TYL #21: Defining Success for Yourself and Asking for What You Want with Mimi Zheng

The Nth Degree Podcast with Tracy Timm

Can you imagine being an immigrant to a foreign nation? Perhaps some of you know exactly what this feels like. You leave your home-- everything that is comfortable and familiar-- and you travel thousands of miles to a completely new place. Everything is different. The sites. The sounds. The food. The people. The routines. The schools. The homes. The culture. Most especially, the culture. Everything that was once held dear is now questioned. Perhaps you came from the kind of place that values family above all else and moved to a place that places the individual on a pedestal. Or maybe you were raised to live with your family until you were married, but now everyone around you is living in apartments alone or cohabitating with significant others. Or what if your clothing was an expression of your reverence to your family and you go to a school where everyone is wearing tube tops... I'm not even going to TOUCH religious or political differences. Millions of Americans endure this type of out-of-country-out-of-body-out-of-mind experience everyday in the hopes that they will bring themselves and their families a better life in the United States. Our guest today, Mimi Zheng, is one of those first-generation immigrants. Having moved from China to the United States at age 12, Mimi was witness to every one of these discrepancies. She was able to view the differences between her Chinese heritage and American culture not only through her own eyes, but the eyes of her parents and family as well. Today, she uses those varying experiences and expressions to continuously redefine success on her own terms and live a life that is truly authentic to her unique culture-- both Asian and American. This episode is great for you if you've ever struggled to live up to the expectations of your culture or family, wondered if there was "more to life than this," or wanted to find a career that allowed you to give your greatest gifts back to the world in a unique and authentic way. Mimi is such and inspiration and I hope her ability and willingness to say "yes" to life and continuously ask for what she wants will help you get to your next step.