On a lazy Friday afternoon under light rain, Chris, Stella and James from the JoinTheLeaders Vancouver Chapter met Steve at his office which is in a beautiful heritage office building in downtown Vancouver. Steve kindly offered water, coffee and even some cup ramen.
Please give us some background on where you grew up and what it was like, especially regarding the Korean Canadian community back then.
Steve: Some of my earliest memories are of us living in Richmond. We had three other Korean families living within a three-block radius of us and they served as my Korean influences. All the kids were like me. English was pretty much their first language and we all hung out together, me being the youngest, the oldest being 16-17 at that time. We were still brought up as Korean; we all ate Korean food and would go camping together. To this day my parents still meet up with the other parents and keep in touch.
My parents were small business people. My dad opened the first Korean restaurant in Vancouver, a Korean BBQ restaurant on East Hastings. So we moved to Strathcona. This was the first time where we had no Korean influences near us, except when we went to see family friends. We grew up in a situation where 98% of the population was Chinese. It was also the first time we realized that the average person did not know who a Korean was. We were all just 'Asians' in their minds.
In 1981, my parents moved to Coquitlam and my parents still live in that same house to this day. The majority of my friends were Non-Asian and from the working class. Race was never an issue. We certainly acknowledged the fact that we were different, but they were never negative things.
Why did you decide to work in Marketing and PR industry? What did you want to be as an adolescent?
Steve: Growing up, certainly through watching my parents, I always wanted to be an entrepreneur of some sort. I was discouraged because their business hours were very demanding. My parents wanted me to have a life. I went to University originally to go into business but I found that it really wasn’t my calling at that point in time; however, socializing was. I went into psychology knowing that I had a knack of understanding relationships with people. Frankly speaking, upon graduation, I was thinking about becoming a therapist and continuing my studies in psychology. However, reality sank in and I knew I wanted to do something else. Within 6 months after graduation I decided to go to Korea. I wanted to try to find myself. I went into an International Relations program at the Graduate School of International Studies (GSIS) at Korea University and I very much enjoyed it.
After the first year of the two-year program, my friend who followed me on this trip, had quit school. He started working at a financial services firm, but after a few months, he recruited me to launch a financial intermediary in Seoul and tried to bring venture capital from the US, Japan, and Singapore into Korea for ‘Tech’ companies. Opportunity was everywhere in Korea at that point in time in early 1997. It gave me a taste of the technology industry as I was marketing to and selling such companies to venture capitalists; I was able to experience both the technology and the marketing side.
Later that year, Korea went almost bankrupt. IMF came in, no capital was flowing anywhere. I decided it was time I went back to school and finish my program. However, I went back not so much focused on international relations, but on the technology side. I did my Masters Thesis on comparing the Silicon Valley to Korea’s technological industry. It analyzed whether or not the venture capitalists had the right structure and also if the Korean ‘tech’ companies could achieve what the Silicon Valley had accomplished. That opened up entrance into understanding the Korean venture capital industry. Upon graduation, I worked for a Korean company and became their Overseas Marketing person. Seoul was amazing because it was an economic and a political hub. As such, I was significantly influenced and had opportunities to meet some amazing people. However, there was one thing that always bugged me. If you speak English in Korea you can certainly have more opportunities, but to this day, I am not sure if my success was based on skill or based on my knowledge of the English language.
I decided it was time to move back to Vancouver. I always wanted to live in the city and get a sense of how business and some of its actual day-to-day tactics would help my career. I started working for Chalk Media, and became their Marketing Director. This set up my role in public relations and new media because I was basically the Editor in Chief and Writer of all content across all media platforms. But we also had a Solutions side so we were helping the Sales people trying to market our video solutions. And basically that is what I do, to this day.
Did you ever go through an identity crisis from your first generation immigrant parents?
