How do the Past influence my Present and Future?
When I was 8, my parents asked what do I want to do when growing up. Without hesitation, I told them my dream of becoming a flight attendant and traveling the entire world with my curiosity.
The Past
“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page” — Saint Augustine
7 years old me: First time going on trips with my parents to all types of cities in Vietnam, learning about the different cuisine and appreciating the beauty of my own country.
11 years old me: First time studying abroad in New Zealand, the land of breathtaking landscapes and extremely welcoming people, making countless multi-national friends while learning about their culture.
15 years old me: Off to another educational journey in Seattle, where I acknowledge and experience the outdoor lifestyle here, with a touch of the coffee culture.
19 years old me: First time traveling alone to Taiwan and Seoul, making friends with the locals, listening to their stories, while trying out their unique cuisine.
22 years old me: Starting a new cultural immersive journey in New York City, experiencing the bustling lifestyle while living my life to the fullest.
My motto has always been “You Only Live Once” and I have always believed in it. You only live once; I only live once, meaning I should always see the world in a better way, live my life to the fullest, without any regret. That’s why I was never hesitant to try new experiences, learn new things, and never afraid to make mistakes. For me, failing and making mistakes is never a big deal; that is how I learn, and I will grow from it. I would rather be spending my time remembering about the great (or bad) memories I had (and possibly laughing it off), rather than regretting and imagining how would my life be if I actually have that experience.
Traveling and going abroad definitely has broadened my mindset and how I perceived things. It has taught me to become a more open-minded person, with a deep curiosity to learn new things, meet new cool people, which I did and really appreciate. The more I go, the more I understand my desire to be exposed to new cultures, gain new knowledge, and listen to stories from people with different perspectives.
After all, for me, everything is all about the “experiences.”
The Present…
A flight attendant might not be what I want to become in the future anymore, but the idea of traveling, exploring the culture, and connecting with people’s stories around the world has always been with me. That’s why Marketing is the perfect stop for me.
Moving to New York, the idea of “experiences” grow even deeper inside of me. Through all the Marketing classes, projects, and internships I have done, I learned and acknowledged the importance of connections, interactions, and engagements between people to people.
For me, everything is about the “experiences” and I also want people around me to have good experiences. As I become more and more interested in the experiential aspect of marketing, I want to create influential marketing campaigns that could enhance the audience’s engagements, interactions and deliver the best experiences to them through strategic planning, event & digital marketing, and brand storytelling.
Working with the Integrated Marketing Association as the Event Chair, I have successfully facilitated and organized numerous interactive events (from Panel discussions, Networking events, to Fireside chats, or Social gatherings) with professionals from marketing fields. For each event, we received over 130 RSVPs for virtual events and over 30 RSVPs for in-person events. However, those RVSP and attendance rates are not what I consider good metrics to measure the success of our events, but all the feedback and reviews of attendants and guest speakers are. After each event, my email and LinkedIn boxes are always flooded with positive comments from students and guest speakers, emphasizing their great experiences learning and connecting with people. That’s when I am proud of my work the most!
And The Future!
Looking forward to the future, I see myself will continue to go on more journeys, as well as continue to create, deliver memorable experiences and stories to people.
To better develop myself for a better experience, I have many things on my bucket list, from having a road trip in the US to learning a fourth language. And writing blogs, which enhance my communication skills and help me become a better storyteller, is also one item on this list.
Now, I am here, creating this blog, which is completely a new experience for me, and I’m excited to see what’s there for me in this new journey!
