We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Rita Liu. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Rita below.
Rita, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.
I was born in pre-Communist China, then moved to Taiwan as a young girl during the Communist Revolution. When I met my future husband, we moved to West Germany to get married. I didn’t speak German, and the language was very different from Chinese. My husband George grew up speaking English and Chinese, so he had an easier time. I had to go out and find a job without knowing the language. The same was true when I came to the United States. George would coach me before job interviews and tell me, “When you hear these sounds, you respond with these sounds.” I got my first job by answering the interview questions phonetically. I’m sure I made a lot of mistakes, but I kept putting myself out there. “Mistakes” became a challenge for me to do better. I built my self-esteem and confidence by knowing that if I kept trying and learning from my “mistakes,” that things would always get better…that I would get better.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
After I retired from IBM in New York, George and I moved to Longmont Colorado to be closer to our grandchildren. The people in Colorado are so friendly, and I got to know many people in my neighborhood. There is a very diverse Asian population in Longmont, but because of language and cultural differences, not much engagement within the larger Longmont community. Using my 30 years of IBM work and people management experience, I decided to devote my time to community service. I founded the nonprofit organization, The Asian-Pacific Association of Longmont (A-PAL), in 2010 to promote diversity and bridge cultural gaps. A-PAL develops and hosts cultural, educational, and artistic projects and events. We encourage participation in city and school district initiatives and activities, and mentor local students during our flagship annual Lunar New Year event.
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?
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. View them as a challenge rather than as a failure. Find trusted mentors and learn to communicate and express your needs. You’d be surprised at how much people will help you if you have integrity. However, you need to be willing to work hard and be honest with yourself about your strengths and weaknesses. It’s also important to respect other people and understand that gossip is as much a reflection of the speaker as of the person being spoken about.
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
My parents were exceptional. They accepted me for who I was, and cherished me. I have many siblings, and we were allowed to discover our own paths without any judgment. I always felt supported, and home was my safe place. When I was a teenager, I was very active in the church’s youth program. One night, I came home very late. Walking up the stairs at home, I heard my mother complaining to my father, saying: “Rita, this girl! It’s so late, she is not home yet!” My father replied: “Rita, this girl. I trust her!” From that point on, I have always done my best to earn that trust. My family had wealth before the Chinese Communist Revolution, but we lost it all when we escaped to Taiwan. But we were still happy because our family was strong.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.apalconnect.org
