Meet Victor Chan

We were lucky to catch up with Victor Chan recently and have shared our conversation below.

Victor, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

Purpose can be a finicky and overwhelming concept to wrap your head around. Purpose is usually found at the intersection of your previous experiences, skills, and interests. In my perspective, no one is born with a purpose and passion. You might have natural inclinations towards certain skills and interests, but your personal (positive and negative) experiences will really reveal how you can be of service to your community and maybe even the world.

While I was a premed student in undergrad, I became an EMT in order to gain valuable patient care experience that would look great on applications for either medical school or physician assistant school. After graduation, I went deeper into the emergency medicine rabbit hole and went to paramedic school. Over time, an opportunity to teach an EMT program (with one of my best friends) opened up at my alma mater. I didn’t think I’d love being an educator as much as I do. The life skills, interesting stories, and the mentorship with these students have led to some profound moments of fulfillment.

As I dove deeper into teaching, the prospect of medical school or PA school seemed less and less interesting. I was leaning more towards getting on a fire department and teaching. And as time went on, the prospect of getting on the Chicago Fire Department seemed less and less likely (it was a lottery). At the time, I was making $13 per hour at a local fire department as a single role paramedic. I couldn’t afford to hire a dog walker for my two pups. I found a second job as an anesthesia tech at a local hospital making more money than I’ve ever had with less responsibility (all the patients were asleep). Teaching the EMT class at the local university and working this anesthesia tech job allowed me to live a fairly comfortable life. I eventually let go of my position at the local fire department. And with that, the feeling of imposter syndrome began to set in. I’m teaching something I’m no longer a part of.

I was feeling motivated by giants like Tony Robbins and The 4 Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss. I followed the content creation advice of Gary Vee. Queue the podcast. It was born at a time of burnout. It was a vessel to talk to individuals from a variety of industries. A podcast guest (Ryan Doris) helped me reframe my feeling of burnout for teaching into a vessel to teach life skills and the effects of deep meaningful work. It was then that I learned that fulfillment stems from how you do something rather than what you do.

In the end, keep it simple. Be selfish. Take the time to discover what you’re good at and what you enjoy doing. Dig deep and cultivate a level of mastery. Find a way to receive fair compensation for your work. And then share what you’ve learned. I guarantee if you leave nothing on the table or no stone unturned (in any industry), your purpose will inevitably reveal itself.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

My bread and butter is operating an EMT education program called Chicago EMT training. We’re going into our third year as Chicago EMT Training. In the pandemic, we left the university and took the EMT class on the road. The student experience continues to improve with every class. I recently let go of my Anesthesia Tech role due to how busy I was from other jobs. As the demand for the class grows so does my need for more team members. I love cultivating a culture that individuals want to keep coming back to.

For last ten years, I’ve used photography as a hobby. It wasn’t until the pandemic when a couple friends really encourage me to market it as a side hustle. These days, I love shooting creative portraits, branding sessions, and even weddings. It is so rewarding to work with individuals that not only value your work but pour themselves into the creative process.

I also host the “I am Consciously Curious” podcast to ask individuals why they do what they do. I have an insatiable appetite for learning how the world works and this is my excuse to chat with various individuals. I try to channel my inner Studs Terkel in each interview. These interviews try to dig deeper than the lessons they’ve learned through the hardships. I try to create space to hear about the mundane and uncover the subconscious decisions we sometimes make. It has truly been a pleasure and a labor of love.

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?

1. Self-Awareness for strengths and weaknesses
Only you know how well you’re really doing. Becoming aware of your internal state as well as your strengths and weaknesses will allow you to tap into others who can cover your blind spots.

2. Consume information rapidly
Start with your interests. Learn to read at a fast pace. I personally don’t do this, but I know friends that listen to podcasts at 1.5-2x the normal speed.

3. Effective communicator
Whether that’s in written or oral form, becoming an effective communicator will transcend any industry. Practice holding eye contact, changing the pitch in your tone as you convey a message, and speaking to a variety of group sizes. Writing emails, social media captions, or poems will help you personally as well as broaden your commercial appeal. There’s something about getting the thoughts in our head out on paper. We’ve all heard about the power of journaling.

Alright, so before we go we want to ask you to take a moment to reflect and share what you think you would do if you somehow knew you only had a decade of life left?

I’m currently thinking about the next iteration for the EMT class. It’s been an amazing three years. I would love a bigger space with a few more amenities. Because rent is expensive in our area, I think adding a few more businesses under the roof might be the right move. I would love to partner with a HIIT type gym, coffee/juice bar, jiu jitsu gym, and recovery space (sauna/cold plunge) to afford a larger space. This is me manifesting. The challenge is execution and finding the correct pieces (which I also believe can’t be rushed). Success arrives when execution meets opportunity. I feel like the idea is becoming more nebulous the longer I sit on the idea and delay the execution.

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Image Credits

Guillermo Otero

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