Excel, Excitement and Everest with Lei Wang

Episode 015

In this episode, I'm talking to Lei Wang. Lei grew up in Beijing, where she studied an undergraduate and a master's degree in computer science and then went on to achieve an MBA in finance and marketing from the Wharton School, and was on a promising career track and finance. In 2010, she became the first Asian women to complete a journey to the summit of the highest mountains, on each of the seven continents. And to the north and south pole. This is a feat called the explorers Grand Slam. Through this journey of hardships and challenges. She made an astonishing discovery. And that was that excitement is the driving force behind innovation, peak performance and extraordinary achievements. Today, she travels the world, I send the new summits and empowering people and organisations to dream big, take that leap of faith and to tap into the power of excitement to realise their potential and to reach their heights of success.

We talked about:

• Lei's career in finance
• Inspiration from a Documentary movie
• Explorers Grand Slam
• Signals for success
• Climbing Everest
• After the summit - long term success
• Cultivating your excitement

Connect with Lei here:

Website: Lei Wang – Speaker (journeywithlei.com)

Facebook: Lei Wang | Facebook

Instagram: Lei Wang (@journeywithlei) • Instagram photos and videos

LinkedIn: Lei Wang | LinkedIn

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/LeisVentures?reload=9



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Transcript

Unknown: 0:00

Welcome to the everyday determinator podcast with your host, Okafor founder of the determinator collective we want to help you get off that hamster wheel of life and turn you into an everyday the Terminator by sharing stories for Americans who have overcome varying challenges in life and careers and by reviewing and signposting you to helpful resources to start you on the journey to achieving your goals. For more information on the determinator collective, please visit www dot Anne okafor.co. UK. Thanks for listening determinator.

Anne Okafor: 0:50

Hello, and welcome to the everyday determinator podcast. In this episode, I'm talking to Lei Wang. Lei grew up in Beijing, where she studied an undergraduate and a master's degree in computer science and then went on to achieve an MBA in finance and marketing from the Wharton School, and was on a promising career track and finance. In 2010, she became the first Asian women to complete a journey to the summit of the highest mountains, on each of the seven continents. And to the north and south pole. This is a feat called the explorers Grand Slam. Through this journey of hardships and challenges. She made an astonishing discovery. And that was that excitement is the driving force behind innovation, peak performance and extraordinary achievements. Today, she travels the world, I send the new summits and empowering people and organisations to dream big, take that leap of faith and to tap into the power of excitement to realise their potential and to reach their heights of success. Highly. It's fabulous to have you with us today.

Lei Wang: 1:55

How are you? Good. Thank you so much for having me.

Anne Okafor: 1:59

You're most welcome, though your story is an incredible one. And a very, very interesting one as well, I'm sure. I'd like to just rewind a little bit and talk about your education and your career paths to begin with. As a fellow women in STEM, you know, I'm always interested in getting other women and their experiences. So tell us about this career. You're studying computer science, and then going on to an MBA and finance and then management.

