Hi, I’m Jean Sum.
A creative, strategist, partnerships broker, dancer and a supporter of other Asian-Australians to live their paths that align with their values, strengths and desires.
My Intention
To support and mentor young Asian-Australians to align their life and career paths with their values, strengths and desires. I invite you to explore with me the themes of the Asian-Australian identity, feminine energy and career.
Blog Posts
Asian-Australian
Feminine Energy
Career
Receive my monthly update
What my mentees say
I have been fortunate to have Jean Sum as my mentor and friend over the past seven years. People say change is hard. It definitely is when you are doing it alone, but when you have someone like Jean, who is always willing to share her advice and insights genuinely, it has become a journey of personal exploration and growth. I learned a lot from her on navigating workplace challenges, such as finding my own confident inner voice, making quality connections, and building credibility as a young professional. Once Jean helped me identify areas to work on and by sharing her very own personal stories, she was tireless in making sure she provided me the support required as I worked toward my objectives and goals. I attribute a lot of my success in transitioning from an individual contributor to leading oneself and other people to Jean. She is a trusted advisor who selflessly helps others to embrace their own identities and reach their full potential.
Iris Chan, Hong Kong
Jean is a nurturer and a truly gifted mentor. Jean is a wonderful listener and she holds the space for you to be vulnerable, whilst also providing encouragement and guidance on what steps to take next. She has helped me to regain confidence in myself, to tune into my intuition, and to embrace the risk involved in pursuing my dream. I feel that she believes in me and my vision, which moves me and motivates me to keep going despite the fear of failure. Through Jean’s mentorship, I have been learning to ask for what I need and to recognise my strengths. I have also gained a new appreciation of my qualities that reflect my Asian cultural background, which are often undervalued in Australian workplaces and society. After several months of being mentored by Jean, I am more determined to pursue my goals and I am more hopeful that I can achieve them. Jean gives her time and shares her knowledge from her heart – I feel truly blessed to be mentored by her.
Monique Dam, Sydney
As a young Chinese-Australian woman in the midst of transition from university study to the workforce, I was delighted to connect with Jean at the 2019 Asian-Australian Leadership Summit. Jean is an empathetic and generous mentor who always takes care to understand my needs. She listens and creates space for me to reflect on the anxieties and challenges I have encountered in my first year of navigating full-time work. She has supported me to build my confidence by challenging me to see the qualities that set me apart from others not as weaknesses, but as unique strengths. With her guidance, I am learning to be more comfortable with expressing my cultural identity in the workplace, to be courageous in my leadership and visibility as a young person, and to embrace new connections and opportunities. Given our shared experiences as Asian-Australian women, I have found great comfort and insight in my relationship with Jean and would thoroughly recommend her as a mentor.
Jane Chen, Melbourne
