Gloria's Blog

During one of the core note speeches in Microsoft Digital Transformation Academy in Vegas, David Kidder, Co-founder of Bionic, mentioned a quote from the book "The Start-up Playbook": "Customers don’t tell the truth. See what they do, not what they say." It is not really a ground breaking line - I guess you may have heard about it before. But it indeed resonated with me right on the spot. That is so true. It reminded me of the experience with Citibank. I became a customer to Citibank when I moved to Chicago in 2015. Citi does a good job in basic debit and credit card services. But when things get wrong, going through customer service was such a pain. I switched to another bank recently, part of the reason being their customer service. There is always a "Please rate your experience with your customer service" at the end of the call. If I was lucky that day, I would rate, maybe 8 or 10. If the experience was bad, I would not bother staying online for an ext...

In October 2017, Microsoft US Subsidiary hosted the first Digital Transformation Academy (DTA) in Vegas. It is a training, workshop, and networking event for all sales and marketing professionals. It is also the first big conference I have attended in Microsoft, when I really get to know about the company on a larger scale. I want to share two stories from DTA. ~ Story One ~ After we arrived at the hotel, I lined up in the check-in line in front of the hotel with my manager. When I first realized Microsoft flies 5000 employees and partners down to Vegas for a week-long conference, especially after I saw the price of hotel room per night when checking in, I was very shocked. It is A LOT OF EXPENSE. I chatted with my friend, "Wow the way this company spends money is mind blowing..." I even doubted whether it's a right way to spend the profits - should we do things more relevant to customers? I was until the end of the first day, I realized why. It...

I've been a blogger for over a decade. In the recent two to three years, I mostly post on Wechat moments, which is pretty much the equivalence of Facebook used by the Chinese community. Very often if a non-Chinese friend asks "So where is your blog?" I have to awkwardly say oh that's on a Chinese social media. Yesterday I had dinner with a friend. He asked me two difficult but necessary questions. I was inspired, and moved a selection of blog posts on Wechat here. His name is Chris. - Chris: So Why don't you post on a platform that we all can read? - Me: Because I am not familiar with the value system in the US. I am afraid of being judged. - Chris: Wow. Is China's culture very judgmental? that makes you afraid of being judged? - Me: I don't know. (It makes me reflect where my fear comes from) - Chris: Then what specifically are you afraid of being judged? - Me: My point of view and it takes time to make it sound "safe"; my imperfect Eng...

【扫地僧】Just now, I went downstairs of my apartment MPP to get a parcel. Met Sam, the doorman. Sam: "Gloria, haven't seen you for a while, how's going." Me: "Good, just finished midterm." Sam: "How's your mid term?" Me: "It's ok. Got 100." Sam: "Jez...why do you think that's only ok?" Me: "Because it's not the priority here." Sam: "So priority is understanding and applying?" Me: "No priority is getting a job." Sam: "Right. That's can be true. But Gloria, I have one thing to tell you. People out of your school get decent jobs, make decent money. Remember when you become one of them, make sure you spend and invest wisely. Paper money is not real money..." Then Sam talks about the debt between China and US, how much money evaporated in the crisis in 2008, the comparison of economy in Chicago and Bay Area... I was impressed.... and am more worri...

