Meet Angela Chen

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Angela Chen a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Angela, 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?

I didn’t become resilient overnight. I built it just by living life.

It started when I moved from Taiwan to the States. I had to adapt to the new environment and culture. Every day I had to do something that scared me a little like sharing my lunch or making small talks just to make a new friend. That’s when I learned that growth comes from being in discomfort.

Coming from an Asian household, resilience wasn’t optional, I was expected to excel. So I pushed myself not because I always wanted to but because I had to. That mindset followed me into adulthood, so when something feels hard, I keep going anyway.

In college, I was lucky to have professors who challenged us, they told us to network at events we were too shy to go to, to interview for jobs we didn’t feel ready for. I started doing the small, uncomfortable things that helped me build endurance, and they became second nature. (Shout out to my SDSU professors Alana Dillette, Mark Testa, and program director Carl Winston)

Then came the kind of resilience you don’t plan for, the surprise “you just got laid off cuz COVID” I didn’t have time to spiral. I just knew I needed a job to survive, and I committed to applying to 15 roles a day every day until I landed one. And the unexpected heartbreak, where you can’t sugarcoat or logic your way through, just have to get through it. And that’s when mindset becomes really important for this type of unexpected event where you need to be in a good headspace to be resilient. You learn to take care of yourself first and focus on what you can control.

So to sum it up, resilience comes from uncomfortable situations, we go through them so we can become better future selves.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I’m a full time content creator. I do micro-influencing and UGC (user-generated content). I create lifestyle, beauty, travel, and fashion content on Instagram, sharing what I love and building an authentic connection with my audience.

Before this, I worked full time in tech sales. But everything changed when I launched my own small candle business. That’s where I first started learning about content creation. I handled the social media, the branding, and the creative direction. From there, I transitioned into creating content for brands, combining everything I’d learned and applying it to paid ads and organic campaigns.

Now I help brands create scroll stopping content. the kind of ads you see where someone’s speaking directly to the camera. That’s me, and it’s not just about a good video, it’s about knowing how to grab attention in the first 3 seconds and how to hold it. A strong hook can make or break performance.

There’s also a psychological layer to it, consumer behavior is always evolving. What worked 5 months ago might not work today. Attention spans shift. Strategies need to adapt. That’s what keeps this space exciting for me, it’s where creative storytelling drives 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?

1. Adaptability: There’s no easy way to say this but you must be open to pivot to new things, From moving across countries to starting over in a new career, it helps you become more flexible when you deal with unexpected situations and helps you stay grounded in change.

Advice: Embrace uncertainty. Every time you choose to adjust instead of panic, you’re strengthening a skill that will carry you through life. The more you trust yourself to adapt, the less you fear what’s next.

2 Discipline: Motivation comes in waves but discipline is what will keep you going towards your goal. I have a goal of going to the gym 5 days a week and getting my 10k steps in every day. Some days I find it hard to make myself to go to the gym because I can get mentally exhausted from work. I still manage to do it, and even if I don’t give it my 100% at the gym, at least I’m at the gym and showing up for myself.

Advice: Be consistent. The things you do daily is more important than what you do occasionally. Daily incremental steps become the foundation of long term habits.

3. Have conviction: believe that whatever you’re doing will work out in your favor, even if the path is not clear. It’s okay to be delulu sometimes if you believe you can achieve it. Don’t always second guess every step.

Advice: Know what you deeply believe in, if you believe that you can start your own business so you can leave your 9-5, then take that bet on yourself because you’re 100% willing to take the risk, all knowing you won’t be easily swayed by people trying to stop you from doing your thing. You know deep inside what’s best for you

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

Yes! I’m always open to partnering with new brands! If you’re a brand looking for scroll-stopping UGC, organic style content, or influencer collaboration, I’d love to connect. You can reach out via email or DM me on Instagram. Always happy to chat and see if we’re a good fit!

[email protected]
www.instagram.com/angee.yc
www.x.com/angeexyc

Contact Info:

• Website: https://angefolio.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angee.yc
• Twitter: https://X.com/angeexyc