News and Insights
#FINNFam Friday | Meet Cathy Chon
September 16, 2022
What would your splurge meal be and at what restaurant?
It would be at Giardini Eden, a seaside restaurant in Ischia overlooking Castello Aragonese where the tomatoes taste like the sea and mussels are cooked over the fire. It’s a humble meal so the “splurge” would be flying in my loved ones from all over the world to enjoy it with me. Any meal with loved ones tastes infinitely better.
What is your go-to productivity hack?
Sleep, which I never get enough of.
What book or movie have you recently read/seen that you would recommend?
After the Fall: Being An American in the World We’ve Made, by Ben Rhodes. He takes a sobering look at America’s place in the world today and the forces that led to it. As an American expat, I can relate to many of its themes.
What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
I get asked this question often and have to admit that one piece of advice doesn’t stand out as “the best” because it can’t apply to all situations. It’s more to do with a collection of wise words given by people throughout my lifetime, developing (un)common sense, and listening to one’s gut.
What destinations are on your list of top 3 places to visit? Why?
- Anywhere where I can “comfortably” see the Aurora Borealis in its full splendor so I can be reminded of how inconsequential I am.
- Sail the Aeolian Islands because I want to stare down a volcano, run around near empty beaches and eat everything in my path (and not gain weight).
- Walk the Santiago De Compostela pilgrimage trail in Spain with my family because the idea of walking in silence for weeks is balm for my soul (but a killer for the soles!).
What is one professional skill you’re currently working on?
I wish I was better at doing PowerPoint, so I’ve been meaning to start Canva.
What would your superpower be and why?
Teleportation. I love travel, but I despise the ‘getting there’ part especially given how stressful it’s become lately. I just want Scotty to beam me up.
What is your favorite electronic gadget?
It’s both a bane and a blessing but my iPhone.
What would you do with your time if you didn’t have to work?
Go back and get a master’s degree in anything that doesn’t have to do with business; be serious about learning Italian; re-read all the classics; and of course, travel. Ultimately, I want to go back to the world of non-profit and social enterprise, where I started.
What is your greatest professional achievement?
Starting and sustaining CatchOn through two disruptive decades in a foreign place (China).