We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Catalina Nguyen a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Catalina with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
I grew up in a single parent household of an immigrant mother. She shared stories and struggles of the Vietnam war. It made me appreciate her sacrifices and what it took for her to start all over in a new country. I also had amazing role models. Being surrounded by my mom, aunts and uncles who would put in 60 hour work weeks while also pursuing an education.
My siblings and I started working at age 13 and 14. We knew nothing would be handed to us. Our mentality is, if you want something. You’re going to have work hard for it. This mentality shaped my work ethic at a young age.
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 am a non profit bilingual nurse serving underprivileged low income immigrant families. Our family went through many struggles and it motivated me to become a nurse at the age 21 to serve those less fortunate. I get to work with families for three years and see them transform their lives. My job is to educate, empower and support young families – Making a positive impact on their health and their children’s health. It’s exciting to help families take charge of their health, achieve their goals and pursue a career and higher education. It’s a holistic approach to their wellbeing. I wear many hats as a nurse. Sometimes I feel like a counselor, teacher, advocate, case worker, and friend – someone they can trust and confide in
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Self-discipline – this is something I remind myself daily. “No one else can do it for you”
It’s how I approach many aspects of my life. We hold so much power in our day to day lives and it’s up to us to create change. I learned that you can’t have excuses and results at the same time. Don’t give up. Keep going, keep trying and keep working.
Compassion – for yourself and for others. Give yourself grace if you make mistakes. Try again. Rarely do people get it right on the first try. Be kind to yourself and others in the process.
Consistency – even it’s a small change, and small step. It’s still progress and better than being stagnant. Celebrate and be proud of those small goals and accomplishments. Eventually those small Wins will add up and you’ll see how far you’ve come
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
Make sure I am balanced in these three areas: Rest, movement and nourishment. Prioritize sleep, nutritious food and incorporate physical activity every day. I have a stressful job, sometimes putting in 60 hour work weeks. It can be both emotionally and physically draining. I can only serve my patients better if I take care of myself first. Then I can truly give my best and be the best nurse I can be. Lifting weights has been a therapeutic way for me to deal with stress better. I make sure I do an hour of strength training daily.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bio.site/Catalina_eats?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaYFU0EzlY8c8HyKsNWc3GfEq1rjuSbfzC71cNeh0aje19Y5mRy__TgTOV8_aem_JvDh9Vzjg0rAfnc_nhpVdQ
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catalina_eats?igsh=bW1ia25xZHkzYjBi
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