Her Story
About Lydia
I'm an ex-professional athlete, ex-professional model, engineer, and entrepreneur who has always been very courageous and bold, always going for the big dream. I moved to Hong Kong when I was in my early twenties without speaking the language or having any money, and I started a marketing agency that went global - we worked with major brands like Lamborghini, Procter & Gamble, Credit Suisse, and Olay. I donated 10% of my profits to dog shelters while running that agency. I'm currently working as the chief of staff for an AI company in San Francisco, and I'm also going to start another company very soon. I'm graduating in July from a business master's program. My mission now is to inspire others to follow their dreams and not just dream about it, but actually do it. People always ask me how I can be so brave, and I tell them that the worst thing that can happen is you end up in the same place you were before, or a little bit worse, so the upside is always bigger than the downside. I'm also working on speaking opportunities and panels, starting with universities in Sweden, to speak to young entrepreneurs and teenagers who want to start their own thing but maybe don't have the support and courage to do so.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Lydia
01What do you attribute your success to?
I think it comes from a combination of my parents, for sure. My dad is an entrepreneur, and when I was young, apparently I said I wanted to be a boss - I've changed that now to a leader, because that sounds a little bit better. My dad has always pushed me very much to always be the best and aim high. And my mom has always been the one who's pushed me to follow my dreams. So I think the combination of aiming high and actually following your true self, and what you actually want to do, and listening to intuition - that has been the key. You know, sometimes you just gotta jump before you're ready. I tend to do that, and it will always be okay. The worst thing that can happen is you end up in the same place you were before, or a little bit worse, so the upside is always bigger than the downside.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My best advice would be: What is your biggest dream and your biggest goal? And then 10 times that. Aim 10 times higher than what you think your biggest dream is, because that's your ceiling. You will never go beyond your biggest dream.
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