Since I can remember, I was often told that I had “no backbone.” And honestly, they were right. The classes I took, the clothes I wore, and the few choices I made were all decided by my parents. I had no ideas of my own. Whatever I was told to do, I did. I always thought of others first, myself second, and I never acted outside the expectations of those around me.

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Because of that, even my career path became a reflection of this lack of independence. I drifted into business for psychological reasons, for the sense of security and predictability it offered, and because it was something “useful anywhere.” The knowledge of business was interesting, of course, but it didn’t make my heart beat faster. Eventually, I began to ask myself questions: “Why am I studying this?” and “What value do I bring to others in this field?”

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So, I decided to take a semester off and work at a subway station in Seoul.
Was I well paid? Actually, yes. But that wasn’t what mattered to me.
I met thousands of people each day and had countless opportunities to help them, guiding lost foreigners, assisting elderly passengers with their transportation cards, and selling tickets.

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What stands out most from that time is the ticket-selling experience. For the good of the company, it might have made sense to sell as many tickets as possible, but that was not the plan I followed. My approach was to first understand each customer’s travel habits and help them decide whether a pass or a regular ticket was more suitable. Sometimes, I would even say, honestly, “I don’t think you should buy this ticket.” Strangely enough, that honesty built trust. More and more customers began saying, “I’ll buy whatever you recommend,” and before I knew it, I had become the top ticket seller among all employees.

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One day, a customer came back just to say, “Thank you for your help,” and that moment changed everything. I realized that helping people make better choices for their own happiness was far more meaningful than any of the business theories I had studied in class. I also understood that sincerity and empathy in business could have a much greater impact than technical knowledge alone.

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That experience completely changed the direction of my life. Afterward, I changed my major from Finance to Sales, much to my parents’ disapproval. There wasn’t much information available about the program, and I was told there would be few, if any, foreign students. The idea of being one of the only international students in such a new and challenging field was intimidating, but I still wanted to take the step. I wanted to learn something that genuinely interested me, not what others thought I should study. That decision remains one of the most important I have ever made.