Lei Wang: 2:26

Yeah, actually, before I started my climbing dream, my career path is a pretty normal one, just most people who were working in a normal job. So I grew up in China, I was the best students all the way. So Oh, I knew was study, study, study, all I care about reading books, doing well in exam getting in the best school, I can get into the study hard after that and keep on going the same cycle. I grew up without any hobbies. Basically, I didn't have any interest outside of school study. I didn't have any talents like say sports or anything, that kind of thing. Anything about my future is like, Oh, I was saying I was a good student. And then I came to the United States. And first I continued on my career path on the computer science as the programmer for the investment banks. And then the Trump I was inspired by entrepreneurship saying that because you know, by the around the year 2000, all the.com bubble, Aude, it, boom, everything. So inspire me to pursue entrepreneurship. And that point, I joined a startup was working at one of the founding members, and then Detroit. Yeah, you know, the bubble burst. So everyone went back to school. So like, oh, we need to find your kitchen. We need to learn more how to successfully run a business. So I that when I went to Wharton School, originally motivation is to like on business management, but of course, working on it really strongly in finance and marketing. So I ended up upper Wharton, I went into the investment management profession, so that Oh, everything was pretty normal to that point. Then when I was working on my new job in investment management, just by totally by chance, I was inspired by some documentary movies. Begin to think oh, don't people climb mountains? Can I do something like that? Can I like just don't know why the something just start to like, just the brewing inside my heart I go. I feel like oh, what if I can do something like that? So crazy. So that time I was working like from 7am 7pm Like a long hours and all you're thinking about all day long is your work. However, I was inspired by the documentary movie that I had this Daydream thinking what is If I go to climb Mount Everest, can I do that? So I just had that they dream, they're starting to do the research, and then evolved into a big Daydream after that, okay, to climb Mount Everest, how do I start? Like, okay, I need to know how to go hiking, I need to learn the basic in the fall outside outdoor and go to the gym, to the basic thing about my health about fitness. And I need to figure out who can teach me something I can learn from by joining this club or taking that class. So I started figuring out what's the plan that can take me to Everest, which I put it in an Excel spreadsheet, I named the Excel spreadsheet, my dream of which is literally just to list out the year by year, okay, I'm no climb this mountain this year, that mountain that year, then maybe by end of 2010 at a little, at least not until 2010. Oh, maybe by then. And then I'll be able to climb Everest. And that's what happened, actually.

Anne Okafor: 6:08

Well, I mean, that's incredible, from just the inspiration coming from a documentary as well. And, you know, obviously, you said, when you were younger, you didn't really have any outside interest. So even up till that point, you didn't have any outside hobbies relevant because you were so busy studying and working and doing those things. So to just people chance upon a documentary, and it to just take your heart really because I think that's you know, you said, you've got that feeling. And just, I guess that bit of excitement that drew you in, and you thought maybe I can do that. And you know, you talk about that desire to prove that an ordinary person can can climb Everest, and you have done that, although you started with Everest as the idea. But then you did this incredible feat called the explorers Grand Slam, which I believe only maybe around 70 Other people have achieved so far. Tell us more about that. Because it's the highest seven peaks on each of the continents and the north and south pole. This is, you know, an incredible challenge to take on sort. Was that part of the spreadsheet, these sort of seven mountains to get to Everest, and obviously, it wasn't 2010 that you finished that and became the first Asian women to do so. Tell us more. I'm intrigued.

Lei Wang: 7:20

Yeah, so yes, our spreadsheet was lifted out was the Seven Summits. Because when I was dreaming about average and know someone who is a bookworm like a nerd, purely just a city girl, how do you go to Everest, you have to go? There have to be some steps. So I figured that to start research what takes to come Everest? What are some proper steps training you should go through before you can climb Everest, that discovered the so called The Seven Summits, which is the highest mountains on each of the seven continents. And the summer he there's some are harder. And they some require some skill, some only purely during this, oh, maybe that's a perfect plan. If I can claim the other six, then maybe I will be ready for Everest. So that's exactly what they've said on the spreadsheet. And from they say at that time, when they were dreaming about it, I literally saw what destroys that daydream, I will be really happy. If I can just go to the gym. If I can go run regularly become healthy, become fit, I'll be pretty happy. I will just admit it thinking, Okay, I'm just shooting for the moon. And if I can land on the star, that'd be fantastic. I wasn't planning to go all the way to the moon. So but I made that plan. And I think the funny thing about it is, at that time was a simple thing. Just Oh, I just want to explore this idea. But until or too many, many years later, after I finished the dream that began to really sound like a why what got you into all these things. So that tied into what I was speaking about the excitement, because a lot of times our lives are going really well. Like I had a great job just out of the best business school had the best job living in exciting Boston, the grid lifestyle, everything is great. But deep in our heart, something that is good is somewhat a complacent feeling. You actually meet something you use something more exciting. You desire something bigger, but you didn't know at that time I didn't know at that time was just on a whim. Oh, okay. I have a dream. Maybe I could Florida but I didn't know how to go so far in the end. So a lot of times is we are living a very good life. We have a good job good alive, complacent. We didn't know what it means sick. So when some outside external factors trigger some ideas that I think give us a message There's something you need to pay attention to, there's something in your heart you desire something else that you didn't even know. So I felt really lucky that I took the chance to risk jamming a hook and explore that. And I know, I was super, super lucky that I was able to explore that. Now my life a totally different in a different, totally different states different profession different being, that I was extremely fortunate, but many people was not. Because I know many, many people, they didn't know what they're passionate about. Like, when I talk about extended nothing exciting in my life, I don't know what I can be excited about. I don't know what I want. Many people will say they don't know, the truth is their signals, we just need to pay attention to be sent it to hear what is a little signal, little message that sending us something we need to capture that they are that then our life can be different.

