How She Got Promoted So FAST ... Feels Like Cheating
Watch on YouTubeVideo summary
The transcript features an inspiring conversation with Judy Shong, a Product Director at TD Bank who achieved this leadership role in less than four years while raising three children. Her rapid ascent was not merely a result of luck but stemmed from a strategic mindset of continuous adaptation and reverse engineering her future goals. Judy explains that she proactively pivoted her career from financial consulting to product management and then to AI product management by anticipating market trends, such as the rise of Generative AI. A key factor in her success was building high-level visibility; instead of waiting for recruiters, she launched a real-life AI product pilot and shared her journey publicly on LinkedIn. This approach caught the attention of C-level executives at her bank, who directly recruited her to lead their AI transformation strategy because they recognized her ability to solve real human problems with technology.
Beyond technical skills, Judy emphasizes the critical importance of mindset and long-term planning in accelerating a career. She advocates for "reverse engineering" one's future self, asking what skills and experiences are needed five or ten years down the line to achieve specific visions, such as becoming an AI entrepreneur. This forward-thinking approach drove her to invest heavily in learning public speaking and obtaining certifications even when she had limited financial resources. Judy highlights that in the age of AI, experience alone is no longer sufficient; the ability to build production-level products with real users and demonstrate tangible impact is what sets leaders apart. She notes that younger professionals have a unique privilege in this era because they can learn new technologies faster than senior leaders, allowing them to bridge knowledge gaps and become essential resources for executives who are still mastering AI concepts.
Maintaining work-life balance as a mother of three and a high-performing director required Judy to fundamentally rethink how she managed her energy and responsibilities. She argues that hiring help, such as nannies and housekeepers, is not an expense but a strategic investment that preserves the energy needed for career growth and family connection. By delegating household tasks and childcare to trusted support systems, including grandparents and hired staff, she created extra time to focus on high-value activities like attending conferences, networking with top tech companies, and building her AI products. Judy shares that burnout is a real risk for women juggling multiple identities, and the only sustainable solution is to build a robust supporting system that allows one to rest and recharge. She encourages other mothers and professionals to view spending money on services as an investment in their long-term sustainability, ensuring they have the vitality to continue leading effectively without sacrificing their well-being or family time.
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The path to director product is like a
pyramid and very less than 1% people can
actually make it and become a director
product. Not to mention at the genai
director product. However, if you use
the right strategy, follow the right
career mindset and design, you're able
to become a director in less than four
years. In today's episode, I had a
pleasure to invite Judy Shong. She is a
director Jenna product and she made it
in less than four years. is also a mom
of three kids, super busy, and I'm so
excited to have her to share with you
guys how you're able to leverage the
same strategy, become a director, Gen AI
in short amount of time. Make sure to
stay in this video where she share with
you the secret how to maintain work life
balance as a mother of three.
Hey guys, this is Dr. Nancy, a direct
product feature in Force. I've helped
thousands people land their dream PM job
offer in fan companies [music] and
unicorn startup and continue to get
promoted as a product leader. If you're
interested in landing a dream product
management job offer within 90 days and
go to pmacure.io
to learn more. In this channel, we'll
talk about tech trends and free product
management training. Like and subscribe
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If you find today's content insightful,
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Hi Judy, welcome to the product insider
podcast. How are you doing?
>> Hi Dr. Nancy Lee, I'm doing great and
thank you for having me today.
>> Julie, it's totally my pleasure and
actually I'm so excited to have you on
the show for the second time because you
actually launched a successful AI
product. On top of that, you constantly
get promoted to become a director of
Genai, which is like holy cow. you
actually become a director within four
years and every single time want to
follow you on LinkedIn every year you'll
just get promoted to next level next
next level so I cannot wait to have you
to talk to us here about your journey to
director product especially mother of
three I'm a mother of two I feel like
very busy already mother of three and
then you're doing everything all
together and it's still being very young
and beautiful and we're still a startup
so I I believe lots of women want to
learn from you regarding how you do it.
