Turning 40 and unlearning the American Dream

What happens when you reach the top—and realize it’s not what you wanted? Angela Hwang had the résumé, the accolades, and the paycheck, but behind the scenes, her health was deteriorating and her happiness was nowhere to be found. In this honest and eye-opening episode, Angela shares how a health scare, motherhood, and burnout collided to spark a total life reset. If you’ve ever wondered whether there’s more to life than climbing the next rung, this conversation is for you.

Guest Bio 

Angela Hwang has more than 18 years of experience in marketing and business development. Angela has helped to raise more than $150M in direct investments for real estate fund managers since 2020 and contributed to significant revenue growth for various tech startups since 2016. She has a wide array of experience across multiple industries including financial services, real estate, legal and technology. In 2021, Angela was selected as one of 40 under 40 by Silicon Valley Business Journal for her marketing leadership. Angela graduated from University of California, Berkeley with a B.A. in Mass Communications and a B.A. in Sociology and earned her M.B.A. from Pepperdine University.

Turning 40 and unlearning the American Dream

Angela Hwang checked every box on the “successful life” checklist her parents handed her, and then realized none of it was making her happy. Born in South Korea and raised in the U.S., Angela spent decades chasing stability, prestige, and approval—especially from her parents, who had sacrificed everything for the American Dream. She climbed through the corporate ranks, earned accolades like Silicon Valley’s 40 Under 40, and reached the coveted C-suite. But behind the scenes, she was unraveling. It wasn’t until a terrifying health scare and the sobering clarity of new motherhood that Angela finally began to question the life she had built—and discovered the strength to redefine it.

Episode Highlights:

• Angela’s upbringing as a first-generation Korean-American and internalizing a success script rooted in her parents’ fear, thus the immense pressure to achieve “safe” success.
• Climbing the corporate ladder—and the personal cost of doing so while hiding burnout and physical symptoms.
• The turning point: how becoming a mother and experiencing a health crisis forced Angela to reevaluate her priorities.
• Breaking generational narratives around work, safety, and entrepreneurship.
• The shift from external validation (titles, salaries, luxury goods) to internal fulfillment and presence.
• Selling off her designer wardrobe, trading Silicon Valley hustle for quiet comfort—and finding her true self in the process.
• How sleep, stillness, and finally listening to her own voice laid the foundation for shedding her parents’ fears and starting her own business.

In this deeply honest conversation, Angela Hwang shares what it’s like to reach the top of the ladder your parents built for you—and realize it’s leaning against the wrong wall. Her story is an invitation to question the narratives we inherit, especially when they’re rooted in fear, sacrifice, and survival. If you’ve ever wondered whose life you’re really living, this episode will leave you thinking—and maybe even reimagining what your next chapter could be.

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Guest Resources

Angela is offering TBFO listeners a FREE Complementary Strategy Session

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