Ep 67 – How Breaking Free From Expectations Can Lead to Success
Ep 67 - How Breaking Free From Expectations Can Lead to Success
There comes a point in every creative’s life when they have to decide whether to play it safe or risk it for the biscuit. Knowing what move to make gets doubly complicated when you throw in societal expectations and your family’s influence. In this episode, we learn how Vanessa Pham wrestled with this tension as a first generation migrant and how she broke free from the expectations she’d placed on herself. Vanessa Pham is the co-founder of Oxtale and a 2018 Forbes Fellow.
Vanessa Pham
As the daughter of Vietnamese refugees, Vanessa Pham has always wrestled within the tension of choosing the safe, easy path or dreaming a little deeper, for more. While she excelled on the traditional path by studying Harvard University and securing coveted corporate roles, her desire to become a thought leader and affect change remarkably led her to build a company that aligned with her values.
Along with her sister, Vanessa co-founded Oxtale, the first “by the community, for the community” modern Asian food brand. By reimagining the international food category, Vanessa hopes to weave cross-cultural empathy into the fabric of American society.
In this episode, we learn how Vanessa broke free from the expectations she’d placed on herself, her advice to new founders, and how we can get more in touch with our values.
Street Cred:
Vanessa Pham is the co-founder of Oxtale, the world’s first “by the community, for the community” modern Asian food brand. Their mission is to reclaim, reimagine and re-honour what the international food category looks like today. Vanessa is also a 2018 Forbes Fellow and a graduate from Harvard University.
Highlight Reel:
How we can break free from expectations [9:45]
How we can become more vulnerable [17:23]
How to determine our next step [32:42]
