She Built a Successful Career... But Her Daughter Needed Something Else From Her

In this episode, I sit down with Soon Hagerty, entrepreneur, brand strategist, philanthropist, and co-founder of Boundless Futures Foundation, to talk about what happens when you've achieved success but realize it's time to redefine what matters most. Soon has spent decades building businesses, leading teams, and creating opportunities for others. After nearly 20 years helping grow Hagerty into a publicly traded, multibillion-dollar company, she reached a point where everything in her professional life was going well. But something was missing. She began asking herself a question that I think every high performer needs to consider: What if the life you've worked so hard to build needs to be edited? That question led Soon to make one of the most important decisions of her life. She stepped back from her demanding corporate role to become more present for her daughter, prioritize her health, and create space for the things that mattered most. Our conversation explores why successful people struggle to slow down, how our childhood experiences shape the parents we become, and why having the ability to do more doesn't necessarily mean we should. We also talk about self-awareness, accountability, emotional regulation, Stoicism, social media, parenting, personal growth, forgiveness, and why meaningful relationships require something that technology can't replace: genuine human connection. This is a conversation about learning to make intentional choices before life makes them for us — and understanding that sometimes the most powerful thing we can do is let go of something good to make room for something better. ## About the Guest Soon Hagerty is an entrepreneur, brand strategist, philanthropist, and co-founder of Boundless Futures Foundation. After fleeing Vietnam with her family at the age of four and resettling in California, Soon built a career spanning entrepreneurship, global brand leadership, and social impact. For nearly 20 years, she helped transform Hagerty from a specialty insurance business into a global, publicly traded lifestyle brand valued at more than $3 billion. She has also founded and co-owned multiple businesses, including the mission-driven restaurant The Good Bowl. Today, Soon focuses much of her energy on supporting women entrepreneurs through Boundless Futures Foundation, which has awarded more than $1.5 million in grants to women founders and nonprofit organizations. Through her leadership, philanthropy, and personal growth journey, Soon continues to encourage people to challenge the boundaries they've placed on themselves, embrace intentional living, and use their success to create opportunities for others. ## Key Takeaways → What it means to intentionally "edit your life" instead of waiting for life to change around you → Why some of the greatest personal growth happens when everything is already going well → How Soon realized that professional success was taking time away from the people who mattered most → Why hearing a troubling statistic about young girls' mental health became a turning point in Soon's life → How her experience growing up with hardworking immigrant parents influenced her decision to be more present for her daughter → Why the sacrifices our parents made can create opportunities and choices they never had → How successful people become comfortable saying yes simply because they can, not because they should → Why stepping away from a demanding corporate role became one of the best decisions Soon ever made → How Soon redesigned her workday to prioritize fitness, wellness, and time with her family → Why defining what a great day looks like can help us