Um, that's why I'm glad have you come to
join our podcast second time. And
everybody, Judy, you know, last episode
with Judy, she dive deeper regarding her
AI product style pilots that she
launched. You can watch the episode
right there. That's a little bit more
technical. And this episode focus more
regarding leadership and how she was
able to become a director, all the work
life balance, all the juices behind how
we're all able to grow our product
management career in this age of AI. And
so, Judy, let's do this. ex beyond my
excitement. Can you quickly introduce
yourself to the audience? What's your
background? What's your journey to
director of Genai product?
>> Yeah. Yeah. Thank you Dr. Nancy Lee. So
my name is Judy. I'm a product uh
director at TD Bank uh which is the top
two bank in Canada. So I help to reshape
the finance team's AI transformation
strategy and the road map by identifying
where AI can deliver meaningful value
and turn those opportunities into
practical solutions. And on top of that,
I was also like co-host six students of
the AI boot camp where I have launched
my first AI product style pilot which
can give you a recommendation about what
you are going to wear uh for today or
help you to plan your trip. So uh those
two rows seem very different but
actually um the same goal is to use AI
to solve the real human problems. And
how I'm landing the current role here is
because four years ago um I met with Dr.
Nancy Lee. Um so and and in 2022 I have
already spent seven years in uh big four
like as a consultant and I told Nancy
that I want to become a product manager.
Um so I took the PMA program and that
program helped me to repackage my skill
sets and my resume to prepare the
interviews to learn the knowledge and
then that experience have shaped me from
consultant to a product manager and then
three uh one year ago with the rising of
a AI I found that I want to pivot myself
again from a traditional product manager
to a product manager. So I joined the AI
boot camp and build star pilot and
meanwhile I share the journey that how I
built star pilot from day one. So with
that sharing actually I exposed myself
to more opportunities to the public. So
the opportunity come to find me and I
become a product uh director uh this
year in TD Bank.
>> This is very exciting. Hold on hold on
Julie. Let me understand. You become a
director product in short four years.
First of all, it's very fast. And
second, you didn't apply for jobs at
all. They found you. Tell us more. What
what happened? So, the recruiter just
reached out to you on LinkedIn. Tell us
more. And what what happened? Why what
do you think drive them to reach out to
you and invite you?
>> It's actually not the uh recruiter, it's
the Seale person in the bank.
>> So, u the person reach out to me. Yeah.
because you know like as a leading bank
in Canada like they all want to do AI
like the AI transformation right so uh
we we are the top two bank uh top one is
RBC and the top one doing AI well in US
is JP Morgan Chase so we don't want to
leave behind with the other like a US
banks right so actually our leadership
team is very proactively to looking for
the talents the resources that can help
to build a team and to reshape the
finance team. So that's why that sea
level person he reached out to me
directly saying um I'm building a team
in my in my department. Do you want to
join? And then I just make a meet with
him and then yeah I become the product
uh director. This is holy cow. The sea
level of billion dollar bank
>> in Canada
>> reach out to you because he saw your
post about style pallet which is the AI
product you launched inside AIM boot
camp. Then he was like do you want to
join my team as a director?
>> Yes.
>> Holy cow. Holy cow. I DON'T EVEN KNOW
THE SEA level people actually go to
LinkedIn because they are very busy.
Apparently they are searching.
>> Yeah. Yeah. They are they are s they are
searching people they are also following
people and another thing is um the
reason that we have the connection is
because as I mentioned in the last
episode I was the awardw winninging per
leader right in TD so I was awarded to a
trip to Miami like only the top 1% of
the employee get that award can be there
like only like 30und people like in TD
we have like a 12k employees globally
but only three 100 people get that award
can be in that conference and all the
sea level has to be there so that's why
I build a network with that sea level
gentman there because of my um my award
right so and then we follow each other
in in the linking once I started doing
the posting about how I build that pilot
how I um learn about the AI and my
thoughts about the AI I then he reach
out to me directly uh like we have
started to exchange some notes and then
once he wants to build build a team um
like within like the finance right then
everything happens just naturally. Yeah.
