Reflections on Year 2 of Solopreneurship (Special Edition)
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Hi It's the annual edition of my solopreneurship reflections, the one time a year my newsletter is longer than a 3-minute read. 😉 Hope you enjoy it and find some of the lessons and resources I share useful in your career, too! It’s been 2 years since I was laid off and decided to leave behind a decades-plus career leading editorial teams at tech firms to jump into solopreneurship. I turned my (very) modest side hustle into a proper full-time business speaking, teaching, and consulting (plus a new job title you’ll learn more about below!). Below are my reflections from the past year, and what’s next for me. 💭 GENERAL REFLECTIONS I’m happy to report that year 2 was a success! While I worked more weekends than I would have liked, I achieved a lot more than I anticipated this year and am looking forward to year 3. I had 4 main goals for 2024:
I’m excited to share a recap as well as my learnings and special highlights from the year below: 🗓️ My Year-in-Review For those who read my year 1 reflection, you may recall I came up with the arbitrary goal of making half my tech salary in revenue, and got about 80% of the way there. Going into year 2, my husband and I decided to double that goal, because why not? It felt like a solid stretch goal, even if I had no idea how I’d reach it given the results from year 1 and how much I was already working. But a great thing happens in year 2 — momentum becomes your friend! I did in fact hit my revenue goal and then some. So many solopreneurs make posts about being a six-figure company and make it look easy — don’t be fooled, it was the result of hard work… and a LOT of it! A friendly reminder to my fellow solopreneurs who are getting discouraged or feeling imposter syndrome seeing what’s out there on social media: If it came easy, everyone would be doing it. Don’t compare your reality to someone else’s “social media persona”! I was hired to speak nearly 40 times this year (not including podcasts, LinkedIn Lives, etc.), both virtually and in person. I spoke to some amazing tech organizations, including Cisco (4 times) and LinkedIn (5 times), top law firms like Wilson Sonsini, and one of the most iconic athletic footwear and apparel companies in the world. The positive feedback from organizers and attendees has been so rewarding—as someone who started public speaking in 2021, I hope this shows what's possible when you decide to take that first step onto the stage. I also taught for the first time the flagship public speaking course at Stanford CSP, “The Art of Public Speaking.” I experimented with new revenue channels, including brand deals and partnerships. I also launched my first LinkedIn workshop directly to my audience. More people reached out to me for 1:1 coaching which was a surprising trend since it’s not something I actively publicize that I do (perhaps part of the momentum I mentioned earlier?), and I consulted with Fortune 500 executives (including the CEO of a Fortune 500 consumer goods company), many of whom are realizing the value and necessity in having a strong LinkedIn presence. And last but certainly not least, I spent a ton of time writing my book, Unforgettable Presence (get the latest updates and pre-order here!). As part of that, I interviewed three dozen superstar business leaders and experts (more on who below). Many of you may not know I studied journalism, so any time I get to write, I’m reminded how much I enjoy it. And, for those who saw my initial post about it, writing this book fulfilled a dream I didn’t even know I had. I can’t WAIT to share more going into 2025! ✨ Special Highlights Now that I run my own business, the years seem to go by even faster. It’s important to stop and celebrate wins, both big and small, to stay motivated and to make sure to stay in the present moment. I’d like to highlight a few special moments from the year below. Received “Best Business Creator Award” at the inaugural Asian Creator Awards, presented by Kajabi and created and hosted by my friend Jerry Won. Awards can feel like a thing that only happen during our schooling years, so I was incredibly excited to receive this one. The event exceeded my already high expectations—the fellow winners and attendees were so kind and talented (my imposter syndrome definitely crept in in the best way!), the venue was gorgeous, and the production was professional and top-notch. Launched 7 new LinkedIn Learning nano courses, including:
(Check out all 18 LinkedIn Learning courses here, which are all rated 4.7/5 and above!) I signed a book deal with Wiley. Sometimes the universe is telling you it’s time, even when you’re not sure. As fate would have it, after Wiley reached out, a few other publishers also reached out. While I went through some bouts of self-doubt wondering if it was the right time to write my book as I was still building the foundations of my business, I also realized that I shouldn’t let myself get in my own way (and that the book would be an amazing thing to supercharge my business!). The book is for those who work hard and are ambitious, but are struggling to be seen as a strategic leader. It’s for the people who want to grow their careers faster by working smarter, not harder. You’ll learn how to take charge and become the CEO of your career, and to create a presence that helps you stand out and be seen as a leader. And—in addition to hearing stories and lessons learned from my decades-plus career both in corporate America and now as a solopreneur, you also get 140+ insights from three dozen professionals I had the joy and privilege of interviewing like 5x NYT bestselling author Daniel Pink, content creator Corporate Natalie, Radical Candor’s Kim Scott, and communications expert Vinh Giang, as well as C-Suite executives from companies including Zoom, Cisco, Instacart, Webflow, SAP, and many others. Learn more about the book here. I taught the flagship presentation course at Stanford CSP, “The Art of Public Speaking,” a 6-week training spanning topics including battling nerves, presenting to executives, communicating impactfully over video, speaking on the spot, giving effective feedback, and networking. It became my most expansive training so far and I plan to bring this training to a number of organizations in 2025. (The course received a 4.7/5 rating 🥳, with the typical Stanford course average being 4.5-4.6).