【一场成功的盲婚】 我和Emma是去年四月份认识的。但直到我们住在一起才第一次见面。 今年三月，我拿到Booth的offer之后写了一篇文章，申请过程回顾和三条经验分享。她看到了以后就在微信加我，一分钟后我们便决定做室友。第一次见到她，我觉得她是个萌妹子。黑框眼镜和黑白篮球鞋。像阿拉蕾。 直到今年九月住进MPP，我们才第一次见面。发现我们的房子没有打扫干净。Emma有理有据不卑不亢收放自如地和MPP管事儿的人进行了一场精彩的理论。MPP offer了很多条件弥补我们的精神损失。各种霸气侧漏。我觉得我被其外表的萌彻底欺骗了。不过那天我在想，什么时候我也能用英文不带一个脏字地和native speaker吵架，那真是太帅气了。 有一天早晨我正要出门，不知道她看到了什么文章，突然说，每个人的童年都有一个叫大头的小伙伴。你的童年有大头吗。我穿上了左脚的鞋，撩起头发看着她淡定地说：我就是那个大头。她毫无掩饰的浮夸的笑声洒了一地。从此以后Emma就叫我大头。 Emma以前喜欢的写字台前吃饭。但可恶的是她的卧室没有窗不通风，所以她每天都在客厅吃饭。由于这样一个bug，我们有机会进行了很多谈话，从睡觉应该钻进叠好的被子口还是掀开平铺的被子到是否应该帮助别人成长，从YouTube各种化妆视频极其影射的日益丰厚的女性消费市场到科技进步是否在使人类文明倒退，从北京的城市规划问题到在线教育的未来，从MBA admission office招人的思路到人类该不该把火星作为back up plan。 Emma说，人生中发生的所有事只有两种目的，要么直接让你变得更好，要么提醒你要变得更好。 09在荷兰待了半年之后，我就我特喜欢吃面包。经常只吃面包苹果牛奶就能过好几天。Emma经常在家做饭，各种汤啊粥啊面啊，有时候叫我一起吃。有一天，她说，大头，你吃的太简单了。让人挺心疼的。 通常我们的对话都非常interlectually intensive，看电影的时候也一样。在全程无尿点的电影中间她会问诸如，此事女主已经成为team的liability，请问大头，此刻大家应该怎么办？我说，credit她！她说，错，是debit！ Sanctum和Gravity。那两个电影都是灾难片。里面有些尸体的画面。当我们看到恐怖画面，我的反应是高分贝的尖叫然后紧紧抓住身边最近的人（所...

How the one you have a crush on enhances your EQ? Because when you care about people's reaction, you think deep about why he/she react like this, and think deeper how you can continue the conversation/relation. You become very conscious about the emotional results your behavior or words have on others. You learn so much from this process thanks to the depth of thinking, and the continuous adjustment of your behavior accordingly. In most case the crush ends up with nothing, but why not leverage all these anxieties into a learning process.

During the recruiting seasons, I've been through many stress test interviews, that said, interviewers act intentionally aggressive to test whether candidates can think and behave well under pressure. One of the common case is, the interviewer asks a question, whatever you say, he keep asking "what else". Usually it happens when you are brainstorming sth. So that's fine. The toughest situation I encountered is, the interviewer asked "What's your weakness?". Ok a typical tricky question needed to prepare and design beforehand. I have 3 weaknesses in my basket. But the real show started when the iver asked the 5th "What else?" I kept repeating in my head "what else what else" and feel so helpless, because half of the weaknesses are real and I cannot tell, and the other half are fake and I cannot tell. The iver just didn't say or do anything, w/o any intention to let it go. The 20 seconds feels like forever. Finally, I said, I n...

Cen and I were talking over a lemon pie. When she happened to mention one common friend by saying "Well xxx might be the only republican friend of mine." I was so surprised, "Wait. What. How do you know?" And she mentioned some of their conversation over politics, and his conservative parents. That's the moment I realize how little I know about this country, and how limited I am able to communicate with my friends here. And it's on me. And it takes time. (Originally posted on Feb 26th, 2016 on Wechat)

前几天，一个同学推荐了雨果奖作品刘宇昆写的《折纸》，关于第一代与第二代美国华人的文化冲突的短篇小说。掩卷泪目。今天就定了暑假回家的机票。 2003年，爸爸第一次去欧洲出差，当时还没有微信，电话短信都很贵，还记得我和妈妈晚上趴在被子里给爸爸发短信，逐字逐句都想仔细才发出去。 爸爸在瑞士买了一个手表送给妈妈，她特别高兴，每天都戴着，从此没有第二块手表。妈妈去世后，爸爸拆了几节表带，把手表给了我。我也从此每天戴着，没有第二块手表。 如今十多年过去了，岁月似乎没有在它的容颜留下任何痕迹。因为爱怎么会有沧桑。希望海外学子，常回家看看。 (Originally posted on May 31st, 2016 in Chicago on Wechat)

Today I had an one on one with another manager who is originally from Europe, and one of the smartest and most distant person I have met. He shared how leaving his religion that he has been raised up with has shaped him, how divorcing and leaving a 14-year marriage has shaped him. What it takes to work in a foreign country. How much work it takes to be confident rather than arrogant. A ton of inspiration, and surprises in the one hour conversation. I asked him, how you get over workaholic-ness. He said, anti-depression drugs. I asked him what drives you. He said, retirement. I asked, what interests you most? He said, the ideas in my head is way more interesting than what's going on out in the world. I reflected so what it takes to get ppl open up? Ask bold, purposeful questions. And listen. (Originally posted on Aug.25th, 2016 on Wechat)

