Growing Up

My parents were Chinese immigrants who worked really hard to provide me with the resources and privileges I had while growing up. Since young, I’ve internalized characteristics such as work ethic, commitment, and taking ownership of your results from simply observing my parents. I also grew up in environments that prized traditional metrics of success and celebrated those in the top 1%

University

During my time at the University of Toronto, I excelled in checking off the “boxes”. Whether it be the “4.0 GPA” box or “get XYZ award or scholarship” box, or even the “post sexy pics on Instagram to get allll the likes from people you don’t care about” box… I checked them all. But the honest truth is: Even though I looked like I had it all figured out… I was deeply depressed and unsure of who I really was

Post-University 

I moved to Hong Kong and started law school (with a fancy 100K HKD scholarship). If I could become a lawyer, then I will finally BE successful (for reals this time) AND *look* like I have it all, right?!?! But this facade didn’t last long. In my first internship that summer, I dreaded going to the sterile office environment and reading through endless cases and notes that were boring AF. My 22-year-old self felt lost and alone. Was I just doing this for prestige? What kind of work would be personally fulfilling and give me more than a title and social status?

2018

At this point, I was becoming more and more aware of how I’ve spent my entire life thus far modifying myself to fit society’s definition of success (both online and offline). I also realized that I would never fulfill my own potential or create success (whatever that even means) if I continued to squeeze myself into other people’s boxes. Most of all, I was yearning to find myself. So, I quit law school.

2019

I applied to over 20 research jobs, got 2 interviews and 1 offer. My new job focused on social work about youth entrepreneurship reignited my passion for research. My boss genuinely cared about me and supported my growth. At the same time, I found inspiration from content creators, entrepreneurs and thought leaders sharing their message online. They had the courage to show up and I saw the impact they had on people (including me). That’s when I started to build my online presence and coaching business.

2020

After burning out from my business from the 24/7 hustle and then taking a complete break for 7 months, I restarted my business. And instead of repeating history, this time I developed my own approach to building my business on just 0-2 hours a day (even as a side hustler). Thanks to my increased efficiency, I now had the capacity to start my podcast - The Side Hustle Club. This was also the year when I transitioned from my full-time research job to being a full-time PhD student. And guess what else happened this year? The pandemic lol

2021

I created my first 6 figure year in my business, even as a side hustler. I was becoming known as THE side hustle coach in the online space. Everything looked great online. But truthfully, I struggled offline and was starting to fall behind in my PhD because my partner and I were separated for nearly two years thanks to the pandemic (We were a long-distance couple for almost 5 years).

2022

I decided to quit my PhD, move to Singapore, and settle down with my now-husband. I also became a full-time entrepreneur. All this was only possible because of the body of work and business I’ve built over the past few years. What started out as a fun side project has now become an actual source of income. It has now become a full-fledged thought leadership career! Needless to say, I will always be grateful to the past Cheryl who had the audacity to believe in herself and showed up every single week to build a body of work.

Today

In 2024, I get paid to be myself online. It took 3+ years, but now I’m making considerable income thanks to the hard work and dedication I put into building my thought leadership. And that’s the thing: building a career takes time. Creating a career as a thought leader is no different. This is why I’m committed to helping aspiring thought leaders build a body of work that sets them up for their 1-3 year dreams. Today, I mentor clients from all over the world, empowering them with the self-belief to see their potential to make change, create impact and create a life, career, and business they’re proud of .