Pivot With Purpose Season 5 Episode 7 Chelsea Vuong Full Transcript

Meghan Houle (00:00.659) Chelsea Vong, welcome to the Pivot With Purpose podcast. How are you, my friend? Yes, doing so well. I am very excited to have you on for so many reasons. We can just like dive into all of them, but I would love to as Pivot With Purpose, you know this podcast is truly about pivots and doing all the things in life that, you know. Chelsea Vuong (00:06.463) How are you? Meghan Houle (00:28.211) the journeys, the roads, the twists, the turns that bring you to your ultimate purpose. And I feel like we're probably like always pivoting, right? But I always love to start off with understanding where we're catching our guests today. So tell us a little bit about like, where are we catching you? What are you up to? And then we're gonna like talk all things, pivots and networking and how we came into each other's world and the power of that, all my juicy topics I love to discuss. So what are you up to? Tell us about Chelsea. Chelsea Vuong (00:53.676) Absolutely. What am I not up to? Just kidding. I'm currently Miss Massachusetts 2023. I'm competing for Miss America next month. So it's been crazy preparing this entire time. At the same time, I am working for the Washington Commanders in Washington, D.C. And so it's been quite the journey traveling back and forth and doing full-time Washington Commanders, but then also being Miss Massachusetts as well. So that's where I'm currently at. And I was just practicing the piano. Meghan Houle (00:58.133) I know. Yeah. Meghan Houle (01:02.955) Woo! Ah! Chelsea Vuong (01:26.614) when you caught me and I'll probably go back right after this podcast. Meghan Houle (01:31.211) And I feel like as we launch this, it will launch, I feel like right before going into it. So we're gonna make sure there's a big pivot with purpose watch crew cheering you on. When, it's January 14th, right? Or no, yeah. Okay. Chelsea Vuong (01:46.23) Yes, so Fools is January 14th. Proluminaries for Ms. America was actually on my birthday, which is January 10th. And so. Meghan Houle (01:53.536) Okay. So how does that work? Do you have to get through that and then you get on the 14th? So the 10th is like the big day too, right? Yeah. Chelsea Vuong (02:02.266) Yeah, so on Sunday, I believe that's January 7th, we have our eight minute interview. And then on January 10th, you have your preliminary competition where there's 51 contestants all competing in fitness, on stage question, talent, and evening wear. And then of those that competed on preliminary night, on finals night, they cut it to the top 11. And then only those 11 get to compete again for Miss Samara. Meghan Houle (02:28.251) Right. And then that's how you get on the show and like the hoop. Oh, yeah. Wow. So it's like all the things that I talk about on this podcast. And I'm like, life is not a competition, but it kind of actually is sometimes. That's like what you're doing. Chelsea Vuong (02:32.662) Yes. Chelsea Vuong (02:42.308) You're in a competition with yourself. That's what my... Meghan Houle (02:44.955) Truly, right? Because your blinders are on. I bet you are just like focused on yourself. And I am sure that by thinking of everyone else who everyone else is doing, I mean, that only kind of gets you in your head, right? Before we dive into your pivot, it's like, what are some of your best practices that you use to like really, really prepare? Because there are so many portions of it. And I think a lot of the listeners listening in are. Chelsea Vuong (02:48.878) Thank you. Chelsea Vuong (03:07.487) No. Meghan Houle (03:11.803) career professionals, executives, like people from all over at some point in life. Like we all are preparing for something, but the preparation is the key to confidence. And like, that's how you nail it, right? So what do you do? Like what's your ritual, secret sauce for preparation? Mm-hmm. Chelsea Vuong (03:25.766) secrets boss. Well currently what I'm doing is I have a running notes or running things to do on my notes list and every single day it's practically like a routine like in a sense I'm robotic where I just try to check off those things over and over and I think it's really nice because you can't get in your head when you know you have things to do so I try to keep my schedule as busy as occupied as possible so that my I don't really get into my head. If that makes sense? Meghan Houle (03:56.563) Yeah. You're booked and busy in an actual queen on this podcast, guys. OK? So how lucky are we? Same, though. You should see this desk that I'm on. Not only do I have 27 notebooks, but I love writing or typing. Like, I think the notes function I probably should use more often on my phone. But I just love that pen to paper and crossing something off or putting the checkbox on. There's something so therapeutic. I'm like, done and dusted. Oh! Chelsea Vuong (04:00.26) No. Chelsea Vuong (04:16.654) Thank you. Chelsea Vuong (04:22.427) Thank you. Meghan Houle (04:24.803) Okay, so diving an early career Chelsea, before landing this amazing, prestigious honor, to represent Massachusetts and to be in this pageant world, which I know is not also for the faint of heart. A lot of work and a lot of time and I'm sure stress and all of it goes into it for sure. The backstage like drama, that's another podcast. You like spill the beans girl. Maybe after your reign is over. No, I'm just kidding. But like where was Chelsea early on in her career? I mean, I know you went to Harvard, like you have some incredible accolades. So where did you get started? And do you feel like what you went to school for is what you're doing today? Chelsea Vuong (05:08.31) Yeah, so I graduated from Harvard in 20, not 2016. I graduated from high school 2016. I graduated from Harvard in 2021 and actually took a gap year between my freshmen and sophomore years of college because I truly had no idea what I wanted to do. And I want to make it a thing where I wanted to be conscientious of like how I went about college. And so I took that year to do a lot of self reflection, do some meditation, do some journaling. Meghan Houle (05:20.516) Mmm. Chelsea Vuong (05:36.682) really get in tune with who I am so that when I were to go back to college, I would have more of a sense of direction of like, what clubs I want to join, if I want to do any internships, what major I should try to explore. And so at the end, I graduated with a degree in economics and Harvard, it's liberal arts. So you can't really major in something that's tangible, if that makes any sense. Like they want you to learn how to problem solve. And I think that's something that was an amazing takeaway for me was I could go into any industry and because I knew and learned how to problem solve, I could be moldable and adaptable and flexible towards what the job demands were. After college still didn't know what I wanted to do. And so I went to consulting and what consulting is, it's where you go to different companies and whatever business problem that pops up, you go there and you help them out. So for example, one thing that I did was I helped a fast food company price a hamburger on their menu item. Yeah. Exactly. There's a lot. So I'm able to get a lot of tangible skills such as doing budget forecasting, working in Excel, learning how to write a story so that people that I presented to, whether if it's a managerial stakeholder or like a CEO, I would be able to tailor that story towards them so that they would understand what I'm trying to recommend them to do. Meghan Houle (06:36.803) Hmm. With like consumer research and I mean, there's a lot that goes into consulting. Yeah, that's like a big deal. Yeah. Chelsea Vuong (07:06.058) And so I did that for two years after college, literally traveling across the entire United States. I counted, like this past year, before I went to the Washington Commanders, I traveled 92,000 miles. Uh-huh. I have a lot of memories. Yes, I have a lot of memories