We’re looking forward to introducing you to Tom Sun. Check out our conversation below.
Hi Tom, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: What’s more important to you—intelligence, energy, or integrity?
For me, it’s energy—specifically the kind of energy a person projects. It’s not about how tired or awake someone is, but the presence they bring into a space. That energy sets the tone for collaboration, trust, and forward momentum.
I had to work on this myself. Early on, I realized that how I carried myself—my cadence, tone, and confidence—directly impacted how others responded to me. Over time, I learned how to be intentional with my energy, and now I see it as one of my greatest strengths.
I believe intelligence and integrity can both be taught or shaped through experience and mentorship. But energy—the kind that inspires and elevates—comes from within. It takes heart.
That said, I’ve worked with people who bring a more negative energy. I don’t prefer it, but I’ve learned how to work with it. Their energy often makes them more predictable, and that predictability allows me to strategically engage with their strengths while managing around their limitations.
I’ve also found that a person’s energy is often a reflection of something deeper. Low energy might point to poor physical health. Aggressive energy can stem from anger. Cautious, withdrawn energy might reflect past betrayals or trust issues. These impressions are telling—and whether fair or not, people make assumptions based on them all the time.
Ultimately, I value energy most because it reveals so much and influences everything. When it’s positive and intentional, it becomes contagious—and that’s the kind of momentum I want to build around.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi, I’m Tom Sun—Senior Marketing Director at KWA Airsoft and Strategic Creative Director at PAVE, a brand and marketing agency. With two decades of experience across branding, storytelling, and business strategy, I bring both creative firepower and operational focus to every project I touch.
At KWA, I’ve helped evolve the brand into more than just a high-performance airsoft company. We’ve positioned KWA as a lifestyle leader in the space—one that bridges the gap between hobby and real-world application. From launching highly anticipated limited editions to building $10K prize tournaments to filming documentary videos. I’ve also helped with our expansion into training and tactical markets, helping law enforcement, military, private security, and professionals use our products for force-on-force training. We’re not just here to entertain—we’re helping people train smarter, safer, and more effectively.
At PAVE, I help brands in both mainstream and unconventional industries find their voice and sharpen their edge. We specialize in both traditional and non-traditional digital marketing, including psy-ops-inspired storytelling, gray-area industry navigation, and brand positioning that wins attention without sacrificing authenticity. From startups to national brands, I work alongside founders and marketing teams to scale growth through narrative clarity and high-trust community building.
Beyond that, I’m involved in multiple ventures—building clothing brands, investing in service-based businesses, and offering AI consultation for startups looking to future-proof their workflow and content strategy.
My approach is simple: sometimes the right way forward is the opposite of what feels comfortable or expected. Whether it’s going off-script in a campaign or betting on an unconventional growth channel, I’ve built my career by embracing the path most people overlook. That mindset—of doing things differently, but intentionally—is what continues to open the most unexpected and rewarding doors.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
I was a quiet observer—someone with potential, curiosity, and creativity—but I didn’t have the mindset to carry me through the situations I was in. I matched my environment, not knowing there was another option. When things felt hopeless or chaotic, I didn’t fight it—I escaped. Whether it was through drinking, smoking, ignoring my parents, or brushing off school, I leaned into the mindset that my surroundings taught me: that it was easier to drift than to rise.
Back then, I didn’t understand how powerful your mindset could be. I didn’t know it was possible to choose a stronger one than what your environment gave you. And when you don’t know that, you start to believe your situation is who you are.
It wasn’t until much later that I realized mindset is everything. A stronger mindset is the difference between continuing the cycle or breaking it. Between staying stuck or starting over. Between people seeing you as a product of your situation—or someone who transcended it.
Mindset is a choice you make every day. It’s choosing to be positive and optimistic, even when the world tells you it’s unrealistic. It’s the decision to move forward with intention, even when it would be easier to give in. Mindset is the act of asserting yourself as who you have the potential to become—not who you were in the past.
That’s why this lesson is so important to me now. Because I’ve lived both versions. I’ve been the person who gave in to the world, and I’ve also worked hard to become the person who creates his own. And now, that mindset is the foundation I build everything else on.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
Hey kid, protect that imagination of yours.
People might mistake it for something weird, but that’s only because they don’t know how powerful it really is. That imagination? It’s your superpower. It’s what makes you different—in the best way.
Don’t be afraid of using it wrong. In fact, use it every chance you get. Make things up. Build worlds. Think wild thoughts. That’s how you’ll grow into who you’re meant to be.
And if people don’t understand it, that’s okay. It’s not meant for everyone. It’s there to help you understand yourself—and eventually, to help others too. You don’t need permission to be imaginative. Just the courage to keep using it.
You’ll need it more than you know.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
To lead with purpose.
I believe God has a plan for me to be greater than where I’ve been—and that plan isn’t just about success, but service. I’m here to help people dream bigger, solve real problems, and walk toward the life they didn’t think they could reach on their own.
You can’t follow a map to do that kind of work. It takes imagination. It takes heart. And it takes the kind of presence that makes people feel safe enough to trust you with their hopes, struggles, and stories.
This is a lifelong commitment for me—no matter where I am in life, how much I’ve achieved, or how far I still have to go. Because when you lead with purpose, you don’t move aimlessly. And when you’re walking in alignment with something greater, you don’t make mistakes—you make meaning.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What do you understand deeply that most people don’t?
That being present—and being a good person—is everything.
It doesn’t mean you have to constantly be on vacation or off the grid. Presence shows up in small, intentional ways. It’s in how you pay attention, how you listen, how you show up without needing credit. Most people have felt it in moments—like seeing someone cry and instinctively comforting them. But I’ve learned that it’s not just for emotional moments. That kind of presence can exist in everything.
It’s complimenting someone without expecting anything back.
It’s checking in on a friend or parent just because.
It’s silently dedicating a day’s work to someone you love.
It’s grabbing lunch with someone and making the time about them, not you.
It’s offering help without attaching an invoice.
These are the moments where ego and money fall away—and what’s left is who you really are. I’ve found that living in this space, consistently, is what gives life the most meaning. And most people miss it because they think “success” is louder than presence. It’s not.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Pave.agency
- Instagram: https://Instagram.com/tomm.s55
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomsun87
- Youtube: https://YouTube.com/@theuncutgems
- Other: Tiktok.com/@the_uncut_gems
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