My Mom Was a Housekeeper, My Dad Was a Janitor. And I Still Made 7-Figures.
In this blog:
There’s always a back door to your goals.
From janitor's daughter to successful content creator
The system is rigged? Build your own.
My mom was a housekeeper and my dad was a janitor. And I'm Asian.
So naturally... I adopted the American Dream of making good money, buying a house, and driving a nice car one day.
One way to achieve this goal is to succeed in corporate, and that's the first route I took.
I did everything "right" — got good grades, went to college, landed what everyone called "dream jobs" at Google, Microsoft, and McKinsey.
I thought I had cracked the code.
Then I did something sneaky.
The Spreadsheet That Changed Everything
After I landed my dream job, I was tasked with looking through resumes for the next round of applicants. I had access to past recruitment files. I mean, wouldn't you be curious too — "what did they say about me?"
And there it was: a spreadsheet of hundreds of candidates. Next to my name, one lonely checkmark: "first gen college student."
Sorry, what? Everyone else's mom and dad was college educated? Doctors, lawyers, engineers? Am I in the right room?
I felt huuuge imposter syndrome.
My mom was a housekeeper and my dad was a janitor (that's why my place is always neat ;), and they didn't get to go to college. “Do I belong here?” I wondered.
The System Reveals Itself
That moment made me realize — this system is so unfair.
What about all the hardworking first-generation college students whose parents probably escaped their countries to get to the US? Who have the work ethic and grit but didn't make the cut because they didn't start off in the "right" rooms?
Is this how the rich get richer and the poor get poorer? How the gap increases?
I sat there staring at that spreadsheet, feeling like I had accidentally wandered into a country club where everyone else had generational membership and I was the kid who snuck in through the back fence. The playing field wasn't just uneven — it was built on a completely different planet.
Every conversation about "networking" suddenly made sense. Of course you're more confident in interviews when you grew up hearing business terminology at the dinner table. Of course you know the "unwritten rules" when they've been written in your family for generations. Of course you’ll ask for a promotion when you’re told to “speak your mind and share your thoughts.”
The Corporate Trap
That job wasn't right for me long term anyway. I tried to fit in — I wore a black Banana Republic blazer, climbed the promotional ladder, changed my tone to match the corporate lingo. But it was too rigid, had awful work-life balance, and honestly… I just don't like someone else controlling my time.
I realized I was trying to fit into a system that didn’t even fit my long term vision for life. A vision of freedom, soft hustling, travel, creating what made me happy…
So I quit. Jumped ship.
The decision terrified my parents. But I couldn't shake the feeling that there had to be another way — a way that didn't require me to pretend to be someone I wasn't.
Finding the Back Door
I started freelancing content creation — first making around $200 per video.
My friends thought I had lost my mind. "You left a good job for this?"
But something felt different. For the first time, I wasn't being evaluated based on my pedigree or whether I spoke professionally enough in client meetings. I was being judged on the value I could provide and the content I could create.
The internet didn't care that my parents were a housekeeper and a janitor. The Instagram algorithm didn't ask for my college transcripts. TikTok didn't require letters of recommendation from my previous bosses.
I learned everything from YouTube and Instagram tutorials and trial and error. I made mistakes that would have gotten me fired in corporate but that taught me invaluable lessons as an online entrepreneur. I worked nights and weekends, not because someone was forcing me to, but because I was building something that was mine.
In two years, I scaled to 7-figures.
There's Always Another Way
Here's what I learned: there's always a back door. And if not, a window to crack open or a chimney to climb down.
The traditional system — college to corporate to climbing the ladder — works for some people. And for some peoplei it’s wonderful.
But for those of us who feel like we’re meant for a different path, different vibe, different vision of life? We can build our own system.
The beautiful thing about entrepreneurship is that it's one of the few true meritocracies left. Your background matters less than your ability to solve problems, create value, and serve customers. Your parents' occupations don't determine your income potential.
I didn't need my dad to know someone who knew someone. I didn't need family connections or generational wealth or an inside track. I needed hustle, creativity, and the willingness to bet on myself.
The Real American Dream
My parents' version of the American dream was about fitting into the existing system — getting the house, the car, the corporate job that would prove we had "made it." But I realized that the real American dream isn't about conforming to someone else's definition of success.
It's about creating your own.
That first million didn't just change my bank account — it validated a different path. It proved that you don't need the right last name or the right connections or the right background.
You just need the right mindset and the willingness to work harder and smarter than everyone else.
Now when I work, I'm building something that belongs to me. Something that can't be taken away by corporate restructuring or budget cuts or someone deciding I don't "fit the culture."
Your Dreams Are Never Shut Off
If you're reading this and you're the first in your family to go to college, or you don't have the connections, or you feel like you're on the outside looking in — know this: your dreams will never be shut off from you.
Don't let anyone convince you that your background is a limitation. It's literally not. It's preparation. The work ethic your parents modeled, the resilience you developed, the creativity you learned from making something out of nothing — these are superpowers in the entrepreneurial world.
Your parents' jobs don't define your potential. Your last name doesn't determine your future. Your starting point is not your ending point.
Find your back door. Climb through the window. Go down the chimney if you have to.
Your dreams are waiting.
With love and determination,
Linda ✨
P.S. — Because my mom was a housekeeper, I literally learned to keep my space so clean and organized that it’s shocking to anyone who comes over :)
