Deciding to work for yourself is often cited as the best decision folks in our community have made. Hearing the same response over and over led us to ask them about the next best decision folks have made and we’ve shared their responses with you below.

Jennifer Chan | Fashion & Beauty Editorial Director, On-Air Host

I am so glad I was hellbent on starting my career off in New York City. I was raised in Texas and went to undergrad in sunny Southern California, so it was very tempting to stay in LA after college, close to friends and family, where I had already established a network and successfully interned my way throughout LA; but I knew I had to make my mark in the Big Apple. I wanted to fight the good fight in the editorial world and cut my teeth with top talent and learn from the best. I completed a program at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism and hit the ground running in the glossy magazine industry (Real Simple Magazine and InStyle Magazine), wildly determined to make major strides in the industry and have fun while doing so. I worked late nights and weekends, learned the ropes very quickly, smiled my way through learning curves, lived off a meager entry-level publishing salary in NYC, and I truly wouldn’t have traded it for anything in the world. I have so many fond memories of that transformative chapter of my life!. Read more>>

Quynh Vu | Real Estate Agent and Pharmacist

Becoming a life long learner is the single most important thing that I can do as a Real Estate Investor and Realtor in the Kappel Realty Group. I am constantly reading up on the San Diego Housing Market Trends and laws that impact home owners. The more that I can learn about my craft, the easier it will be for me to share this information and to help others in their journey to building financial wealth through real estate investments. When you are buying your first home, selling your existing home or taking the big leap to purchase your first real estate investment property, you are making one of the biggest financial decisions in your life. It’s important to work with a professional who is highly educated and experienced to guide you. When I started as a real estate investor, was working full time as a pharmacist, However, being a pharmacist, the success of my career is in making sure that I dispense medications to patients as accurately as possible. Read more>>

Tara Gilboy | Children’s Book Author and Creative Writing Teacher

The most important decision I ever made for my writing career was when I decided to go to graduate school and complete a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing at the University of British Columbia, though probably not for the reasons most people would assume. Attending graduate school is a huge investment of time and money, and though in some fields, it comes with the expectation of a higher income after graduation, unfortunately that is not the case when you’re studying creative writing. The theory behind an MFA is that hopefully it will make you a better writer, and it gives you the graduate degree you need to teach at the college level. It did both of those things for me, but more importantly, when I attended graduate school it was the first time I ever felt like I truly belonged anywhere. I had always been the kid who was happier reading than playing with friends, and even as an adult, I carried a book everywhere and often felt like the oddball in social groups. Read more>>