Steve: Quite a bit. There were some things that my parents just didn’t understand. My argument to my parents was that it was not my choice to move to Canada. I did not like the fact that my parents expected to raise me as a Korean child living in Canada. I believed that they had to be more flexible. Whenever they did not understand my situation, my dad would make me write a letter to him. A conversation may not convey the message in its entirety, so I wrote it down on paper so that he could take the time to understand the message. That was a tremendous turning point of my relationship with my father. My brother was much more relaxed and explained things better. I was short-tempered and was more like “What? You don’t like my ponytail? I’m leaving!” Therefore the letter forced me to consider what made my parents upset and also forced my parents to really look into the meaning of my words. Otherwise, verbal arguments would not have worked well.
The Korean language was always a problem. I know it was a factor for a number of things. I did not have many extended relatives to practice my Korean with on a day to day basis. Also, Korean school was on a Saturday. To me that was ‘play’ day. I grew up being afraid of it, rather than trying to overcome the challenge. When I went to the University of Western Ontario, it was even more non-Asian in that way. I was almost farthest away from being Korean by the time I graduated. Then I realized it was time. That was another reason for going to Korea. And through that, for the first time being taught Korean grammar, it made a world of difference. Why didn’t they teach us the grammar patterns? It was always repetitive exercises where we would repeat after the instructor and memorize. Learning grammar changed everything. However, in retrospect, I realize now that I knew more about being Korean and the Korean language itself than I thought I did because I was able to absorb the culture and the language much easier than the Non-Koreans in my graduate studies at Korea University.
Please tell us about your graduate school days in Korea. Were there any interesting incidents based on the cultural differences you felt as a KC?
Steve: There are always differences. Certainly it was an advantage to speak English. As my Korean improved, it proved to be GREAT time. But at the same time, no matter what level my Korean would get to, the taxi drivers would pinpoint me as a foreigner within seconds. I tried as much as I could to fit into the Korean city as a natural born Korean, but I always knew that I was a foreigner in some way. Most of the time, I was the goof – using humour to get my point across, but I focused hard to build up some business-level Korean so I could be taken seriously. But I realized that the hierarchy system in Korea would always play a role in my interactions with people and it didn’t always sit well with me. I was in my mid-twenties, and if I wanted to do something and I knew I could do it, I didn't want to worry about what others would think. I didn't want to get ignored because I was so young at the time. There were some foreign exchange friends of mine that grew quiet frustrated because of this, to the point of violence. But to me, I was always aware of the fact that we could just leave at any time. Korea is certainly more open now; in 1996, Korea was still going through a transition. Girls didn’t smoke in public, still got slapped, only a million cellular phones. When I left 4 years later, there were 28 million cellular phones and girls were smoking everywhere.
Please tell us a little bit about your firm Boilingpoint Communications.
Steve: It’s what I call an integrated communications company. We do strategic marketing, public relations, specializing in media relations, and corporation communications. Essentially, I write and then I get that message out to the people. There are many people who do that, but the thing is, my value proposition is that I help the Davids beat the Goliaths. I have always worked with the small ‘tech’ companies, and I believe that these venture-backed companies that launched on a unique and innovative idea, especially the ones here in Vancouver, have to go global. Their business, whether it’s an internet company or what not, will be better if they expand outside of Vancouver. However, first and foremost, it has to go across North America. Typically you are competing against someone in the Silicon Valley – the Goliath. They have marketing budgets, money and funding. The companies I work for are on a smaller scale, so I work with them to position them as leaders and innovators in the field. As David, the only way to conquer Goliath is to be smarter and more efficient, and thus the product or technology has to be cutting edge. We work to get that message out there. We work with their people to 1) speak and become voices for their industry 2) create their content 3) make sure the media knows about it and then 4) drive sales or investments.
Did you have challenges in first starting a firm? To beat the Goliaths, was that the biggest challenge for you to come up with the technology?
Steve: It’s always a challenge, and the challenges never really fade. After my days at Chalk Media, I did some soul searching to find out what I really want to do. I started a business with some friends, but this one was to create a product. This business didn’t go anywhere. I had to restart. But I learned that in order to start a new business, I have to start with what I do best. I wanted to move as fast as possible, but to succeed, I had to build up a base of clients first. I was able to do this while freelancing with a company named In Context, acting as its VP. However, the biggest challenge for me was to actually leave In Context and start a company under my own brand. Once this was accomplished, the challenge then was to create the business and drive sales. To this day, 99% of my clients are by referral; no marketing. The challenges are consistently there and you start to realize that running a business is different from specializing in a field. At the end of the month, I don’t like to do my administration or accounting, even though the accounting should be the first thing I should be doing. Sending out the invoices, not to mention all of the other things that were needed to be done to support a business, are necessary skills that you must learn. Turning your skills into a business is a constant challenge.
