Interview with Asian Women Coaching Collective

I am honored to be featured in the Asian Women Coaching Collective. 

We are excited to launch our second spotlight of our AANHPI Month Story Series!

Meet Hojeong Kim, a coach who guides accomplished women to rediscover their potential and confidently step into their dream roles. Having journeyed alone from Korea to the US to pursue a Ph.D. in Physics, she has thrived in the corporate world, building and leading teams in data science and analytics. Now, as an entrepreneur, she's dedicated to helping others find fulfillment and success in their lives.

She explains her childhood and how that has shaped who she is today: “When I was a child, I was angry at adults who lie to children (aka me!) and think that's ok. When I pointed out their lies, they yelled at me, calling me rude. Those moments gave me a rather arrogant attitude that I don't respect anybody just because of their age or title. That's probably why I was trying to have my own opinion rather than asking others for my life's decisions. Not only do I still have that attitude, I coach people to have that too.”

We asked how she decided to become a coach. She says, “Two things: 1) I'd been thinking about the post-corporate world for a while already, and 2) At some point I enjoyed helping my team grow as individuals, not just as members of my team, way more than other parts of the job. So when I learned about coaching, I thought it was the perfect answer that satisfies both aspects.”

“The balance between being a humble and nice girl and being professional and a leader. I coach them to focus on what's really important and what their roles are. I think the right answer to most of the situational questions are, ‘It depends.’ There is no one correct answer. So how to find the correct answer? From you, what's really important to you. Not what your boss, parents, husband, friends think, what you think,” she reflects after being asked what she thinks are some common struggles Asian women employees face in the workplace today.

We asked her how she builds hope when the world feels dark: “The fact that I see there is something I can do to make it better, and that there is a real chance that it can get better, gives me hope and energy.”

We asked her what has inspired her coaching lately. When it came to books, she said “It is a Korean book, its title is translated as, 'The patterns humans create.' The message I like the most, and the reason I read it again, is to create your own frame.”
She continues, “I  started a coaching business, and there are some patterns that most coaches follow already. I definitely am following some of them, as I'm just starting. But I want to create my own frame for what coaching means and how it should be done, to fit what I really want in the best way.”

Finally we asked her what she does to kickstart her morning: “After leaving the corporate world, I'm trying not to be too productive. It's really hard to find balance between "being" and "doing". I have waves of energy and I try to catch the waves more than trying to be productive.”