>> Oh this is so crazy. This is like this
is like dream come true. This you can
you can we can do a third episode ON
THAT DETAIL.
>> OH MY [laughter] GOD. That's crazy. This
is this is beyond beyond crazy guys.
Okay so let's let's go. Usually we go
through a recruiter so you actually
direct reach out like C level reach out
to you. This is amazing. So I also
believe that it's more than just luck
and it's also more than you build it
right because
>> you do see lots of people building
different AI product but very few people
very less than 1% I think less than 1%
was invited by sea level to become a
director right so let's talk more
regarding what are the skills you have
built that you think contribute to it
right become a director of AI product in
less than four years and especially you
actually I think even I think that I
personally believe is that you already
accelerate your career at the beginning
because every year when I see you like
you get promoted every single day within
the company right and then you got
opportunity to become top top 1%
employees and then you get connected and
then he see a post I believe the
different steps connected not just I
like like right away so let's dive
deeper regarding what are the skills
that you think that you have earned and
developed that contribute to the entire
excite federation to director of gen
product within less than four years.
>> Mhm. Like I would say the truth is is
you have to react very fast like you
have to adapt to the markets very fast.
So when I graduate from my masters of
financial engineering in 2014 I believe
yeah so at that time like financial
engineering was very hot. So that's why
I joined Deote as a consultant and do
the financial modeling, the risk
modeling right and then I found that I
want to do something in tech because
like all the tech companies like they
are extending right like with Google,
Meta, Amazon and then I want to change
my career to become a product manager
like to build a real tech uh product. So
I always developed myself and try to
adapt to market and then within that
four or four years in TD as a true
product manager I found that AI was
rising right so we have chat GBT all the
AI solutions there then I found okay
they have to pivot myself from a just a
traditional product manager to a AI
product manager so I have to do two
things one I have to gain the real
product management leadership skills
So I can further scale up and number two
I have to learn uh AI right so I have to
learn like the fundament like the fund a
mentor of the AI and how I can build um
like the AI applications so that's why I
joined the AI boot camp to gain that
experience so that's why I can like grow
very fast because I always uh react very
fast and I always adapt myself to the
market
>> this is very beautiful regarding and how
you always plan ahead. So can you tell
us more regarding the mindset? In our
last episode, you lose a little bit
regarding how you change your mindset to
grow yourself and prepare yourself for
the future changes and I believe that's
what we have in common and I had similar
mindset and also want to share this kind
of mindset with our audience. Can you
share us more regarding your mindset in
terms of preparing yourself for future
promotion?
>> Yeah, that's a great question. So I
always ask myself a question. So what is
the future version of my uh myself to
look like in three and five years? So
like to to get a the future version of
myself what kind of the skills that I
have to accumulate what kind of the
experience that I have to get right so
it's not you do one thing then you are
get the results you have to try a lot
the the the different things you have to
accumulate all the skills and all the
experiences that you need to prepare
yourself to achieve the vision of your
future self. So that's how I always uh
pivot myself from a consultant to a
product manager and a product manager to
a AI product manager and now I I can
share a little bit more with you like I
want to be a true AI entrepreneur. So I
also like try to explore like how I can
achieve that goal. Uh because I think um
a good AI uh entrepreneur has to be a
good AI product manager. But a good AI
product manager cannot always be a good
AI entrepreneur. So that's why I'm still
like uh uh evolving my skill sets to get
myself ready to become a true AI
entrepreneur. I like that you always say
think ahead and figure out who you want
to be and reverse engineer and actually
I have the same mindset and I actually I
mentioned that in our last YouTube video
regarding how like are you able to land
a job in H&M or not. I also mentioned in
multiple videos before literally when I
was a PhD students I was I was only
getting paid $1,400
and I still send money back to China
today. We our family never have money. I
never have money in my life either. But
the mindset of growing who you want to
be is my strong drive. Get what what I
want to be. So uh at when I was a PhD
students I literally was thinking about
my future goal is become a CEO of
Fortune 500 company. Even if my founding
very poor we have no connections. We're
immigrant in the new country. Everything
is very different but that's my goal.
