My entire career has been a search for purpose and impact.
I came to this work because I spent years denying my own genius while pursuing the "right" path. Raised by Chinese immigrant parents who sacrificed to create a better life for their family, I grew up determined to make the most of my opportunities and someday change the world. I got into the Ivy League, landed jobs at prestigious organizations, and went to a top-tier business school. The problem was, the harder I worked to gain membership into arenas I believed would let me make a difference in the world, the more I was straying from my own genius and starving myself of what actually made me feel alive. A voiceless part of me longed to express itself freely and creatively—but the striver in me kept my eyes on the prize.
By my mid-thirties, I was the picture of success, a senior marketing leader at a tech start-up that was “changing the world.” I was great at my job, respected and liked by my teammates, and had earned my place in a coveted professional field. But on the inside, I knew I was bringing a polished, less alive version of myself to work. What's worse, I didn't feel any more fulfilled now that I was having the kind of impact I had worked so hard for. In spite of my accomplishments, I couldn't shake this nagging sense that I was meant to do more with my life, if only I had a clue what it was. |
In a hail-mary leap of faith, I quit my job, with no plan other than to reconnect with what I really wanted out of life. Painful as it was to go from busy and important to unemployed and confused, I finally learned to listen to that voiceless longing I had been ignoring. I rediscovered that being in spaces of deep sharing and growth had always brought me joy and meaning. I realized that my gift for language and music and my love of people weren’t just quirky footnotes on my resume, but rather core parts of my genius. Little by little, I started to follow my instincts instead of my “shoulds,” until eventually a new path started to emerge—one that feels deeply meaningful because it aligns my true values to my natural gifts. I'm now making a difference in the world by being more of myself rather than less.
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Through my own journey and my work with corporate leaders, entrepreneurs, and others who seek to change the world, I have learned:
Purpose is not something to go looking for, because it’s already inside you.
Your path of impact is unlike anyone else’s and is not defined by your job.
Changing the world is a lifelong journey that starts with giving yourself permission to follow your genius.
Purpose is not something to go looking for, because it’s already inside you.
Your path of impact is unlike anyone else’s and is not defined by your job.
Changing the world is a lifelong journey that starts with giving yourself permission to follow your genius.
My professional experience includes...
- Coaching MBAs and alumni at Berkeley’s Haas School of Business
- Brand and product marketing for companies including Upwork, Hotwire, eBay, ModCloth, Life360
- Strategic advising for biotech, retail, private equity, and airline industries as a consultant for L.E.K. Consulting
- Multiple career pivots, from education to non-profit microfinance to management consulting to tech to coaching
- Teaching, working, and studying in Honduras, Argentina, Ecuador, Spain, and China
- A BA in History from Harvard University, an MBA from Berkeley-Haas, and a certification in Integral Coaching from New Ventures West
- Ongoing work on my own development by practicing mindfulness meditation, participating in coaching communities of learning, supporting and practicing anti-racism work, and expressing myself through music, writing, and art
My genius includes...
- A genuine curiosity and love for people. I never tire of listening to, understanding, and connecting authentically with people of all kinds of backgrounds and experiences. I have a boundless appreciation for the beautiful and unique gifts each of us brings to the world.
- A gift for synthesis, pattern recognition, and insight. I'm a natural at uncovering themes, connections, and truths that make sense of the mess. I intuitively find connections across seemingly unrelated disciplines and form a holistic understanding of systems.
- A love and ear for music. I came into the world singing and later learned to play the piano and the guitar. I have wide and eclectic appreciation for musicians with unique and bold voices, including: Mulatu Astatke, Jacques Loussier Trio, Joni Mitchell, Stevie Wonder, Lady Gaga, Miles Davis, Dolly Parton, Bjork, Duke Ellington, Nina Simone, The Cranberries, Claude Debussy, Frederic Chopin.
- A love for food and gathering. I enjoy cooking for others who love to eat as much as I do. Together, my husband and I make a powerhouse duo in the kitchen, tapping into the culinary traditions of our ancestors and experimenting with new dishes to devour and feed to our loved ones.
- An appreciation of language as a portal for connection. I learned Chinese from my parents and Spanish from my generous hosts in rural Honduras. My in-laws lovingly call me “toti," which means "parrot" in Punjabi, for my ability to quickly learn and say words in their native language. I like to write and express myself through language.
- A devotion to color, light, and nature. I’ve loved drawing and painting natural scenes since I was a kid. Lately I’ve been dabbling in watercolor and oil painting. I’m proud to have contributed to a few community murals in San Francisco.