“My Green Cities (www.mygreencities.com) is my second business.  I bought a small café in Hopewell, NJ, when I was only 23.  I am a dedicated sister, daughter, best friend and aunt of two fantastic nephews and a beautiful niece.  I freelance as a photographer, writer, graphic designer, website designer, producer and event planner.  I volunteer for the Women’s Shelter as a Hospital Advocate and for CARE.  In short, I stay busy and involved in my community!”

What do you think are the biggest challenges for professional women today? As a relatively young female entrepreneur, I find it is difficult to be taken seriously at times.  It’s difficult to get others to believe in something new and unproven, especially if they don’t feel you have the required experience to lead.

What is something you wish you could change about your self? I sometimes wish I could stop being fascinated by everything and could focus a little more!  My Green Cities has really helped me to do that, because it is my brainchild I get to develop it and play with it as much as I’d like.

Name one thing not many people know about you. I lived in Sweden for a year when I was a teenager and have traveled pretty extensively around Europe.

What is the best business advice you’ve ever received? Surround yourself with honest but positive people!  I would much rather brainstorm a ridiculous idea and try to figure out what part of it works than throw it out immediately – that’s how magic happens!

How would you describe your leadership style? It’s changed quite a bit over the years.  I now see the value in choosing the right people for the job and letting them take ownership of their work, it’s all about collaborative efforts and respect.

Has your career path held surprises along the way? Umm… career path? I’ve been working steadily since I was 15 and have held over 25 jobs, sometimes up to four at once… so… yes.

What do you do to relax? Everything!  I love to garden and cook and knit and bake and read and write, watch movies, play with my niece and nephew.

What is one personal goal you haven’t yet achieved? I want to re-take calculus and pass it!

What is your workplace pet peeve? I work from home, so, maybe the dog barking when I am on the phone!

Who do you consider a career mentor and why? When I worked at the Koreatown Youth & Community Center in Los Angeles I had two supervisors who really shaped much of who I am today.  It’s funny, because they were pretty much one another’s polar opposite, but that combination did wonders for me.  Johng Ho Song, the Executive Director, gave me all sorts of crazy challenges, like planning an event at the Walt Disney Concert Hall for 2,000 people.  He also taught me the value of professional relationship building.  Kat Reuter taught me all about social responsibility, using your work for a greater purpose and living your values.

What is your dream job? Any job that allows me to run with my ideas, travel and wear many hats.  Right now, between My Green Cities and working on the fascinating feature length documentary The Art of Making Money with director Nathan Truesdell, it’s pretty close to ideal.

What do you hope to be doing in 10 years – personally and professionally? I hope in 10 years My Green Cities and our project for kids, Monkey & Maggie, have really caught on and we are doing the same thing, helping consumers become informed and empowered and helping to promote local, sustainable businesses, but on a much larger scale.  I also hope to own a home with a darkroom in it for my old-school photography.

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