Then I reverse engineer what the CEO for
company look like. Steve Jobs all the
like top people would look like. Well
they're very good public speaking number
one. They also have more like business
skills and I have all the PhDs,
engineering skill, I'm missing business
skills. So I started learning but at the
time it was I really didn't have money
but I spent $8,000 learning public
speaking and taking my C CFA exams but
it just because I know invest early is
like planning a seat and yes later
you're grow into the position. You plan
the seat too late it will never reach
your goal. This is a very important
mindset I want everyone to really think
about. So I want comment in in the
podcast comment below and let me know
what is number one thing or two things
that you want to be in the next five
years or 10 years or even like something
long is there any goal who you want to
be I want you to comment in the
description of the show note because
someday in the future when I read all my
comment I was like wow five years later
you make it right. So it's important to
start thinking about planning and
dreaming about it.
>> Yeah. So I will definitely check the
video in five years like to see whether
my dream has come true.
>> Yeah. Exactly. And if you don't set a
goal, you don't reverse engineer a plan
right now, five years later, you will
never hit your goal.
>> Yes.
>> Yeah. Exactly. And I also invite
everyone to start thinking about where
you were five years ago. Five years ago,
would you feel like you would be where
you are right now? My life was totally
different. Five years ago, I just I just
had a kid. No clue where I am. Like who
I want to be. I want to be who I am.
is how far I am in my life and a career
as well. So everyone need to really plan
further so that five years later you
won't regret that oh I'm still flat
within five years. This is so beautiful
and then also want everyone to check out
next episode with the pika she's also
she also every single year got promoted
become a principal prime manager within
two years and this is in Oracle which is
very very exciting. She also talks a lot
regarding how she develop people's
skills as well. Uh, and you can check
out the podcast video right here. I'm
also link in the description of the show
notes. So, everybody need to start
learning. Um, so Judy, let me ask you
this question. So, now you're already a
director and you're planning your next
career which is like AI entrepreneur was
like very exciting. Um, tell us more.
What a day in life director of AI
product right now so that people can
plan if they want to become director of
AI, they can plan ahead of time, right?
So, what do you do as a director of AI
product?
>> Um, yeah. So that's a great uh question.
So as I mentioned I I was hired by the
sea level like uh person in TD bank. So
my number one priority is I work very
closely with him to help and also with
the Microsoft team because in TD we use
co-pilot. So uh I help him to build some
promps and the agents so can increase
his personal productivity. So um that's
my uh number one priority and number two
is I help to shape the finance AI
transformation strategy and the road
map. Um so like TD Bank has a 1 billion
goal um in two years. So to achieve that
goal as a finance team like we have to
act um how we can achieve that goal
together by set um the different waves
of the deliverables. let's say in fiscal
year 2026 what projects what or what
what AI solution that we have to deliver
and then what we have to prepare for
2027 right so that that's my number two
um mandate and number three is because
we we are the bank so we can't just say
go go go we can go all in in AI we have
to think about the risk so um I have to
help to shape the AI governance
operating model within the bank and
within the finance team right so what
kind of the you like the use cases that
have to be forbidden because we are we
are the bank we can't let LLM to
generate a financial statements uh to
the investors it's impossible right so
we have to set the right uh gut rails
and a human in the loop like in terms of
how we are applying those AI solutions
>> this is so cool actually I like to very
surprised to see that you guys are very
advanced in implementing AI on in the
day-to-day basis. So, let me um and also
I also feel like you soon will get
promoted to become VP because you create
AI agent help your sea level to become
more productive.
>> Yeah. Yeah. [laughter]
>> I think he just you're the go-to person
for him.