回上海那天，我五点多就要去机场。来接我的是个大胡子老爷爷 Dave 。说到三番和纽约的房租，他说 “ 我儿子现在在纽约学音乐，以后会成立乐队。他特别幸运，中学的时候遇到很好的爵士乐老师，所以就立志做下去。 ”  我问他这是你唯一的儿子吗。 Dave 说 “ 我还有一个女儿 29 岁，还有一个儿子 31 岁。女儿在西海岸学心理学，以后会做心理医生。大儿子也是学音乐的，和小儿子从小去的同一所学校跟的同一位老师，非常有天赋，一直带着弟弟。 ”  他停顿了一会儿，继续说， “ 他 18 岁那年车祸去世了。不过虽然如此我还是把他当成我的儿子感觉他还和我在一起。 We know it's God's will. But we don't understand. We can't take it. We were angry about it. But it is what it is." 说着说着他哽咽起来，黄黄的灯光照亮车外安静的高速路，以及车里长长的沉默。不久后我们就抵达了机场。 Dave 帮我把行李提下来，表情略有点尴尬，对我说谢谢。 我想，我最后悔的事，就是没有给他一个拥抱。亲爱的陌生人。 (Originally posted on Sept 17, 2016 on Wechat)

今天和同学聊天他提到“他人即是地狱”。我追问是什么意思，他于是发给了我图一图二。何尝不是这样。想起了过去这个夏天在西雅图小住三个月的轶事。 由于各种巧与不巧，我最后和一个（女性）朋友住在一个one bedroom. 我们睡两个床，中间隔开一个书架，share一个厨房，一个洗手间，一个写字台。本科毕业以后，就没有和“他人”长期共处一室的经历。To be honest, I was not nervous about the internship at all, but I was freaked out about living with another person for three months. 毕竟朋友和天天朝夕相处是两码事，怕以后连朋友都做不成。但是我在她面前依然表现得很自然。住下后，她也看起来很自然。 后来，我们成为了无话不谈的挚友。从某种程度上说，这完全是种运气。有一次，我们玩一个游戏，聊到一个问题“有什么是你没有告诉过我但想告诉我的”，惊讶地发现，我们在搬到一起之前，都非常担心和害怕，都在各自找别的房子，万一不和随时准备搬走。他人即是地狱。 我的西雅图室友是个普通人又不是普通人，她改变了我很多，包括对父母，家庭，婚姻的看法。 我想，如何不成为他人的地狱，可以算是我这个夏天学到的一课。而如何不让自己囚禁于他人这所地狱，是未来需要继续修炼的。感恩。 (Originally posted on Sept 23rd, 2017 on Wechat)

Yesterday had dinner with a strategy head in a multinational corporation. He graduated from MBA 20+ years ago. The dinner lasted for four hours. During the dinner, he once said, "Through the conversations with MBAs these days, I found current students' definition of success is very interesting. Basically you guys think success is making no mistakes. You are afraid to take any risks. I can tell you what's going to happen in twenty years if you don't take any risks. You will become a mediocre manager. Why? Because you are identical to so many other people. I am not saying that’s bad. I am just asking whether that's what you want. Twenty years ago when I graduated from MBA I went to China. China then was totally a different country from China now. Nobody wanted to go to China and people thought I was crazy…" He then shared two stories that he failed publicly and dramatically, which was totally unexpected because he was there supposedly to introduce the c...

One of the profs of the classes I am taking this quarter is a Chinese. I mean, a Chinese Chinese - he was born and grew up in China. His English is not great. He is very unique. He often make on-the-edge jokes - some can easily be categorized as racism. At the beginning, I was wondering, how come he is still here teaching? And I was so shocked to know that he has been teaching in University of Chicago for almost 20 years. Like, what?? Later, I also heard from his PHD students that he often raise harsh but necessary questions at necessary times in faculty discussions. Questions such as, "Who are you? Why should I care?" That's really outrageous. Gradually, I start to respect him more. He often express his honor and proud to be a Chinese in the classroom, which is not common in Chinese community. He sometimes will say things like, China and US are obviously the two most important countries in the world, in front of a full class from all over the world - he doesn...