when it comes to my mileage. So. Meghan Houle (07:19.503) Are you like executive elite platinum? I like roll out the red carpet for Chelsea actually though. I love it, wow. It's a lot though. I mean, God bless you. And with all of the travel, I mean, I feel like it's just gotten soups aggressive. Do you have like a ritual for travel too as you prepare? Like what are your travel tips to like keep yourself sane and like on track? But I feel like I know you're just somebody that's like, I'm gonna get this done, I'm checking all the boxes. But like, how do you keep yourself sane during all the travel? Yeah, yeah. Mm. Chelsea Vuong (07:46.656) Uh huh. Chelsea Vuong (07:57.126) Well, I will say I had two down turns. I missed two flights before that. I've never missed a flight before. I'm one of those people where if it's boarding at 7.30, I will get to the airport at 7.20 and hope that my TSA pre-check allows me to get through security in five minutes and then go to the gate in another five. Because it- Meghan Houle (08:01.115) Oh. It happens. Yeah, it happens. I mean, what can we do? Meghan Houle (08:18.667) Chelsea, you're like, let me just roll the, okay, I'm also gonna take you to Vegas next because like you take chances girl, like God bless you. Chelsea Vuong (08:26.644) Yeah, I need to sleep, you know? Meghan Houle (08:30.075) I mean, well, that's some good manifesting too. You're like, I'm going to make this work. I'm definitely somebody who was like, I can't deal with like the airport craziness. And I actually got real mad over these past cold trips because I also have TSA pre and global entry and like a human adult me, I'm just like, oh, it expires? Yeah, it expires. Like you have to renew it like every five years. So I was getting so mad that the TSA free wasn't like showing up in my ticket. And I was like yelling at, not yelling, I don't yell, but I'm a service person. So I'm like, ma'am, can you please kindly help me? And I had my number, I had everything. And they're like, oh, you know, it expires, right? And I was like, what? So here I am blaming the government. I'm like, you are not recognizing me as like a known traveler, but it was actually my fault. Um, but I mean, that's a ticket. And I, my husband, like in the, in the actual line. there was like steam coming out of my ears. I'm like, I don't want to take my shoes off. I don't want to take them. I know this is like first world problems, but I hear you. But that is, I mean, that's a saver. Yes. If you, if you know that time, but I have to get to the airport like two hours ahead of time because I, I just hate rushing Chelsea, but I feel like you are probably always kind of like onto the next one. So then you kind of get into that motion of like, yeah, we're just going to get it done. And it gives you extra time to get ready to do the thing. So, all right. Tips from Chelsea and traveling. Chelsea Vuong (09:54.143) Yeah, I've literally flown two times a week for the past 50, like 50 weeks in a year. And there's only 52 weeks in a year. So at one point, I'm like, I cannot just lose that much time sitting in an airplane. Meghan Houle (09:55.115) Yeah. Meghan Houle (10:00.943) Yeah. Meghan Houle (10:08.961) No, amen to that. Yeah. Chelsea Vuong (10:09.806) But my mom's like, you can get a snack, you can do your work from the airport, but I'm like, I could take a nap. Meghan Houle (10:12.571) You can get a snack. You're like, I don't even care about snacks, Mom. Like, beat it. Oh my gosh, that's so funny. And we could, going off on the tangent. All right, so good tip, but amazing. I mean, you're traveling. You're obviously traveling for Miss Massachusetts now too, and then back and forth between Boston and Washington. So working with your consulting firm, was there a pivot there where you wind up getting recruited? for where you are now with Washington Commanders, or was there another job that you kind of layered on there? How did you land that? And yeah, so many takeaways from working in consultancy. So it's so awesome that you were able to, I mean, I also love the Harvard pivot going back to that. I think that gap year, a lot of people see that as kind of like, not like a shameful thing, right? But I'm like, oh, I can't take time. But good for you of saying, I need clarity. Chelsea Vuong (10:55.682) and negative. Chelsea Vuong (11:04.215) Mm-hmm. Meghan Houle (11:04.491) And I go back to it all the time. You're asking these 17, 16, 17, 18 year olds, what do you wanna do? Like nobody has any idea, right? So yeah, yeah. Chelsea Vuong (11:12.988) or number four, you might have an idea, but then the world gets bigger and bigger and eventually you're just overwhelmed with so many options. Meghan Houle (11:20.351) Yeah, yeah. Did you have your site set on Harvard, where you were like, I really want to go here? How was that process? I love the Gilmore Girls so much. Everyone tuning in and knows me, knows me. I love the Gilmore Girls. So Rory wanted to go to Harvard, but she landed at Yale. So spoiler alert, sorry, everyone. But was that like a top school for you? And how was that feeling of just getting into Harvard? Yeah. Chelsea Vuong (11:43.25) It was surreal. So a little bit more about my background, both of my parents were immigrants from Asia and they came here with $200 and two suitcases. So pretty much grew up with not that much. And then their whole model to me was education's really important, get your degree, get a good job and then you'll be able to have financial stability. Because we were faced with financial stress almost every single day from what I recall when I was a little wee bit. And... Meghan Houle (11:53.711) Oh, yeah. Meghan Houle (12:11.157) Yeah. Chelsea Vuong (12:12.138) I just never thought that Harvard would be attainable because you always hear it, right? Like Harvard has a, what is it now? Three, four percent acceptance rate. It's very low. So never in a million years that I think that I would actually get accepted. The funny part was going through school, I was one of those people where, you know, you put your head down, you do your work, get your good grade and just keep on rinsing, repeating. Like I'm a person that loves routine. And I felt as though my parents was. Meghan Houle (12:37.984) Mmm, yeah. Chelsea Vuong (12:40.438) were able to like instill that in me from a very young age. But when I was in high school, I just thought to myself, hey, if I could go to UCLA, if I could go to UC Berkeley, like that would be an amazing goal. I was also from California. So I want to stay locally, want to continue being with my parents. But my mom was like, hey, look at you. Like you're getting a lot of good grades. I think you could get into Harvard and I think you're really smart. I'm like, no, mom, I'm very good at memorizing the textbook. Meghan Houle (12:52.12) Yeah. Yes. Meghan Houle (12:58.66) Yeah. Meghan Houle (13:03.573) Mm-hmm. Chelsea Vuong (13:09.302) This is why I'm smart. Meghan Houle (13:11.003) No, you are very smart, but no. So that's so beautiful to you, a nice supportive family. You know, of like, you can do it with all those limiting beliefs we put on ourselves, right? Mm-hmm, yeah. Oh my gosh, I can't. You're like, ha ha, I meant that part. You're like, JK, mom. Aw, that is so amazing. Chelsea Vuong (13:20.827) Mm-hmm. Yeah, so I actually applied to forward as a joke to my mom to prove her wrong. And now I'm backfired. Chelsea Vuong (13:31.01) Okay. Yeah. Meghan Houle (13:34.679) Well, I mean, they're lucky to have you. And yes, you are this wonderful, beautiful, highly intelligent, but super approachable and the most kindest spirit in person. So Chelsea and I, we know each other. Meeting up at a Dress for Success fashion show event where we had so much fun and everyone knows me. I'm not afraid or shy to meet or ask for conversations and here we are, so full circle. So. That's really amazing. So I just, I wanted to get that of you. And yeah, shout out to being from California. I know you