We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Amy Tarkington a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Amy, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
When I was nine, my family moved from Taiwan to the U.S. I didn’t speak English, and we didn’t have much money. I remember sitting in class, completely lost, trying to piece things together one word at a time. It was tough, but it taught me something early: if you don’t know the way, you figure it out.
That lesson stayed with me. Life hasn’t exactly followed a straight path—there have been divorces, career changes, and plenty of moments where I felt like I was starting over. Each time, I had to learn how to adapt. But I also had to learn something even harder: asking for help. My parents raised me to be independent, which gave me a strong foundation, but leaning on others turned out to be just as important.
That mix of independence and support is what gave me the confidence to start Chien Industries. By the time I got there, I wasn’t afraid of the unknown anymore. I’d faced enough challenges to know I could figure things out, even if it wasn’t perfect. Starting a business felt big, but not impossible. So I went for it, trusting in the lessons life had already taught me.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
There are a million types of marketing out there—social media, product, demand generation—but for me, it’s all about prospect-facing resource centers.
They’re my thing. These are digital hubs that basically take the “journal” mentality of a blog and turn it into something prospects can interact with.
Think of it like the Netflix or Amazon of content. You click on one article, then another, and suddenly, you’ve gone down a rabbit hole of useful information that’s designed to help you solve a problem—or realize you need whatever product or service we’re offering.
It’s not glamorous. There’s no glitter or fireworks, but resource centers are where the real marketing magic happens. They’re the engine and the brain behind generating leads and conversions. What I love about them is that they combine everything I’m obsessed with—strategy, creativity, and problem-solving. This is big-picture marketing that makes my brain tick.
Building resource centers is my creative outlet. I get to talk to customers and prospects, figure out what’s stressing them out, and then create content that speaks directly to those pain points. It’s broad-based marketing, but it feels personal, and that’s why I love it. Plus, there’s nothing more satisfying than watching something you’ve built quietly work behind the scenes to bring in results.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
The three most impactful things in my journey have been adaptability, empathy, and strategic thinking.
Adaptability came from necessity. Life throws curveballs—moving to a new country at nine without speaking the language, career pivots, personal challenges—and you have to learn to roll with it. For anyone starting out, my advice is to embrace change. Take on projects or roles that scare you a little. The more you practice adapting to new situations, the more resilient you’ll become.
Empathy has been a game-changer in everything I do, especially in marketing. Whether I’m creating content, designing a resource center, or brainstorming campaigns, it all starts with understanding the people I’m trying to reach. If you’re just starting out, spend as much time as you can listening—whether that’s talking to customers, your coworkers, or even just observing the world around you. The better you understand people, the better you’ll be at connecting with them.
Strategic thinking is what ties it all together. For me, this skill came from curiosity. I’ve always loved breaking things down to figure out how they work, whether it’s a marketing funnel or a monkey bar challenge as a kid. To build this skill, start asking “why” and “how” every chance you get. Why did a campaign succeed? How does your organization actually make money? The more you understand the big picture, the more valuable you’ll be—no matter what field you’re in.
My advice overall? Stay curious, stay flexible, and stay connected to the people you’re trying to help. If you can do that, you’ll figure out the rest as you go.
Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
It’s hard to pick just one person, but my parents and my mentors stand out as the most impactful.
My parents were the first to teach me resilience and independence. They didn’t hover or sugarcoat anything, which meant I had to figure out a lot on my own. That shaped my ability to adapt and keep pushing forward, even when things got tough. But they also showed me the value of a strong support system—you can’t do everything alone, and leaning on people who care about you makes all the difference.
Then there’s my former manager as well as my older sister, who taught me a lesson I didn’t even realize I needed: the intricacies of workplace politics. In corporate, navigating politics is just as important as the actual work you do. My manager and my sister both helped me understand how to read the room, build alliances, and navigate that world effectively.
But they also taught me something even more important: I’m terrible at it. Corporate politics drained me, and realizing that made my decision to start my own company so much easier. I wanted to build a place where I didn’t have to play those games—where I could focus on the work and the people, without all the extra layers of maneuvering.
So, between my parents teaching me grit, my manager, and my sister giving me clarity about what I do (and don’t) want, I’ve been lucky to have incredible guidance. And if you’re early in your journey, my advice is to find people who can give you those honest, sometimes uncomfortable truths. They’ll shape your path in ways you might not expect.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://chienindustries.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chienindustries/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amytarkington/
Image Credits
Photographer: Ryan Tarkington
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