But the pandemic forced Nguyen to reevaluate her own practices. “I struggled with the shift to remote work and had a lot of trial and error when it came to finding what worked best for me and my overall well-being,” she says. “My philosophy for most of life when it came to adversity was to grit my teeth and work harder. During COVID-19, that actually wasn’t the healthiest approach. Surprisingly, what worked best for me were the things I used to characterize as being undesirable at work, such as asking for help or taking a break. I’m now much more deliberate and intentional with my time and energy.”
If you could have dinner with one person, alive or dead, who would it be and why?
Benjamin Franklin. His life story is so far-ranging, and I admire how he used his curiosities about the world as a means for self-improvement. I would ask him about his early success establishing a media conglomerate, how he became a fashion icon in Paris and his experience as a delegate at the Constitutional Convention.
What are the top two social media sites you use on a regular basis?
Twitter and TikTok (unless Etsy counts?).
What’s currently on your bedside reading list?
Sonia Sotomayor’s “My Beloved World.”
What was the last show you binge-watched?
“Ted Lasso” on Apple TV+.
At what age do you hope to retire?
54.
See all of Ad Age’s 40 Under 40 honorees.