Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jenny Liu. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Jenny , looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?
From a young age, I was expected to have a strong work ethic. My parents immigrated to the US from China when I was 2 years old with a few hundred dollars in their pockets. They had to take whatever jobs were available at the time, washing dishes and working at the factory. As soon as I was old enough to sit still by myself, age 5-6, my mother would bring my sister and I to work with her. We would sit next to her sewing station and watch her work. My dad worked for a restaurant out on Long Island 6 days a week and would only come home on Tuesdays for his day off.
To teach us how to contribute, my sister and I had chores starting from the time we were 6 or 7 years old and were expected to help cook, clean and do laundry for the family on alternating days. I’ve had many different jobs as a teenager, ranging from Camp counselor, to after school teacher’s assistant, to working at a gift shop in chinatown. I was rarely not working outside of school, because I knew that this was the only way I would be able to buy the things other kids in school had at the time. When I was in HS, my dad finally got a job in Brooklyn for a catering hall and he would bring me with him during the summers as a helping hand. I would take the train with him at 5am to start the day at 6am. We would sometimes not get home until after midnight. I loved every minute of it though, because it was the only time even to this day that I was able to spend that much time with him. On those rides, he would tell me stories of his childhood and why he moved halfway around the world for us to have better opportunities. Every time I think about that it motivates me to keep going. He also still constantly reminds me to always be the hardest worker in the room.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am so blessed to be working in the wellness space, which is very fulfilling. In my various roles within DOGPOUND, which range from Admin, to General Manager, to now CEO, I have been able to see the impact that fitness has on our clients and our team. The brand was started by the founder, Kirk Myers, who is also my best friend. We met over a decade ago while I was preparing for my sister’s wedding, and I was drawn to the passion and enthusiasm he had for his craft. We have expanded from the roots in NYC to LA and Miami, but the mission has always remained the same, to make people feel more special than when they walked in and to make results. I am excited to see the brand continue to expand into other areas and to help more people achieve their fitness goals. I am also excited to be able to continue to do more work as an advisor and mentor to young startup founders, particularly female, minority founders. Right now I am advising two start ups, Divine Time, a marketing agency for professional female soccer players that is launching it’s first youth camps, and Alta, an AI stylist/personal shopping app which was created to help people look and feel their best. Both of these have been very rewarding and I’m excited to be a part of their growth stories.
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?
Three qualities I think are important are:
Resilience
The ability to learn & adapt
A positive Mindset
In creating anything, whether it be a product or service, and embarking on the entrepreneurial journey, I think it is very important to be resilient, and open minded to new ideas. No one knows it all when they start. When there are setbacks it is easy to think about just giving up, but if you do that, you will not reach your fullest potential. I also think that a positive mindset is super important as it allows us to see the best in people/things. Focusing on those positive things will bring more positive energy your way, and sometimes this can be seen as “luck”.
Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?
There have been several that I find myself going back to throughout the years. One of them is Mindset, By Carol S. Dweck. It breaks down two types of mindsets (The fixed and growth mindsets) that can limit our potential or unlock it.
The second one is The Four Agreements, by Don Miguel Ruiz. The simple words of wisdom are a great daily reminders and applies to so much of our daily life:
The main lessons are:
Be impeccable with your word
Do not take anything personally
Do not make assumptions
Always do your best
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dp.angel_liu/?hl=en
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenny-liu-22b08b4a
Image Credits
Diego Larez – photographer The Tailory
