My path to this work (and what that means for you)

Freedom lies in being bold.
ROBERT FROST

Born curious

I have been very curious about human behavior since I was a little girl.

Maybe it’s because of my exposure to different cultures, which my father (a successful businessman) insisted on.

I was born on the island of Taiwan (originally called Formosa, which means “beautiful island”).

It’s also known as “Free China”, to distinguish it from communist China.

(This is because, in 1949, after losing the Chinese Civil War to the communists, the nationalist government—along with 2 million refugees—withdrew to Taiwan, where they could preserve our culture and continue to live freely.)

When I was 7 years old, my father moved us to the multi-ethnic, small tropical island of Guam, where I first learned English, my 3rd language. (I also speak Taiwanese and Mandarin.) Guam is a territory of the United States located in the western Pacific, near one of the deepest parts of the world’s oceans.

Though my father, thankfully, was open to other cultures, I grew up in a very strict Asian household, where independent thought (and an unbounded humorous outlook) was not always welcome.

But they’re two of my strongest qualities!

Let’s just say I got a lot of practice passionately advocating for the “trial and error”, individualistic path I chose to take in my life.

How this benefits you today:

Growing up between cultures taught me early that behavior isn’t random—it’s shaped by environment, beliefs, and unseen patterns. Learning multiple languages, navigating strict expectations, and standing for my own path taught me how to listen beneath the surface, question what drives people, and trust the deeper intelligence inside each person. Today, that experience allows me to guide you through the deeper layers of your own patterns—not by forcing change, but by helping you reclaim the clarity and courage already within you.

Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.
OSCAR WILDE

Choosing my own way

At the age of 16, he moved us to the United States (California), which, I was happy to discover, was a good fit for my unconventional, freedom-loving nature. And I became an American citizen in 1985!

In California, I made friends with a diverse range of people from all walks of life, and became known as “a good listener” due to my genuine interest in their hopes, fears, and inner motivations.

I didn’t know this would lead to my calling—I just enjoyed being helpful.

My parents, at the time, however, did not consider me “a good listener” and, consequently, I left home when I was 19 to embark on my own path where my innate strengths could thrive. All jokes aside—this choice very nearly got me “disowned”.

But I chose to live life on my own terms rather than try to live an easier, pre-determined path decided for me by others.

I was free to make my own mistakes (which I did) and to learn from them.

In the book “The Top Five Regrets of the Dying”, the number one regret of those who are dying is “I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.”

I will not have that regret.

How this benefits you today:

You won’t be asked to fit someone else’s mold in this work. I’ve lived what it means to choose your own path—even when it’s uncomfortable, misunderstood, or risky. That means when you feel torn between who you’ve been and who you’re becoming, you won’t be judged. You’ll be guided. And because I’ve always been drawn to what’s underneath—what drives people, where they hesitate, and how they grow—you’ll feel deeply heard, even in the places you haven’t found words for yet. I don’t just help you make changes. I help you get honest about the ones you truly want.

Much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on.
STEVE JOBS

A shift toward meaning

So I set out to “sink or swim” in the real world.

I graduated from the Gemological Institute of America and worked in the jewelry industry for years, where I developed the ability to pay close attention to details that untrained eyes are not aware of.

I excelled in management positions where I became skilled in bringing about change in the behaviors and attitudes of not only my team, but CEOs and Human Resource employees as well.

I moved on to work nearly a decade for one of world’s largest technological manufacturers for the aerospace, satellite, and military markets.

I learned quite a bit about leadership there as I traveled the world as the Pacific Rim Sales Manager for India, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Korea, and Japan as well as Sweden, where my multi-lingual aptitudes were utilized.

It wasn’t until I later worked for the Camarillo State Hospital that I took my fascination with human behavior to the next level. It was there I discovered that I really enjoy helping others who deal with mental challenges in their lives.

After the hospital, unfortunately, closed, I decided on an entrepreneurial path and launched an on-line jewelry store, selling original items that I had carefully curated.

The passing of my father during this time caused me to become intensely introspective. I felt lost. Something was missing. (That “something”, I would find out, was my true calling.)

How this benefits you today:

The truth is, I didn’t find my calling by sitting still and waiting. I found it by living fully, making bold decisions, and following what called to me, even when it didn’t make sense at the time. Because I’ve worked in high-pressure leadership roles and sat with people facing mental health challenges, I bring both clarity and compassion to this work. I understand how behavior shows up in the real world—and what it looks like to question everything beneath it.

