Meet Kimberly Ngo | Tax Analyst & Small Business Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kimberly Ngo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kimberly, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
I started Pic-a-Niche right when COVID restrictions were starting to loosen up. Before starting my own businesses, I was in upper management for Target stores for almost 10 years. Although I was a salaried employee at Target, it was still a mandatory minimum of 50 hours a week and we rotated working weekends. I was accustomed to long days and working weekends. Target only closed on Easter Sunday and Christmas so, I eventually got used to working every holiday as well. But even with the store being closed, the team had to come in right at midnight or 4am the next day to turn over the store, so it still wasn’t much of a ‘day off’. Working retail during COVID was something that no one was prepared for and with the state of the world being the way it was, it was definitely one of the most difficult times in my career. My team was short staffed and I quickly found myself working 12-14 hour days that became the norm. That quickly led to burnout, which now being on the other side I see that it also drastically affected my personal life.

During COVID, a lot of people left their corporate jobs and started their own business. I was apart of that statistic. When I was working at Target, I had a side business selling wholesale crafting supplies and custom made apparel. So, when I made the decision to quit Target to ‘work on my own time and for myself’, I started Pic-a-Niche in addition to my apparel business. Pic-a-Niche is a luxury picnic business designed to bring people back together in a safe space after COVID. Customers could purchase tiered packages and I would meet them at either a park or indoor location of their choosing and set-up a luxury picnic. I loved the joy on customer’s faces when they walk into a beautiful set-up for a beautiful celebration. I loved to see people just being able to enjoy each other’s company and I handle the set-up and clean-up. I liked that it brought out my creativity.

I knew that setting up luxury picnics would fall on weekends. But what I quickly realized is that my work ethic and drive to succeed, I never knew when to stop working. Between the three small businesses I was running, I was having a hard time planning and creating marketing and content while maintaining current orders and preparing picnics. What I wasn’t prepared for was that the businesses that were a creative outlet for me, that I once enjoyed doing, started becoming pressure to make money since that was my sole means of income. So, when I’d have slow apparel sales or picnic bookings, I saw it as a failure and I wasn’t succeeding and would work even more to fix it. A few years later, and a lot of reflection and growth, I realized that me working endlessly stemmed from my childhood. I grew up watching my parents work 12 hour days, 6 days a week to make ends meet and give my sister and I a life they didn’t have. Not working hard or doing my best equated to failure in my mind. But, I decided to go back to the corporate world but foregoing a management role, which allowed me to turn my businesses back into a creative outlet and not depend on it for income. I can now say that I have a great work life balance. I know when to stop working and when I need to put in a little extra time to accomplish something. When I feel my stress or anxiety rising, I know when to step away to come back. Work will be there; today, tomorrow, always.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I currently work for a FinTech company filing indirect taxes for businesses. For as long as I can remember, I’ve always worked. Even in high school when my parents said I wouldn’t have time to work with school, I had a job. They were right, that job didn’t last long but as soon as I graduated high school and started at college, I had a job. Just like any college student, I started in the food industry and Qdoba. I wasn’t getting enough hours so I kept looking and eventually I ended up with a really good, full-time job at a call center. I quickly got tired of being on the phone 40 hours a week, so I wanted to get promoted. At 19, I was a team manager at the call center while continuing to go to college full-time. Towards the end of my college career, the classes that I needed to take to graduate were far and few on the class schedule and coincided with my work schedule so I stepped down to a quality analyst position. This position was more independent work than running a team so there was flexibility in my schedule. I intended to keep this job until I graduated but a few months prior to graduating, I landed a contract position as a logistics analyst. I was nervous about quitting the call center because this was a contract position, but I took a chance and worked as hard as I could to be converted to a permanent employee and I achieved that. I worked there for almost three years and graduated from college. I remember not getting a lot of interviews out of college but Target gave me a chance but I actually bombed my first interview with them. About 7-8 months later, I saw another emailing regarding Target careers and reached back out to the recruiter who gave me another chance. I passed all rounds of interviews and started working for Target in 2012.

Working for Target was a whirlwind. I loved the company, my job, and the team. The job was hard but the amount of things that I learned is insurmountable. After leaving Target and having exposure to other companies, I can say that Target did build great leaders. During my time at Target, I held the same assistant store manager positions but had the ability to manage a few different departments. I’ve done clothing and apparel, general merchandising, logistics, customer engagement, and my favorite was assets protection. Being in assets protection inspired me to go back and get my master’s in criminal justice.

During my time at Target, I learned how to run a multimillion store. I learned how to speak to my business to top management. I learned how to run processes and procedures. I learned how to implement new change to improve processes and procedures. During my managerial career, I’ve learned how to manage different types of employees and different demographics of employees. I’ve learned how to navigate workplace issues. I’ve learned how to navigate being a woman in a male dominated role. I’ve learned how to navigate cooperate politics.

I am currently a tax analyst with no aspirations to be in a managerial role. I like the peace I have of not being the final decision maker. Of not constantly being tied and available for work. I like the ability to work my shift and log off. This is what has allowed me to have a good work life balance. But the biggest thing I’ve learned about my professional journey is about myself. I wasn’t great in school. I never had the highest GPA. I really struggled with learning from a textbook and taking tests. But from the different types of jobs I’ve had, I learn the most by doing. I’ve learned and adapted to any job I’ve been given. My whole life growing up, my GPA never compared the same to my cousins and sister. I never felt good enough or smart enough. With time and growth, I understand that I just learn differently and am smart at different things.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If my best friend was visiting the area, there are a few places I would take them. First, would be a 2-3 day trip in the mountains. Any mountain town is beautiful. We would visit a hot spring, do a hiking trail or two; maybe see a lake. I love Lake Dillon. Some places that I’d like to take them to enjoy food is downtown, Highlands, or RiNo. There are a few really nice food halls with a lot of good food options. Depending on the season, a football or basketball game. We would definitely have dinner with my family one night. Family dinners are a good time to catch up but also get some home cooked Vietnamese food; comfort food.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to recognize and give credit to my now husband and my sister. They’re the two people closest to me that I hold near and dear to my heart and ones who always listen to my crazy ideas and go with it. Without their support, I wouldn’t be where I am today. My sister being in the banking industry has helped me tremendously with business finances. My husband is way more tech savvy and has helped me create and post content. The both of them sit back and listen to my crazy ideas and sometimes silently and apprehensively go with it or help steer me in a different direction. Also, taking time out of their weekends and sometimes weekdays to help me pack up the car full of picnic supplies, lug it near and far through all sorts of terrain to set up something fabulous and then tear it down to pack it all up in the car again. I couldn’t thank them enough.

Lastly, to my parents. Without them, I would not have the work ethic that I have instilled in me. Without them, I would be scared to step out of my comfort zone and try something different and know that it is okay if it doesn’t work out. I am forever grateful to the life skills they’ve given me.

Instagram: @picaniche; personal: starzz_25

Facebook: Kimmburlee Noo