>> Yeah. So, yeah. So I have currently I
have a a very high visibility um to the
to the executives because my passion to
uh AI and my curiosity to AI because I
always put myself um in a pace to always
learn the cutting edge technology and
actually one month ago I went to
Stanford to attend AI summit like I met
so many people like the top uh VCs and
also the top frontier uh employees uh
such as people from Nvidia from OpenAI
to learn about what they are thinking.
So I'm always learning I'm always invest
my time and my money in a way that how I
can better grow myself.
>> This is so beautiful which also linking
to regarding people always want to
invest in yourselves. The people you
know may give you new opportunity maybe
sometime open will invite you oh maybe
you can join here that open. Yeah, you
never know. And if you check my linking,
so since I I I think my last post um got
like a five five 100 likes like it just
go virus. The reason because Nvidia AI
commented in my post.
>> Oh,
>> like the like the like the official
account of Nvidia AI commented in that
post. So like people started to repost
to comments. So that's post just go
virus.
>> Yeah.
>> Yeah. Go viral. And then you're able
soon open AI PEOPLE WILL BE OH SO she's
prop something cool maybe record
>> hopefully. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
>> Yeah. Yeah. That that that that's a go.
Uh that's is also how people need to
learn how to get started building a real
life AI product. First you have
something first thing to post about then
you post a real life AI product and then
you got opportunity become the top
employee and then get invited by the sea
level and then you go to different
companies jump in and this is very very
exciting. This is so cool. So therefore
everybody who's interested in AI product
management book and want to learn more
how it works is so that you can build
your real life AI product just like Judy
to get started with her director
position. You should go to our website
pms.ioipm
to learn more. I'm also on the link in
the description of the show not for you
to book a call with our career career
advisor to see if it qualify for the
program. Now let me also change a little
bit. Uh, we talk about growing the
career, right, Judy? And what about work
life balance, right? Especially myself
was a director. I when I was a director,
I work in a midnight every day. It was
really, really tough and so much work.
And at the time, I was also pregnant
with my first kid. Went through a very
difficult like pregnancy. And now you're
a mom of three. How do you manage a work
life balance as a director and mom of
three and going to conferences and
taking beautiful pictures and going
viral, all of those? So tell us more.
>> Okay. Yeah. So, so I would say like the
fundamental is you have to know how to
preserve your energy and how can you
build your own supporting system either
in work or in your life. So in my work
right so as I mentioned I work with the
sea level to help him to build the
agents or promps. So I ask for
resources. So what kind of the resource
that I can leverage? So he has a special
like a people to help him to organize
his email. So I leverage that person's
experience about how he interacts with
the sea level people and also I ask for
if I can work with Microsoft so the
Microsoft team has the technology right
so he so they may know like how can
better build an agent for the sea level
people and uh so that so that's only an
example right so you always need either
in your work you have to know how to
delegate your work to other people with
trust trust and also you have to know
how to ask for help in the right time.
And the uh same thing to my life, you
have to know how to build a supporting
system for yourself because uh life is
not a sprint, right? You have to think
in a long term. So you kind of like okay
I have to survive today so what about
tomorrow? So you have to always preserve
your energy to make sure that you have
enough energy to to survive uh every day
survive in your long term. So uh either
you can build some good uh relationship
with your friends so they can help you
to take care of their kids when you are
busy or or when is in the emergency or
you have to leverage um like maybe your
parents or or your uh in-laws whether
they can come over or for a couple days
to help you to take to take off the kids
so you can you can get a break or I also
have a Nelly that come to my house to do
like the New
preparation and also the housekeeping
like I like I trade that three hours is
not um spent it's not an expense it's an
investment so it means that I not only
have 24 hours I have 27 hours so for
that three hours I can be myself uh I
can either work uh uh I can go uh go to
plotty um uh I can go do something that
I like so that um so that's way that I
can better preserve my energy so I can
do well in my work and I can have a
better quality with my kids. So that's
how I um juggling between the life and
the work is uh is I know how to um ask
for help and how to build a supporting
system and how to make the right
investment at some time
>> and on top of that you also marry a very
supportive husband and I family this is
so beautiful and I like your mindset
regarding like hiring other people is a
investment same thing and I hire nis all
the time and now We also have a
housekeeper. They also cook for me. I
think we have the same setup. No matter.
