100K+ Milestone: Why I Started This Blog

Elevating my English 📖

As a first-generation Canadian, I saw my parents work front-line jobs and struggle with the English language. When my brother and I were kids, we started speaking English with my parents so that they could get better at it. As I grew up and fell in love with the language in my classes, I also saw how it held my parents back in the real world… Oftentimes, they had to put up with biased, racist, and condescending behaviours because they couldn’t speak up for themselves—or were afraid of being embarrassed further for trying.

There were just as many times when my mom looked me in the eyes and encouraged me to improve my English and do well in school so that I could be respected and avoid facing the same challenges as her one day. Perhaps it was her words that instilled in me a sense of determination to conquer the English language. Although I wouldn’t dare call myself the most articulate person in the room, I do have a keen appreciation for words that flow and lines that rhyme!

Learning about leadership 💡

My parents’ experiences also drove me to become laser-focused on a career in business. In junior high, I knew that I wanted to become a business leader because I didn’t want to be looked down upon or taken advantage of like my parents had been. As I grew up, I saw even more value in leadership because it had the power to foster a healthy and inclusive team culture and prevent biased situations from happening in the workplace.

My aspirations to become a great leader one day led me to overcome my fear of networking and become relentlessly curious about how leaders thought and got to high points in their careers. In my first corporate job as an intern, I made it my goal to meet with every single manager in the IT department. By the end of my internship, I had met with all 25 of them—including the VP & CIO!

There I was, a complete newbie in the world of IT and corporate, absorbing the knowledge and words of wisdom that these experienced leaders were willing to bestow on my inquisitive ears. I gained so many insights from these conversations and met life-changing mentors who infused me with inspiration. Eventually, I was lucky enough to become mentored by both of the only female Senior Vice Presidents in the entire company… and even had a chance to meet with the CEO and write my first blog for the Leadership Series.

Sharing with other students 📣

People often asked me 2 things: how I got to meet these super senior executives, and what I talked about and learned from these conversations! This made me realize how privileged I was, and that a lot of other people didn’t have the same access or opportunities as me.

So, I started this blog to share my learnings and perspectives with other students and early-in-careers also interested in becoming successful in their lives and careers. I had—and still have—an impressionable mind, and although I’ve made sure not to share anything told to me in confidence, I did find overarching themes that I thought were worth sharing with the world.

At the same time, I craved a creative outlet where I could share my own tips and best practices for getting good grades, managing my time, and writing resumes… which were a few of my strengths. Many friends and peers have asked for my advice in these areas, so I thought I’d make it easier for myself by writing everything down once and sharing it in one place for everyone to access. Fun Fact: My first blog post was If You Have Too Many Priorities, You Might As Well Not Have Any.

Making my own momentum 🎈

During university, I was a very busy student with a healthy sleep schedule, fulfilling social life, full course load, part-time job, and executive leadership responsibilities running 2 different student organizations at the same time. Whenever I found the time or had new ideas, I’d write… but these creative moments were spontaneous and sporadic.

When I finally graduated and started working full-time, I found a lot more time on my hands… and started thinking about what I could do with it to help others. I had written a few more Leadership Blogs by that time and had seen a lot of positive feedback from my readers. It gave me the motivation to continue hunting for further inspiration and sharing it with the world in a more consistent fashion.

Microsoft has given me an elevated platform to embrace this passion, and I am grateful to have met so many incredible leaders, mentors, and advisors who have been willing to share their advice with me and my readers. To date, I’ve received hundreds of messages from friends and strangers around the world who have told me how this blog has helped them land their dream jobs or figure out how to transition into the next chapter of their careers.

Nurturing the now and next 🍀

Although I haven’t really shared this before, my dream is to reach and help 1 million people in the world with their personal lives and professional careers, which go hand-in-hand. Everything you find through KKARENISM is meant to help you with your personal growth and professional development, from paying off student loans and reaching a $100K net worth to making a career transition into tech, creating a career walking deck, and networking with hiring managers.

I plan to challenge myself and publish a book… one day.

I plan to stand up on stage and deliver a TED Talk to the world… one day.

I plan to enjoy every minute of running KKARENISM, helping others, and fulfilling my purpose… every day.

Thank you for being a part of this journey 💕

💚 every professional who shared their advice and perspective

🎉 every job seeker who trusted Resume Rescue to help them find their next job

💎 every blog guest who shared their story and learnings

💡 every reader who gave me feedback and ideas

and every one of you who have shared this blog with your friends & family 🙌

P.S. Here are the first 11 blog posts I wrote… in case you’re curious!

Thank’s for reading! Here’s how we can stay connected ✅