I was born in San Francisco, but spent my adolescent years in Seoul. I was raised Buddhist, so we’d go to temple every Sunday, where I’d join the rest of the kids to meditate while the monks monitored our posture (and make sure we weren’t falling asleep). By the age of 10 I was obsessed with Lego, make-believe, and crafts. At any given moment, I had dozens of hobbies and projects going on. My parents tolerated my curiosity, but were constantly worried I couldn’t stick to one thing.
When it was time to go to college, I chose architecture, which ended up being the perfect place for me to explore many disciplines. UX, design, engineering, project management, strategy, and even public speaking, all things that are relevant to the job that I do today.
The day I presented my architecture thesis, however, was also the day I lost my entire design portfolio! It was absolutely devastating, but in hindsight may have been the best thing that happened to me. I packed my bags, moved to New York, and decided to try my luck in fashion. I took 3 unpaid internships in sales, PR, and design, and a month in, knew I wanted to become a fashion designer. To make up for the lack of formal training, I spent a year working in a garment factory learning how to make clothes, where I met many amazing mentors who generously opened the door to different design opportunities.
Years into my career as a designer, the same factory introduced me to the founders of a tech-startup, who were working on cutting-edge 3D technology for fashion designers. I had never worked with engineers and had no idea the role of a Product Manager even existed. But I took the leap of faith, into tech, and haven’t looked back.
Each career move was risky and oftentimes discouraged, but they are the passionate choices and serendipitous moments that have led me to Insight Timer. And I couldn’t be more happy and grateful to be here now.
I may be biased but I think Product Managers often have unconventional and interesting career paths (as you’ll see in the coming weeks when our Senior Product Managers, Charlie and Su, are featured!). If you have a story to share (or are looking for a role), please reach out🙂”
