TFS#242 - Yvonne An Shares How She Used Data to Grow 700K Followers & Leveraging That Into a Startup

Yvonne An is a Korean entrepreneur and creator based in Manila. She blends creativity with data, even building her own TikTok analysis bot to study trends, performance, and what drives PR and brand deals. Yvonne shares an honest look into her life—balancing startups, mental health, and her experience living in the Philippines—making her a relatable voice for Gen Z builders and creatives.Connect with Yvonne:https://www.instagram.com/yvonnean_https://www.tiktok.com/@yvonnneCHAPTERS:0:00 – Introduction0:49 – Meet Yvonne1:15 – What Yvonne has been focused on2:21 – Why Yvonne started a company5:12 – Content creation as stress relief5:59 – What she enjoys about creating7:38 – Building a TikTok data bot9:27 – How the bot measures content ROI10:44 – How she built the bot11:58 – Labeling & scraping TikTok data12:51 – Tracking growth and plateaus14:11 – Why she signed with an agency15:27 – Balancing startups + content16:28 – Her dad’s surprising hobbies16:56 – Yvonne on her mom & family19:11 – Where her independent energy comes from20:24 – Gen Z entrepreneurs21:59 – Thoughts on Cluely’s content strategy23:45 – Young entrepreneurs today24:09 – Her brother’s path24:40 – Would she want kids?25:17 – Raising entrepreneurial kids27:15 – How parents shape business mindset28:51 – Lessons from her dad’s hardships32:09 – When her dad left LG33:48 – How old she was then34:46 – Andy’s first trip to the Philippines36:37 – Rockwell run club38:42 – Filipino “clientele relationship”41:58 – Building company culture in PH45:53 – Antidepressants & mental health47:57 – Impulsive behavior in relationships48:33 – Andy’s personality quiz (money)50:11 – Is religion good or bad?52:14 – Emotional vs. logical54:01 – Who’s more hardworking?54:12 – Wait for someone or date who likes you?54:39 – Her biggest 2024–2025 takeaways55:55 – Naming a child with two letters56:40 – What she’d change about Andy57:37 – Airport ride scenario59:12 – Last time she asked for help1:04:18 – Last three times she helped others1:07:45 – Andy’s reflection on Yvonne1:09:45 – Guessing each other’s MBTI1:16:00 – Similar vs. opposite partners1:16:49 – Does she have ADHD?1:17:06 – Feeling out of place in PH1:19:35 – Her day-to-day life in Manila1:20:43 – Balancing career + relationship1:22:02 – Purpose of life1:23:19 – Is life meaningless?1:23:51 – What puts her in a sad state1:24:43 – How convo would differ without SSRIs1:25:35 – Does she need SSRIs long-term?1:26:49 – Her anxiety1:27:49 – Plans for the rest of her gap year1:29:10 – Could she thrive at UC Berkeley?1:30:40 – Being seen as a “pretty dumb girl”1:32:07 – Story about people “playing dumb”1:34:40 – Yvonne’s recent life discoveries1:35:26 – Her next 6-month goal1:36:42 – Why Andy thought her life was “nerfed”1:38:58 – Connect with Yvonne1:40:14 – Why some girls “play dumb”1:41:13 – How her personal brand shows only a slice of her1:42:21 – Outro