Interview with Tammy Sun: A Journey of Resilience and Growth

Dive into the inspiring story of Tammy Sun, a Senior Program Manager at Grammarly, and discover the secrets behind her remarkable career journey. From navigating the ups and downs of job transitions to thriving in the competitive world of design operations, Tammy's candid reflections reveal invaluable lessons on resilience, passion, and personal growth. Whether you're just starting out or looking for motivation to propel your career forward, Tammy's insights and experiences are sure to resonate and inspire. Don't miss this compelling interview that showcases the triumphs and challenges of a dynamic professional who turned adversity into opportunities. 

Name: Tammy Sun 

Generation: Elder millennial 

Education: AA in Sociology, College of San Mateo / AA in Graphic Design, Academy of Art University 

Job Role: Senior Program Manager, Design Operations 

Company: Grammarly 

Previous Companies: Google, Intuit, Walmart, Netflix, Sephora

Describe your educational and/or career journey in one word. 

Growth 

If your life had a mascot, what would it be? 

Phoenix, rising from the ashes 

On a scale of 1-10, how satisfied were you with your career choice at each of the following ages? 

18: 9, optimistic about my then-career choice, architecture 

21: 3, unsure about music/sociology and my school choice, UC Berkeley 

25: 5, dropped out of art school to work full-time as a design assistant / designer 

30: 7, excited about my first corporate job at Sephora as a program manager, but unsure if program management was temporary 

35+: 9, started supporting design ops in product space and have never looked back 

What has been the most difficult career or life challenge you’ve encountered so far? How did you overcome it? If you are dealing with a present-day challenge, how are you managing it?  

It’s become a running joke, but I can’t seem to stay in a job for more than a year due to layoffs or contracts ending. However, the pro of this is that I’ve learned to really bounce back from those setbacks. I’ve improved my interviewing skills, and I’ve learned so much from all of the companies I’ve worked for. I’ve built great friendships and strengthened bridges with people from all walks of life. I honestly would not be where I am if it wasn’t for those short job stints. I want to say I learned so much more hopping from job to job than I have staying at the longest time I’ve had (4 years at both Paper Culture and Sephora). I used to think job hopping was not a good look, but now I can speak positively about what I can bring to the table because of it. 

What do you tell yourself when you receive criticism that is not constructive? 

It’s easy to beat yourself up when you receive any criticism or feedback, but it’s helpful to remind yourself that the feedback you receive from someone is only to help you grow. If it’s not helpful, then just ignore it. We don’t get to choose what people say to us, but we do get to choose how we move on from it. It’s important to keep an open mind and understand where the feedback comes from, how you can apply it to your work, and then grow/develop from it. I remember in art school when the teacher gave such harsh feedback on a painting, I put my heart and soul in. I cried about it for days, but in the end, I told myself that I was happy with the work I put in, made a note of how I could improve, and worked harder to show that I could do better. 

What life or career advice can you give to members of Gen Z? Or, if you are part of Gen Z, what encouragement can you give to your peers? 

I would tell Gen Z the same thing I would tell my daughter (Gen Alpha) as well as my fellow Millennial peers who are seeking career advice. The current landscape is not a reflection of who you are. As long as you work hard, continue learning and growing and manifesting your dreams, what’s for you will find you. Also, it’s not about what looks good on paper. You can see Google, Intuit, Walmart, Netflix, Sephora on my resume, but at the end of the day, it’s about how well you collaborate with others, what problems you are willing to solve, how much you’re willing to learn, the relationships you build, that really help solidify you as a professional. 

What advice did you get when you were just starting that helped you immensely? 

Under promise and over deliver. 👀 

How do you keep yourself from comparing your life/career/accomplishments to those of others? 

I should know about comparison growing up in an Asian household, haha. After being compared to family members while growing up, I’ve learned that everyone’s journey is different. Someone else’s obstacles could be a mountain for them, but that same obstacle could be just a pebble on your path. As long as you know this, you will be able to look past other people’s accomplishments and know that you will get to where you need to be in due time. 

What is something that you have accomplished in your lifetime so far that would shock your 16-year-old self? 

 This is probably controversial, but I got to where I am in my career without a college degree (not counting the AA degrees, of course)!  

How do you motivate yourself when you lack inspiration or energy? 

I try to find a passion project that fills that inspiration gap. I’ll check in with my manager to see if there are any passion/side projects that I could tackle outside of the day-to-day. At Intuit, I signed up for an Adopt a Small Business program with my team and also co-led an internship program, both of which really inspired me to add an extra pep in my step at work.  

What about your career or life are you most passionate about? 

I think I got lucky. I’m in a profession that focuses on people, process, and problem solving, which are my strengths. I never thought I would fall into operations or that this was even a career choice, but now that I’ve been in it for 10+ years, I feel like this has been a great fit all along. Could I do something else? Of course. I love to learn and am open to new experiences. I do feel that as a career, I’m happy where I’m at. As a North Star, I would love to do something that has to do with food, but that’s why I’m doing what I’m doing now - to help me prepare for what the future has to offer. 

What sparks your motivation? 

I was going through a divorce during the beginning years of my career. I ended up sharing joint custody of my then-1 year old daughter with my ex. Since I was a solo parent more than half of the time, I knew I had to work harder to make ends meet. I’m grateful for my family, friends, and village who were there to support me, but ultimately, it became my priority to work hard and provide for me and my daughter. In retrospect, when looking back at the past 12 years, I have grown so much in experience, outlook, even income! So, you can say my daughter has been and will continue to be my motivation. 

How do you figure out what goals you have and how do you then prioritize them? 

I have to be better at making goals for my personal life. I usually know it once it happens. For example, I want to run my first 10k this year so I’m making sure I leave time for training and running. For work, as part of the review cycles, you need to set goals and make good on them. Priorities are really just making sure you have all your goals on the table, weighing out what it takes to accomplish them, and mapping it out so it is doable and realistic.