Path to Purpose Jackson Gu

Lan’s journey to coffee was certainly not a straight line. She majored in chemistry, got a masters in finance, and then Doctor of Pharmacy for a total of 10 years of higher education. Despite her academic achievements, two things were clear to her: she wanted to be an entrepreneur and she loved coffee. So when she completed her doctoral degree and became a pharmacist, it was only a matter of time before she would turn Fat Miilk from dream into reality.
Fat Miilk is a Chicago-based coffee brand whose mission is to bring the bold flavors of Vietnamese coffee to more homes across the US and world. https://www.fatmiilk.com/ IG: @fatmiilk @sheisthiis

A native of Indianapolis, Janelle grew up during the dot com boom. The internet opened up her eyes to the world outside of America and a global career in Asia became her goal from a young age. Yet when she finally landed a job that would virtually secure a path to the United Nations, she realized that it was not what she had envisioned. So as an avid gamer, she instead jumpstarted a career at Riot Games, creator of the very popular online game League of Legends. Two dream jobs later in very different fields, Janelle is now the founder of her own fashion brand Stellari, focusing on sustainable, functional, fashionable apparel.

IG/Twitter @thejanellemj, IG @shopstellari, www.stellari.com For 15% off your order through 11/17/2020, use the code PURPOSE2020.

Thomas grew up in Texas, where he majored in journalism and attended law school. But after a few years as a commercial litigator, he grew to accept that despite his best efforts, this was not a path he wanted to continue. As he reflected on his next steps, little did he expect that his experience in founding his undergraduate fraternity during college would become a huge source of inspiration and direction for his next chapter. Now Thomas is the co-founder and owner of Peli Peli South African Kitchen, one of Houston’s best-rated restaurants serving exciting flavors since 2009.

Check out more from Thomas and Peli Peli. IG: @southafricanasian, www.pelipeli.com,  thomas@pelipeli.com

After earning his degree in computer science at the Indian Institutes of Technology, a school more selective than even the American Ivy League, Raj moved to the US to earn a PhD. With more than 12 years of higher education from top schools, he then began his career as a software engineer. A couple years later, he finally admitted that he was not happy in that field, so he reskilled as a data scientist, which he enjoyed much more. But despite his subsequent lucrative and enjoyable time in startups, he was unexpectedly faced with the opportunity to triple his 6-figure salary or to pursue his passion for photography. Listen to find out how he navigated that agonizing decision.
Find out more about Raj’s work by visiting seriesaphotography.com
Reach me at PathToPurposePodcast@gmail.com

Darryl was born in the Philippines but immigrated with his family to the US at a young age. After graduating with a degree in psychology, he spent many years in financial services. Despite achieving the financial wealth he had always wanted, the nature of the work made him deeply unhappy. So he left, right before the Great Recession hit. After some time off, he held (and excelled at) jobs in waste management and property management. Those offered him a lot of free time so he bought a remote control airplane as a hobby, a throwback to his childhood obsession with aviation. One thing led to another.. and now, he’s the CEO and founder of Action Drone Inc.

You can connect with Darryl on LinkedIn or find out more about Action Drone by visiting https://actiondroneusa.com/.

Reach me at PathToPurposePodcast@gmail.com

Ngan Vu grew up in Sydney, Australia. As a kid, she was a creative by nature but by the end of high school, her parents had made it clear that they expected her to enter health care. Though she knew from the beginning that this would not make her happy, she studied optometry and practiced for ten years because that was the path that everyone had convinced her was tried and true. But as year ten rolled around, she hit deep valleys in her professional and personal lives and decided to quit optometry. 

Now she owns a successful construction company with her husband and is shifting more of her time to her life coaching business. You can find out more about her at nganvu.com.au

Reach me at PathToPurposePodcast@gmail.com