Beyond the Desk

Ru Chen once struggled with low self-esteem. Now, in her 30s, she says, “I know I can always fall back on myself.”

In this episode, we talk about how that kind of self-trust gets built — through ambition, career pivots, culture shock, identity, and learning to let go of the need to have everything figured out.

Ru shares what it was like moving from China to Tennessee, building a career across very different environments, and gradually becoming more comfortable with who she is and what she wants.

We also talk about self-worth, belonging, uncertainty, and why your 30s might be less of a deadline — and more of your prime.