There’s only a couple of e-newsletters that I enjoy receiving in my inbox, and Lucky Peach is one of them. Today’s newsletter is more in depth than my Chinese dumplings post, but along the same lines. Check it out:
I am a dumpling addict. It all started with xiao long bao (小笼包) – abbreviated to XLB – which I had at Din Tai Fung in Shanghai’s Xintiandi. XLB are pork dumplings that have a delicious rich broth inside. You eat them by dipping them in black vinegar & ginger, taking a small bite of the dumpling skin to let the steam out, sucking the soup from the dumpling, and popping it into your mouth. I think these rank up there as the perfect bite of food conceived by man.
A year ago, I found a new dumpling obsession. My friend introduced me to Shengjianbao (生煎包). These crispy-bottomed dumplings are filled with pork and broth, pan-fried, and garnished with sesame seeds and chopped green onions. Amazing!
During my most recent trip to Hong Kong about a month ago, I discovered Lau sha bao (流沙包), salted egg custard buns. It is sweet and a bit salty, but that yellow filling just oozes out and there’s nothing to say except, “OH MY GOD!” My sister was in Hong Kong during the same time, and when I put one on her plate, she refused it. I asked her to take one bite, and the smile on her face said it all. The next morning at breakfast, she told me that she was dreaming about the bao.
I can’t wait to find the next bite of deliciousness.
Traveling has taught me to be more observant, more organized, and more flexible. Most of the time I am responsible for my schedule, and I have realized that the majority of the time I am alone.
The luxury is that I don’t have a routine, I am not worrying about my daughter’s schedule, and that I can choose what I would like to eat. As much as I love spending time at home and with my family, my alone time allows me to reflect and be quiet. This may sound frightening or not fun, but I truly appreciate this time.
In September, I traveled to Asia and spent a lot of time alone. I didn’t feel the need to occupy every moment in the day, and interact with as many people as I could. I became very self-aware, especially when eating alone. It also gave me time to realign with my personal and professional wish list. My favorite realization was that I was able to distinguish between being alone versus being lonely.
I was chatting with a good friend who is single. We were talking about how empowered you feel when you are alone. There are times that he would love a companion to attend events together versus attending alone, but the freedom has made him a more independent, and in my opinion, a happier person.
Sure, it’s always wonderful to share experiences with others, but I do believe that everyone should allow time to be alone where you are the decision maker for all of your activities. I also believe it’s important to enjoy being alone.
At this time of the year, I believe a lot of us go through an evaluation of the year and set up resolutions for the upcoming year. I encourage you to allocate some time for yourself – to quiet your mind and be autonomous.
The pressure of writing something impactful on my blog is so unwarranted. So to take the pressure off, I’ve decided to write quick and shorter posts about things that have helped me. I’m calling these posts “You Make Time For What’s Important”.
My inspiration has come from The RED podcast with David Hooper interjecting smaller sized solo podcasts versus the normal podcasts with his co-host & new wife, Laurel. With that, my first YMTFWI post is a snapshot of the six podcasts that I am listening to on a regular basis.
Sporkful: I love Dan Pashman’s tagline “It’s not for foodies, It’s for eaters.” This is my kind of podcast. http://www.sporkful.com
TED Radio Hour: We all want to be impactful in the world, but the people highlighted are blowing my mind, and teach me to think even deeper. http://www.npr.org/programs/ted-radio-hour
Chewing the Fat: Two Chinese American (with a twist of Puerto Rican) women from Chicago talking about food trends, and interviewing experts on cool topics nails it for me. http://www.wbez.org/content/chewing-fat-podcast-louisa-chu-and-monica-eng
Meditation Oasis: Balancing your chakras may sound weird, but after listening to a podcast, I do feel calmer and in balance. Who doesn’t want that? http://www.meditationoasis.com
Serial: I have no idea if it’s her voice or the story that is intoxicating. It’s a podcast about a murder that the accused may or may not be guilty, and a journalist trying to find the answer. It’s also the #1 podcast on iTunes. http://serialpodcast.org
The RED Podcast: After being in business for 18 years as well as having several other businesses established over the past few years, I am inspired by the dialogue between the hosts. They understand the entrepreneurial lifestyle enough that their podcasts are about 25 minutes since we all need to get back to what we’re doing which is working less, making more money. and having freedom. http://www.redpodcast.com
Today we are celebrating the 7th anniversary of Crush2Press! This is my first time acknowledging a milestone, and I can’t pinpoint why except for our low key approach as an organization. I am proud of the company, its mission (to capture the craft and personality of the winemaker onto the label), and the philanthropic aspect. I thought it would be cool to tell you how we got started, and why we believe it does well. We’ll do a few shout outs to those who have inspired us and those who help us continue our good work.
