The bigger risk you take, the bigger return you’ll get.

➡️ At 12, I got my very first job as a newspaper carrier which I did on/off for 3 years. Growing up, we were very tight on money. I never once asked my parents to give me money but they tried their best to provide a good life for me and my younger sister. I saw how hard my single mother was working to provide for us, which set the tone for my outlook on life for the rest of my life. As the oldest of 4 sisters, I had to mature at a very young age which led me with the mindset that I needed to step up to help my mom. There weren’t many options of making money as a kid so I decided to apply for a newspaper carrier position that was posted in the local newspaper. Little did I know that the amount of work did not match up to the pay, we did this as a family activity and split the income because it was no one person job. I still vividly remember on Wednesdays after school we would find a whole stock pile of newspaper in front of our house and we would get to assembling, packing and wrapping the news paper in an assembly line in our living room floor- ready for delivery the next day. This experience made me make sure that I would find a better job when I was at the legal age to work.

➡️ At 15, I started looking tirelessly for a part time job that would hire me. I went through more than 7 interviews before anyone wanted to hire me. I remember being the youngest at all the interviews, even after each rejection I knew I couldn’t give up. I ended up being so desperate for a job I asked my mom to refer me to old job at a Chinese restaurant when she first immigrated to Canada. I didn’t last long at this job though and quit because of the horrible working conditions and the very low wage.

➡️ At 16, I started working at Cinnabon. I remember I was at the mall one day with my friend and I saw that they were hiring and handed a resume to them. After I was hired, I found out the manager wasn’t looking to hire any girls because it was a labour extensive job, but she saw how diligent (and desperate I was to work). After a mere 3 months, I was promoted to a crew leader (key holder) which was a huge stepping stone for me. Imagine being a 17 year old training and looking after all the new staff.. Eventually, I was given the assistant manager role, 3 years in which was a huge eye-opener for me.

➡️ At 18, I had dropped out of my ECE program 1st semester, and pursued Flight Services instead. To be honest, I never thought I would ever be interested in being a flight attendant due to my shy personality and the nature of the lifestyle. But I gave it a shot anyways. Growing up, I watched a TVB drama called Triumph in the Skies that triggered the possibility of me being a flight attendant. To be honest, there are 2 reasons why I enrolled into this program. 1. My mom really wanted me to go to school for something and 2. I thought this program will help me better develop my skills as a flight attendant. I managed to fast track the program starting January 2017 and managed to graduated with high honours while working full time.

➡️ At 20, I became a flight attendant only 2 months after graduating college. I was extremely lucky because I got into my dream airline. The reason why I wanted to work for this company was because of their Christmas Miracle videos. I went through initial training easier than others because of my education and surprised people that couldn’t believe I became a flight attendant. From then on, this career allowed me to blossom into the woman I am today.

➡️ At 21, I fell in love for the very first time and I learned a lot about life, relationships and myself. That relationship ended up being a long distance one with a 12 hour time difference and though it was hard, it only grew stronger.

➡️ At 22, I became a business owner. I started my beauty business The Blushing Diary because I was laid off from flying due to COVID-19. I was providing lash lifts, brow lamination, lash extensions and ombré powder brow services. I ended up opening a small studio in a mall to fully be able to operate. Unfortunately, due to the uncertainty of the pandemic my business faced many closures over the course of many lockdowns. After 2 years and many changes, I decided to end this chapter because it wasn’t aligning with my life anymore. I knew I was destined for something bigger.

➡️ At 23, I started a new business Chérie Creative Inc. specializing in web design. From a very young age, art and design were a strong suit and something I enjoyed. I didn’t think this was necessarily something I thought I would be able to monetize or make something out of. I took the leap after having it in the back of my head for a while and took some courses that allowed me to learn the basics. Now I have launched this new design studio offers web design services for entrepreneurs wanting to gain clarity, confidence and make more money in their business.

These were all risks I took, there may be times I have lost, but I gained so many valuable skills, knowledge and experiences. Starting from a young age I believe I built myself to this moment where I taking risks is part of my innate nature. This and many other skills and attributes are the only way you can survive as an entrepreneur. 🤍

What risks have you taken to get to where you are?