>> Okay. Yeah. Okay. That's good. That's
good. Yeah. Yeah.
>> Yeah. Um, so when we hire those people,
it's more about return investment of
time. Same thing. Mowing your lawn, do
your laundry. Think about this.
>> Is let's say you pay them $25 per hour.
Each city is different. Let's say $25
per hour, right? Is your hour rate
higher than $25 per hour? I believe so.
Your director product.
>> Yeah.
>> Right. And then if you let's say your R
rate is $200 per hour. I think you're
probably based on salary conversion like
200 you probably pay you $200 per hour
to be a director, right?
>> Then you are trading in $25 in exchange
for $200 per hour.
>> That's almost like 8x eight times return
on investment. Then you use a time to
post about your AI product to go to
conferences and talk to recruiters or
hiring managers sea level from open AI
>> and this is of course it's not the first
time you talk to someone from open AAI
you get invited to get paid 100 like
$1.5 million in open of course not but
every investment but if you just do your
housework every single day and burn
yourself out even if you one day you
talk to CEO of OpenAI and you be like uh
I have not seen to share. So
>> you don't have the energy to share. So
that's why uh I say as a woman like we
have so many identities, right? We are a
mom, we are a like a business woman like
we we are we are also a a daughter
because I'm the single daughter from my
parents. So we have so many
responsibilities that we have to take.
So if someone like if you spend some
money that that that can help you to to
preserve your energy to share your
burden. I think that's is not a cost.
It's not an expense. It's it's a truly
investment to yourself.
>> Totally. Even when you hire none and
time to go to the gym.
>> Yeah.
>> I think it's so beautiful.
>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
And also you have to have trust to the
people that you deserve to trust because
what so because when my kids were very
young like when I was the first time mom
like I I have taken care of my daughter
like from day to night that really burn
me out because I was the f first time to
become a mom right so I want to take
care of her by myself but I found that
it's not sustainable uh I'm not AI I'm a
human I have to rest. [laughter]
Yeah. Yeah. Like you you know like the
hormones like the like like everything
and the burnout is easily to burn you
out. So the lesson that I learned is if
you don't know how to self love and
self-care, you don't have the energy or
capability to take care of the people
that you love. So then then I started to
delegate like the kids to the
grandparents. So now in so now I sent my
daughter and my bigger son to um China
to my parents to do the a summer school
and also my in-laws are here to help me
to take to take care of the the like the
youngest one. So that's how like I have
the time and the capability to go to
network with like the frontier tech
companies and also I have the energy to
work with the sea level because they
because the sea level doesn't want to
see a person who has been burned out by
the family right like he wants to see a
person like with full energy full
passion uh full uh full full curiosity
for AI so that's can make the bank
better like place right so that's the um
yeah secret beside the thing like like I
would say I have to know how to delegate
>> totally this is very beautiful I think
all the women transform as a mom and
later on realize about so many different
identities we need to live through and
this is very beautiful and literally I
published another YouTube video and
talking about I stopped YouTube for 9
months I was to so burned out for
everything happened in my life. I was
also depressed. Uh and then I end how I
literally figure out how to fall in love
with myself again.
>> That's why I didn't even love myself.
Too just too burned out, too much going
on, want to do everything.
>> Yeah, totally understood. Yeah, I have
I've gone through that period of time
because I had three kids in five years.
