Christine recently recounted the pivotal moment that led her to leave her prestigious tech job to pursue a career in circus arts. While on vacation in the Caribbean, Christine was performing trapeze with a local flying circus troupe. The head of the troupe, Kevin Hudson, pulled her aside and offered her a job to join them as they traveled to New Zealand. Christine laughed it off at first, but she was intrigued by the idea of running away with the circus. When Christine returned to her job at Microsoft in New York City, she felt overwhelmed and unfulfilled by the flood of emails awaiting her. She then received a contract from Kevin's circus troupe in her personal inbox, asking her to start immediately. Without overthinking it, Christine decided to take the plunge and leave Microsoft, crying in her manager's office as she explained her decision.
Christine's Ten Year Journey in Circus Arts
What followed for Christine was a ten year journey through the world of circus arts. She began by performing full-time with circuses for two years. She then returned to San Francisco to work in tech while training and performing circus part-time on the side. By 2016-2017, Christine felt another change coming on and decided to pursue circus as a full-time career again. She co-founded The Dahlias Entertainment, a professional circus troupe, with three others.
Christine grew up in a traditional Korean family in Orange County. Her parents wanted her to conform to their Korean values and traditions. As a teenager, Christine rebelled by trying out for cheerleading, which she excelled at. She found cheerleading a great training ground for her later circus endeavors. When Christine later left her tech job to join the circus, it upset her traditional Korean parents. She even created a PowerPoint presentation to convince them to support her risky career move.
For years, Christine pivoted between working in the tech industry and training for circus arts. After two years of circus performing, she returned to a tech job in San Francisco while continuing circus training on the side. In 2016, she felt the call to return to circus full time and make it her career. Along with three other performers, Christine co-founded The Dahlias Entertainment, a professional circus troupe. They now have over 100 performers in their portfolio and have gotten gigs opening for major music artists. Forming her own troupe allowed Christine to fully pursue her passion while also providing a platform for up-and-coming circus performers.
Christine credits mentors like Scott who helped guide her through the many career pivots over the years. Scott provided valuable advice as she transitioned between the tech world and circus arts. He helped give her the confidence to take risks and pursue her dreams. Christine found great fulfillment in giving back to the circus community. She organized an annual fundraising event called the Dream Circus Birthday Show, which gave new performers a platform to gain experience. One performer, Andrea, gained tremendous confidence and skills through the show. Andrea eventually got accepted into a prestigious circus program and joined Cirque du Soleil's Vegas shows.
Discovering Her Passion
A key lesson from Christine's journey was the importance of discovering one's passion and finding fulfillment. Though she achieved success in the tech industry, it never fully resonated with her. Pursuing circus arts helped her unlock her true passion. She encourages others to keep exploring new interests and activities until they find what makes them come alive. Even as an established performer, Christine continues to find new ways to serve others through her skills. Whether through teaching virtual circus classes during the pandemic or mentoring up-and-coming performers, she stays focused on giving back. She believes that when you follow your passion, you discover new ways to spread joy and serve people along the way. Christine's story serves as an inspiration to anyone looking to make a drastic life change and follow their dreams. Her willingness to take risks and pivot careers until she found fulfillment displays the power of perseverance. Though she had to overcome obstacles like upsetting her traditional parents, she stayed true to her passion. She transformed her entire life simply by saying yes to a spur-of-the-moment opportunity to join the flying circus troupe. Sometimes inspiration strikes when we least expect it, inviting us to leap into the unknown. With an open heart and the courage to pursue our wildest dreams, we can turn our lives into an exciting adventure. Christine found magic and wonder by running away with the circus. What passion is waiting for you to unlock it? Where will your heart lead you if you have the bravery to follow it?
Check out the full version of Episode 109 here.