Today, I help you go beyond surface-level success to uncover what truly matters to you. You don’t need more roles to play. You need space to reconnect with what you’re here to become..

You don’t heal by becoming unbroken. You heal by remembering you were whole all along.
YUNG PUEBLO

The spark that lit the path

It’s been said that a friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it back to you when you’ve forgotten the words.

During a challenging time in my life, I met a passionate artist (who would later become my partner) who did exactly that. He saw something in me that I had nearly forgotten—and inspired me to explore the path of personal development.

That moment became a turning point.

I began formal training in this work, and discovered even more of my own truth along the way. I went back to school, earning certifications in Clinical Hypnotherapy, Neuro-Linguistic Programming, Creating Your Future® Coaching, and more.

As Wayne Dyer says, “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” I wanted to be someone who didn’t just understand that—I wanted to embody it.

That meant doing my own work first.

One of the first truths I had to face was the strained, lifelong relationship I had with my mother. I had carried it with me for years. But with the support of a wise mentor, I stepped out of my comfort zone and let that old pain go—permanently. I even resolved a lifelong phobia in under 30 minutes, and I’ve helped many clients do the same.

One of the greatest blessings in my life today is my renewed relationship with my mother. That transformation didn’t just change our connection—it changed me. It showed me what this work could truly do.

And it’s why I’m so passionate about helping others do the same.

How this benefits you today:

Real change doesn’t come from reading about transformation—it comes from living it. I’ve done the deep work in my own life, and I know what it takes to shift long-held patterns, even the ones that feel too old or too ingrained to change. That means when I guide you, it’s not from theory—it’s from experience. If you’re carrying something heavy, struggling to trust that things can be different, or wondering if it’s too late to heal what feels stuck—I’ve been there. And I’ve come out the other side with a clear path, practical tools, and a deep belief in what’s possible.

This work isn’t about perfecting yourself. It’s about returning to yourself—and I’m here to help you do exactly that.

Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.
DR. CARL JUNG

Center for Advanced Life Skills

After years of working in leadership, communication, and human behavior across cultures and industries, one thing became undeniable:

The deeper patterns running our lives can’t be changed by surface-level tools alone. That insight became clear not just through formal training—but through years of hands-on client work and everything that came before it.

Most traditional programs—even in psychology—leave out the most important part.

They don’t teach people how to work with the creative power of the subconscious mind.

And without that, true transformation stays out of reach.

So, we did something about it.

In 2012, I co-founded the Center for Advanced Life Skills to share what actually works—through an immersive training approach built on everything we’d spent years developing, testing, and refining.

Today, I teach individuals and professionals how to harness the powerful inner technology they were born with—to create real, lasting change from the inside out.

How this benefits you today:

Your mind created the patterns you’re living. It also holds the key to creating new ones. The Holistic Breakthrough Approach™ I’ve developed since 2012 isn’t theory—it’s a proven system grounded in real-world results. It’s the same approach I teach doctors, therapists, and coaches, and it’s what you’ll experience in our work together. Because this method was built in the trenches—through teaching, client work, and continuous refinement—you get tools that work across a wide range of challenges, and a process personalized to how your mind actually learns and changes.

To affect the quality of the day, that is the highest of arts.
HENRY DAVID THOREAU

The difference that makes the difference

You can’t think your way out of patterns created below conscious thought. You need a different approach.

What truly changes a life isn’t more effort—it’s learning how to work with what’s driving you beneath the surface. It’s called the Holistic Breakthrough Approach.

Helping people gain access to those deeper layers is my calling.

Through coaching, I guide clients from around the world to shift the emotional, mental, and behavioral patterns that shape their results—and more importantly, their sense of self. The ability to regulate how you respond, how you show up, and how you move forward is one of the most powerful skills you can build. And it changes everything.

My focus isn’t on what you think, but on how you think—and how to retrain the unconscious patterns influencing your choices, reactions, and beliefs.

As a board-certified practitioner trained in subconscious transformation, I specialize in behavior modification, deep pattern resolution, and long-term change. That means I don’t just help you feel better—I help you shift what’s been running in the background so you can live, create, and lead from a more empowered place.

When you change how your system works on the inside, your results on the outside follow—without the internal tug-of-war.

Ready for your next step?

If you’ve read this far, something is already shifting.

Let’s talk about what that change could look like—for real, in your life.

There is only one kind of success that really matters: the success of transforming ourselves, transforming our afflictions, fear, and anger.
THICH NHAT HANH

To live the life you imagine, you must first realize that you already are.
JACK VAN LANDINGHAM