. You’ll always find a reason something isn’t working out in your favor, and if you try hard enough, you can usually find a way you’ve contributed to creating your own issues in the first place.
• Entitlement. You are not entitled to any more than anyone else has.
• Hypocrisy. I dislike the, "Do as I say, not as I do" attitude.
• Undefined boundaries. This makes for poor communication, poor execution, and eventually angry shouting matches.
• Lack of empathy. You can't get anything done if you don't try to understand where others come from. In a similar vein, I think it's hard for good things to happen when you lack vulnerability.
• Selfishness. You are free to live your life and chase after the things you want, but don’t forget to treat everyone around you with respect - regardless of who they are.

How can people earn an extra gold star with you?

• Love Notion. I'm actually obsessed with Notion.
• Authenticity. Please be yourself. You have permission. We are all works in progress.
• Be open to having radically honest and transparent conversations.
• Be kind and empathetic. Treat everyone with dignity and respect, regardless of whether you can use them in the future or not.
• Read. A lot. Then come and have conversations about ideas with me.
• Be willing to call out improvements in the things you love. Criticize even stuff you care a lot about. There's always room for improvement.
• Respect my time. This is the only thing I can't buy more of.
• **Take the Enneagram Test.** I am a huge proponent of the Enneagram, and find it useful in getting to know people. Here are my results. And then DM them to me.

I "type" at Type 8 (99%.) This type is known as "The Challenger." My wing type is Type 7, also known as "The Adventurer." This means I tend to come across as domineering, and I'm unafraid to be the contrarian in a group. I also highly value adventure over stability.

My second highest score is Type 5 (83%) which is "The Investigator." This is my analytical / logical mind at work. I used to test very low on this score, but it went up after I started studying computer science.

What qualities do you particularly value in people who work with you?

• Empathy - you always think about how other people will feel when making decisions.
• Grit and determination - you'll get it done, somehow, against all odds. You will persevere.
• Self-assuredness - not conforming to the crowd to fit in and win approval.
• Radical transparency - you are willing to speak up for what you believe in.
• Growth mindset - there is always room for intellectual and emotional improvement.

What are some things that people might misunderstand about you that you should clarify?

• I can sometimes seem like I step on peoples' toes by making decisions. I tend to lead with the "ask for forgiveness, not permission" because it's how I get the most stuff done. (I am sorry in advance.)
• I talk about things in a no-BS way and it can sometimes come across as acting like I think I know more than everyone else. This is not the case - I am well aware that I have a lot to learn. However, I will always favor expressing my viewpoints as my own personal truths, and I will not be offended if you push back.
• I tend to troubleshoot and think about reasons why something won't work before thinking about why it will. I lead with this cautious foot because my data-driven thinking tends to balance out everyone else's excitement.
• Process matters to me. I am all about shipping things quickly and shipping things well, but I hate it when people have data and choose not to use it, relying only on gut instincts.
• When I had the music school, while working on a project, I used to say to my colleagues, "It's not personal - we're talking about business." This is because I have a work-personal switch. If I'm working, I talk in a very straightforward manner that others may sometimes misread as being anger, frustration, or annoyance. It's not — rest assured that I will tell you if I'm angry, frustrated, or upset. I just try to communicate with logic guiding the conversation rather than emotion.
• I understand I still have a lot to work on and learn about. I'll always be patient with your personal growth, and ask the same from you.

How do you coach people to do their best work and develop their talents?

• Be humble, and keep an open mind to learning. Keep a growth mindset.
• Remember that even the most famous or high-profile people are still humans.
• Ask yourself the questions you don't want to ask yourself — and then answer them.
• Always keep the bigger picture in mind.
• Think of how you can be of service to others.
• Set your goals to succeed — and then go even further than that. Push yourself.
• Honor your mental and physical health. Talent doesn't develop overnight - this is a marathon, not a sprint.
• Communicate often, and frequently.
• Have fun — you will die one day. 😉

What’s the best way to communicate with you?

• Slack for quick messages
• Emails for official correspondence
• Notion comments for brainstorming and feedback
• Phone calls for anything longer than 15 minutes (so I can pace around my home like a crazy person)
• Snail mail for sentimental stuff and cards 💌