I'm someone who can't sit still, and it's connected to my family background.
Because our family carried enormous debt, my mother started various businesses from our childhood. The earliest I remember is running a breakfast shop, then taking factory subcontracting work as a foreman—our job was sorting and processing male and female connectors for computer CPUs. At one point, Mom had contracts with fifty or sixty locations and was earning 300,000 NT per month. We thought we'd finally be stable, but with the "factory migration to mainland China" wave in the late 1990s, everything came to an abrupt end.
↓From kindergarten through third grade, I spent my after-school hours behind that blue iron gate
After some time, Mom got a job at a chain photo studio my uncle had opened. Over five years, she learned all the necessary skills, found a ground-floor storefront, and officially opened in 2004. In the early days of operation, my sister and I went door-to-door distributing flyers, asking communities if we could leave them, and even handing out flyers at campaign events. Since we were only in junior high, people were happy to help. That's how I learned practical promotion and advertising from a young age, and later when I worked part-time, I became really good at distributing flyers.
Beginning 12 Years as a Photo Studio Girl
With the store open, I began my "photo studio girl" life—studying after school and working during summer and winter breaks. At first, since I was only 14, I was shy saying "Welcome," had a sour face, and didn't know how to interact. When I encountered difficult customers demanding discounts or extra photos, I'd refuse curtly. There was so much to do at the studio: taking photos for customers, selecting shots, taking orders, occasionally developing prints, changing solutions, introducing products... The upside was that I became comfortable with strangers, but the downside was I didn't know how to express myself to familiar people—a realization I came to only later.
From what I remember, I never had a real break during the school year until I started graduate school. From elementary school when classes ended at 4 PM, I'd go help with manual work at the factory. In junior high, after 6 PM classes and tutoring until 9 PM, I'd walk back to help close the studio. High school was similar, and university even more so. Summer and winter breaks weren't even worth mentioning—I'd be there from morning until night. Occasionally I'd go do other part-time work to earn pocket money, but the rest of the time was spent at the photo studio.
I started working part-time right after high school graduation. Since I attended university part-time at night, in my sophomore year I became a work-study student at a TV station. My shift was 5 AM to 2 PM. Since I also had a minor, classes were 3:30 PM to 10 PM. Living in Shuanghe meant I was sleeping at midnight, waking at 4 AM, riding my scooter for an hour to the TV station in Neihu, then riding back for an hour to Fujen for afternoon classes—round and round. Honestly, it was exhaustingly hard work, days I can never go back to.
From Student to Workplace Newcomer, Starting a Slashed Career
I was fortunate to gain a fan page where I could share my life. Though initially I didn't know what content to create and even considered shutting it down to end my "second identity," my day job salary was so low that as I documented my work life, I gained traction.
Gradually, different types of brands reached out—cosmetics, skincare, product experiences. Starting with only anonymously commissioned articles as an unknown writer for 500 NT per piece (even being negotiated down), I eventually received different brand partnerships at 1,000 NT per article or compensation based on word count. Now some offer direct payments of 10,000 NT just to ask if I can write a single article, or in-person speaking opportunities come knocking. This past three years has been a challenging journey.
↓My First In-Person Speaking Engagement
When we're in a slump, it's easy to feel like the world is against us—no matter how hard we try, no one understands, and our efforts don't bring proportional returns. These are negative emotions we easily spiral into, thoughts that trap us and hinder progress. But we must shift our perspective: "Your present effort is all for a future harvest," and don't forget why you worked so hard in the first place!
Because you work so hard precisely for the "right to choose," don't you?
When others watch Korean dramas after work, you choose to take English classes to improve yourself;
When others sing karaoke, have dinners, or drink, you choose to work a side gig to earn extra income;
When others enjoy their free time, you choose to learn another skill and develop your second life.
Though entertainment time decreases, remember that "hard work is a long-distance race." Only through persistence, continuous self-improvement, and willingness to absorb everything like a sponge—completely soaked—can you build the capacity to meet challenges that "squeeze" you dry, enabling you to always "produce." You'll have real substance inside, and though exhausted and busy, please remember: only this way can we avoid being chosen. We become the choosers.