and I, we share some stories of like how we love California and also wine country and all the things. So going back to the big, big pivot. So got into Harvard, graduated, doing your consultancy. What was that moment for you like? Of like, okay, something has to change or yeah, what happened? Yeah. Chelsea Vuong (14:22.51) It was awesome. Yeah, when I worked at my consulting firm, there were weeks where I was working 100 hours a week. My average week of work was about 70 to 80. And so my days were, you know, 15 hour days. Sometimes I would have to work weekends. Like I did not. Meghan Houle (14:32.33) Oh wow. Meghan Houle (14:37.273) Yeah. Chelsea Vuong (14:45.65) I at first didn't mind it, but then when I was thinking about the bigger picture, I felt as though I was losing sense of my voice and what I wanted to do. So throughout that entire time working at consulting, I was also competing for the Miss America organization. And I got third place at Miss Massachusetts, got third place at Miss California. And I still remember after Miss California, I just broke down crying, cuz I was just so overwhelmed with stress. Meghan Houle (15:09.915) Hmm. Yeah. Chelsea Vuong (15:13.547) and just working those hours, trying to balance pageant prep as well. I just want to show it. Meghan Houle (15:16.987) Oh my God, and Pageant Prep is like full time in itself too. You know, wow, that's a lot. Yeah. Chelsea Vuong (15:21.07) Absolutely. So I didn't really have time to spend time with my family or spend time with my friends. And so there's something that my mom told me where it's like there's three things in life that you can do in a sense, right? You can work, you can sleep, you can have like a life outside of work, and you can only choose two out of the three. So for me, it was working and then life outside. Meghan Houle (15:45.759) Yeah, we can sleep at another point. It's fine. Yeah. It's fine. I don't sleep either, Chelsea. And I have like half of what you have going on. And you're like, well, I have eight jobs. So maybe we're like, we're highly matched, although no one's putting me on the Miss America stage. But wow, no, it's a lot. It's a lot. And we talk about work-life balance and all the things I think have really come up through COVID. Chelsea Vuong (15:47.887) I knew it, do not say it. And I took a cool- Chelsea Vuong (15:56.014) Thank you. Yes, we are. Chelsea Vuong (16:07.475) Thank you. Meghan Houle (16:10.515) Was that pivot like before 2020 or in 2020? Or when did you pivot and really recognize like, I can't do this anymore. Yeah, yeah. Chelsea Vuong (16:15.69) the commanders. I started my position with the Washington commanders this August. So I was doing quilting all the way up to Miss Massachusetts and then when I won Miss Massachusetts I was like I can't anymore because like I said Miss Massachusetts you're it's not really a full-time job but it's at least or more a part-time job because I'm traveling across the state going to appearances Meghan Houle (16:22.721) Okay. Meghan Houle (16:29.828) Yeah. Chelsea Vuong (16:41.954) meeting with people like you, which has been literally the highlight of my entire year so far. And then I'm also preparing for Miss America. Like this could be a full-time job, but in Massachusetts it's not. So I was just thinking about it. I'm like, if I really wanted to truly embrace this once in a lifetime opportunity experience, like I need to find a job where I'm not working those hours or I'm not traveling to California one week and then like Florida another week. Meghan Houle (16:45.972) Mmm. Yeah. Yeah. Meghan Houle (16:53.955) Yeah. Chelsea Vuong (17:09.026) The time zone just got my body all messed up and I stayed at a hotel for more than 100 nights this year. So I just like did not have a home either. Yeah. Meghan Houle (17:12.047) Yeah. Wow, yeah. Yeah, yeah, that's a lot. I mean, living out of bags and just feeling settled in general. So made that choice to leave. Why Washington commanders? How did you get connected to the sporting world? Is that a passion of yours as well? Yeah, yeah. Chelsea Vuong (17:26.744) Good night. Chelsea Vuong (17:33.974) Yeah, for sure. I started watching football with my dad since I was six and we would watch every single Sunday. So I told my dad, I'm like, if I am not a sports commentator or reporter one day, I wanna work in the business side of sports. And so there was this great opportunity that came up when I was working for my consulting firm because there was a former partner at the consulting firm who's now the president of the Washington Commanders. Meghan Houle (17:39.395) Same. Yeah, I love that. Yeah. Yeah, me too. Yeah. Chelsea Vuong (18:04.17) And so he was trying to get some consultants to come to the organization to help them out because the Washington Commanders just got rebranded and got bought out by a new owner. And so there's been a lot of change going on. So he was trying to bring in more consultants to help with this transition and really help build this new era of what the Commanders would look like. Meghan Houle (18:12.667) Mm-hmm Meghan Houle (18:18.45) Mm. Meghan Houle (18:25.931) Yeah. So do you feel like that pivot for you has been purposeful thus far? And then balancing such a purpose-driven moment, you're obviously having me miss Massachusetts and fingers crossed for Miss America, which will be another set of bigger responsibilities I can't even imagine. But how are you balancing it all now? And do you feel like at least you are doing something a bit more in alignment? Yeah. Chelsea Vuong (18:52.498) of where I want to go in my career. To be honest, I'm so f***ing in love. I love sports. Yes, I love the environment. I love the feel. I love the fact that your work every single day is to make your fans happy. And it's just really unique because I don't think that you see that many people in one area just connect together and bond over this like one team, or like bond over this one team. Meghan Houle (18:57.679) TBD, TBD. Yeah. Meghan Houle (19:10.747) Hmm. Meghan Houle (19:22.967) It's crazy, right? I know, sports is like real. Yeah. Chelsea Vuong (19:24.55) in this society where there's a lot of polarization and a lot of distance going on, it's just nice to have that type of camaraderie and connection with people. So I love sports but Miss Massachusetts has got me thinking about different things as well. Meghan Houle (19:32.755) Mm-hmm. Mm. Mm-hmm. Meghan Houle (19:41.471) Yeah, I mean, the world is your oyster, my friend. Honestly, I feel so much. But what do you do for the commanders? Like, what's your day today? Like, what do you love doing the most? Yeah, you're like, lots of things. Yeah. Chelsea Vuong (19:49.43) There's not a lot of people that are interested in their strategy manager, which means I work on their business side. So whatever business issues that they have, they help bring it to me. So for example, I help them figure out a new pricing strategy. We are potentially opening up a new stadium, so I'm looking at different venues and seeing what that business plan would look like. This is a little bit under the radar, but the NFL is expanding internationally. So there are some teams that are thinking about which country they want to move into. So I'm helping with international expansion as well. Meghan Houle (20:24.051) Oh, really? Oh, wow. I mean, it makes sense because I think increasingly over the years we've seen those collaborations where the sporting teams are going over to like the UK and otherwise. And I mean, listen, we have the football here, right, and the soccer, what we call soccer, that we all love so much. And yeah, sports is also such a uniter, right? I just think cheering for teams, like rallying behind teams. I mean, it's a huge industry. Whew. Oh yeah, yeah. Sports, sports, yeah. Chelsea Vuong (20:56.522) Yes, definitely. I know the NFL just went over to Mexico a few weeks ago where they collaborated with the WWE. So there's been a lot of fast sports