Anne Okafor: 11:07

I think sometimes we so often are so busy doing the stuff that we're supposed to be doing what you say we're happy with in the usual sort comfy kind of zone, where we're not maybe listening to the signals, because we've maybe turned that off, because we're happy where we are we we don't really have anything bad going on, we're quite happy, we've got a good job with lifestyle. And we probably tune out to that excitement factor because everything's fine. You know, when we say almost for that, well, everything's okay. So, you know, I don't need to change anything. But you listen to those signals, and come on this incredible journey. And I think, you know, you talked about risk, obviously, the actual mountains themselves came with risks, but just the risk to kind of put yourself out of that comfort zone, you know, to step out of that comfy lifestyle as well. And that's a really hard thing to do. I think, for many people, for most people, probably, when things are good to try and add some risk in there can be quite a difficult thing. Would you agree?

Lei Wang: 12:07

Yeah, definitely. So when we like when we were given that external message signal, and the first thing we actually respond is fear. For me at that time, I would literally daydream, I don't care. Because I'm just shooting for the moon, I'll land on the star, I wasn't really expecting to get to the moon. So I wasn't okay. If I can just get out of my chair every day, be able to walk to the gym, be able to go run outside for a few blocks. I think that's a success for me. So I was just, I know, it's gonna be too scary to think, Hey, who are you going to climb Everest. But if I can just go to the gym, go exercise, become a fitter become healthier. I think that's success. So so all the time when we hear that signal, say, Oh, you need to startup business, you need to say pursue that kind of lifestyle or pursue that career, or you should get the next level or whatever, something scary, not the time, we don't have to put ourselves to expect everything happen overnight. Everything has 100% happen to be successful. Just okay. So if I hear that kind of message, maybe that I should explore something, and then set your eyes on something smaller. Okay. Say, the message I heard if I'm going to start a new business, wow, that's scary how I'm gonna make an income home and go into like my life, what's gonna happen if I started your business? It was my mortgage, my kids, my whatever, right is scary. But what about like, okay, that's the message, maybe I should start read some books about business. Or I should explore some new ideas, and maybe as a side hustle as a hobby at something. So if you hint to that message, take the tiny steps set a very low power goal, and explore how much do you like it? Then see, if you want to explore like me when I had that daydream of, okay, I want to be healthy. That turned out Oh, wow. I didn't know I was totally in love with climbing. So I got him one more. But if I wasn't a product wouldn't go that far. So when you get a message a little bit, then you can figure out if it's something you want or not. If not, there'll be other signals. Absolutely. Listening.

