Stretching the bounds of creativity and Advancing Women in Technology with Mindy Duong

Technically Speaking with Harrison Wheeler

Summary

Mic test. 1, 2, 3.

You know, this interview should have been done in between karaoke songs. Why? Because Harrison and his guest share a love for singing.

As a creative since the age of 3 and a pioneer in the field of UX and design, Mindy Duong is an eyewitness to its challenges and improvements, one of which is being the only woman in the room.

So to give back to the community and show strong support to women in technology, she's been trying to help the younger generation, especially women, get into technology through Advancing Women in Technology.

By helping promote technology, explaining, and sharing her experiences, she helps inspire the younger generation of women to stay creative. So listen to this episode to get to know more about Mindy, her advocacy, as well as her love for the arts.

Highlights

"Maytal Shainberg said that you need to have the courage to stand up for yourself. And I think for a long time, I feel like I lost that courage. Maybe because I was just so complacent in where I was in my life that I wasn't being that go-getter that I used to be, and that was a really great reminder from her that you need to have the confidence to do what you need to do. And that really stuck to me."

"Having conversations with other people in their companies, their struggles, I noticed that we do have very similar roadblocks. It's communication, internal communication. I think that's the biggest roadblock. Because without the proper internal communication, you're losing a lot of input feedback."

About the Guest:

As a creative leader, UX innovator, and strategic brand builder, Mindy Duong has proven experience building high-performing teams and bringing bold strategies to life to position top-tier brands for maximum growth.

She has led marketing, UX, and digital initiatives in various industries throughout her career. These include financial services, fashion, retail, consumer products, technology, telecommunications, and events/live entertainment.

Since 2012, she has led all aspects of user experience, digital, and brand design for US & China-focused financial institution East West Bank — coaching a cross-functional team based in the US, India, and China through the delivery of brand-aligned assets and content.

Earlier, she played a key role in elevating the e-commerce capability and digital presence of LA-based fashion brand BCBGMAXAZRIA — successfully building a staff of four (4), boosting brand awareness, and significantly growing customer engagement.

She began her career with creative roles at Ticketmaster/Citysearch, TelePacific, and Big Zoo while also leading two organizations as an entrepreneur.

As a passionate creative, she thrives on aligning technology, vision, culture, and design thinking to solve critical challenges and enhance the customer experience. With impeccable relationship-building skills, she brings the best out of teams, drives transformational results, and consistently achieves success.

Connect with Mindy Duong:

• Website: http://min-d.com/
• Email: [e-mail]
• Form: http://min-d.com/contact.html
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mindy-duong/
• Reach Further Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/reach-further-podcast/id1612153380
• Advancing Women in Tech CA Scholarship Program: https://awtca.org/scholarship-program/

Timestamps

(02:02) - Mindy’s personal and professional background

(04:58) - Icebreaker: Mindy Duong’s Turnkey Wedding Services as a Wedding Singer, Host, and Photographer

(10:13) - Going over our Karaoke Hit Lists

(14:00) - Icebreaker: The best piece of advice she’s ever been given

(15:54) - Icebreaker: Her current obsessions as a Sci-Fi geek

(18:45) - Metaverse’s infancy stage and why now is the time for companies to get in the game

(19:34) - Fulfilling her dream to be an architect through 3D modeling in the metaverse

(21:15) - When and how her creativity side really clicked for her and the doors her artistic abilities opened for her

(23:22) - Some of the challenges she’s faced in her career

(24:57) - What she would tell her younger self if she could go back in time

(27:10) - The challenges and roadblocks of working in the corporate world

(29:13) - Addressing the one-woman-in-the-room syndrome through Advancing Women in Technology (AWT)

(33:43) - AWT scholarship applicant’s residential requirement

(34:05) - In-person conference, meetups, and karaoke plans

Resource:

1. Learn more about the resources, podcasts, and community.
2. https://www.technicallyspeakinghw.com
3. Support the Technically Speaking podcast by becoming a patron.
4. Get early access to episodes and free swags by becoming a supporter.
5. https://www.patreon.com/technicallyspeakinghw?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator
6. Get my free book: https://www.technicallyspeakinghw.com/productdesignglossary
7. Listen to Reach Further Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/reach-further-podcast/id1612153380
8. Advancing Women in Tech CA Scholarship Program: https://awtca.org/scholarship-program/

Connect With Me:

• Website: https://www.technicallyspeakinghw.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/technicallyspeakinghw/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TechnicallySpeakingHW/featured
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hmwheeler/