International Women’s Day is today! As we celebrate the accomplishments of women everywhere, it’s important to acknowledge how the support of other women has played a role. With this in mind, we turn to the ladies of our #legend100 list for some perspectives on mentorship and empowerment
Utah Lee, fitness trainer, @utahlee
How can more women get started in your line of work?
Get into the gym, take lots of classes as the base of knowledge and build experience.
Taking a class is VERY different from teaching a class. The background preparation can get pretty complex. Then, take a personal training course as the foundation for fitness training before moving on to your choice of training. For example, group fitness training in pilates, yoga, or aerobic classes like kickboxing, HIIT, and cardio dances.
What are some ways you want to empower women in your field?
Get familiar.
Don’t get intimidated.
Believe in yourself.
Try hard.
Be humble.
Kind to others.
Chase your goal.
How have you been supported by other women along the way?
To be honest, going back 20 years ago, Hong Kong’s fitness scene was just starting. There were only a handful of female trainers. I had to rely on myself a lot of the time to get educated, try new things, and develop new skills.
Zelia Zhong, actor, @Zelia
How can more women get started in your line of work?
I hope that more girls can start from a place of self-love, discover their own beauty, find their most suitable style, and share their own experiences with everyone. Now that social media platforms are very developed, everyone can turn their passion into a job they love.
What are some ways you want to empower women in your field?
Be sincere and authentic at work, share practical advice with other women, encourage women to see their value and exude self-confidence, no matter what environment they are in.
How have you been supported by other women along the way?
I believe that it is easy for girls to connect with each other. The Internet has been a good way for everyone to share what matters to them and find a community that can encourage each other.
What advice would you give your younger self and other women?
Cherish yourself, don’t let the world affect your self-judgment. Choose what works best for you.
Veronica Li, stylist, @vnikali
How can more women get started in your line of work?
I would encourage them to start by creating small-scale content productions to build momentum on aesthetics and style. For content inspiration, I find it important to gain experiences from behind and in front of the camera and look into what you are passionate about and embrace your creativity and voice in that area.
What are some ways you want to empower women in your field?
Fashion is for everyone, and I believe everyone has their unique style. That is why, as a stylist, I want to empower women around me. I love to share my humble styling methods and tricks and to encourage them to explore their own unique style. Through my styling training sessions and #trainyourstyle on @vnikali, I aim to enrich knowledge and skills on styling methods that can help women elevate their daily wardrobe.
How have you been supported by other women along the way?
Always! I am very blessed to be around honest and very clear-sighted women throughout my career. Whenever I had my moments of doubt, they would always be there for me, and would share life experiences that steers me in the right direction. We rise by lifting others.
What advice would you give your younger self and other women?
Worry less! It’s all about the mindset!
Yvette Kong, Olympic swimmer, @manyi8
How can more women get started in your line of work?
Gender equality is becoming the norm now. Thanks to the continual push by generations of women and men and there’s still more work to do. In my opinion, the prerequisites to enter and do well in any field are passion and intention. It then requires us to earn our value and own it.
What are some ways you want to empower women in your field?
Everything you need is already within you. Look into the mirror and affirm it. And smile more.
How have you been supported by other women along the way?
We rise by lifting each other.
What advice would you give your younger self and other women?
Always ask why – be intentional, be inquisitive, be bold. Most importantly, be kind.
Jen Balisi, restaurant owner and cookbook author, @indulgenteats
How can more women get started in your line of work?
All of this started from being a food and travel content creator, filming myself cooking recipes in my own kitchen and dining out at restaurants. Becoming a food content creator is all about picking up a camera or phone and putting yourself out there to tell your own unique story about the recipes you’re creating or restaurants you’re supporting while also being consistent in posting and engaging with the community to grow your audience.
What are some ways you want to empower women in your field?
I hope I can inspire more women to share their own point of view on food, whether that’s home cooks or professional chefs creating dishes at home or in the restaurants they may work at, or food bloggers supporting local restaurants by sharing their experiences through photos and videos on social media. There are lots of ways to show our love for food, and I’d love to see more and more women in the F&B industry.
How have you been supported by other women along the way?
I’m so grateful to have had so much support from the women in my life, from my mother and sister to girlfriends and old colleagues, especially when I made the initial transition from working a corporate job at American Express in NYC to becoming a full-time content creator. Everything from simply liking and commenting on posts to helping take photos or being hand models in photos has helped me along the way.
When my cookbook came out, my mom even gave it to everyone we knew for their Christmas presents. Now that I’ve opened Barkada in partnership with Singular Concepts, I’ve also had a huge amount of support from the hospitality group’s co-founder Tiana Ludhani and other women partners in how to operate a restaurant.
What advice would you give your younger self and other women?
Always be true to yourself and know that good things come if you keep putting time and effort into your passions while also nurturing relationships with others who share those passions. Keep putting good energy into the world and you’ll become a magnet for the opportunities you want in life.
Anisha Thai, dancer, @anishathai
How can more women get started in your line of work?
I am working as an artist, choreographer, and social media content creator. I would say the first key thing is to be unapologetically ourselves which means having a sense of purpose/ passion/ meaning that gives us no other choice than doing what we are doing and being who we are.
What are some ways you want to empower women in your field?
I try to create a safe space for them to speak, feel be vulnerable but also providing a source of inspiration and motivation to keep them on the best path to live through their purpose.
How have you been supported by other women along the way?
My mom, my sister. They are my core. Even if they are miles away from me, They have been there for me mentally and I feel like they are my rock. My besties and other females friends represent a strong supportive system for me too by checking in and helping out with solutions when I get stuck in the head.
What advice would you give your younger self and other women?
Don’t be afraid to try new things, take risks, meet people to constantly redefine and shape the true Self that you are. We are constantly evolving and being exposed to different environments and perspectives is the best way to confront ourselves and find ourselves as the experiences are self-reflecting.
Also see: Ladies, time for some self-care