Kiana, 10, heading to camp & Rachel, 18, headed to Dartmouth in September
My 10 year old daughter will be headed off to camp this summer, and I was wondering what skills we have taught her to prepare her for being without her parents. Also, this is the summer before the high school graduates head off to college, and I am curious as to how prepared they are when they leave home. I know technology has put information immediately at our hands with our cell phones, but I do think there are basic skills that we should be actively trying to teach our kids.
I’m thinking that it would be great if every young person could do the following:
DOMESTIC SKILLS
Cook a traditional breakfast, lunch, and dinner (not out of a can)
Wash and iron clothes without ruining them
Replace a button, fix a hem, and polish their own shoes
PRACTICAL SKILLS
Drive a car including one with manual transmission, and maintain it properly
Change a flat tire
SURVIVAL SKILLS
Know basic first aid and maintain a complete first-aid kit
Know what to do if you get sick, especially if you’re alone
Know when to defend yourself
Know CPR
ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS
Create a budget
Balance a checkbook even if you bank online
Set up a filing system so all of they paperwork in your life is in one place
SOCIAL SKILLS
Carry on a conversation for fifteen minutes with a person you don’t know
Speak before a small group of friends for a few minutes
Tell a joke
Learn basic ballroom dancing skills
HUMAN SKILLS
Care for a dog, cat or other animal including when they are sick
Baby-sit for children ranging in age from 6 months to 6 years old.
Aid the elderly or handicapped people
ORIENTATION SKILLS
Get around the city on a bus or train even if you typically walk or drive
Know what direction is north, south, east, and west (without a compass) whenever you’re outside
Read a map
PHYSICAL SKILLS
Throw and catch balls of all sizes without breaking your fingers
Swim half a mile, tread water for half an hour and float for an hour
Ride a bike with confidence
HANDYMAN SKILLS
Hang a picture straight without making extra holes in the wall
Paint neatly including cleaning up the mess
Know which tools perform what functions and how to use them around the house
Sharpen a knife without cutting yourself
OUTDOOR SKILLS
Hike with friends all day without getting lost, bitten or covered with a rash
Bait a hook, catch a fish, reel it in, remove the hook, then clean and cook the fish
RECREATIONAL SKILLS
Play a team sport
Maintain a fitness regiment
Learn a game (like chess) you can play with friends for life
ARTISTIC SKILLS
Draw an illustration at least well enough to get your point across.
Have confidence to sing aloud
Know how to play a musical instrument
Challenge: Do the young people in your life have command of the above skills? Are you up for teaching them as life lessons?
In 1997, minorities made up only 17 percent of all women-owned businesses in the U.S. Today, “women of color” own one-in-three of all women-owned businesses in America – that’s nearly a 100 percent increase! Minority women-owned businesses are also the only businesses besides publicly-traded companies which have seen a net-increase in employees over the last six years.
Dr. Karen Eng seemed an unlikely candidate to become an entrepreneur. Having completed her doctorate in optometry at the New England College of Optometry, Eng had already begun a successful career in the field when she recognized an opportunity to lead her father’s business. Confident that she could take the family business, an engineering firm called CSMI, to the next level, she committed to learn everything that she could about the business and then take managerial responsibility. Her father, who had supported her choice to become an optometrist, was surprised that she wanted to get involved in the family business, but over the next few years she transitioned fully into CSMI and became co-owner in 1999.