Like I took the maternity leave for
almost the three years because in Canada
you can have a one year maternity leave,
right? So I so I've taken like three
year uh ma uh matt leave but I use that
time to invest myself. So the funny
thing is every time I took the matt
leave I my career has go step up for one
level because I use that time also to re
to reflect what kind of the person that
I want to be in two or three years. Do
you want to be a mom like only take only
take up the kids and uh you burn out in
the family but you don't have your own
dream and your own career? No, that
that's not me. So that's why I spent
money in nanny and in taking the course
whatever I need and then prepare myself
once I finish my math leave then okay uh
I can go for my career so to the uh next
level. I think one of your matern leave
you found me. I remember.
>> Yeah. So every time. So so so yeah.
Yeah. So in 2020 uh yeah in 2022 I was
in the mass leaf with my my my second
one. So I found you because I feel so
burned out. I uh uh and I feel like uh
I'm so lost like what? So so so what is
my future? So I'm so confused. Then I
watch your YouTube uh video which is so
inspiring like then I just reach out to
you and say I want to become a product
manager. So I'm so lucky that I meet
with you. So that really helped me to ch
to change my career path. And then the
last year when I joined the um the AI
boot camp I just wrap up my third math
leave. So I come back to my career. I
I'm still a traditional product manager
but meanwhile I spent my spell time to
build a AI product from zero to one and
the meanwhile I I'm I'm sharing my
stories in the linking right so that
give me the exposure to public so people
will be knowing me what what I'm doing
so that's how I'm put like how I land a
job like um as a product director in TV
right now
>> this is so beautiful so a lots of
like took a career break for families
including myself. Um if we focus on
using the time to reinvest into
ourselves, it is actually way for us to
like jumpstart our career actually
spring ahead instead of spring like fall
back as well. This is so insightful. Um
I hope this is a good inspiration for
all the women out there. You're not
alone. All the burnout is so true. Um
challenges we're facing is normal.
That's is part of all the moms you go
through including dads as well. Okay.
And yeah, but always have a different
mindset. Think about who you want to be
next and reverse engineer skills that
you master to help yourself to get to
next level. Um,
>> exactly.
>> Now, uh, and also by the way, I
everybody my video about how I turn from
burned out and also refine and the
opportunity to fall in love with myself
again. This YouTube video is right here
on the top of the screen. You can also
watch in the description of the video
and you might see yourself as a part of
your story similar to mine and Judy's as
well. And so Judy, let me ask you this
quick question. Any advice you have to
young women who want to grow into
leadership roles, right? We talk a lot
about my mom's whatever, but I remember
when I was young woman, I just felt I
was very lost. I felt like I was very
ambitious, but opportunity wasn't given
to me and lot of times saying that I'm
too young and I speak with accent. I
only work with men. All my company, I
only work with men. I only manage men.
There's only one product manager in my
company at the time. And I was uh
managing people. I was like, can you
move a woman under me? Then no, no, no,
no, no. We cannot have two women in your
team. That woman report to another man.
You manage other men, Doc N. Okay. So,
so how how could a young woman would
grow their career into leadership roles?
What advice we have for them?
>> Yeah. You have to increase your
visibility and to show your impact to
other people. So you can't just say okay
I'm doing this like I'm I'm I'm working
very hard. I'm working like from 9 to uh
um from 8 to 10 uh every day. So the
work is important is help you to
accumulate your experience to enhance
your skills. But how you present your
work to the leadership team, how to
increase your visibility, how to share
what you are doing and what you are
learning is also a skill that you have
to learn. So like when I was in deoid
like I work like 60 to 70 hours per week
but I haven't been pro promoted like for
one time in deoid. Yeah. So, so, so I uh
I think when I uh reflect in my career
is because I'm only uh working but not
showing the impact like I'm not
presenting the leadership skills. I'm
not like try to network with the
partners or the sea level people because
I feel oh they are they are too senior
like I'm I'm I'm still a a junior
consultant. So how can I like um like
even talk to them? like I feel so
nervous but now I feel more uh confident
about my skill sets maybe because I'm
old enough so I have enough like a
confidence and skill sets so I can feel
more confidently to talk to talk to them
because they are also human being I
think at this age of AI I think the
young um women they have the privilege
as well because to AI like even though
you have like a a 30 year work
experience but like everyone's new to AI
right so imagine like my sea level like
a leader he's still learning AI so he
always come to me uh Judy can you share
with me uh what's going on with AI and
what other banks are doing with AI so
your privilege is you are young so you
learn very fast right so you can learn
faster even than the sea level people
and they are willing to hear what you
are learning from AI. So actually I
think it's a golden age um a golden era
for the young uh talents no matter women
or men like I feel it's it's the age for
you like you can learn faster than the
like steel level people like even the
CEO of the fortune 500 company because
you are young so don't think they are
very senior they are quite um like a
proven but you have your own privilege
>> this is very well said and especially
when you say about the age of AI. It is
very true. I have so many people reach
out to me. Oh, I'm a director very
senior 20 years experience. I in what?