collaborations. Meghan Houle (21:05.259) Oh wow. Yeah, oh, so cool. Well, so again, you are doing something where you've at least pivoted to find balance-ish or at least be, well, I think being able to focus, well, balance is BS, but being able to focus on two passion projects that you have, I think one with, again, being, and good for you for continuing to push forward. Like, Chelsea Vuong (21:17.539) Mm-hmm. This were... ..mendants. Chelsea Vuong (21:22.477) Where? Chelsea Vuong (21:27.542) Peace out. Meghan Houle (21:34.147) yeah, your first tries for these pageants, you didn't get right away, right? You got third. And I think for the metaphor to that is like so many people feel like, oh, I'm just gonna try once and I didn't make it. So this is not for me. And they like completely give it up, but it might not be right at that time. But if it's truly meant for you and you put in the work, I mean, I'm sure that there were learnings from taking away of like getting third place, which is still amazing. But like, what did you have to shift? Like what was that shift for you to say, I'm gonna keep going because I still see I can do this. And like what clicked because like here you are, right? Yeah, yeah. Chelsea Vuong (22:16.098) Miss America, the age limit is 28. So I was thinking to myself, hey, Chelsea, let's just think about you 10 years down the line. When you have a family, when you have children, are you gonna regret not continuing to compete? And my just gut reaction was yes, because this has been a dream of mine since I was 13 years old. And I already worked this far, I was this close, like literally two spots close. I literally would regret it if I did not compete again. And so the other, the like final time that I tried and when I finally won was Massachusetts, I felt as though there was a sense of peace in that sense, because I knew that I did everything to my like fullest ability, sort of truly prepare for that competition. And so, yeah, that goes along of like, when you really want something, you have to put in the work to get there. Meghan Houle (23:09.967) Uh, woo, soundbite, amen, anyone listening at all levels. No, that's so powerful. And I know when we were first chatting and getting to know each other, I was like, how did you get into pageants? You're like, my mom threw me on stage, but actually. So yeah, was that something growing up too that tell us that story there? Cause I just like love it. You're just like, I have the confidence I just went on stage like. Yes. Chelsea Vuong (23:34.118) When I was 12 years old, my mom was like, you are the shyest person ever. And guess what she does to try to boost my confidence? Throw me into a pageant the next day. Meghan Houle (23:44.095) Oh my, but next day, right? You didn't even like, almost like you didn't even have a chance to like debate it. You're like, you're doing this child. Yeah. Chelsea Vuong (23:50.658) She tied me up, she found me a coach. I went to work with the coach for three hours. She got me my costume. They put me on stage. But this was the thing that I think actually helped me win was I wear contacts right now. Back then I didn't have contacts, I wore glasses. So before going on stage, my mom took my glasses away from me and then she threw me on the stage. So I couldn't even be scared because I couldn't see the audience. Meghan Houle (24:14.359) Yeah, you're like, anybody could be out the cats. Like nobody, a giant snowman, like anyone. Like it's fun. Chelsea Vuong (24:20.007) It was blurry for me, but I thought how I want to make you smile more. Meghan Houle (24:24.751) Oh my gosh, that is, and here you are. So again, that life lesson is just go for it and do things that scare us or do them young enough where you don't even like feel it. And then, you know, you wind up just falling into it. So it's amazing. So this has been a journey for you, like balancing college and work and all of the things. How long have you been like in this pageant space? Like, and were you competing like almost every year? Did you take like little breaks or yeah? Chelsea Vuong (24:31.423) but thank you. Chelsea Vuong (24:54.69) Yeah, I started the Miss America program back when I was 15 years old. And so I'm coming up to my 10 year anniversary with this program. I think I took three or four years off. Three years off. Yeah. So I have been pretty consistent competing year after year. And every single year, like I didn't want to state competition. I would go back, literally cry, have a pageant hangover for our entire week. And then I'll just get back to my daily life. And Meghan Houle (24:59.515) Okay. Wow. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Meghan Houle (25:10.892) Yeah. Chelsea Vuong (25:23.51) you know, a month goes by, I'm like, nope, not doing it again. And then another month goes by and I'm like, okay, I probably should do this again, because it's like, it just, I also think that the timing is right from when I finally won because if you went too early, I feel like you don't have enough life experience to really, I don't know, like have that. It's tricky. I think it's tricky. Meghan Houle (25:30.003) Yeah, you're like, something's in my soul. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Meghan Houle (25:37.914) Yeah. Meghan Houle (25:44.159) It's true, right? Well, and especially to answer questions, right? Just in terms of, I mean, they ask you some hard-hitting questions. Like, would you say that interview part is maybe the trickiest to prepare for? And right, if you maybe haven't spent time just out in the world or the media or whatever, in life experience, in education, they're both super important, but you can't just have the education. The life experience is a pretty big piece. So yeah, do you feel like you're more prepared for interview questions or what does that process look like for you? Because you know I interview people all the time and then in my recruiting job, we're just always interviewing for jobs, right? So you have to hit it. But what does that look like for you? Chelsea Vuong (26:34.531) It's been much better now. And I think that's why I'm going back to my previous point. When I was younger, I don't know how it is for most people, but I just was not myself when I was young. Like I didn't know who Chelsea was. I didn't know what my opinions were. I didn't know what my voice was. I just also didn't have that much experience talking to other people. And so because I competed year after year and I gained more life experience throughout the way. Meghan Houle (26:44.417) Mmm. Chelsea Vuong (26:58.238) especially when I went to consulting, like I was presenting to Fortune 500 CEOs. And so my partners and managers really just made sure that I was prepared and gave you a bunch of practice time so that now when I'm thinking about it, like I feel so much more prepared just going into an interview room and I also have gone through all these challenges and tribulations to the point where I feel like I have a more grounded sense of who I am as well. Meghan Houle (26:58.309) Yeah. Meghan Houle (27:03.019) Yeah, yeah. Chelsea Vuong (27:25.434) and a firmer stance on certain issues. So it's been a good personal growth journey as well, which is why I think we're in the month for a better time now than last year or the year before. Meghan Houle (27:27.992) Yeah. Meghan Houle (27:32.389) Ugh, I love that. Meghan Houle (27:38.635) Yeah, well, and I think there is so much beauty in finding your voice. I actually was just talking about this recently and same. I mean, coming through what you've been through or even coming through the corporate world of there's a lot of individuals that have what we call like last name syndrome where it's like, oh, I'm so and so from this company. But it's like, but who are you? And a lot of times, all the time in some of these like big corporates, you're not really asked your. Chelsea Vuong (27:42.283) Let's move. Meghan Houle (28:05.287) You know, you had some of those companies