aBG Spotlights…
Women who inspire us through their life and work
Mylen Yamamoto Tangsinco, Founder of Cropmade & Clique-now
Cathy Nguyen Banaag, Radiologic Technologist
Drushti Gandhi, Manager, People Advisory Services, Consulting at Ernst & Young
Jessie Kim, CEO and Founder of Jessie Kitchen
Lulu Ge, Founder and CEO of Elix
Maria Yuan, Founding Executive Director of IssueVoter
Haesue Jo, LMFT and Clinical Operations Lead at BetterHelp
Olivia Cheng, Actress on HBO/Cinemax’s “Warrior”
Occupation & company
Cropsticks by Cropmade | Clique-Now LLC
What was the moment that set the path for your career?
When I have an idea that keeps me up at night, I love mapping out the steps it would take to make the idea a reality. For example, the idea to Cropsticks happened on an airplane and then I spent the next few weeks mapping out steps to make the idea a reality.
The process is quite straightforward too. For example, Step 1: Research market opportunity. Step 2: Create a prototype. Step 3: Test for product, market, fit.
The journey to get to each step is exciting enough but it's when I get to the moment when the idea starts generating an actual income is when I realize, OK, this can be a career!
What do you love the most about what you do?
Before I was a full-time entrepreneur, I was a full-time professor so my first love has always been in teaching. When I get to help my clients at Clique-Now reach their dreams or when we're able to help our restaurant customers figure out ways to become more sustainable, I feel so fulfilled. I think I love being helpful.
How do you stay motivated?
I stay motivated by staying curious. That is number one for me. If I'm learning something to better myself and the business, it is easier to stay motivated.
Second but just as important, I like to build work in a calm environment as much as possible. If I'm able to refrain from feeling overwhelmed, my motivation lasts longer. In the earlier days of being an entrepreneur, I tried to do everything and felt so burnt out. It wasn't healthy. These days, when I take on a project or task, I now implement it into a system. Building systems are so important for your sanity and scalability.
How has your Asian identity played a role in your career?
As someone who represents Asian talent and built a product for Asian cuisine, my Asian identity has influenced my career by far. It wasn't intentional either but I think it goes to show that when you can proudly and authentically speak to something, it takes away feeling like a fraud. Feeling inauthentic in what you're pitching can drain your soul. So for me, being Asian has done the exact opposite. It empowered me.
Not to say that non-Asians can't represent Asian talent or invent kitchenware for Asian cuisine. I'm from Hawaii so I see the power in cross cultural collaboration. I mean, that's how we got Spam Musubi! But to understand the nuances in your pitch or point of sale every day takes energy. So the more someone researches and prepares their "pitch", the better it could be for everyone. I'm just lucky enough that I was raised with a good chuck on that knowledge. And even though I'm Asian (Japanese, Filipino, Chinese mix), there's still so much to learn.
Words of encouragement for others wanting to pursue the same career?
Instead of saying, "You got this!" because you already know that, I want to share something I wish someone told me when I first got started. And it's not fluffy.
Girl, get Quickbooks. Like for real. Once you start making money, Quickbooks can help track where it's coming from. It'll create reports that will categorize your expenses. You can easily send out invoices. Remember, the better systems you can create early on, the less overwhelmed and more motivated you'll be. I want you to feel less stress if you decide to pursue entrepreneurship. When it comes to tax time, you'll thank me later.
Quote or motto you live by
"Never Give Up On Something You Can't Go A Day Without Thinking About." Winston Churchill
Myers Briggs/Enneagram (if you know it!)
INTJ. (some times ENTJ)
Social Handles
Instagram: @mylennial | Youtube: @MylennialTipsforSmallBusinesses | TikTok: @mylennial