We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jessica Tseng a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Jessica, so good to have you with us today. We’ve got so much planned, so let’s jump right into it. We live in such a diverse world, and in many ways the world is getting better and more understanding but it’s far from perfect. There are so many times where folks find themselves in rooms or situations where they are the only ones that look like them – that might mean being the only woman of color in the room or the only person who grew up in a certain environment etc. Can you talk to us about how you’ve managed to thrive even in situations where you were the only one in the room?
I grew up in a traditional Chinese family where girls are supposed to take a back seat to the boys in the family and confidence wasn’t something that was ever taught to me. As I worked hard and rose through the ranks working for the large tech firms in Silicon Valley, I realized if I was going to succeed in this male dominated world, I would need to speak up and fight for my seat at the table. As a leader in a male dominated corporate world, younger women looked up to me as I would speak up, be firm, and still play a fair game. The more you practiced this confidence, the more it became natural. This confidence was infectious. The women who looked up to me felt they could do the same and our support for one another helped us be successful.
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?
In the fall of 2023, after more than 20 years in the corporate world, I quit my job to pursue my passion for mountain biking (MTB). This sport has taken me to the most beautiful places in the world and I have met the most inspiring people. The thrill of successfully tackling scary features on the trail was exhilarating. Every bike ride pushed my boundaries and built my confidence. In the years I’ve been in this sport, it was glaringly obvious how male dominated this sport was. My mission became empowering women through this sport and changing the face of MTB.
As one of the few certified female MTB coaches in Silicon Valley, I started teaching MTB fundamentals classes through my company Epiphany Trails, and started my own female MTB riding group, the Silicon Valley Dirt Unicorns. Our female MTB riding group is the first of its kind in Silicon Valley and we are hitting our one year anniversary soon with over 100 members. As I taught women in this sport, I realized that women tackle challenges, whether on the mountain or in the corporate world, a little differently. Many of the women I encounter tend to be very thoughtful about approaching something challenging. We also tend to over criticize ourselves. When it comes to mountain biking, we are less physical, and less willing to just charge into something and see what comes of it. Through my classes and through leading hundreds of women out on our trails, I’ve taught that it’s ok if a series of roots, a rock garden, or other obstacles are scary. Let’s study it and figure out a strategy for how to tackle it. Once you know your strategy, you have to trust yourself, hold your head up high and execute.
As we tackle these challenges on the trail, our group of female riders are learning from each other, cheering each other on, and realizing the possibilities. Through repetition, this is how we grow our confidence. It is awe inspiring to see that moment of exhilaration when we realize, “we did it!” This doesn’t just apply to mountain biking. It translates to women supporting women, fostering our community with this mindset, and realizing that we can achieve anything together, anywhere. This type of confidence and support is what we need to break the glass ceiling everywhere.
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?
We’re all in this together: Mountain biking is the great equalizer, and this applies to life too. It doesn’t matter what size, shape, or socioeconomic background we are from, we are all in this together. We need to learn to support one another and not judge ourselves or others. Let’s create a supportive community, find a common ground, and share our passion! You’ll meet absolutely amazing people along the way.
Give and you shall receive: I was lucky enough to have the luxury of walking away from a corporate salary to give back 1000% of my time to my community and sharing my passion for mountain biking. During my recent fight with breast cancer, my community gave back 1000%. I was deeply touched with all of the support before and after undergoing a double mastectomy.
Believe in the possibilities: Through the hundreds of women that I have introduced to mountain biking, I have been rewarded countless times by watching these women tackle something they were afraid of, and yelp for joy when they conquered their fears and did something they didn’t think they could do, all while their new MTB friends cheered them on. Knowing you’re supported can only foster confidence. Magic happens when we’re there for one another.
What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?
I love riding my bike down technical mountain biking trails. The chunkier they are, the better. My favorite is Rocky Ridge trail at Santa Teresa Park in San Jose, not too far from my house. Of the hundreds of times I’ve ridden it, I can probably count the number of women I’ve encountered on this trail on one hand. My dream is to change the face of mountain biking here in Silicon Valley, whether it be women casually riding, or racing in technical mountain bike races. I never imagined a year ago when I started Silicon Valley Dirt Unicorns with just a few friends that a year later, we would have 130 women connected through mountain biking. I am excited by the possibilities ahead for girls and women to try mountain biking and empower each other through this sport.
Google “Epiphany Trails” for more info about me or follow me on IG @ epiphany.trails and FB @ epiphanytrails!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://epiphanytrails.my.canva.site/
- Instagram: epiphany.trails
- Facebook: epiphanytrails
Image Credits
Photo of me teaching girls is credit to: J [email protected]
