Emily Chong: 30-Second Q&A
We asked Emily Chong, VP of Marketing at CodePath, what she’s been reading, listening to, and routines that ground her approach to work.
New, interesting idea that has struck you recently?
I recently stumbled upon this stat:
“On average, a woman over 50 who leaves the workplace to care for a parent loses close to $324,000 in wages and benefits over their lifetime.”
It breaks my heart to read this, because I had to exit the workforce a few years ago to care for an ailing parent while addressing my own personal health issues. I remember feeling alone and overwhelmed by everything at that time by the lack of dialogue on this issue. I’m back in the workforce now, and thankfully, my parents are healthy, but that experience has since shaped my own point of view on the organizations I lead, the teams I join, and the missions I stand behind.
Nowadays I’m part of a fast growing nonprofit, and we’ve been delivering consecutive triple digit impact in the last two years, which feels great. I want to push myself and others on how to continue to scale, but to never forget the journey and keep humanity at its core.
Something you’ve watched recently?
I’m a big fan of Asian drama series! I recently watched Netflix’s Light the Night, and I loved it. It’s a murder mystery set in the 1980s red light district of Taipei. The cinematography is beautiful, the acting is superb, and the music reminds me of my childhood and what my parents listened to when I was young. There’s a lot of richness in Asian culture that the West doesn’t always know or appreciate.
Favorite podcast and why?
This question is a difficult one to answer, because there are so many good ones! The podcast that has been the most impactful for me was The Birth Hour. It dispels all the misconceptions about giving birth and how to navigate all the scary unknowns. I don’t listen to it as much anymore since I’m at a different stage in life, but I wish there was something equivalent to parenting.
A daily routine that helps to keep you going as a leader?
I like to start my mornings with a 10-minute yoga routine before the rest of the house wakes up. I find it really helps to set my intention, and it gives me the headspace to identify my top 3 priorities for the day.
We tend to get barraged with emails and Slack messages, and it can be very distracting and unproductive if we don’t defend our calendars and spend a few minutes to figure out what’s really most important before we start our days.
Someone once mentioned that productivity is similar to preparing for a marathon race, which resonates very well with me. When you prepare for a race, you stretch, you do drills, you have recovery days, and you cross-train. I believe it’s also important to apply this type of rigor and discipline to leadership, especially in how we prioritize our time.
What have you changed about your work process in the COVID-era?
I was actually working remotely for a few years before the COVID-era arrived, so that part hasn’t changed too much. What really changed my work process was becoming a parent in the last two years and realizing how time is so critical these days.
I’ve been experimenting with the 12-Week Year, which was recommended by a colleague. It’s a methodology in which you throw out the traditional annualized thinking and focus on 12-week sprints instead. Every day and week is mapped out according to your vision so you create focus and clarity on what matters most and a sense of healthy urgency. It’s also a great barometer to assess and turn down new things that pop up, especially if they don’t map to the vision you’re trying to achieve. So far I’m enjoying the process and the transparency it creates for my team.
CodePath provides college students with no-cost coding courses, mentorship, and career support to prepare them for careers in tech.
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