Anne Okafor: 14:31

I think you know that there's parallel celebrating those small wins as you go along. You know, setting the smaller goals. Again, not maybe comfortable with those but you know, if it is a case of starting a business, maybe reading a book, exploring a little bit and realising that you enjoy and then taking another step, but actually the power in those little steps as you go along, rather than just go and Unbiddable climb Everest and start climbing tomorrow. I mean, that's nobody can do that. So well, maybe someday On found, maybe someone will try. But there is definitely power and breaking it down into smaller bite sized chunks. And trying to just make a step at a time and you know, one ball at a time or a mountain at the time, as was in your case, what would you say was your favourite out of all of the challenges that you did along this grand slam? Was there one mountain that, you know really stuck with you that you really, you know, loved more than the rest was at Everest? Because that was the big dream? Or was there another one along the way that you, you know, you weren't sure about, but maybe it turned into a really good experience.

Lei Wang: 15:36

I think every one of them had great lessons. And every level can be my favourite, because each mountain I climbed was one step higher than the previous one was more challenging. So every time when I was a new mountain, the first few days, myself, no way, this time is my last time on the mountain, this time, I'm not going to be able to succeed. I'm not up to this level, I'm not good enough. And every month when I stepped down that I had this kind of salt. And of course, Everest, its ultimate one that I have this sort of all the way up to almost the end of the trip. Like just a couple of days before the summit. I finally figured, oh, there's a chance I can't go to the summit. So average was two months long journey in most of the time. Other said until the last few days before the summit, I saw there's no chance for me to make to the summit. Because I was starting out the slowest one weakness was smallest one. And I was falling behind all the time. I was frustrated that people are disappointed that might so slow, so weak. Who is this little woman? Why the shit here? Like, what make her sing, she can come with mountains, I know that. But just you don't even need to ask, just look at her eyes. Look at her attitude, you know what they're thinking about you in, but that's how I didn't let myself down to go, okay. I don't care what you think you don't know who I am. You do know my strengths. So along the way to kick me out. I'm going to stay here, too, to see how far I can go. Because when I had this daydream, my first thought was, Can I climb some mountain like that? Because I was thinking those mountains belong to the people who are extraordinary, with extraordinary athletic children skills and everything. I'm just an everyday person. I'm like, exactly what upsets the ordinary person. So that's why my dream is that kind of thing. ordinary person can do extraordinary things that I want to see how far an ordinary person can go on this amount of further, okay, I don't care how you would judge me. I'm gonna keep going on to absolutely no, I cannot go any more. So on to and also halfway through, I got an infection in lungs that I had to be sent off the mountain to recover in a village at that time, like almost like, I think the tripping over your weight us low and now you're sick. What's the chance for you to continue, but I didn't give up. I just stayed Okay. i My philosophy that if you didn't tell me no, that means still okay to go. I kept on. After I recovered, I went back to my team continued up on the mountain. And there's the miracoli I was able to hold on until the last few days before the summit. I was realising Oh, my performance is improving. Because with altitude, everyone's body reacted differently. So I was small, but at altitude, a smaller person actually has some advantage. Like I need less oxygen to perform. So near the end, oh, I can I'm cashing out with a team now I'm on par with oh, now I'm stronger than many of my team members now. So now I see wow, there's really a chance for me to go to the summit. So that's for the whole two months. That mental part is the hardest. Because yeah, one feet, one foot in front of another. Is it very easy to say to work that in pain? Yeah. Is in thoughts in everyone's eyes looking at you. Or everyone not no one believing in you. And you'd have to keep walking one foot in proper another for two months. That is very hard. So for me, Everest is my favourite one in the end because when you are challenged the most you are facing the biggest obstacle you have the most pain you're in most doubt about your success. You actually grow most. So I think average too much is a tremendous personal growth for me, knowing I can overcome that that whatever can stop me?

