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Why Have an Academic Standard?

“What should we keep the SAT?” asked my friend, Ritu. The recent College Board announcement of the new digital and simplified SAT stirred up passionate chatter among my friends who all have teenage children. “Sadly, I think the SAT will become obsolete soon,” said Emily. “Over 70% of colleges have made the SAT optional since 2019,” chimed in Alix with a worried frown on her face.

Risk Takers, Visionaries, and Happiness Seekers — We are Women | Part 1

“Unless you try, you won’t know,” said my mother enthusiastically who lives in Seoul, over 2,700 miles away from my home in a suburb of Seattle. About 6 years ago, I left a large technology company to pursue starting my own business. While excited about my new journey, my daily emotional highs and lows as a newly minted entrepreneur, sometimes stirred up self-doubt.

Your Name

“F*** ABC company! I am so done!” ranted Peter when we met for coffee. That day Peter and I were working on how best for him to exit from his current employer, specifically, his toxic boss of two years now that Peter had signed an offer letter from a new employer. Peter, a senior VP at an S&P technology company, has been my coaching client for the past three years.

Ok, Boomer!

“Why don’t you come with us? Double date!” Amy’s text popped up on my phone. She invited my husband and me to an Eagles concert in Seattle. I was intrigued by her invitation as we thoroughly enjoyed a Coldplay concert at the same place a few weeks prior. I knew very little about the Eagles band, so I did some research.

Whitewashed?

“Thanks for coming!” welcomed our hostess cheerfully. I was ushered to her quite large backyard, a 1-acre immaculate lawn for a beautiful outdoor social event. I could sense the vibrant energy emanating from people who are excited about connecting with others finally in person.

The Business of Being a Tiger Mom PT.3

“Mom, guess what? I got an A on my English paper!” Douglas stormed out of his bedroom with joy. He then said with a grin “Remember? The other day you said my paper wasn’t good.” His English teacher was supposedly the hardest grader at his high school.

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The Business of Being a Tiger Mom PT.2

“Mom, guess what? I got an A on my English paper!” Douglas stormed out of his bedroom with joy. He then said with a grin “Remember? The other day you said my paper wasn’t good.” His English teacher was supposedly the hardest grader at his high school.

You Will Be Never Left Behind

“You will be never left behind the enemy line,” my late father who defected from North Korea as a child during the 1950 Korean War told me when he learned that I became a U.S. citizen. Eager to participate in the American democracy by obtaining the right to vote, I decided to apply for U.S. citizenship after 15 years of living in the country.

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The Business of Being a Tiger Mom pt.1

“Mom, guess what? I got an A on my English paper!” Douglas stormed out of his bedroom with joy. He then said with a grin “Remember? The other day you said my paper wasn’t good.” His English teacher was supposedly the hardest grader at his high school.

Why Did They Hire Me?

“I scored one!” one of the young women I have mentored over the years shouted with joy on the phone. This college junior received a summer internship offer email after months of searches, YouTube video submissions, and Zoom interviews.

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To the Moon

“Mom, I made so much money today!” my teenage son exclaimed with joy while running out of his bedroom. Tesla shares he owned shot up, rising significantly one day in August last year. Since he was young, Jonathan has been entrepreneurial and business-minded, earning money by building and selling custom PCs, mowing lawns in the neighborhood, dog sitting and walking, and more.

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Should I Buy a $25,000 Bracelet?

“Should I buy a $25,000 tennis bracelet?” Julie asked me during our Zoom coaching session. She has been my executive coaching client for a few years and was recently promoted to an executive VP at an S&P 500 company doubling the size of her organization and taking a more prominent external facing role. “What?” I said, confused.

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How to Raise Biracial Children

Growing up in Seoul with over 9 million fellow homogenous Koreans, I felt invisible — I looked just like them and I was one of them. There was a sense of comfort I felt knowing I blended in with the rest of the crowd.

 
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“MINARI” in light of the Immigration Crisis in America

As a first-generation Korean immigrant, I was so proud when the Korean movie “Parasite” won the Oscar for the best motion picture in 2020. Then, came “MINARI,” a beloved movie nominated for the 2021 Oscars that tells the story of a Korean immigrant family and their struggle and pursuit of the “American Dream” in a rural town in Arkansas.

 
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425 BUSINESS - 30 Under 30

A Gen-Z entrepreneur and current student at the University of Southern California, Douglas Smith said he has a passion for problem-solving. This trait has served him well in the founding of KuriousMinds, an educational startup aimed at educating youth on business and entrepreneurship skills through workshops and summer camps.

 
 
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Bellevue Chamber of Commerce

BELLEVUE - The stars are coming out on the Eastside! Be part of the Bellevue Chamber’s 30th annual celebration of the entrepreneurial spirit at the Eastside Business Awards on March 28, 5:30-7:30 pm at the Hyatt Regency Bellevue.

 
 
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Geekwire

Soojung Smith thought entrepreneurship was a grownup pursuit. Then her sons schooled her. The up-and-coming Generation Z-cohort that includes her two boys, “tend to be more independent minded and have seen the success of starting a business from social media and their icons,” Smith said. “And they have less fear. They’re like, ‘Hey, I want to try this.’”

 
 
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RedMond Reporter

Douglas Smith has always had “a knack for business.”

His entrepreneurship seeds were first sewn when he launched his own tutoring business in eighth grade. Now, as a senior at The Overlake School in Redmond, he has launched a new business — KuriousMinds — with his mother.