What drives me
I never thought that the life I currently have was possible.
I was born in Vietnam. My parents divorced when I was three years old, and I was given to my grandmother to raise. In 1975 when I was eight, my mother and I left Vietnam with nothing but the clothes on our bodies. We lived in refugee camps in Korea and Arkansas before a church in Catasaqua PA sponsored us and gave us a new life.
Left mostly on my own, I directed all of my energy into fitting in and excelling at school. I got straight A’s in all of my classes and became class president. My achievements got lots of notice, and I won numerous awards including full scholarships to Lehigh and Stanford universities. These early days taught me that to get love and attention, I must work hard and be the best.
Like anyone who’s grown up with instability, I always made the safe choice. The question of “what do you want to be when you grow up?” never entered my world. Work was a way to achieve, make money and to survive.
Not only did I survive, I seemingly thrived. I climbed the corporate ladder and became one of the top executives at IBM. I also created a family that I never had. With everything I ever wanted, I did not understand why I felt restless, a yearning for something more.
Then a major family crisis happened and it rocked me to my core. Among the many things that I learned from this experience was that even though it had been more than 20 years since I was that little girl on a refugee boat, I still lived as though danger was around the corner–always hypervigilant and afraid to take risks.
After this crisis, I began to slowly re-architect my life. I went on a journey to really know myself–what unique capabilities do I have to offer the world? What work enlivens me? What matters most to me? Eventually, I left IBM.
Today, I am the Co-Founder and CEO of a startup with a mission that is near and dear to my heart while advising pioneering organizations and coaching high achievers to architect a life that integrates what matters most; I live in Katonah with my husband, two beautiful daughters and a rescue dog and a cat. My life is full; it’s messy and full of uncertainties. And I am the happiest that I’ve ever been.