In 2009, with her parents’ blessing, Eng finally purchased CSMI outright and has since led the company to becoming a top engineering consulting services firm for the Food Drug Administration & the U.S. Department of Agriculture regulated industries, a mission that her father had laid the foundations for. The first major change that Eng implemented at CSMI was to look at ways to attract and retain the best talent. Regarding these initial efforts, Eng offers: “The most obvious change that I made was to make sure that our employees were getting the best benefits. We implemented a match with the 401(k) plan, reimbursed for education and training, increased the health benefits, and tried to make sure we were working cohesively inside and outside the office.”
Going International
Leveraging her family’s Chinese heritage, Eng wanted to expand CSMI’s footprint in Asia. In order to build a base of knowledge and support system before expanding operations abroad, Eng was careful to utilize all of the U.S. Federal Government resources that she could. She worked closely with MBDA, the International Trade Administration, and the Export-Import Bank of the United States to garner support and guidance. By utilizing these resources, CSMI has been able to deliver on contracts across the globe by expanding its contracts in China and the Philippines, and entering into new markets including Vietnam, Mexico and the United Arab Emirates.
Recently, on a panel discussion at the 2014 Ex-Im Bank Annual Conference in Washington, D.C., Eng highlighted that working closely with the U.S. Federal Government has opened doors and helped make initial business connections that have blossomed into important contracts. Eng was especially appreciative of working with MBDA, saying: “As a business owner, there are so many unknowns when trying to build and grow your company. MBDA clarified the unknowns, and worked with me to ensure success.”
CSMI and Eng have won many awards over the years, including the 2009 MED Week Award for Minority Service Firm of the Year. This Asian Pacific American heritage month, MBDA wishes to once again recognize Eng for her continued success as an entrepreneur and business owner.
This May, we celebrated AAPI Everyday Sheroes in honor of APA Heritage Month.
AAPI women are creating change in their local communities and on the national stage. NAPAWF is proud to highlight the Everyday Sheroes among us – the fierce movement-makers who are building a more just world for AAPI women and girls.
Below are three of my “sisters” that have been diligently working in the community & the United States to make an impact. I am proud to be part of a group of such empowering women.
Dr. Theresa Mah (Chicago, Illinois)
Dr. Theresa Mah is a Senior Policy Advisor and Director of Asian American Outreach in the Office of Illinois Governor Pat Quinn. Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, she studied history and ethnic studies at the University of California at Berkeley before attending the University of Chicago where she earned her Ph.D. in U.S. history. She has researched and written about housing segregation in the United States and has taught history, ethnic studies, and Asian American studies at various universities, including Northwestern University, New York University, Bowling Green State University, University of Illinois Chicago and the The University of Chicago. She has served on the boards of The Toledo Fair Housing Center and Asian Pacific Americans for Progress. During the 2008 presidential campaign she served as a member of Barack Obama’s Asian American and Pacific Islander Leadership Council.
Since returning to Chicago in 2006, she has been a strong advocate and activist in the Asian American community. In 2012 she was elected Community Representative on the Local School Council at Thomas Kelly High School and appointed to the Illinois Advisory Council on Bilingual Education. While on staff at the Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community, an advocacy coalition in Chicago’s Chinatown, she led a successful redistricting effort for the Chicago Chinatown community; helped pass the Illinois Voting Rights Act of 2011; conceived the effort to establish an Asian American Caucus in the General Assembly; and spearheaded the passage of the Asian American Employment Plan Act. In her current position, she oversees the implementation of policies that promote diversity and inclusion at all levels of state government, paying particular attention to the recruitment, hiring, retention and promotion of Asian Americans in order to better reflect the diversity of the state’s population. She works closely with the Governor’s cabinet to ensure that state agencies provide adequate outreach and services to the Asian American population. She serves as the Governor’s representative in the Asian American community and advocates for the state’s 600,000+ Asian Americans, bringing their issues and concerns to the highest levels of state government and working on policies to address them.