that you just are a yes person or people if they can relate to that, that has worked in those environments before. Like, they don't really care to hear about what's going on in your world. You're like, come in, do the job, align with what our expectations and values are. But you can get lost in the sauce, right? Of like, what do I care about? Like, who am I? So I'm so what was that moment that you really like sat down and did some soul searching? Like how did you find your voice? Chelsea Vuong (28:22.975) I'm so. Meghan Houle (28:34.575) What'd you say? Yeah. Chelsea Vuong (28:38.403) I think that humans have a lot of dynamic to them when they have different identities of themselves. So, when I'm in the corporate world, a lot of people are interested in my pageantry side because they're not here in Chelsea who's data-driven, who's being very factual and has like a business case coming out of her mouth every single day. Whereas in the pageant world, I found that a lot of people are interested in my work side because... Meghan Houle (28:44.569) Mm. Chelsea Vuong (29:04.502) They are, they're always hearing me about women's empowerment or what I'm doing for financial literacy, like these specific talking points that I have when it comes to like the Miss America organization and the world of pageantry. So I feel like I found my voice through being very integrated and ingrained in those two spheres and then slowly maneuvering my way around. Meghan Houle (29:13.252) Mm-hmm. Meghan Houle (29:19.034) Yeah. Meghan Houle (29:25.795) Yeah. Meghan Houle (29:29.211) Oh, so cool. And for Miss Massachusetts, now that, you know, this commitment, yeah, what are some of the things that you're doing out there with some of your appearances? Like, what are you loving? Because I know you do a lot for the community appearances, but you also, you're speaker, right? Like, you come in and you talk, and I know you talk to high schoolers and individuals at all levels. Like, what are some of those topics and what are some of those things that you're involved in right now? Yeah. Chelsea Vuong (29:46.062) Thank you. Chelsea Vuong (29:55.342) Absolutely. There was one that came to mind. I went to this Girl Scouts assembly. It was like Meghan Houle (30:00.843) Oh my God, yes, did they have cookies? Or you're like, give me some of those like Samoas. Ha ha ha. So good. Chelsea Vuong (30:06.158) It was so good. I kid you what, there were probably like 800 students there. And then I was like, and our keynote speaker is Miss Massachusetts, Chelsea Long. And they threw me on stage. But apparently, well, I thought that I could read off of a script. So I kind of wrote something down. But instead, I had a microphone and I was like walking around the stage. And so I was like ad-libbing for 15 minutes about something. Meghan Houle (30:12.921) Oh. Chelsea Vuong (30:35.154) And it was just nice because somehow something worked. Meghan Houle (30:38.303) You just do it. I don't know, I find when I script myself with all the events and things I do, you then either, you get more nervous because you feel like you perfectly write it down and then you have to execute that. So I think sometimes like having talking points, but I think just coming from your authentic self, your authentic place, like, I think that's what really resonates with people versus things being like so highly edited and whatnot. And especially with like a student population, they're probably just in awe of like, who is this? Chelsea Vuong (30:49.175) Thank you. Meghan Houle (31:06.767) Queen with this crown and walking around on stage and telling us about life. What were you talking on? What topic was it? What were you educating on? Chelsea Vuong (31:06.798) I'm just like... Chelsea Vuong (31:14.602) Yeah, so whenever I have to give a presentation or speech, I try to put myself in that child's shoes and be like, what are they interested in that moment? So because it was a STEM expo and they were very career oriented, I shared with them my journey and when I was nine or 10 years old, what I did as a child and how that kind of shaped my career development and how I thought about my purpose and my goals. So I walked them through my journey and... Give them some inspirational quotes about how important it is to work hard, to find people who are like you, and also make sure that you tap into either your community or like your network so that you're able to capitalize and seize on these opportunities. Meghan Houle (31:57.467) I love that. Well, and I think like having voices like yours that you're not, it's not a teacher or you know someone that they like have to listen to but somebody who has had this like really incredible journey that might be relatable and a little closer-ish to age. I think credibility is everything with this young population. I always feel the least coolest when I hang out with like my niece and nephews because there's like always a new word and they're like we don't say that anymore Megan. Chelsea Vuong (32:03.968) No way. Chelsea Vuong (32:25.664) I'm sorry. Meghan Houle (32:27.243) Auntie Meg, I'm like, okay, fine. Whatever. Yeah, it's Riz. I know. I got I got the Riz during a family vacation where I'm like, what the heck is that? Like you got charisma. You got Riz. I was like, what? No, like, no. I feel like I still there's a lot of things I say, especially as an adult human. My my husband's like, Are you supposed to say that at that age? I love saying everything slaps. And I know I'm sorry, just cancel me now. Chelsea Vuong (32:29.646) Do you know what the new word of the year is? Chelsea Vuong (32:42.102) got ready. Chelsea Vuong (32:56.714) Thanks. Meghan Houle (32:56.731) I actually said it today and then I was like, I kind of look like a loser. I was in Starbucks and Starbucks was giving away samples of the creme brulee like latte and I was like, oh, that latte's flat. I was like, oh, whatever. Thank God I was alone. People just think I'm a weirdo anyway. Chelsea, embrace it. Embrace that quirky weird side because that's who you are and it's your personality. I wish I had a mentor like you growing up. So that's really nice. Chelsea Vuong (33:13.826) You're... ..cute. Chelsea Vuong (33:21.383) Yeah! Meghan Houle (33:25.567) I think we need more of that in this world, positive voices of the can do attitudes and spirits like get off social media, get off of like the doom scrolling and the comparison game, which I think, you know, I didn't really have to deal a lot with social media growing up because it just was not a thing, thank God. But now it is what everyone's so attached to. So Chelsea Vuong (33:48.29) everyone. Meghan Houle (33:50.847) In terms of responsibility, right? What would you counsel, or how do you counsel a younger generation? And I'm probably sure you have to manage it as well of like managing an online social media profile and like being a public figure and how important it is to harness your voice, but also be kind, and then also stop the comparison game. I don't know, what are your takes on like social media? How do you manage it as well? Chelsea Vuong (34:15.05) Yes, social media has been a balancing act for me for sure. Because when you're in the pageant world, I think everyone's compares you to like the previous title holder or what you could be. And so it does get in your head sometimes, but at the end of the day, the thing that I've always stayed true to was like, I want to be an authentic leader. And with that, you have to, you have to show like your highs and lows. So there are times when I'm just, you know, not feeling the best and I'm like, hey, I need to pick me up going to yoga, or like I'm writing in my journal, something like that, just to show that there is that side of me where I'm not just going out to appearances and putting on a bunch of makeup and going to a red carpet appearance because it's not always the glitz and the glamor. Like you are also a human being and human beings have a lot of fluctuations. Meghan