We had the good fortune of connecting with Teny Chen and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Teny, can you share a quote or affirmation with us?
“Fake It Till You Make It.” Once upon a time, I was an in-house graphic designer for a finance firm. The most successful wealth advisor lived by this motto. It’s not to lie about your qualifications or make promises you can’t keep. It’s having confidence in your knowledge and skills even if you haven’t applied or done it yet. It’s believing in yourself. So, keep at it until it becomes reality. I made it into typography art and posted it on my IG: instagram.com/p/BmtsJgXDXoj/. I also sell it on red bubble, it’s my most successful piece.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
TENY1010 started out as just an Instagram name, but it has turned into my brand and identity. It has evolved as I continue to grow and evolve. I’ve always wanted to be a graphic designer, since I took a class in high school. I studied it in college and have pursed it as my career. I freelanced full-time for one year. I continue to freelance as my side hustle and grow my TENY1010 brand. I now have a full-time position at a tech company. I have been at my current company for almost three years. I have discovered a new niche in my field: UX (user experience design). My company has been supportive of my new passion. I’ve taken on a lot of UX projects. I hope to fully transition from graphic designer to UX designer next year. What I love about my creative industry is the constant change. I’m always learning new trends and software. There’s never a dull moment!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’d recommend starting at the farmer’s market in Little Italy in downtown San Diego. There’s fun pop up artists, yummy food tents, and fresh produce. Then, head over to any of the restaurants for brunch and mimosas. Next, go to Balboa Park, there are gardens, museums, and restaurants to explore. End the day with a sunset dinner by the beach. There’s so many to choose from: Ocean Beach, La Jolla, Coronado, Mission Beach, etc. I love all the beaches in San Diego.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to Shoutout to my girl, Gretchen Kamp. She’s a branding specialist, graphic design guru, and business owner baddie. Her work and services are on gretchenkamp.com, follow her on IG @gretchenkampblog. When I first moved to San Diego, she inspired me to freelance full-time. She answered all my questions, complex and simple. She has since moved from San Diego to New York. She continues to encourage all to dream big and do even bigger.

Website: teny1010.com
Instagram: instagram.com/teny1010.c0m/
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/teny1010/
Other: pinterest.com/teny1010

Image Credits
Ashwin Salvi

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