Today we’d like to introduce you to Oanh Nguyen.
Oanh, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’ve always wanted to start a blog ever since my parents divorced in 2012. I was going through a very difficult time in my life and there wasn’t anyone, I could really talk to. I use to write in journals a lot, blogging seemed similar, but I was afraid of what others would think about me if I wrote publicly. When I moved down to Texas from Vermont, September 2016, I didn’t bring my journals with me. I got a new journal, but I barely wrote in it. I was busy adjusting to my new married life and Texas was different from Vermont. Things got a little bit better, but unfortunately, days before Thanksgiving last year, I got laid-off from my job. I spent the rest of the year in hopes of jumpstarting a new career, but I was unsuccessful. Deciding to keep myself busy in the meantime, I started planning out my blog. On January 1st, my blog was live. My New Year’s resolution was to blog at least twice a week. I started off with a topic that resonated with me, #metoo. And now, I am planning to write more about mental-wellness and my journey with depression and anxiety. Alice vs. The World is about me (why my name is Alice is on my blog) overcoming my daily challenges and taking on the world, one blog post at a time.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road! I want my blog to be relevant to all readers, so that anyone from any background or gender can click on my posts and understand my perspective. More importantly, he/she can learn from and share with others. The biggest struggle I have, that I’m sure many bloggers also have, is being unique and staying true to your authentic self online and offline. Although, I love fashion and makeup, I’m neither a fashion blogger or a makeup guru. I’m just a nerd that stays up late playing video games every night with my husband. There’s an anonymous quote that says, “be who you needed when you were younger”, and my blog is a reflection of that for me. I don’t want people to see my profile or blog as someone who’s depressed, but as someone that is on a journey to overcome her problems. I want to be able to share my dorkiness, my love for geek culture and overcoming my struggles. I believe that when you are your authentic self, people will naturally be drawn to you. Don’t be afraid to be different, you’ll be surprised to see the overwhelming positive response.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into Alice vs. The World story. Tell us more about the business.
Before, “Alice vs. The World”, most people know me for my cosplays. Cosplaying is a way for me to express myself creatively. Cosplay is dressing up as characters from video games, books, comics, movies or anything of pop culture, especially of Japanese manga and anime. Although, cosplay is still a big part of who I am, “Alice vs. The World” is rooted on my #metoo experience. When that hashtag broke out on the internet last year, I was surprised at how many people, male and female, experienced sexual harassment and abuse. The fact that it was Time Magazine’s Person of the Year for 2017 (The Silence Breakers), it really struck home with me. Every single #metoo testimony is different, but similar at the same time. I barely talked about my sexual abuse before my blog because I thought I was alone. I was ashamed for what happened to me, even though it wasn’t my fault. I was scared that the people who knew me would judge me negatively. Little did I know, I mentally damaged myself because I didn’t talk about it more (I go more into depth in my blog). I learned that in the Vietnamese community I grew up in, it was taboo to talk about sex. After talking to my mom about what happened, I realized that many Vietnamese parents don’t really educate their children about sex. Furthermore, depression and anxiety is “just a feeling that will pass” to my mom and many other Vietnamese parents that are uneducated about this issue. My blog is still very small, but I’m working on small projects and looking for collaborations in order to educate not just Vietnamese people, but also lower-income families who don’t understand the importance of mental-wellness.
Do you have a lesson or advice you’d like to share with young women just starting out?
Don’t be afraid to jump ship and never stop learning. I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in History and a minor in Secondary Education. Ever since I was in middle school, I wanted to be a middle or high school history teacher. Upon graduation, I realized that I didn’t want to follow that path anymore. I didn’t want to be confined by the walls of a classroom, I wanted to go beyond the walls. The world was my classroom. After I graduated, I got into social media marketing and I learned a great deal from that. My husband started his own aerial/drone photography business (AGL Studio Productions) and got me into photography. My mother-in-law started a microblading business (Zeem’s Beauty Studio) and my husband and I, worked on building a website and did some light marketing for her. I also created a website for my aunt’s hair salon back in Vermont as well. I’m always curious and try to find ways to constantly educate myself. I believe that in everything you do, keep pushing onward and towards the next thing. My background in history never went to waste. The years I spent researching and writing papers, I learned how to best find the right information and the art of skimming. From that, I became a fast learner. I always try to apply something I’ve learned in a previous job to my current job, so that my skills stay sharp. I’m an advocate for being a well-rounded person. It’s important to keep learning and apply the knowledge you’ve learned. You might never know what your future boss might need and it could potentially open doors to a promotion.
Contact Info:
- Email: awkwardlyalice@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alicevstheworld/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alicevtheworld/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/alicevtheworld
Image Credit:
Andy Nguyen (Instagram @anhdeee)
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