Houle (34:54.584) Yeah. Meghan Houle (35:04.879) Yeah. Meghan Houle (35:10.5) Yeah. Chelsea Vuong (35:10.682) I try to just stay as true to myself as possible. And I still remember before getting into this role of Miss Massachusetts, I didn't think that social media was gonna be this much of a challenge. But then when you're stepping into that role and you realize that you are being seen by other people, there is this new step that you have to take. And with that, you have to think about what are your values and how do you balance your values with what other people value in you as well? Meghan Houle (35:24.869) Yeah. Meghan Houle (35:33.167) Hmm. Chelsea Vuong (35:40.894) I've been very fortunate in that I think that a lot of people like the authenticity that I bring and I feel like I'm pretty candid with certain things as well. So that has been really helpful. But I think the biggest advice that I have for people is to just make sure that you're not over consuming social media because I set like a one hour time limit for myself. There's no way I can just keep on scrolling and like not compare to myself. So me knowing that that's something that I do. Meghan Houle (35:51.535) Mm-hmm. Yeah. Meghan Houle (36:03.811) Yeah. Chelsea Vuong (36:09.598) and recognizing it, I do set limits to myself. So that's what I recommend other people to do. Like if you are succumbing to that, then you should be doing something about it by yourself. Meghan Houle (36:13.599) Yeah, no, that's it. Yeah. Yeah. And like, I think about the... And sometimes I'm on there for like inspiration, but it's just like, why are we sitting and commenting and highlighting everyone else's success? Like, go out, like go do something productive. I mean, especially if you have a big juicy goal or you're looking to make a pivot or you should be like getting out and like applying for jobs or like getting ready for an interview. I think we get... And it's great. Like, we should cheer each other on, but I definitely feel like... and that's so good, the time limits and the points of just like, doom scrolling, especially if you're having a bad day or something's not clicking. And then you're like, everybody has more than me. My life is terrible. And you're like, actually, you're good. But like, just like put the phone down. You know, so that's such good advice. And I love showing up real and authentic. And I think sometimes as public figures, people think you got it all. Chelsea's got all she's got it. Chelsea Vuong (37:01.859) What? Meghan Houle (37:11.927) awesome job, great education, you got no problems. There's nothing going on in your world. You're like, that's like the furthest from the truth. Right? Yeah. So I feel like it's navigating the highs and the lows and making sure you're taking time for yourself. And I'm sure now more than ever, I mean, preparing, how are you balancing it all, preparing for this huge competition and also work, like what does your day look like right now and how do you balance and take care of yourself? Chelsea Vuong (37:19.569) You will see the downside. Chelsea Vuong (37:40.29) Yes. It's been a lot. Yeah, I have never experienced anything like this my entire life. So Monday morning, I take a flight from Boston to D.C. It's a six a.m. flight, land in D.C. at around like eight thirty. And then I go straight to work and work until five or six o'clock. And then I go back, cook dinner, go to the gym, practice my piano, do whatever other Mrs. America prep I need to do. And then that just runs in repeats until Thursday. Meghan Houle (37:41.819) because you need to. Yeah, yeah. Meghan Houle (38:09.379) Mm-hmm. Chelsea Vuong (38:09.506) Thursday night I take a flight from D.C. to Boston at like 8 p.m. and then I get to Boston at 10, go to bed, and then Friday, Saturday, Sunday, I make Miss Massachusetts appearance. Yeah, so I don't really have personal time to myself, which is why I've found that me really enjoying the time of like working out and like being playing the piano helps a lot with my mental health. Meghan Houle (38:14.604) Mm-hmm. Meghan Houle (38:19.223) It's all Miss Mass. Yeah. Wow. Yeah. Meghan Houle (38:34.834) Mm-hmm. Yeah, yeah. Chelsea Vuong (38:38.986) So I just try to stay as present as possible. If I have a free time, like I'll call my parents or I try to call my parents once a week or twice a week because I think it's important to keep those relationships and just hear a voice. Yeah, like an era of support, but it has been really challenging to be honest. But I wouldn't trade it for anything because you get one chance at Miss America and... Meghan Houle (38:52.812) Yeah. Meghan Houle (38:57.812) Yeah. Meghan Houle (39:05.099) I mean, yeah. Chelsea Vuong (39:06.254) I also love football. So me going to a game on Sunday and sitting in the stands, watching my team play, like that already is a big smile on my face. So just try to enjoy and cherish the moments that I do. Meghan Houle (39:18.25) Yeah. Oh, I love it. Stay pressing, everyone. Stay pressing. And I just, I feel like there's always those seasons in the errors where we are in the grind because you got a big juicy goal ahead of you. And no one's going to the gym for you and no one's playing the piano for you. So you're just like, we're doing it. But in all balance and harmony of things like that are purposeful for you. So amen to that because I think we all get caught up in like we gotta do all the things, but we're doing all things that are like Chelsea Vuong (39:30.088) Mm-hmm. Thank you, guys. Chelsea Vuong (39:40.141) Thank you. Meghan Houle (39:51.355) actually not serving our goals or showing up to things that we don't want to attend and then we get mad and we're like, why are we here and then bad energy and blah, blah. So I love all of that. Do you, um, do you get to meet all the players on the team? Like, do you like hang out like in the offices and not the locker room? You're not like Ted Lasso like, Hey guys. Um, but do you get to meet the players? Like, how do you get to engage with the team? Yeah. Chelsea Vuong (40:09.422) Thank you. Chelsea Vuong (40:14.026) Yeah, it's so funny because I currently work at the stadium, but whenever I work at the practice facility, that's actually where all the players are on like a Monday through Friday basis. So whenever I get lunch, it's the same cafeteria where the players eat. So I interact with them there. It's also funny just to watch them getting like five bowls of ice and vegetables. And I'm like coming from my one bowl and I want to be really, really full. Meghan Houle (40:18.22) Yeah. Meghan Houle (40:21.996) Yeah. Meghan Houle (40:30.38) Yeah. Oh yeah, they're just like, we're just carb loading constantly. Yeah. Right. You're like, I gotta get on stage soon, fellas, you know? Like, we'll eat dominoes after. So, oh my god. That's so fun. That's really fun. Probably like really fun camaraderie. So, oh, I just love that. So what, like, tell me maybe some juicy secrets before I let you go. What do you feel like is the biggest misconception about the penchant world? Or like, what did you think it was? And what have you learned? Chelsea Vuong (40:46.53) Yeah. Meghan Houle (41:03.459) has like changed your mind. Yeah. Chelsea Vuong (41:06.226) Yes, whenever I tell people that I'm in pageants, everyone asks me why. Like they think that I could do something else with my life because pageants... I think that there still is a misconception that pageant girls are... they're ditzy, they're there for the glam and the beauty. Like there isn't another portion to it. But like the Miss America organization is amazing because they, first of all, like help girls go to college. Meghan Houle (41:11.041) Mmm. Chelsea Vuong (41:35.842) through scholarships. Like they are the largest provider scholarships for women in the United States. So I was able to like attend migrant college because I was able to receive scholarships from this American organization. And secondly, I have a huge passion