What are you doing in order to continue developing as a leader?
Steve: One of the best things to do is ask questions and talk to the people in similar situations. I do have other entrepreneurs that I tap into. My role at the BC Chapter of the American Marketing Association (BCAMA) is one of the biggest influences I have, at all levels, because the BCAMA is a 55 year-old non-profit society. We have over 20 board directors and a 7-figure operating budget per year. At this point in time, as Vice President-Elect I manage half the board that fall under the communications portfolio. It enables me to interact with other like-minded individuals who are leaders in their field, some of whom who work at the largest brands in the province, if not Canada. Also, the ability to take on that managerial role and gain that type of experience and learn from people is priceless. We roll up our sleeves. It’s a hard-working board for a group of volunteers. By accepting and being voted in as Vice President, suddenly, the demands of the role become daily. To be a Director in the BCAMA, it’s a 2-year commitment, but to be on the Executive, it’s a 4-year commitment. I’m Vice President-Elect, President Elect, and President in 3 years and then Past President. This ensures consistency in leadership as you progress. So that also means I have a lot of people to tap into for help if needed, and to also help them. It works out quite well. You get to meet some great people. And we do some fantastic things as well. We have a marketer of the year award. Each year, we celebrate the best marketing campaign of the province. Last year was BC Hydro. Their [advertising] agency was DDB. These ad agencies are winning awards across Canada, if not the world. It’s great to have that influence. We also have the VISION Conference, where we bring in 6 speakers from around the globe – last year we had speakers from Harley Davidson, McDonalds, and other large brands. It’s great to get that influence. To me, it’s just about that learning experience.
What is the one characteristic that a leader must have?
Steve: This is always a tough question. My answer throughout it all is always ‘communication’. I’ve seen people with various leadership styles. I’ve seen dictators who, regardless of their tactic, got things done. Their team may not like the person, but they still knew the goals and met the objectives. So on paper, that person would appear as a great leader. I’ve also seen some leaders who are very pragmatic, who are not so direct but had a great team behind them. There are so many different elements to it. But when I think about the communication side, it comes down to a) being able to clearly state the goals and objectives and b) to motivate and inspire whomever to get on board and take action. There is an element of leading by example, but again, it is about how you communicate to the people.
What would you say your weakness is?
Steve: At times, I try to analyze the situation too long. When you go for it, you must go for it. It’s something that I’m continuously trying to improve on. If I can get to a point where my gut tells me something and I go with that choice, that’s the way I want it to be. 90% of the time, my gut feeling is usually right. It’s not so much about making a choice quickly, but if something is not working well, you have to stop and change direction. Fail fast.
The characteristic you believe that every leader should have is communication, but is there something related to the obstacles they face? What is the biggest obstacle for leaders today?
Steve: 100%. The fact is, your constituents, or the people who you are meeting are now more informed than ever before. Whether you’re a marketer or a leader, or even a seller, you’re selling a message. Because of the way the media has been, people are more informed and consequently more empowered. As a leader, if you’re going to speak, you have to hold your message to account; it’s very easy for people to see through fake messages. A total dictatorship like in North Korea, where people have no access to information, would be a good example of the opposite because other than the directive of a leader, what else is there to believe? But if you consider well developed, knowledgeable economies or nations, it is simply not the case anymore. If you’re not communicating your message as a leader efficiently, your people will lose respect instantly. It comes down to being able to back up your leadership and communication and holding it to account.
Please tell us a little bit about C3 society, how you co-founded C3 society and some challenges you faced.