I was a guest expert at LinkedIn, not an interviewer. A decade ago, I hosted my very first interview at the LinkedIn studio for a video series I created, shaking from nerves. I never could have predicted back then that I’d be where I am now. It was a surreal moment returning back to LinkedIn’s New York headquarters in the Empire State Building to be interviewed as the guest expert for its Get Hired podcast, except this time I was much calmer and more confident—in the very same room where I did that nerve-wracking first interview! 🧠 My Learnings My expertise has particularly resonated with corporations hosting virtual events due to the nature of their distributed teams—so much so that speaking became my largest revenue stream this year (which was my goal). While I enjoy both virtual and in-person settings (and do both), I find a lot of satisfaction in creating high-impact virtual experiences that maximize accessibility and bring a different approach to engagement (something that’s still lacking with so many virtual formats even after all these years).
To get to this point, at the start of the year I reflected on what I wanted my speaking business to look like over the next few years. I attended a speakers bootcamp to understand if I wanted to shift my speaking business to big stage conferences that commanded bigger fees but required frequent traveling, and I decided that this isn’t something that would energize me. I’m still very open to experimenting and trying new things, but knowing what I don’t want to do in addition to what I do want to do is so helpful to create more focus and impact as each year passes. I was reminded time and again that putting yourself in unfamiliar situations is the best way to grow your confidence. Just last year was my first-ever in-person speaking gig, and it was at a national conference. This year, I spoke in-person to multiple organizations that are household names. Last year I also taught my first-ever training, and it was at Stanford CSP. I hired someone to help me build it out because I felt so out of water. This year, I turned that 3-week course into a 6-week one more broadly focused on public speaking, and I was confident doing it on my own with the learnings I got from the year prior. Remember that just because you haven’t done it before, doesn’t mean you can’t. When in doubt, give yourself the chance! Investing in a business coach can be a huge confidence and business boost! This was something I had put off because coaches can be expensive and it’s difficult to know who will be the right one. The ones I’ve invested in have been extremely helpful in improving my business and I’m glad I took this next step to invest in myself. My LinkedIn training that I offered directly to my audience didn’t do very well. I worked with an agency on email marketing, the waitlist, the landing page, etc. and had no idea what to expect. I ended up with about 15 signups, thinking I’d end up with at least 100 people (a small percentage of the total waitlist). While I received great student feedback for those who attended, I was ready to leave this workshop in the past as a learning experience. After talking to another business coach, I decided that I may relaunch it down the line with some adjustments. As she shared with me, sometimes the first version is the warmup (and people can be hesitant to be the “first” of anything), and the second attempt can end up with better results. People will continue to ghost… but sometimes, they come back around! Being persistent and following up is a huge part of a successful business. It’s not fun but it’s necessary. It’s especially not fun when you stop hearing back even after someone seems excited to work with you. I’ve had to balance how many times to follow up with also letting opportunities go with the assumption that if it’s important to the potential client, they will reach out. I landed my biggest consulting client (a CEO at a Fortune 500 consumer good company who wanted help with their LinkedIn presence) by not pushing, and instead waiting for them to come back to me when it became a priority. (By the way: This particular opportunity was referred to me by someone who follows me on LinkedIn but whom I’ve never met or seen engage with my content. This is your reminder that if you’re feeling frustrated by a lack of engagement on your LinkedIn content, there are plenty of “quiet lurkers” out there waiting to work with you when the time is right). It’s ok to give up. In a previous post on LinkedIn, I shared how sometimes it’s better to cut the cord sooner even as the sunken cost fallacy looms. This one can be really tough but it’s a necessity to keep moving forward instead of spinning your wheels and wasting valuable time and resources on something that will only minimally move the needle, if at all. I like to think that as I learn more in my business I’m less likely to make bad decisions, but