Hi, I’m Helen.
I'm a Self-Made CEO®, keynote speaker, and financial empowerment coach dedicated to helping women entrepreneurs own their worth, flip their money scripts, and smash every ceiling on their way up.
Wanna hear my story? Keep reading >>>
My Story
Money makes me powerful ...
but it hasn’t always been that way.
Money used to be my guilt trigger.
- Feeling like I didn’t earn enough to make my immigrant parents’ sacrifices worthwhile = guilt
- Lying awake at night worrying that there was never any extra or discretionary income after paying all the bills = guilt
- Trying to decide between keeping money in my bank account or paying a large vet bill to keep my dog alive = guilt
Save a life or keep a
roof over my head?
I was already tired of wondering why I wasn’t living up to my own standards and what I truly wanted.
At the beginning of my career, I looked successful…but only on paper.
In reality I was just paying the bills and maintaining. I was just doing “okay” and felt guilty for not being more grateful for what I was earning.
I had a decent job, a reliable car, and was able to keep a roof over my head and feed myself. I was financially independent.
But I expected more of myself.
I wasn’t living up to my fullest potential because I got too comfortable with making “okay” money and that complacency killed my progress.
I never want to be in a position where I have to second guess whether I should spend my money to save a life.
My breaking point came as I caught myself second guessing whether to pay for a large vet bill to keep my dog alive or save the money in my bank account to pay my bills next month.
Enough was enough.
I was done making financial compromises and tradeoffs.
I was D.O.N.E. with doing just “okay.”
My Lightbulb Moment:
More money. Fewer tradeoffs.
I realized that I could only cut so much from my budget to stay afloat. To truly get ahead in life and live without financial insecurities, I have to make more money.
The more money I make, the more power I have to do whatever the hell I want.
More Money
More Options More Opportunities
The Truth Is...
If I want to do more with my life without sacrificing my current lifestyle, then I need to make more money.
I need to make more money if I want to...
Save for
retirement
Create job opportunities
Donate more
to charity
Leave a significant legacy
Make sure my son lives in a safe neighborhood with great schools
Pay my parents’ medical bills because they can’t
Stay in a more comfortable hotel where I don’t need to question my safety
There’s so much I want to do in my life, but it all costs money. Cutting my budget wasn’t going to allow me to live a better life.
I need to make more money if I want to afford all that I want to accomplish.
With this new approach, I sure as hell increased the money I brought home. I did whatever it took—no excuses.
And the same can be true for you too. If you want more for yourself, then earn more.
Let me show you exactly how to do it.
YOU Are in Control
Live with excess, not limitations.
Wanting more money is not greedy.
WIthout it, you can't afford a better life.
So, stop apologizing for wanting more for yourself.
Create a life of unlimited money and options.
You just have to get out of your own way.
And I’m here to show you how.
My Early Years
My family and I immigrated to the U.S. from Vietnam, escaping communism. I proudly became a U.S. citizen in 1995 and graduated as salutatorian of my high school class in 2005.
I worked odd jobs throughout college, earning less than $30,000 a year—but I proudly graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics and Economics from Emory University in 2009.
College
Eye- Opening Experience #1
During college, my dog, Duke, became ill and I racked up $1,500 in vet bills. I did everything I could to save him, but despite using up all I had saved, he passed away. For many years I lived with the guilt of that moment, wondering if I had been able to spend more if he could have been kept alive.
Soon after college graduation, I became a stockbroker. In 2012, I earned my CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation.
Early Career
Eye- Opening Experience #2
On September 13, 2013, I asked my boss for a raise. He told me I should just marry a guy who made more money than I do. Two weeks later I quit that job and started my own business (Capital Benchmark Partners, an independent financial planning and investment firm).
In 2013, I moved from my 26th floor luxe high-rise apartment back to my parents’ house, borrowing $7,000 for business expenses. In my first year in business, I made $35,000—gross income—which was less than I had been making while in college. But by 2017, I had earned my first six-figures!
Entrepreneurship
Finding
My Voice
In May 2018, I started the Live and Earn podcast, interviewing women to talk about their personal finances and relationships with money. About a year later, I made it onto public radio to talk about being a woman in the male dominated finance industry, combatting sexism within it, and addressing the gender pay gap by being my own boss.
I hired my first full-time employee in August of 2018. I was able to fully cover her health insurance and other benefits. This was a huge milestone for me because for the first time in my life, I felt the power of money: I had the financial power to give someone else an economic advantage so she could live a better life too.
Feeling the
Power of Money
Eye- Opening Experience #3
In June 2019, my dog, Mochi, was bitten by a snake. This time there was no hesitation. I paid the $6,000 vet bill without even thinking twice if I should because I make plenty of money. And that allowed me to avoid making a financial compromise when deciding between saving a life and saving money.
In October 2019, I was featured as one of ten women chosen by Atlanta’s Best Self Magazine to talk about building my business from the ground up, and was also featured in EveryGirl on “Why it’s important to talk to your friends about money.” Just months later I was interviewed by UPS for their Longitudes blog, and the article hit the top of their charts. The Director of Marketing at UPS’ headquarters even personally reached out to invite me to attend the Michelle Obama book tour in their private corporate suite (I even got a signed copy of her book!).
Industry Recognition
Eye-Opening Experience #4
In March 2020, my dog, Mochi, and I were attacked by a neighbor’s dog—while I was 22 weeks pregnant—which meant another large vet bill along with a large personal medical bill. This was another moment where I was incredibly grateful not to have to choose between saving a life or saving money.
I’m putting my goals out into the universe!
By 2030 I will have helped over 1,000 women smash their income glass ceilings and earn six-figures and beyond.
Want to be one of them?
Click the button below to explore how to work with me.
Looking to
the Future
you may have seen me in:
Calling all freelancers:
Tired of working your butt off by the hour for limited pay and even less security?
It’s time to flip the switch from freelancer to Founder and become a Self-Made CEO®
