We recently connected with Dorothy Chow and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Dorothy , thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?
My father. My father was a survivor of the Khmer Rouge genocide from the 70’s, came to America with nothing, and built an empire in the donut industry. He is the strongest, most courageous, resilient man I know and I have learned a lot of what it means to work hard through watching his habits and approach to life.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am the host and producer of the Death in Cambodia, Life in America Podcast, which is a series of interviews I did with my father a Khmer Rouge Cambodian Genocide survivor. It blew up in 2021 and we were able to touch many second generation Cambodians who weren’t able to hear about their own histories until listening to my fathers. There truly isn’t enough information about the 1970’s Cambodian Genocide – many even calling it a “Silent Genocide”, which is maddening. I am passionate about using storytelling as a way to bond genocide survivor and second generation children of refugees. My goal is to one day see the history portrayed in history books, and maybe even potential Hollywood film! Currently I am working on rebranding for Season 3 where we will interview other survivors around the USA, and highlight their stories. I believe if we don’t capture the stories now, they truly will be lost forever.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Grit, Authenticity, Self-Confidence. Grit because there will be moments when you DONT want to edit, or work, or create content and sometimes you just have to stick it out for the sake of project. Authenticity because there were so many times where I wanted to hand off the editing however I wanted to make sure I tell my father’s story in MY way. Self-confidence because everyone starts with 5 followers, and if you don’t promote yourself – then who will?
Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?
Prioritize, Prioritize! When I know I am biting off more than I can chew, I have to take a good hard look at my shcuedle and cut out everything that doesn’t align with the movement of my goals. I also try my best to choose task by the 80/20 rule: which tasks are going to move the needle the most? Which ones are going to impact my goals the most? Everything else can be tasked off. Also exercise is an absolute MUST for keeping my mental heath at bay.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.deathincambodiapodcast.com
- Instagram: @deathincamboda
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@deathincambodiapodcast7295
Image Credits
Maddison Rose Photography Sherri Larocque photography