我爸爸。 2010年12月27日，也就是恰好六年前，我写过一篇文章叫《我爸爸》，现在拿出来看，觉得非常庆幸在我记得的时候把这些事儿都记了下来。记得当时我妈说，我爸看了之后太感动，跑到厕所去哭。http://blog.renren.com/blog/233998054/703906336?bfrom=01020110200 昨天po了一个我爸给我付学费的事儿，没想到被点160多个like…引起了很多同龄人的共鸣。问朋友们的爸爸们好！又到了一年的结束，鉴于2016年是我和我爸异地的第一年，我决定留下一点文字在这里纪念我和我爸的友谊。 总的来讲，我爸的一生就是励志的一生。我爸和我妈结婚那会儿，家里经济条件和我妈家里差十万八千里。老丈人不同意，我爸就各种软磨硬泡晓之以情动之以理地把美人娶回了家。我妈还有三个妹妹，于是有四个女婿，每年外公外婆都会评选最佳女婿，我爸连续当选过好几年。 我小学那会儿，我爸工作调动，他每个周末骑着他的小电驴去一个亲戚家学电脑和会计。从一开始连鼠标都不敢碰，拼音也不会，到现在不管什么软件一看就明白。那段时间看到我爸一到周末就不见，我还特别生气，现在觉得真是一个英明的选择，科技正是大势啊。 我爸最最开心的活动就是到我学校公司去讲话。小学毕业，大学毕业典礼家长代表讲话，还有我在LEK工作的时候家庭日家长代表讲话。他经常去“出席大场合”，完全不是因为我有多出色。我一直都是个mediocre。应该是因为我特喜欢讲关于我爸的轶事，然后管事儿的人一想到要请“家长代表”，就能想到他。 我觉得我和我爸共同有的核心竞争力，就是长着一张真诚脸！就即使你感觉他说的也都是场面话，但实在太真诚了真的不能不感动。在LEK那次，他说“自从我女儿进了艾意凯，我除了关注我女儿每天下班时间，我还跟踪我们艾意凯每年的全球咨询公司排名。今年我们进前十了，我感到特别高兴，特别自豪！”我还记得海董笑得花枝乱颤。 我爸没有上过negotiation也没学过leadership，但他特别能搞定事儿。大到他厂里有五百人规模的举菜刀的闹事，他都能搞定。小到家里亲戚的情感纠纷，他一出马立即摆平。 有一件事我一辈子都不会忘记，每每遇到ethical dilemma，都会想起我爸的话。记得我在交大那会儿，大二转专业，期中考试课特别多来不及复习，就动了邪念，想开张病假条和老师说...

I took a math class in the undergrad building today. After class, it was freezing and I was starving. I run to Mandel Hall and got a sandwich, and called Uber pool.  I saw two passengers already in the car, so I sit in the front. After I was settled, the driver, a black mid aged man, with some ascent, smiled at me and said, "Hello Gloria, my name is Bill. This is Grace and this is Dave." The ride felt like going for a picnic with some old friends.  It was the first time I saw an uber driver introduces fellow passengers to each other. I thanked Bill for doing that. He said, "Really? I always do this. We are from different parts of the world and by chance have a brief moment to know each other. Isn't that beautiful?" (Originally posted on Mar.11th, 2017 on Wechat)

In Israel, I went thru some internal doubts. One night when me and Rikki walked along a quiet street, I shared with her now I become more hesitated to ask bold questions, fearing that people Will be uncomfortable. But asking these questions is part of my blood.  Rikki said, it's ok as long as you have good intentions and it passes basic social acceptance. People who feel uncomfortable about your bold questions are not bold themselves. It's not your weakness it's theirs. Some of them, for example me, will be inspired by your questions, become courageous, and be drawn to you. Others, you have to let go, which is probably the hardest part. But you have to learn letting people go in order to be truly yourself. (Originally posted on Mar 29th, 2017 in Israel on Wechat)

The blog was originally written for the official blog of The University of Chicago Booth School of Business: http://www.chibus.com/specials/2017/6/1/a-hundred-and-fifty-moments-of-happiness --- A blogger’s thank you It’s a wonderful way to wrap up my journey in Booth with a blog. I have been a blogger for more than a decade. Blogging is what I love. Blogging is why I am here. My application essay to Booth was a set of three blogs, snapshots of three life changing moments in my life. I flew into Chicago for my on-campus interview, and printed out and read all historical blogs on theboothexp.com on the 15-hour long flight there. The first time I walked into Winter Garden, I ran into the author of my favorite blog. That moment I knew I was meant to be here. If you are reading this, my dear reader, please accept a sincere thank you. Caption 1: #MeAndIsraeliCuisine #BoothRight #OmaAndRikkiByMySide #Pic cred: Ellie Cheong 150 Moments: One Good One During Alumni Reunion weekend...