Anne Okafor: 20:01

Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah, I mean, that's an incredible feat. But you know, what, two months is a very long time. When you're up against it the whole time, you know, when you, you know, even when you're, you know, resting, you'll be up against it in terms of, like you said, the mental aspect of that, you know, and being sick for some of that as well, you know, that sort of extended period of two months is a long, long time to be, you know, working towards something with such courage and determination, you know, on a daily and put at least putting one foot in front of the other, you know, it's easy to say, to do that. And it's easy to say, Oh, well, you know, you can do that, you know, if you just do that every day, you know, that's fine, but two months is a long time to maintain that. So incredible. One thing that I really, really loved when I was doing my research into in today was one of the things that I heard you say, was that the summit is only halfway there. Because oftentimes, when we talk about success, we talk about reaching the top of the mountain and reaching that summit. But actually, it's only halfway you still got to come back down. And that itself is a challenge. It's not, you know, that's not the end of the journey, you get up there, you didn't come back. And that really, really resonated with me because we so much talk about, oh, you know, I've reached the top I've got to the top I've done this, I've done that I've made that success. But actually, we still need to maintain energy for the downward coming back down. And I just really love that quote. Is that something that's also come with you from the from the challenges you know, obviously you've reached all these seven summits but then you still had to come back down and was there challenges involved in that as well?

Lei Wang: 21:42

Yeah, definitely. So first of all, in mountain climbing most of the accidents most of the deaths happens on the way down not on the way up so go to the summit it really only the halfway that going down when you you know when you're going for the big goal you have adrenaline you have the determination you'll have the energy extend everything go to the summit, all of the oh my god are celebrating then you're gonna find your letter on your card, you release all your energy, then you can find yourself exhausted How am I going to go down? And that's actually the most gruesome part if going down a mountain it's very very dangerous. One is terrain the difficult the dangerous going down how easily can fly down off the mountain the number two you're exhausted and you're mentally are letting down because there's nothing like so exciting like a summit to motivate you all the time to sing okay just long way try to home but sing It's why we go to the summit it because you want to go back home, to be able to enjoy that memory to share with other people. The moment on the summit, which is such a short moment, but the word carries on your life is forever. So a lot of people forget that they put the energy oh, about going to the summit, then going downhill. It's disasters that how accidents happen. So that in the mountaineering philosophy, but in real life, it's also true, like a lot of time, when we were building a business or running a project, we're doing anything your life, we all shoot for that shirt, go like, okay, next month, I have a wedding to go after those five pounds, then after that I can eat whatever crap that that how it lost control the House, and we're burning. Okay, we want to make sure we have the year end the return on the stock record that everything should look great. We're putting cutting costs at the revenue and everything make the financial report look good. But what about our long term success. So a lot of time when we are aiming for the summit only, we only shoot for the super short term reward. We forgot. The most important thing is our long longevity, your health, business success, everything. So that's why actually my book is named after the summit, because summit it halfway Summit. Now the hardest part of that summit is not ultimate summit after Summit is long, hard journey. And if that's what the term your long term success, you don't want to people say hey, this person went to the summit. Oh, by the way, he didn't come back alive. Is that right? So and or is it oh, this person had this great success in five minutes. And it's all disaster after that. Yeah, you're the one who hear news like that. So long term success is one thing after another summit, you always think about what your long term strategy ended up focused on the little girl in front of

Anne Okafor: 24:46

you. No, absolutely. And you know, I totally agree it completely, you know, translates into our lives and our careers and how little businesses about that maintain and for the long term, and keeping that sort of energy and drive when you're tired, when things are hard, when you've had the success, you've reached the goal that you wanted to, you know, that's easy point, the short term later that burst of excitement, you get the goal. And then you're like, you've done that, what can we do now, maintain and after that, it's hard. You don't, it's tiring. But it's all the things that you can said about the mountain. But we have similar thoughts and feelings about after we've reached a summit in our lives as well. And you know, similar challenges, when we're tired, when things are hard, when you maybe don't have something to look forward to like a summit coming up, when you don't have a big goal, right immediately in your eyesight, it can be quite difficult to keep that determination and to keep on digging when you need to, to maintain that long success. So, you know, I just wanted to highlight that because I do think it's a really important point, when we're talking about Summit, as well. So this excitement and translated into leadership, and you will talk about innovation and peak performance, there is a fairly close relationship with extraordinary achievement like yours. And, and the sort of excitement that how can we do that in our lives? How do we cultivate this excitement in our lives? And he said, you speak to people about what do you want in your life? And we don't know. So when we don't know, how do we go about trying to understand that and cultivating that?

