We were lucky to catch up with Kim Nguyen recently and have shared our conversation below.
Kim, first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
When changing careers, I for sure had imposter syndrome when I started my business. My very first job was at a medical center and every job after that was always at some established company. Breaking off on my own, I felt that uneasy feeling that I wasn’t going to be able to grow a business when I didn’t have experience “on paper.” But I quickly overcame imposter syndrome because I didn’t define myself by my resume rather than what I knew I am capable of. It is easy to doubt and turn to the negative thoughts, but that doesn’t help your own inner thoughts and feelings about yourself. That can easily translate outward, so I had to think positive and be confident in myself to get rid of the imposter syndrome.
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 help people and companies organize the chaos of planning an event. Creating special personal memories and impactful business gatherings is what I do best. We plan and execute birthday parties, baby showers, fundraisers, corporate parties, team building events, weddings, bar/bat mitzvahs, life celebrations, book releases – and any type of celebration you can imagine. I am incredibly hands-on and have been very lucky to have had amazing clients. I love standing back knowing that I was a part of such a special event for them. Kaden and Mimi is a small, resourceful, personable boutique event company that puts all of their heart into our events and celebrations.
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?
I have always had grit and resourcefulness in my blood, a gift from my parents, and I think that it has played a huge role in my journey. When faced with challenges and bumps, I feel that I have the skill to face it, deal with it and move on pretty quickly instead of wallowing in the negativity. I’m also a realist, so I understand my capabilities and know how to manage what I do and know well vs. what I don’t. Lastly, my “street smarts” has helped me be able to work with a wide variety of people (vendors & clients) which can often cause friction, but I am able to highlight everyone’s abilities to create a memorable event.
How would you describe your ideal client?
My ideal client are smaller, established companies that do not have anyone in-house to plan internal and external events/meetings. I come from a corporate background so I have a lot of experience with this type of planning. There are a lot of smaller companies that unfortunately do not have a dedicated team or person to do this, so it usually ends up on the desk of HR or employees who don’t have the bandwidth or knowledge. These clients understand the importance of corporate events and meetings, they respect my background and resourcefulness. These kinds of clients have been some of my best clients.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kadenandmimi.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kadenandmimi/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/kaden-and-mimi-santa-monica
