Jenny Q. Ta, Founder & CEO of Sqeeqee.com and Co-founder of VCNetwork.Co
Most successful tech entrepreneurs and business women understand the challenges that women when launching ventures and introducing their products in a highly competitive, male-dominated marketplace. I came to the United States as a Vietnam War refugee and refused to let anything stop me from reaching my goals. In this article, I explore the top five ways I overcame obstacles in order to achieve my dreams.
- Have the Right Mindset
Half the battle when overcoming obstacles is having the right mindset. The key is to keep a positive attitude – no matter what happens – and continuously tell yourself your goals are achievable. In the early 90s when I began working on Wall Street, it was a male-dominated industry (as it still often is!). I could’ve easily told myself I’d never have the corner office, the senior broker title or start my own firm, but I reminded myself everyday that it was possible. I just had to work my hardest, which leads into my second tip…
- Don’t Give Up
Although this tip may seem self-explanatory, it’s much easier to give up when the going gets tough than it is to keep trying. While obstacles in both your personal and professional lives are inevitable, it’s important to not let them stop you. I believe when one stops, one loses because then it’s game over. Instead of getting frustrated and giving up, try to understand why you’re feeling discouraged or stuck. This allows you to strengthen your problem-solving skills and overcome the obstacles in your path.
- Take Baby Steps
When you’re struggling to overcome an obstacle, it’s best to think small and take baby steps toward your goals. Setting smaller goals and achieving them increases your confidence and prepares you to take on your larger dreams. I didn’t get to where I am now overnight – it took a lot of hard work and small wins, which eventually led to bigger victories.
- Don’t take “no” as an answer
Being a young woman working her way up the Wall Street ranks, I heard “no” more times than I can remember – but I never gave up. If someone says you can’t do something or your goals are unachievable, the best way to turn a no into a yes is to prove them wrong. Coming to the U.S. as a war refugee, without speaking English was a huge obstacle to overcome. I was made fun of in school for my accent and was often discouraged by the word “no.” However, I learned to not let it stop me and instead of feeling down, I worked that much harder. My goal was to prove everyone wrong and eventually I was hearing yes instead of no.
- Celebrate Your Success
Even the smallest win deserves a celebration. It doesn’t need to be a big celebration, but all your successes and achievements should be rewarded. Overcoming small hurdles and achieving our small goals makes us that much stronger. Enjoying these successes takes you one step closer to your bigger dreams.
The key to success is overcoming obstacles. However, in order to reach our success we can’t let those obstacles stop us. I was able to overcome adversity and go from a war refugee to a successful Wall Street professional, entrepreneur, and multi-millionaire by the time I was 27. If I could do it, so can you!
Jenny Q. Ta is a veteran Wall Street self-made millionaire and founder of two tech companies VCNetwork.co, a virtual “E-Harmony meets Shark Tank” matching entrepreneurs with VCs and Sqeeqee.com, the first “social networthing” platform. Jenny is a seasoned entrepreneur with two successful ventures to her credit. She was the Founder and CEO of Titan Securities, a full-service investment firm that was acquired in 2005. Prior to founding Titan Securities, she was the driving force behind Vantage Investments, a full-service broker-dealer start-up she founded in 1999 at the age of 27 and grew to a quarter of a billion dollars in assets. Overall, she has more than 20 years of experience as a senior executive in sales, marketing, and finance.
