From a self-proclaimed “nobody” to a veteran YouTuber and in-demand influencer, Sue Chang has come a long way in her 10-year career. The multi-hyphenate talks to Stephenie Gee about family, passion and finding her voice
“Having it all” is a modern-day phenomenon desired by many but attained by few. And the question of whether women can have it all seems to spawn endless debates with no consensus in sight. But if you ask Sue Chang whether it’s possible to be at the top of one’s game, with a supportive husband and beautiful kids, and have the freedom to pursue one’s dreams, her answer is unequivocally “yes”.
Born in Korea and raised in Hong Kong, Chang began her YouTube journey in 2010 as one of the first to introduce local audiences to Korean culture. Showcasing a diverse range of content from beauty and fashion to vlogs and beyond, she soon established herself as a presence to be reckoned with. Fast forward more than 10 years and Chang is now a YouTuber with over 200,000 subscribers as well as a blogger, designer, entrepreneur, wife and mother of two.
It certainly seems like a lot to balance, but Chang says her family helps make it all work. “My husband is super supportive of everything I do and encourages me to do what I love,” she says. “My mother, brother and mother-in-law are all also very supportive and help to take care of the kids when both my husband and I are busy.”
Besides family, another source of strength for Chang is her passion for what she does. “People may think I’m fooling around, but I’m actually very serious about my work,” she says. “I actually set really high standards for myself and put a lot of thought into each video and photo that I post.”
When asked what makes her so passionate, Chang clarifies that it’s not beauty or creating videos but rather expressing herself. “I actually wanted to be a celebrity, but I don’t think I’m pretty enough to be one,” she says. “But I wanted to do something that allowed me to express myself and share my feelings, and being a blogger seemed like the perfect thing.”
Success didn’t come easy. With no experience and knowledge of the world of vlogging, Chang had to start from scratch and do everything from finding inspiration for content to video editing and production.
All the while, Chang had to face hate and criticism. While she found it challenging at first, she now finds worth and reassurance from receiving comments both good and bad. “I think what scares me more is to not get any comments,” she says. “It means that I have no worth as a content creator.”
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It’s evident that whilst hard work has played a huge role in Chang’s success, much of it can be credited to her passion to express herself. Now a proud mother to two daughters, Chang teaches them the value of passion more than anything else. “Discipline can only get you so far,” she explains. “Passion is what enables you to work for hours without making it feel like work.
“I really want my daughters to find something that they love and enjoy doing. I’m not going to be around forever. So if they’re able to find their passion, I won’t worry about them as much or have to nag at them because I know they will be able to succeed in life.”
Though hopping on the bandwagon of the Korean Wave was what kick-started her career, Chang admits she was hesitant to follow suit completely. “When the Korean Wave hit Hong Kong, I really jumped at the opportunity and created a myriad of videos inspired by all things Korean, such as K-beauty tutorials and idol catchphrases,” she recalls. “But I was also worried about becoming too associated with it because what if it’s just a passing trend? I’ll become one too.”
It was this concern that motivated her to find her own voice and begin to capture real moments of her life. And for Chang, the essence of good content lies in authenticity and the ability to resonate with viewers. “I want my videos to be memorable,” she says. “If my videos are able to make people feel something and move their hearts – you know, make them cry – then I know that I’ve succeeded.”
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Following this thread of authenticity, Chang says there’s much more to her life than what she shares online. And though she admits that a lot of less-than-perfect portions are left undocumented, a quick scroll through her channel and feed shows she’s unafraid to ditch the glamour and bare all.
“I’m so grateful to have achieved so much in life,” she says. “I’m what a lot of people aspire to be, and have what a lot of people aspire to have, but like everyone else I also have days of trial and dejection.”
Even so, when it comes to the future, Chang says she hopes to continue spreading positivity and encouragement to others.
CREDITS
Creative concept and production / #legend
Art direction and styling / Zaneta Cheng
Photography / Karl Lam
Videography / Gloria Tang
Gaffer / Yeung Chuk Hei
Assistant / Yeung Chuk Hei
Makeup / Megumi Sekine
Hair / Ryan Ma
Also see: Digital cover: AGA x Marc Jacobs
