David and I met at an Edtech event in Austin during 2018 SXSW EDU. He had a big smile and I was fascinated by his story; David started in Finance, as an account manager of mutual funds in Boston then spent 20+ years in Asia as a finance and technology leader. He came back to …
Category Archives: Joy
Yuliya – Turning Passion into Mission-Driven Opportunity
Yuliya and I met at Greater Stamford Toastmaster in 2011. I was a new member. I knew she is “special” from the first time I saw her speaking (evaluation). Yuliya has a keen ear of listening; she provided speakers thoughtful feedback in a positive demeanor. We became fast friends as we share many traits and …
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Rich – Multiplier
Rich runs a successful recruiting firm yet he is not a typical recruiter. Rich hasn’t interviewed me, nor placed me for a role. Yet, he has done more than that. We met in Columbus, OH when I was graduating from my MBA program, and we have kept in touch since – for 14+ years. Every …
Amy – Thoughtful Being
If I choose one word to describe Amy, it would be “thoughtful”. Let me give you a few examples… Amy is an amazing chef and a hostess. (Pre-Covid) Every year she threw a holiday (Xmas) party and invited friends to her apartment. She started preparing the “global food tour” days prior, including American favorite, e.g. …
Yan – Loving, Authentic & Courageous
Yan and I’ve known each other over 5 years. We share with each other good reads and interesting things. Once in a while, I’d pick Yan’s brain; she is always generous to offer thoughts and advice. During my transition in 2018, I asked Yan how she decided to leave a successful corporate career (GM before …
Richa & Mian – Joyful Friendship
I met Richa and Mian at the last company. Richa and I saw each other in some group meetings. Mian recently joined the company and we were introduced by her manager who was a key partner of the Global-localization initiative I was leading. We hit it off. A month after Mian and I met, the …
Simone – Owning Your Career & Voice
I met Simone at Greater Stamford Toastmaster (GST) in 2011. She was the club president and I was a new member. I admired her energy, confidence, and how she presented herself so I asked her if she’d be willing to mentor me. She said Yes. In our first meeting, she asked my goal for Toastmaster. …
Carol – Building Forward
When you first meet Carol, she welcomes you with a big smile and enthusiastic questions to learn about you. You immediately sense her intelligence and diligence, yet, if you ask what she does, she would simply say, she is a lawyer. What makes Carol special isn’t that she went to Harvard Law School or is …
New Year’s Eve
I called home at 11AM US ET (Taiwan midnight) to wish mom and dad a happy new year. They were watching A-Mei, a local famous singer, singing in her hometown, Taidong. She put up a free concert which brought in NT$3 billion (~US$ 10 million) revenue for the local economy. That’s a great way to …
Giving
My aunt’s best friend called me last night suggesting a Christmas picnic lunch today at aunt’s front yard. She said she’d order Chinese noodles for lunch and I just “show up”. I offered to pick up the food since the restaurant is closer to me and said I’d bring drinks. I loved the chewy, fat, …