Why I Left My Marriage, My Job, and My Country - to Choose Myself l 이소라 대표 | Sora Lee | TEDxSeoul

Quick Overview

Sora Lee recounts her journey of choosing herself by leaving behind her marriage, a high-paying tech job at Meta, Netflix, and TikTok in the US, and ultimately leaving South Korea to pursue a life that genuinely energizes her, emphasizing that true success is internal validation and courageously pursuing one's authentic path despite the fear of failure or judgment.

Key Points: Sora Lee left a high-paying tech career at Meta, Netflix, and TikTok in North America after feeling her opinion was too much for Korean people and that she was playing small. She founded a beauty marketing agency with the goal of making K-beauty mainstream in North America, and sponsored the Tony Awards. Lee later launched an inner beauty company called 'Hustle in Heart' with zero prior experience in the beauty industry. She divorced and left South Korea at age 16, returning at age 31 to leave her marriage, which she felt was built on trying to impress others rather than authentic self-love. A 2022 survey by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs found that 75% of young Koreans fear failure more than regret. Lee defines true success not by external metrics like cars or titles, but by internal feelings of quiet certainty and being proud of the woman she is becoming. She encourages the audience to stop comparing their lives to others' highlight reels and to take the leap of faith to build their own room where they shine.

Context: The speaker, Sora Lee, shares a deeply personal narrative about a significant life transformation where she prioritized her authentic self over societal expectations and external validation. This involved leaving a successful career in the US tech industry, moving back to South Korea, ending her marriage, and eventually leaving her home country to pursue ventures she felt passionate about, such as starting beauty businesses.

Detailed Analysis

Sora Lee delivered a personal TEDxSeoul talk titled "Why I Left My Marriage, My Job, and My Country - to Choose Myself." She revealed that after achieving success in high-paying tech roles at companies like Meta, Netflix, and TikTok in North America, she felt unfulfilled and that her authentic self was too much for Korean societal norms, leading her to play small. Her first major pivot involved leaving her career to start a beauty marketing agency focused on mainstreaming K-beauty in North America, even sponsoring the Tony Awards. After this, she founded an inner beauty company, 'Hustle in Heart,' despite having no prior industry experience. A key turning point was leaving her marriage at age 31, realizing she deserved better than a life spent trying to impress others or shrinking her voice. She cites a 2022 survey showing that 75% of young Koreans fear failure more than regret, highlighting the cultural pressure she felt. Lee ultimately defines success internally—as quiet certainty and being proud of the person she is becoming—and urges the audience to stop comparing their lives to curated highlight reels and to pursue what gives them joy, even if it involves perceived failure or leaving comfortable situations.