for personal finance. And so with the title of Miss Massachusetts and competing with this organization, like I've had a platform to be able to go to different schools, go to women's shelters, go to churches and teach these populations about personal finance. Meghan Houle (41:47.779) Wow. Yeah. Chelsea Vuong (42:06.186) So there's a lot more than what meets the eye. A lot of people think that it's a lot of preparation and time preparing for the competition, but it's like the work actually begins after you win as well because you are a ambassador for the organization, but also like a serviceman to the community as well. Meghan Houle (42:18.476) and Meghan Houle (42:24.555) Yeah. What are you most excited about looking into the new year? Because I mean, regardless of whether you win, we're saying you're winning, then that's a whole nother commitment, but then you still have to fulfill Miss Massachusetts, correct? So like what is 2024? Or no, it just like you morph. You go, Lou, and to like, here I am, Miss America. Yeah. Chelsea Vuong (42:33.582) I'm sorry. Chelsea Vuong (42:42.575) Oh. Chelsea Vuong (42:50.202) If I went to America, my first runner up gets Miss Massachusetts for the rest of the year. No. Meghan Houle (42:54.267) Switch. Oh, got it. Okay, so even if she's like Carolina, you're like Massachusetts now, babe. Sorry, Texas, you're Massachusetts. Interesting. Oh, but they, oh, okay, got it. Okay, now I'm really just confusing everybody. Got it, got it. Okay, so like the ground stations, I'm like, oh, taking over a new, new. Chelsea Vuong (43:05.867) Oh no no, the first one I've had is not- Chelsea Vuong (43:11.744) Yeah. Because the child is local to the state. Yeah, so. Chelsea Vuong (43:21.629) We're lucky. That'd be hilarious. Meghan Houle (43:22.763) Oh my god, Megan, I shouldn't have drank that grandpa-like coffee, Starbucks. Welcome to my life, everyone. We're just filled with humor on this podcast, Chelsea. That's what it's got to be. So that's really cool. Okay, so you hand it down and then you flip over. And then that's even, is that a bigger commitment? Yeah, in balancing. Yeah. That's full time. Okay. Chelsea Vuong (43:30.254) to all of it. Chelsea Vuong (43:35.01) Look where your mind goes. Chelsea Vuong (43:40.782) Mm-hmm. That's more traveling. Well, this America would be the full-time job, but what's really funny is I think I actually might be traveling less than I did when I was in consulting. All the same. Yeah. I'm daring. Thank you. Mm-hmm. Meghan Houle (43:54.303) Okay, yeah. So fun, okay. Ah, we're all rooting for you. Well, tell me, for someone listening in, what would you say to them if they're really struggling right now with finding their purpose or finding clarity or wanting to do something that's really freaking scary and maybe not having a network of support or not knowing where to start? What advice would you give to somebody kind of maybe stuck right now? Chelsea Vuong (44:23.966) Yeah, I would. So the way that I was able to find my passions, I literally sat down every single day for like an hour every, for a week. So an hour a week and I dumbled. I just thought about like when I was a childhood, what resonated with me and also like, who did I admire? So when I was six years old, I just kept on telling my dad, I'm like, I wanna be like Erin Anglews. And she's one of those sports commentators for the NFL. Meghan Houle (44:23.983) Yeah. Meghan Houle (44:53.187) Mm-hmm. Chelsea Vuong (44:53.398) So I knew that I had a passion for the NFL from a very young age. And I also like really fixated on Miss America too. So if you are lost, I think that like your childhood, you know something that you might not know now. And so really explore that, whether if it's striking up conversations with your family members, striking it up with your friends, you don't really know what you don't know unless those conversations are had, which is why I think it's an- Meghan Houle (45:01.248) Hmm. Chelsea Vuong (45:21.186) really important for people to find their community and express that with them. So that's the first thing that I would say. And then second is if you are stuck or if you feel like you don't have the motivation to go, I think you might regret it. Really sorry. And what's the worst that can happen? Like you get a no and you're back to where you are right now. Like you're not gonna know unless you try. And that's been my biggest thing this entire time is. Meghan Houle (45:25.999) Mm-hmm. Meghan Houle (45:39.007) Mm-hmm. Yeah. Chelsea Vuong (45:50.538) I would rather work really hard and fail and know that I did the best that I could and have that door be completely shut by me instead of it being potentially open and me not trying to open it. Meghan Houle (46:06.891) Yeah, yeah. And I think, do you agree that there's so much learning in the failing and maybe hearing the no's of, if you can? I mean, I think some people really get down and out. And you know, you always say sometimes the rejection is our protection, the cliche, blah, blah. But I mean, I truly do not hear yes every day, no way. But even those pageants, like you didn't get, number one. There's so much learning and saying, okay, this didn't click, but I'm going to try this. What are some of your tips if you are feeling frustrated or in the nose? How did you get re-motivated to just like, okay, keep going or those learnings in those moments of, okay, it didn't work out, but yeah. Chelsea Vuong (46:52.938) Yes, that has been something that I have talked to my parents, my sister quite a bit. The way that I see it is you are completely valid to have your feelings and emotions. If you are down and you're upset about it, let those feelings come out. Like really, really feel those feelings because you're feeling it for a reason and I don't think anyone should invalidate you for feeling that way. So Kind of like what I said previously, when I lost the competitions, I took a week to just be sad. And I told my parents, I really want your support right now and I want you to let me be sad. So like, don't be upset at me if I'm not going out and being jolly and trying out to find a new goal. Because honestly, like that's just how I felt at that moment. But after a week goes by or after two weeks goes by, I think that's when you have to pick yourself back up. Meghan Houle (47:43.589) Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Chelsea Vuong (47:50.166) You had your moment to grieve, your had your moment to be sad, but at some point you have to put your big girl pants on and step out of that door and try something else. Because at the end of the day, life is very, very short. So try to seize every opportunity that you can, whether if it's something that you think can be unattainable, which I completely thought that everything that I have right now is unattainable, but you don't know unless you try. So, yeah. Meghan Houle (47:51.915) Yeah. Meghan Houle (48:18.399) Yeah, the belief in yourself and also having a great network of support. And that's such good advice of feel the feels. And you can't let all of that be bottled up. And one thing after, I mean, because that's where I think the anxiety and then the explosion of emotions comes, where just to be honest, which I think there's a lot of shame. Sometimes people feel of talking about not making it or not getting through. And. Chelsea Vuong (48:26.951) Mm-hmm. Meghan Houle (48:46.611) or not getting the job and just like, oh, back to square one. But you know what? You just gotta keep going. We all have to just keep going. And I've been working with people through the pandemic. I mean, the service industry and all that I recruit for was so affected. Retail, retail, shut down, shut down for months. People laid off furloughed some people who had not worked in 15 years, like not had a job in 15 years and like getting themselves back into an interview process and like, Chelsea Vuong (49:04.238) We are. Meghan Houle (49:15.407) putting yourself back out there