On a more personal note, I am the child of immigrants and the granddaughter of a paper son who came to the United States from southern China in 1924. I am motivated to do what I do because of what I know about Asian American history and the experiences of people like my grandfather. I would not be where I am today were it not for their sacrifices, so I feel a deep obligation to give back what I can, to use my relative privilege to fight for justice and equality for our communities. Because I grew up in a working class immigrant family, I am particularly sensitive to issues of language access, immigrant rights, educational opportunity, equity and representation. Those are issues I work on every day, and I feel tremendously privileged to be able to do personally rewarding work that I love and feel a deep commitment to.
I support NAPAWF because I think it’s really important to support the next generation of AAPI women leaders, provide a local safe space for AAPI women and girls, fight for reproductive justice, and protect immigrant rights.
Kiran Ahuja has served as Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) since December 2009, working to improve the quality of life for AAPIs through increased access to and participation in federal programs.
Well-known as a leader among national and grassroots AAPI and women’s rights organizations, Ms. Ahuja served as the founding Executive Director of the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF) from 2003-2008. Through her leadership, Ms. Ahuja built NAPAWF from an all-volunteer organization to one with a paid professional staff and organized a strong, vibrant network of AAPI women community leaders across the country. She attended Spelman College, an historically black college, and the University of Georgia School of Law.
Anne Shaw (Chicago, Illinois)
Born the daughter of Asian American immigrants in Atlanta, Georgia, Anne Shaw has lived and worked in the greater Chicagoland area almost her entire life, and is a proud wife, daughter, sister, small business owner and attorney.
Ms. Shaw and her husband, Matt, live in East Village/Wicker Park Chicago where they are both active with family life and community service.
Now the founding officer and shareholder of Shaw Legal Services, Ltd., Ms. Shaw’s legal practice centers around taking care of families and the businesses that support those families. Her and her firms’ work focuses on civil litigation in the areas of commercial, civil rights and personal injury. Her firm also handles estate planning, small business representation, bankruptcy, family law and real estate.
Ms. Shaw strongly believes that we need more Asian Americans and women in public office. Ms. Shaw ran for public office in 2011-2012 in an effort to save a local police station from closing. She organized thousands of people, 4 rallies, and gathered over 6000 signatures to save the police station from closing. With less than three months to campaign, she beat the incumbent and came in second place with 30% of the vote as a first time candidate. She is now a candidate for Chicago City Council and will make history if elected as the first Asian American woman to join the Chicago City Council in February 2015.
In 2012, Ms. Shaw discovered that the cosmetology and nail technician State licensing exams were only offered in English and Spanish but not in Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean or any other Asian languages. She immediately started working pro bono to have these licensing exams translated into Asian languages to help the Asian community. By 2013, working closely with Governor Quinn’s Policy Director, Theresa Mah, the Governor agreed to work on translating and offering these exams in Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean and by February 2014, the first cosmetology exam in Chinese was offered to students.
Ms. Shaw is regularly invited to teach other attorneys business and financial laws. Knowing that the Asian Pacific story is part of the fabric of the American story, Ms. Shaw has remained incredibly active in her cultural community, and in May of 2013 she was honored by the National Association of Asian American Professionals Chicago for her achievements in our community and was invited to speak as a keynote speaker at their Asian American Heritage Month Leadership Celebration.
In 2010, Ms. Shaw co-founded the first pro bono legal clinic in Chinatown with Chicago Volunteer Legal Services and the Chinese American Service League, now in its fourth year and serving thousands of underserved and underrepresented immigrants and Asian American minorities.
Ms. Shaw has been invited to speak to numerous other organizations, including the Chinese American Service League, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, and others.
Ms. Shaw received the prestigious Hon. Sandra Otaka Leadership Award, the highest honor from the Asian American Bar Association in 2010 for her work in the legal profession and the community.