Our director making a Microsoft
PowerPoint. Oh, I [laughter] think that
was that was a little bit a little bit
out outdated. I'm sorry. Um you're
Microsoft director PowerPoint. I'm sorry
outdated. But you are nobody in AI and
everybody transforming to AI, right? And
then so older more experienced really
means nothing nowadays. So therefore
that's why everybody is picking up all
the important AI knowledge nowadays. And
now also felt like knowledge is not
enough either.
>> It's more about like building it and
then also building with real users. Now
nowadays people can use wipe coding to
build something 30 minutes.
>> Yeah.
>> And then doesn't work anymore because
when everybody wipe code within 30
minutes what what's left for you? So
therefore it's very critical we need to
create production level AI product with
real users launch on Apple app store
like how you did it with real users and
people like so excited leading a team
team of 16 uh engineers all 16 women
building this managing people actually
also believe that people management
skills is the most important skill that
cannot be replaced by AI that people
need to get hands on to it especially
like and then sharing your knowledge and
let people know your visibility like so
much going on so much going on uh I have
a separate YouTube video where I talk
dive deeper regarding how I become a
direct product within four years and you
guys can learn more regarding all the
people skills how I network within the
company and presentselves as well. Uh
and the YouTube videos right here I'm
also link in the description of the show
notes so you guys can watch it as well
and of course everybody who want to
learn more about AI product management
boot camp by leading a team of 16
engineer create your own production
level AI product launching Apple app
store with real users you can go to our
website pms.io/
AIPM to learn more. Uh and then of
course and always uh link in description
show not can book a call with our career
advisor to see if a good fit for AIPM
boot camp. Now Judy let me let me also
at the end of talk I also ask my podcast
guest two questions. Number one how you
grow yourself professionally and
personally especially emphasized so many
times regarding you love to grow
yourself thinking about futures. How
exactly grow yourself? I assume like
taking like learning AI and what else
you do p prof professionally and
personally and what resources you use.
>> So I'm always expose myself to the new
things and the new knowledge. So as I
mentioned you have to be more adaptive
to the um market. So you have to think
about okay so what's the trend in the
market and to be more adaptive to the
trend how can you prepare yourself to
the future of the AI. So now we are in
the applica occasion level of AI like
people are building the AI applica
occasions uh uh here and there but
what's the ne next I'm still like uh
asking myself the question so what's the
next so every day when you wake up you
have to search for the news so what's
going on with AI and what's going on
with your industry and what's going on
with the world and think and imagine
what can be in the future and get ready
for it.
>> This is so beautiful. Yeah, always
prepare for the future. So Judy, for any
of the people product leader who want to
follow you uh learn from you regarding
how to grow their career as a director
product, where can they find you and
follow you?
>> Yeah. So my linking I think will be
shared under the post. Yeah, feel free
to follow me and comment in any of my
post uh below. I'm I'm very happy to
connect there. Awesome. Okay, we're
going to link in the description of the
show notes. Thank you for joining us,
Judy.
>> Yeah, thank you, Dr. Nessie Lee. Thank
you.
>> Dear listener, if you find today's
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right