it’s bound to continue happening (just like in corporate, mistakes happen—although ideally we keep that number low!). Take the time to train your team. These past few months in particular I’ve done a more intentional job of teaching them how to manage up. As a business grows, everyone’s days get busier and tasks get more complex. I became more frustrated, needing to repeat myself and seeing things fall through the cracks, until I realized that I had to do a better job teaching my team how to manage up. I’ve become even more diligent about making sure everyone documents their work and processes, and also more explicit about how to manage me (managing up is an important skill in any high impact team member). It’s still a work in progress but improving. I worked way too many weekends. I need to remind myself I started this business to build a flexible life. I’m not quite there yet, but I am becoming more intentional about taking steps to help me get there (for example: limiting the number of available slots open on my calendar, or getting more information about an opportunity async before immediately jumping on a call). A lot of weekend work happens because it’s my focus time, when I should be creating more focus time during my actual work day. It’s a work in progress! I’ve already slowed down in November and things will be even slower in December (it's been an awesome reset). 🤔 What’s Next When speaking to many fellow solopreneurs at the start of year 1, many of them said to me, “You’ll know if this is a viable business around year 3.” That felt so long ago, but here I am, entering year 3. :) I plan next year to continue to find ways to work smarter, not harder. That means turning down more opportunities (I’ve started doing that already—and it’s still extremely uncomfortable to be turning away business) and spending more time on revenue-generating activities instead of being in the weeds and feeling productive by checking off those pesky non-urgent, non-important tasks. This also means working fewer weekends (I did not do as good a job as I would have liked with this)—when it’s your business, it is so easy to keep finding something to do because there is always something to do. But it’s not sustainable. I also found out the other week that my friend Jerry Won and I will be co-hosting the LinkedIn Creators Meetup at SXSW. Come say hi if you’re in town! (Last year I was invited to sit on a panel about remote work that didn’t get chosen—this is your reminder that if something doesn’t work out as you hope the first time, there may be something better waiting for you later! A LinkedIn creator meet up is the perfect fit based on my experience and passion). If you want to hear about other events and updates on this meetup, please sign up here. Of course, the BIG thing will be promoting my book, which launches on April 22, 2025! The book is a tactical guide for ambitious professionals who feel like you’re doing everything right but struggling to be seen as a strategic leader. It’s a “how to” where I share my personal strategies from my decade of experience at some of the world’s biggest tech companies like LinkedIn, and lessons from the world’s top business leaders to help you take control of your career, build stronger relationships with stakeholders, communicate more effectively, and increase your confidence—all through your professional presence. (You can sign up for updates and special bonuses here). I’m so excited to see all the positive endorsements coming through already, including from leaders I really admire including Zoom CEO Eric Yuan, 5x NYT best-seller Daniel Pink, Entrepreneur magazine Editor-in-Chief Jason Feifer, Kickstarter CEO Everette Taylor, DoorDash co-founder and Chief Product Officer Stanley Tang, WSJ bestselling author Dorie Clark, and many others.
If you’re looking for ways to work together to support your team’s learning and development, professional development, and upskilling in 2025, I’d love to work with you! I’m booking speaking engagements for 2025, including: • Company offsites • ERG talks and workshops • Leadership and manager development programs • Fireside chats + book clubs • University programs • International Women's Day events • AAPI History Month events Thanks for reading! PS: I wanted to let you know about an amazing ✨FREE✨ event coming up in December that I think you’ll love! It’s called the 12 Days of Career Goals, and it's a virtual event packed with daily live sessions to help people take charge of their careers in 2025. There are going to be sessions on everything from personal branding and career pivots to salary negotiation and leadership, with top experts leading each one. It’s interactive, so you get to ask questions and get feedback in real-time! I’d love for you to join me. 😊 I'll be speaking on Day 8 (Master In-Demand Skills for 2025) with my former LinkedIn colleague Andrew Seaman. Hope to see you there! |