In 2008 she was named one of the top lawyers under 40 in Chicago by Chicago Law Bulletin. In 2009 she was named a “Best Lawyer Under 40” by the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association.
In 2009, Ms. Shaw was appointed to serve as the first Asian American Commissioner on the Cook County Board of Ethics.
This year she received the Asian American Coalition of Chicago’s Community Service Award.
Ms. Shaw supports NAPAWF because she strongly believes that the greater community needs strong AAPI women leaders in the professional, civic, and political arenas and NAPAWF gives women leaders the support and resources to be able to do this.
Dr. Karen Eng (Chicago, Illinois)
Dr. Karen Eng has worked to build CSMI as a leading process & packaging engineering firm in the FDA & USDA regulated industries. CSMI provides project management, field and construction support, electrical, mechanical, controls, automation, and packaging engineering services. Upon Dr. Eng becoming President in 2000, CSMI has grown exponentially in both revenues and staff, and continues its growth by developing a stronger client base, more in depth projects, and more experienced staff.
Dr. Eng received a B.S. in Biochemistry and a B.S. in Biology from the University of California, San Diego and her doctorate from the New England College of Optometry.
Most recently, she has spoken at the Export Import Bank of the United States regarding exporting back to China, and the Food and Drug Law Institute’s conference in Beijing. She has been a panelist for Senator Durbin’s U.S. Export seminar, North Park University Executive Director Boot Camp, Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) Chicago Globalization conference, and Working Mother Media’s Chicago Women’s Leadership Summit.
Dr. Eng serves on the Board of Directors of the Export Import Bank of the United States, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital, the Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana, YWCA of Metropolitan Chicago, Illinois College of Optometry, and Chicago Minority Supplier Development Council. She chairs the STEM Task Force through the Girl Scouts which aims to be the liaison between Chicago headquartered corporations & the Girl Scouts.
Dr. Eng supports NAPAWF because she is passionate about developing more AAPI women leaders and growing local safe spaces for progressive AAPI women and girls.
I love the song “Brave” by Sara Barielles on many levels. When talking with North Park University graduating students at the Etiquette and Networking dinner on March 27, 2014, I wanted them to walk away with the beliefs from her lyrics of “You can be amazing!” and “Say what you want to say honestly, I want to see you be brave.”
What does this have to do with Networking? I think that these are a couple components of successful networking. One is believing you are amazing, not arrogant. You have a great story based on YOUR life. Another component is bravery when interacting with others either in a familiar or unfamiliar setting.
A couple of items to remember when introducing yourself include:
Networking. What exactly is it?
Networking is such a powerful entity. It’s an exchange of information between individuals and groups. You’ve heard of “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” There is true validity to this; not saying you don’t have to be knowledgeable, but networking yields knowledge beyond yourself. If you have a strong network, you have access to answers and solutions versus obtaining it blindly both professionally and personally. Wouldn’t you rather call someone you know and trust to help you with an electrical problem in your home versus google “electricians” and pick one randomly? Have you ever gotten an opportunity to do something perhaps an internship, a job, go to an event, got a huge discount all because someone provided you an introduction?
You only have one shot and 10 seconds to make a first impression so let’s talk about making YOU as amazing as you can be.
Specific tips to try
My mantra is to try and make everything a no brainer. How you take care of yourself is typically the first impression of you. Let’s eliminate the variables.
YOU: Physical Aspect
YOU: Mental Aspect
YOU and Others: Psychological Aspect
My Secret to Networking
I want to tell you my secret about being an effective networker. When I meet someone, I get to know them regardless of what they can do for me.
There is a delicate balance of meeting someone deliberately at a networking event because you want the opportunity for the internship or job. My advice is to be authentic and compelling by saying something like: “This may not be the right time, but can I follow up with you to discuss the opportunity of working with you?”