Lei Wang: 26:18

Yeah, that's a great question. So actually, that's what I help people to do right now. Because after the climbing, I felt like, it's a very interesting setting for me to going to another summit another summit by myself, I want to take people with me, I want to see more people going to their summit. Not I'm not saying everyone should go climb mountains, but I think everyone deserves to have an exciting life, a fulfilled life. And my dream is to help more people to achieve that. So I help people to explore. What is your passion? What is your long term vision? We a lot of time the first respondent, I don't know. But there's a lot of techniques we can use to explore that. And in some takes patience. I didn't discover my passion for mountain climbing until I was like, what 30 years old? And before that, I had no idea there's something called passion. I don't know what it what do you mean by passion? I only care about study work everything. I never thought about it. So a lot of times we didn't have that answer. Don't know, what are we excited about because we haven't spent enough time to explore that. So as a coach, I would help guide people through this process. Like we're going to work through your value system, work through your purpose, work through your vision, then you're going to start with this cover one thing after another, then eventually gonna evolve into something you're truly passionate about. Because a lot of thing, the passion is not all of a sudden, we discover that it's actually the way cultivated with broad way, just like I've said, before him to that little message, that little signal starts to take one step, then you're going to discover, oh, there's another door opened, let me see what's behind that door. Oh, there's another room after this room. Let me explore that, then you're gonna see you discover a whole big palace, your little interest, you're just tiny, small idea can grow into something big and exciting. So that how I help people to explore? What is their dream? What is their vision and how to get it?

Anne Okafor: 28:29

Yeah, no, I mean, that's, that's really good to hear. I mean, that's something that I'm doing at the moment. I'm just following my heart with things. And I don't necessarily know what my Everest is at the moment. But I know that people is my thing. I know, I want to be of service to people and to help people to realise their goals as well. And I'm just following that and exploring that at the moment. And I think that's a really good lesson that we can all take. It's just to explore what makes your heart happy. And if nothing else, you know, if it makes you happy, if it's not your evidence, you're still going to be happy, you still learn something about yourself, you still enjoy your time doing something that's made your heart happy. And I think, you know, and then let you say from that doors open, and you can then explore those avenues. And it's amazing what opportunities come up from just following. You know, what makes you happy? Certainly, if you'd have told me seven years ago that I wouldn't be doing what I'm doing today, I wouldn't have believed that it was possible because it wasn't in the plan. It wasn't a spreadsheet. It wasn't even thought of it because it was never something that I even thought about. Like you said, maybe for you. You hadn't even known about passion or mountain climbing until you started following that. That sort of what made you happy and that signals that you that you picked up on. So it's really good that we can all do that. So you mentioned your book as I think you've you've authored two books, is that correct?

Lei Wang: 29:56

Yes. Yeah. The first book was about is the autobahn. about my personal journey. Second book is after the summit, which is the lessons I learned from the climbing from how I related to the real world. Because I think, most important thing, we do anything and not about doing that. So climbing and not about climbing at the bottom, what's the lesson that alert can help our own life, help our career help our business? So I took the lessons I learned from mountains, put it in the real world to see how I can help business help leaders to get what they want in their life in their business.

Anne Okafor: 30:37

Brilliant. Well, it sounds fascinating. Where can we access the book?

Lei Wang: 30:42

Actually, right now the book can't leak excerpt from my website.

Anne Okafor: 30:45

Okay, I'm not sure website yet. Set there'll be we'll include that link anyway, in the show notes for this episode so that people can access the books should they wish because it definitely sounds like something I want to be getting my hands on and reading. Could you tell us what would be your top three tips for someone who's looking to find their Everest, whatever their Everest may be? Or trying to find that excitement in their life? What would be your top three tips?