很难想象，我已经在学习编程的路上走了这么远。虽然每天都在碰到新问题，但是解决问题的速度越来越快，问题也变得越来越不那么intimidating。 自从我搬到了hyde park，开始做一个全职的computer science masters student，每周学习60+小时，常常和其他学计算机的同学在一起，我仿佛进入了一个全新的世界。我觉得和我的同学们相比，我不仅对自己的coding水平感到惭愧，更加重新审视自己的人生观价值观。 我身边的同学们，他们的世界似乎没有opportunity cost这个概念。 有一次，trading system的课，我和两个同学一起写作业，我和一位大哥的代码几乎一样，但他的能从系统接收股票信息，我的死活都不行。他一直在想各种方法帮我试，为什么不行，控制变量法一个一个可能性排除，包括改了config文件在他的电脑上run。一直弄了很久，整个过程中他完全没有“嗯这挺奇怪的啊，你要不试试这个？要不试试那个？与此同时继续做自己的project”。就像是如果我的代码run不出，他就无法继续做他自己的作业。就像是即使我自己放弃他也不会放弃我。 还有一次，一开始学web development，完全没有头绪ruby on rails这么多文件和文件夹，怎么玩。另一个同学主动来问我，是不是不会，然后一整个早上和中午都在和我一起研究，包括第一个小时网络连不上，完全没有露出不耐烦的情绪，一直在想各种办法试连网络，试能不能offline做。 还有一次，computer architecture的助教课，在讲一些特别复杂的系统，缓存地址的计算。助教自己stuck了，绕来绕去怎么都不对，全班同学都在耐心地和他一起想原因想办法，完全没有人露出“Why are you so not prepared? ”不满的情绪，或者想要提前走的样子。 上学期，Java课的大作业要做一个游戏。真的是，有些bug，逼死我也de不出来。两个同学，五个小时，八个小时，几乎是通宵帮我一起debug。最后一天的半夜我真心是做不动了，我说I think it's fine, if the prof isn't satisfied, maybe I will do something else. 他说，No Gloria, this is your...

My new landlord is a tough lady (again). She doesn't always pick up phone call and every time she does, she talks so fast. She usually replies email, as brief as she can. She remembers everything; she's sharp, assertive, yet cold blooded. In our 39 emails, every time, no matter what she says, I put a smile at the end. And this is what happens when you do it again and again and again. (Originally posted on Aug 18th, 2017 on Wechat)

今天上班的车上，我对面坐下一个小哥，二话不说打开书包。我看到他包里有一本厚厚的书Cracking the Coding Interview。然后他拿出一个本子一个笔，开始默写代码。我一眼认出那笔是微软前台堆了一堆给visitor的。 于是我脑补了下故事。这位小哥应该是去面二面？以及都到这节骨眼上了还在抱佛脚估计水平😂。 但是年轻人的努力还是让人很感动。这么努力的人一定要给他一个机会。如果他知道hiring manager的名字，我一定写个邮件告诉他以上这些。 回想起来我第一次面试咨询公司的实习，面得一塌糊涂。面完了我还赖着不走继续尬聊，发现面试官是比我大十届的交大学长。当时他出于同情也好感动也好私心也好，说，你明天来上班吧。以后不要穿小熊毛衣去面试了。实习结束后我们再也没有见过，时常想起他的信任心怀感恩。 又快十年了。

Several weeks after I moved to Seattle, I went to a gym and got a new membership. My trainer asked, "Do you find a lot of hills in Seattle? Do you feel groceries are so heavy that you have to stop and rest on your way back home?" I was just about to say he stated exactly what I am experiencing right now, and maybe complain a little bit about the hills. My trainer didn't give me that chance. He continued, "Groceries are not heavy. You are weak." What he said keeps coming back to me ever since. Every time I felt unsatisfied with what is happening, for example the old rainy weather, the small draining things in life, I think about what my trainer said. There is nothing wrong with the circumstances. It's me. I am weak.