Steve: C3 started in 2003. As my brother was having a child, I started thinking more about the Koreans in Canada. There were more Koreans here too. There was this critical mass so maybe it was time for us to get together and mobilize to see what we can do. It was also the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Korea and Canada. Yonah Martin (now a Senator) was going through this as well, and we started talking. It was a strangely coincidental yet overwhelmingly positive experience. So Yonah organized a meeting and roughly 14 people attended.
It was just a group of people who wanted to understand and talk about their feelings as Korean Canadians (KC) and see if any actions could come out of this meeting. Interestingly, my original thought was more about business and politics, to serve as a lobby. However, it wasn’t the right time for it. The conversations continued and C3 started to become a bridge for different generations and throughout different communities; C3 was born one month later. We started with 12-14 directors. The first year was focused on working with Non-Korean organizations to tap into the Korean community. It was a huge success and the following year we started working with Korean organizations. This was when we started working with the Korean Heritage Foundation to do the festival when it was held at the Plaza of Nations. We had a lot of strong successes. The third year, we created some of our own events. That’s when Camp Korea, our fusion cooking classes, seminar series, and eventually the Leadership Conference came into play. That was the initial journey; Yonah was the key driver. Without her, C3 would not be here today. Her power to inspire and motivate, and to get people to take action was critical.
This question is for the recent immigrants trying to adapt to the community here in Canada. Referring back to your experience in Korea, what advantages do you think the Korean people have in Canadian society?
Steve: I believe that the major advantage Korean-Canadians have here is the geographical location, especially the ones located in B.C. I’m a firm believer that Asia is going to be the next powerhouse. Being a KC in Vancouver is setting yourself up for success. Vancouver will be the gateway. In the US, cities like Seattle, L.A, and San Francisco will compete for the same role; however, in Canada, we just have Vancouver. At different levels, KCs in different fields will have many advantages due to the language skills. This goes for other Asian communities as well. There’s so much out there that’s untapped that it’s actually frustrating. It’s not only setting up more business in Korea, but it is getting North America to use Vancouver as a hub to do business with Korea. They should be coming to us and vice-versa, using Vancouver to tap into all the Korean markets across North America. Vancouver is the prime spot to go both ways. Toronto can do the exact same thing as well, in regards to people and talent, but geographically speaking, we have the advantage.
Do you have any final advice for the younger generation who would want to follow your footsteps?
Steve: Have confidence in yourself and be willing to ask questions. Especially in Western business practices and situations, you must get your voice out. You have to be confident to start a conversation. I understand that, as Koreans, we are quiet and self conscious at times. However, if there is something you desire, it is incredibly important to find others who want to do the same things with you and talk to them.
There were times when I didn’t want to speak in Korean because all the questions related to my background were going to come out and it was better to keep quiet. But my parents had to speak English, they had to step out of the shell and ask questions. My dad fits into a traditional immigrant story, coming to Canada with X amount of dollars in his hand. He started as a worker in a Japanese store and continued to ask the owner many questions. This is how he learned English and eventually started his own business. He listened, followed and understood the model himself. My dad was a milkman for a year or two as well, and I can’t even imagine my dad going into the milk truck and delivering to the houses in Vancouver. But somehow, he was able to ask questions and continued to grow starting the first Korean restuarant (as mentioned), the first Korean food store, the first Korean travel agency and in the early 80s the first Korean immigration consultancy in the city.
About Steve Kim
- Born and Raised in Vancouver, BC
- Undergraduate Degree in Psychology from University of Western Ontario
- Graduate Degree from Korea University
- Co-founder and Director of C3 Society (NPO)
- Vice-President Elect of the BC Chapter of the American Marketing Association
- Previous Vice-President at In CONTEXT Marketing and PR
- Previous Director of Marketing and Business Development of Chalk Media
- Current President of Boilingpoint Communications
Interview Date : Jan. 29, 2010
Interviewers: Chris Heebum Lee, Stella Chun, James Choi
Photographer: Stella Chun
Editors: Phil Kim, Hyungbin Kim, Yongsub Eric Shin, Jooseok Lee, James Choi, Chris Heebum Lee
The views expressed in the interviews are not necessarily reflective of JoinTheLeaders' opinion.
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