Networking As A Way Of Life
You never know who you are going to run into, and then you never know what opportunities they may bring. So it is important to know what your brand is, what you represent, what you want to do and how you are going to get there.You know how excited you get about things you are passionate about, and sometimes you can talk endlessly about it. Why wouldn’t you surround yourself with that passion?
My brand is strongly linked to my Twitter profile: CEO of an engineering firm, President of a wine branding company, golf and Harley enthusiast, mom, and a passion to empower women & girls.
So I challenge you to come up with your brand. And if you have, do you need to revisit it and revise?
One thing to remember: Networking gets easier and better the more you do it.
I’ve had the honor of serving on several non-profit boards, and I am very happy that I am involved. I feel that it adds to the balance of my life as its own entity, but filters into both my professional and personal life. My motivation was two fold. Primarily, I wanted to be an example of stewardship to my daughter. The other was to be impactful in my community.
Invitation: Being active in your community is a very rewarding experience. It is an opportunity to learn more about those in the community who are helping others. It is also good for your soul. Are you giving enough to your community and how can your talents and resources better your community?
I had an opportunity to speak to the Business Scholars, and had a great experience! The purpose of the UIC Business Scholars program is to develop leadership excellence and professionalism among a cohort of highly motivated undergraduate business students. Below is the write up from Ms. Amiwala, one of the business scholars with an amazing smile.
Yesterday, for the Business Scholars CEO Perspective Series I had the wonderful opportunity to meet our final guest speaker of the semester, Dr. Karen Eng.
Dr. Eng was absolutely wonderful and she made sure her presentation was interactive so that all of us young business students could open up and ask questions. Dr. Eng began by explaining her position as CEO and President at CSMI, and later, she talked about the steps she took to become an accomplished professional.
Dr. Eng, like many students, did not always have this vision of being a CEO of an entire company; in fact, she went to the University of California and got her degree in biochemistry and biology. Once she graduated, she aspired to become an optometrist. It wasn’t until later in her life that she decided to take over CSMI, the small business that her father started in 1983.
Now, CSMI is a successful firm that serves countries all over the world. Dr. Eng told us that CSMI is an engineering consulting firm which also works with administrations such as the USDA and FDA. One interesting fact we learned about CSMI was that it helps companies create exclusive machines to make packaging and production very efficient. Many of Dr. Eng’s clients are food companies such as Nestle, Kraft Foods, and PepsiCo.
Dr. Eng advised us to explore all our options and ask questions to those who are experienced in the professions we want to pursue. She also said that one of the keys to success was networking, and as business students, we must start developing our network now.
Dr. Eng was very passionate about empowering women and told us that she was one of the few women leaders in her field. I was touched by the fact the she told us that everyone in the room is capable of doing anything they dreamed of, and it was just uplifting to hear that all 40 of us can make an impact to the world, in 40 different ways.
Aside from being an accomplished professional, Dr. Eng is highly involved in organizations that she is most passionate about. She serves as a board member for the Illinois College of Optometry, the Girl Scouts of Chicago and Northwest Indiana, and many more.
Towards the end, Dr.Eng provided us with great insight and she encouraged us to be the best cohort of Business Scholars, so that one day we could also give back to our community.
Conant High School 25th reunion
Allison Goodman Spaitis & Karen Eng
Is it truly a milestone when you’re invited to your 25th high school reunion? I’m not convinced it’s a milestone, but more of a celebration of life amongst my peers – many of whom I’ve grown up with since the second grade. Obviously, I felt different compared to my 10 year reunion and I can clearly state why. I was at a different stage in my life – newly engaged and a few years out of graduate school. At the 25th year high school reunion, we are in our early 40s, have been working for a couple decades, and (lightly or heavily) seasoned in marriage, family, and children. Here are a few things that I took away from the evening that I believe are true across the board whether you’re attending a reunion or not:
In addition, I connected with a few more friends after the reunion which made the evening even more worth while. Although I can’t recall how much I enjoyed high school, I truly appreciated an evening with no cliques, no obsession about popularity, and no gossiping.
