Since its inception in 1911, International Women’s Day celebrates the remarkable social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women worldwide, while also highlighting the ongoing challenges they face.
This felt like the perfect moment to sit down with MarketSmiths founder and Chief Growth Officer Jean Tang whose insights represent a fusion of entrepreneurial wisdom, resilience, and a deep understanding of the power of language.
In this bite-sized Q&A, she reflects on what inspires her, the importance of a growth mindset in the face of adversity, and what women need to do to assert their worth and thrive in 2024.
1. What inspires you to follow your dreams?
Like most dreams, mine started with an idea. I noticed the soul was missing from most B2B copywriting and in my TedX talk, I declared a ‘War on the Bland.’
I decided to set a higher goal for myself and create my company after seeing the limitations of my own work. I’m only one person, but I wanted to start a movement. I wanted my idea to be bigger than me.
Also, I could prosper and make more money than I could as a freelancer, so it’s better for all of us. It took me six months to a year to gain the confidence to do it and two more years to put it into operation, but the same mission — to write in a way that touches upon the human wavelength — drives me today.
I strive to become formidable in my skills. I go headlong into every challenge, regardless of what it is, and come out the other end knowing that I can reinvent things.
2. How do you develop a strong mindset to overcome adversity?
You have to go through a few hardships to know you have everything it takes to get through it and come out the other end totally fine. I think you have to keep being willing to raise the bar for yourself and just go headlong into every challenge. With practice, you build resilience.
Over time, I moved away from the fear of loss to focus on the anticipation of opportunity. If you miss the subway, maybe you can take a call that changes your path. There’s no use in dwelling in what could’ve been. We’re all human and we’ll sometimes see it that way, but you can only move forward and be in the present.
I’ve done a lot of yoga and meditation. Even though it’s an exercise, it really does help me with a mindset because you’re really taught to be in the moment. Every practice is different — every single time you pick up your yoga mat, it’s different. And you know it can get hard or uncomfortable to be in the moment, to hold a painful pose, and to overcome it. But you just breathe and you breathe right through it, which is true of all challenges.
3. How can women develop greater self-confidence?
As the owner/founder of a copywriting company, my answer is rooted in the accountability of language: Be intentional and take credit for your actions.
This means:
- Don’t apologize unless you really mean it. ‘Sorry’ may seem like a very small word, but in asking for grace, you’re really giving grace and doing the other person a big favor. It’s an alarming trend, especially in younger generations, where apologizing is very common. But in a passive-aggressive way, you’re asking to be excused, you’re asking to get by, and apologizing for taking up space in the world. We women have not fought for centuries to get to that place.
- Avoid saying ‘like’ as much as possible. This completely imprecise word implies that you don’t have the vocabulary or a way to express yourself more precisely. It says, ‘I’m lost… I’m a little fuzzy about this.’ It really takes power away and we’ve really worked hard to earn that power.
- Another word to avoid using is ‘Unfortunately.’ When people are reporting, they’ll say, ‘Unfortunately, this is the case,’ when really they have the power to act and take accountability. It’s not incidental. It’s intentional.
- I would encourage people to avoid speaking in cliches. Use big words. Don’t worry about appearing smart. It lifts everyone up.
All too often, women shrink from their own strengths because they don’t want to appear too big or because everyone else is being self-effacing and they’re sensitized to that.
I come from a self-effacing Chinese culture where we deny compliments. People would say to my mom, ‘You’re so slim,’ or ‘I love your outfit!’ and she’d say ‘I just can’t gain weight’ or ‘I got this on sale from Macy’s really cheap.’
I didn’t like that downplaying, being small, shrinking. Just say ‘thank you’ or ‘I’m proud of this.’ It affects others too. We can inspire others to dream bigger, be bigger, be as big as you can be. That’s how we overcome the pay gap.
4. What do you find most fulfilling about your work?
I started a writing company for my passion of the power of taking the written word and speaking something into action. There’s really a power to conjure and create with words — understanding, desire, or even a company. I spoke this company into existence. MarketSmiths aligns with my passion, beliefs, and viewpoint of the world.
Another favorite part of my work pertains to founding a company or any leadership role, which is the opportunity to break through my own limited beliefs and skill sets — to grow through it to become more formidable and powerful.
Whenever I come across a limit, I look at it as a limitation within myself. And I say, ‘Well, what can I do — whether it’s delegating leadership or letting go of a belief, or committing and sticking to it.’ I do feel like that is mirrored in the growth of the business, so if we’re not growing, maybe there’s something I’m doing that’s limiting it.
Discipline, focus, commitment — those are all growth areas for me. The personal fulfillment comes from my own desire for personal growth, and I’m always looking at the next vista and the next horizon.
5. Going back in time, what would you tell your younger self?
Just go with your intuition. Believe in yourself. Have faith.
At a younger age, I did know I was a writer stuck in the wrong field (law). I have no regrets — it’s the recipe that led me to where I am now and I do use those skills of logical reasoning and critical thinking in my work everyday. But I wished I’d followed my intuition when the thought first occurred to me in my first year out of law school, rather than sticking it out for another couple of years.
If you have a feeling, maybe it’s not wrong or a whim — look into it, question it.
Like what you’ve read? Here’s another inspiring Q&A with Jean—or reach out and contact her directly. She’d love to help you tell your brand story.
