Today we’d like to introduce you to Vivian Vu.
Vivian, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I graduated from college with a television and broadcast journalism degree from Chapman University. With no job full-time job lined up, I was a nervous wreck. The only job I had was teaching kickboxing classes 3-5 times per day and then teaching barre classes on top of that. I was in the best shape of my life, haha, but I definitely needed a full-time gig if I was to stay in Southern California. I started a YouTube channel called “World Meets Nerd” where I discussed all things nerdy and geeky including baking videos of Walking Dead cakes and Wonder Woman donuts. From this, my friend had suggested that I apply for this unpaid on-air personality and host position for a YouTube channel called “Dorkaholics.” I got the job and went from convention to convention, interviewing artists and cosplayers while dawning my own cosplay costumes as well.
Eventually, I landed a job in public relations, working with travel and hospitality brands (even though I had no PR experience whatsoever). I worked here for about a year and a half and learned so much about the PR industry, but I knew that travel wasn’t something I really wanted to do. I’m a nerd and always will be, so I applied for another job in gaming PR. My coworker had actually found this opening and suggested that I apply. I’m so glad that I did. Three interviews later, I now do public relations for Nintendo of America. But I also still teach kickboxing on the weekends and drive from LA to the OC every weekend just because my students are the best!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Definitely not! But that’s life. Life is a journey. I’m currently 25 and when you’re in your twenties, you feel like you’re invincible. Like you can take on the world. But you also have to realize that life is a struggle sometimes, and/or all the time and that hard work and persistence pays off. Just in the past three years, so much has changed for the better!
After college, I was struggling with finding a full-time gig for over a year and a half, but you just have to stay consistent and honestly apply for jobs that you may think you’re not qualified for. That’s how I landed my first public relations job without any experience. From kickboxing and comic books to video games and baking my ridiculously good Brown Butter Nutella-Stuffed Cookies, I was at a time in my life where I did a little bit of everything because I had a lot of interests. I thought that I should at least try and make a career out of one or all of these things because in the words of Hillary Duff: Why not?! So after landing this job that I was unqualified for in hospitality PR and working there for almost two years, I chose to go back to one of my passions and turned to gaming PR instead.
It’s super important to find out what you’re passionate about and roll with it. Every decision you make from this point on should go back to your passions and interests. It’s what pushes you to get up and out of bed every morning. Do what makes you happy and hopefully, you will be able to turn what makes you happy into something that will also help you make a living. Money isn’t worth doing something that you don’t enjoy. Also, don’t be afraid of failing. Sometimes, you have to fail so that you can rise up and reach for something even better. It’s true. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with failing.
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
Right now, I am a PR associate at Golin for Nintendo of America on the media relations side. I love talking to people and meeting new people, so I feel like I was meant for public relations. From working events to working on video game campaigns, I get my creative juices flowing but also get to use my brain for more analytical reporting. Most recently, I worked my first E3 Expo and it was one of the most incredible experiences that I’ve ever had in my life. I ran demo booth tours for the gaming media and also had the chance to test out the new Nintendo titles as well.
I’m known for my bubbly and outgoing personality, but sometimes that’s very deceiving haha. On the inside, I love very dark things and am very fascinated with horror, bruises, graveyards, knives, fire, and other things along the lines of these things. But I’m also known for my knowledge in video games and my merciless teaching style at my kickboxing studio. Obviously, as a nerd and now a gaming PR associate, I know my video games and I know how to deal with gaming media. As a kickboxing instructor, I work at CKO in North Tustin and I’m known as the toughest instructor. I love burpees, squat jumps, and ab work, so it’s no surprise. I also yell a lot in my classes and know how to push people to their limits. I’m lucky that I am able to fulfill both my passions in health and fitness and video games.
It would be great to hear about any apps, books, podcasts or other resources that you’ve used and would recommend to others.
One of the books that helped me include “Yes, Please” by Amy Poehler. Other than that, I mostly listen to murder mystery/crime podcasts. My favorite book of all time is “We Were Liars” by E. Lockhart. It’s not the best book in the world, but it made me realize as a teenager that time is precious and that we should cherish the time we have with the people around us. This is why I’m an old soul. I honestly say that I have two personalities outside of my work self; it’s either twelve-year-old boy (I love laser tag) or eighty-year-old woman.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @vivu22
Image Credit:
Myself, Alice Bui Photography (Instagram: @alice_b_photography)
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