#27 She Walked Away From the "Perfect" Career and Built Her Own Path

What if the career everyone admires… is the one quietly draining you? She Walked Away From the "Perfect" Career and Built Her Own Path In this episode of *This Is How SHE Did It*, Rae Liu shares the deeply personal story behind walking away from the path that looked "successful" on paper: Columbia University, the World Bank, the corporate track, only to realize none of it felt aligned. Instead of staying stuck in a life that looked good from the outside, she chose uncertainty, reinvention, and eventually co-founding Leatherology into the powerhouse brand it is today. This conversation is about identity, fear, ambition, confidence, and what happens when women stop waiting for permission to build lives that actually fit them. 01:09 — Ray shares feeling lost in her mid-20s and reassessing her path. 03:55 — The "build the house you want to live in" business philosophy. 06:37 — Introduction to Leatherology and what the company does. 08:24 — Ray explains trying pastry and accessories before finding her fit. 11:45 — Family reaction and her father's entrepreneurial background. 16:44 — The risk of leaving a stable career to start something new. 27:07 — Final advice: ask what brings you joy, what must change, and what you want to look back on. If you've ever questioned your path… this episode will hit home. 🎧 Listen now to *This Is How SHE Did It* with Bonnie Habyan 👉 Subscribe to the podcast: www.meetbonnieh.com 👉 Follow Bonnie on LinkedIn: 👉 Get the *This Is How SHE Did It* newsletter: https://bit.ly/49p85HV ✨ Power is built. One move at a time.