上周的一天早晨，Windows系统内部升级，不确定是哪个环节出了问题，导致我的电脑都卡在启动过程中开不了机。我拖着重感冒的身体冒着寒风跑到另一幢楼找IT，心中满是羊驼~ 没想到IT support大排长队，原来不是我一台电脑的问题。 在我排队的过程中，我就在回想使用Windows系统和Mac OS系统的体验。自从我开始学CS，就换了一台Mac，真切地感受了两套操作系统的区别。Windows有很多牛逼之处，比如Office真的很好用。但从操作系统本身，简单地说，Mac never gives me any surprises. It is so quiet. It just works. Windows give me surprises all the time - all those pop up windows, updates, warnings, restart requirements… 我也更加理解了为什么大部分程序员都用OS或Linux/Unix（我对Unix和Linux的关系依然没有具体的认识，有路过的大牛求深入浅出地启发一下鄙人）。以上只是陈述事实，我还是爱软软的，嗯。 于是我就去补习了一下Unix, OS, Windows的pros and cons，看到一条很客观，很在理的观点：为什么Mac OS系统能做到这么seamless，是因为硬件和软件是同一个公司做的啊！这个水果公司生产一套操作系统只需要给一种类型的电脑用，就是它自己生产的电脑！当然容易做得顺畅。很多的更新、补丁、都在后台默默地完成了。 科技的最高境界是感受不到科技的存在。 而Windows系统，要给那么那么那么多硬件厂商用，众口难调，七七八八的问题自然就多，有来自硬件，有来自软件，有来自软硬件的配合，补漏洞又出新漏洞，很大程度上是因为这些硬件不是微软自己做的，很难控制。要求Windows做到和Mac OS一样的顺畅度，从某种程度上说并不公平。苹果靠它的垄断性的高性能charge premium，而微软和成千上万的电脑硬件厂商合作，从而让各种收入水平的人都能用上电脑。 我就突然回想起上上周听Satya （微软CEO）讲过一句话 "If a software company is serious enough about its software, ...

Olivia is my teammate, a great friend I knew long before I joined Microsoft. Right now she is presenting at the Microsoft Digital Transformation Academy in Vegas. 5,000 people flew in Vegas for this. She presents about the value and technics of Social Selling in front of hundreds of thousands of MSUS sales and marketing professionals. She is the only Asian presenter that I am aware of. I am so proud of her. --- I am recently reading a book "The Bamboo Ceiling". It's about why and how Asian are underrepresented in the leadership level in the US corp world, and the cultural reasons behind it. Olivia is such a role model in so many different aspects. She is so good at what she does, and she never feels too good about herself. She didn't start living in the US until 20 something, and her English is as good as native speakers. She is so natural hanging out almost with anyone. However, she never ever speaks in English with me, if just between us, in any situations...

It was the last night in Vegas. My team rented a limo and were on our way to the old town Vegas. We were drinking in the loud music. Beside me, was a senior manager. In the office, she always wear decent dresses, sophisticated make up. She graduated from Yale college, is deeply in love with her husband, has two sons who are both doing great. She recently became a grandma. She is on top of everything.  She asked me whether it's hard to move to the US from blue, whether my parents are supportive that I am staying after graduating from grad school, and if they will come to visit. I said my dad will visit me soon, and my mom passed away. She said, "Oh, I am sorry." I hope I didn't make her uncomfortable and said, "No don't say sorry. It's fine." She reacted immediately, "It is not fine. It will never get easy. My mom passed away ten years ago. She was 88. She was old, obviously, and she had a good life. But it’ll never get easier. W...

Today, we were talking to prof Chris Ryan about Chinese parents' expectation on our generation. Chris said, well, they wish you success, they wish you have money and power. Why they wish you have money and power? Actually, they hope you are safe and happy, and they also assume that money and power will buy safety and happiness. That's probably the logic. But money and power are risky. They often don't. We asked Chris what he believes will buy sense of safety and happiness. He said, the belief that what the universe gives you is sufficient. Picture taken on the border of Israel and Syria (Originally posted on Wechat on May 13, 2017)

On my flight back in Chicago, I sit by a 60-year-old gentleman Mr. Rogers. - R: Is Chicago your home? - Me: No I am doing my MBA there. - R: Oh I did my MBA 20 years ago. What did you do before this? - Me: I was a management consultant. - R: management consultant? You did nothing. - Me: what do you mean? - R: I don't wanna be mean. But you really have done nothing. During the rest of the flight, Mr. Rogers shared his dozens of businesses since high school, including selling ice cream, loading luggage for airplane, ship businesses that he has been involved in for 20 years, and his recent 3-year-old start up where he leads 65 people managing private ships. Before we landed, I asked him, is there anything that has big impact on your life?He said, when I was young, I never turned down any job. I learned from it, move on, until I found what I truly love. Being on the ocean. Life is short. Do what you love. And finding ways to make money by doing that is the easy part. (Orig...