in the new light. We figure it out as humans, like resilience is a choice. I truly believe that. But we have to have the will and you're dang right, like life is so short and precious. So maximize every moment, appreciate all you have. I love that you journal, I do gratitude journals, like even for the smallest things, like you can't get more if you don't appreciate what you have in the here and now. So I think people are always looking for that. Chelsea Vuong (49:36.252) Thank you. Meghan Houle (49:44.671) that bigger thing, that bigger car, more money, the house. So it's like, you know, let's appreciate what we have in this here and now. And I think that that's such a lesson too for the seven coming generation of everything being Insta and things looking easy and like, oh, I wanna be an influencer. And we're like, okay, but, you know, I think that's kind of where some of the luck comes in personality because it's kind of like the entertainment industry, right? Like you kind of get your break, right? Chelsea Vuong (50:11.126) All of it is love too, I feel. Yeah, you can only control so much. So that's what you should be focused on, is like only focus on the things that you can control. And that's actually a statement that I have on my wall, just so that I remember. Because at the end of the day, pageantry has taught me a lot about luck because you are putting your fate in the hands of five to seven judges. If they like you that day, they could tomorrow, probably not today, then you won't win. Meghan Houle (50:13.832) Yes, so. Meghan Houle (50:18.105) Yeah. Amen. Yeah. Oh, I love that. Yes. Yeah. Meghan Houle (50:29.347) Mm-hmm. Judges, right? Yeah. Meghan Houle (50:37.423) All right. Yeah. Chelsea Vuong (50:39.382) And so I think pageantry has also taught me a lot about resilience. Yes. Meghan Houle (50:42.967) Mm-hmm. Oh, I love those post-its. I know I have one here on my computer. I always have to remind myself in the highs and the lows, like, all good things are working out for me. Right? It's always working out for you. Even the moments you're like, nothing's working, something is behind the scenes, girl. It always is. Well, before I let you go, what are some of your favorite things to do, like, while traveling or in city, or like, what's your favorite city? Like, what do you love about traveling besides... Chelsea Vuong (50:53.546) Oh, that's cute. Yes. Meghan Houle (51:12.675) the grind if you get to enjoy it or favorite restaurants in Boston. Like, I don't know what's some of your favorite travel things or favorite city. Yeah. Chelsea Vuong (51:20.766) When I went to Montreal, we went to this French restaurant. And I kid you not, it was the best restaurant I've ever been to. I've also never been to Canada before, so with everyone speaking French to me, I was like, wow, I'm a foreigner. Meghan Houle (51:23.195) Mmm. Uh-huh. Meghan Houle (51:34.603) Yeah. Chelsea Vuong (51:38.306) Um, so I just really like traveling because you are able to see a different side of the world. You're able to meet a lot of different people. And most importantly, you get to see that like the world isn't just this tiny city that you're living in. Like there's more that can be done and seen and explored. So you can never really be satisfied. Well, I guess you can be satisfied with where you are. But like, if you wanted to go after something else, you can't because there is this like Meghan Houle (52:00.836) Yeah. Meghan Houle (52:09.627) And it's so enriching. Like it is just so enriching in terms of travel and seeing new cities. I get super pumped about that for sure. Well, before I let you go, any other, I know you say you play the piano, any other hidden talents or fun facts about Chelsea that people don't know, that you wanna just like drop on the podcast? Little spoiler. What are some of your hidden talents, girl? No. Chelsea Vuong (52:26.46) On staff. Chelsea Vuong (52:32.398) I... If I had to be, I can't sing to save my life. That's a really bad not hidden talent. I can't sing to save my life. Yes, if there was a deep or nice situation and I had to sing, Oh boy. I'm gonna love it. Meghan Houle (52:39.735) Wait, what did you say? Oh, you can't sing? Mm, me neither. Meghan Houle (52:49.163) Oh man, don't recruit us. I can't cook either. So I'm like real screwed. Like I couldn't even like sing my way for supper or cook supper or I would just starve to death. Like I would just start talking about cats. If people are like, oh, here's the crazy cat lady. Chelsea Vuong (53:02.326) That's funny. I guess a more fun fact is that Christmas starts in June for me. Yes, I celebrate six months for Christmas. And I love country music. That's like one of the genres I listen to. Meghan Houle (53:11.159) Okay, yeah. Awesome, I love that. Ooh, okay, all right. So yeah, so this has been such a great conversation. You are amazing. I'm like in the best way possible, totally obsessed with you and cheering you on and the power of networking. I mean, I came into Dress for Success being brought onto the board of directors. this past year, which has been so great and was nominated to be in that fashion show. I'm like, me? But it was so cool. But like you said, like just show up. I mean, you never know who you're going to meet. Do things that scare you and have fun with it and got to meet like so many cool people. So you are amazing. We are all rooting for you over here in like the Pivot with Purpose world and community. And I just can't wait to see like what the future holds. And where can everybody find you? Chelsea Vuong (53:44.145) No. Meghan Houle (54:07.371) and engage with you and also too, I know you have a podcast that you record as well. So where's the best place for people to kind of find all things Chelsea? Chelsea Vuong (54:12.397) Mm-hmm. Chelsea Vuong (54:17.006) Yes, definitely. So you can look me up on my website. It's www.chelseavong.com. And VONG is spelled very interestingly. It's B-U-O-N-G. So you can also find me on Instagram, which is the same thing, Chelsea VONG. I also have a Miss Massachusetts, like Facebook, Instagram as well, and TikTok. So that one's Miss America and Miss America. Yes. Yeah. Meghan Houle (54:34.155) Right. Yeah. Okay. We're going to link it all. Yep. And what's a podcast? Like, what's your podcast? It's a sports, like for all the sports fans. Chelsea Vuong (54:45.874) It's for yes. So currently the podcast, I have been interviewing NFL players on their personal finance journeys and also discussing how they were able to get to the NFL. I've been expanding it to other sports as well. So that's going to be upcoming. We have not gone there yet. And then I also have Olympian that I recorded one as well. So Meghan Houle (55:08.451) That's awesome. Who's been your favorite person to speak to before I let you go? Like, were you starstruck by anybody or? Yeah. Chelsea Vuong (55:15.622) I actually was, so there's, yeah, so a guest speaker that I talked to was Harry Flaherty. Apparently his wife is the sister of Jason Garrett. And Jason Garrett was the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys for the longest time ever. And he's also a NFL commentator too. So when I was watching football with my dad growing up, like Jason Garrett was always the coach that we didn't want to win because we were not a Cowboys. Meghan Houle (55:40.135) Yeah. You're like, no Dallas, sorry Texas listeners. Yeah. Oh, that's, yeah. So you kind of, like full circle moment, right? So cool. Oh my gosh. Oh, all right, girl. Well, go back to that routine. We know you've got some stuff to do to prepare. So we are all rooting for you, as I said, and thank you so much for sharing your beautiful voice and all your pivots and all the things. And I can't wait to see more to come in the future. Chelsea Vuong (55:45.042) Yeah, sorry. Chelsea Vuong (55:50.638) This is lovely. Yeah. Meghan Houle (56:09.419) Yay. So good luck. Thank you. Chelsea Vuong (56:10.168) If you still haven't probably made this is awesome.