Lei Wang: 31:12

Well, first of all, if allow yourself the space to explore, don't jump to concurrent topic a lot of time. The first idea is, I'm asking this question, because I don't know, right? Like I'm asking you to tell me, I don't know. So just slow down. Give yourself a space to sick. It's okay. You don't know right now. And now you have this mindset, okay, I want to explore that desire is most important. If you have that desire, I want to find out what is my effort, I want to find out what is my dream my vision, then I'm going to keep my eyes open, keep looking, right? I'm going to see as this one interests me that that one interests me. So that's the first step is be open, give yourself a space. Allow yourself to be curious to develop that. And it okay, you don't find it answers. And very likely not gonna find out today or even tomorrow. But once that can lead to another step, just be curious to explore the little things. So that's the first step. Be curious. Give yourself a space. The second step, it takes a little step. Once you find a little thing that you're curious about. Just take one step, kind of step to explore that direction to see if that leads to anything. Then it was something go take another step another step, just keep going with it. Let the karate guide you. And then a certain life don't accept no or failure. Because most of the time when we're consuming something first door, sorry, if not open locked. Second one of the dead end. Oh, now one I went on for well still come to a dead end. Yes, you go to face a lot of no a lot of rejection, a lot of failure. But that's the part of the journey. That how you discover what you really are excited about, like my climbing, I felt a lot of failures. But I had to keep on trying, okay, this mountain, I'm not good enough. I'll go back home train more. And that mountain Oh, I didn't have this skill. Oh, next time, learn how you do. So you always learn something. So keep up. And every time when you facing the rejection facing affiliate that when you grow. So that's a three step and oh, I want to add on is like, don't do it alone. Along the way, I had so many health from my culture from my community. So always find that people like minded people, be your cheerleaders, peer supporters, and find the people who can help you to guide you. Like when I said like, if anyone wants to reach out to me, I'm happy to chat with you, to help you to explore what is your true excitement with true dream. And that may take a process but I've as a coach is like what I've learned from climbing is never never give up. It's I never give up on my client. Okay, keep on trying keep on trying, you will find it that how each of us can get to the point that we can claim to be somewhat successful. Although that's a totally cliche word I because I think success is all by your own term. Whatever you are getting to in your life. You are the only judge to say that successful. Don't let other people to say this or that about your success. You are your own boss. Absolutely. That's

Anne Okafor: 34:49

an incredible way to round up. And to sum up that because I think we often do allow other people to define what success looks like for us. And I think you know, it's only truly when You take that back and define it for yourself and live what success means to you that you really feel that you're successful. I certainly know that's been the case for me. But thank you so much. How can our listeners I know you put your website on the video screen behind you? How can they connect with you online? Or on social? So you on Instagram or anything like this?

Lei Wang: 35:23

Yeah, so my email is laid out e i, and the journey was laid out calm. And on social media, my Facebook, my LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, handle it all journey with Les. So if you just search journey with Les on any platform, you can find me. And if you ever need a help, just reach out to me. I'm happy to chat with you, to help you to figure out your dream help you to figure out what's your first step, help you how to keep that motivation going on the long journey.

Anne Okafor: 35:57

Awesome. Well, we will include the links in the show notes of this for listeners. So if you'd like to connect with Leah, you'll be able to do so from the show notes. Thank you very much. It Leah, thank you so much for spending some time with us today and sharing your wonderful insights from your journey and your incredible story. really remarkable. Thank you so much.

Lei Wang: 36:17

Thank you so much. It's such a pleasure.

Anne Okafor: 36:19

You're welcome. So listeners whether you are bouncing back from a challenge or storming forward to the next one, the determining tech Collective is here for you. Stay remarkable the terminators.

Unknown: 36:31

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe so you don't miss when new episodes are posted. He will continue to deliver real life insights on overcoming challenges, practical tips and advice on becoming unstuck with a collective of people just like you are everyday this Terminator. Until next time, take care of yourselves and your friends. Thanks for listening to terminators