Eun Suk Hong

Define your experience at IE with only one word.

Transformative.

When deciding to pursuit a master’s degree, the world was your canvas. Every country was an option, except the United States, and you decided to come to Spain. Why here, and why IE?

Actually, it was IE who found me, not the other way around. When I initially decided to pursue a master’s degree, I had limited my search to schools in the US because I was so attached to creating my life there. After all, my mom had sacrificed nearly 20 years of her life - away from family, spouse, and country - to offer me the chance to create a life in the US. But then, after receiving a “priority admission application” pamphlet from IE, I began to explore international options. It was almost as if that simple pamphlet was a sign helping direct me to the next chapter of my life.

Further, having lived and spent time in Asia, North America, and also a little time in the Middle East, I wanted to experience Europe. When researching top business schools, IE’s entrepreneurial spirit really stood out to me. Plus, exposure to the Spanish language –and the future opportunities learning it would offer—was an added bonus.

Have you found in Spain some opportunities that maybe you couldn’t find in the US?

Absolutely. First of all, living in any country without a legal status… It's just filled with limitation. It feels like there is an invisible glass ceiling over your head, that no matter how much you're trying to break through that ceiling, there is simply no method to do so. After coming to Spain, I felt like I was back in the driver's seat, you know, steering the wheel whichever direction I want to go, and that’s an incredible feeling, for sure.

As an entrepreneur, I see Spain as the land of golden opportunities. There are many examples of startups in the US, China, and elsewhere that have found success by addressing certain problems. Many of these same problems remain unsolved here in Spain, so I see plenty of opportunities to bring validated solutions to the Spanish market.

What is your favorite memory from your time at IE?

My favorite memory during my time at IE was in the winter of 2019 when I traveled with a group of my friends to several European countries during our holiday break. As someone who hadn’t been able to travel abroad while living in the US, that experience dissolved my fear of traveling abroad, revitalized my sense of freedom, and rejuvenated my spirit.

What is one thing you wished you knew, when you were a student at IE?

I wish I knew I would be staying in Spain after graduation. I definitely would’ve taken learning Spanish more seriously!

You have been given the opportunity to take the easy way out a few times in your life, yet your decisions have always been based on your ethics and principles. Do you ever regret taking the difficult path?

I do sometimes question it while I’m in the middle of a challenging time. But once the process is over, I feel the complete opposite, regardless of the outcome. If things work out, I feel great satisfaction. If it doesn’t, I still walk away, having learned more than I would have otherwise. Coming out of this “difficult path” there were so many things that I realized I learned, which many people would take years to learn, and it doesn't have to be hard skill, it's more of personal things, like how to keep myself motivated, how to think more positively in midst of those challenging times, how to keep self-control… Every cell of my body just had to learn how to do these things.

You have learned through your own experience that with every decision we make, there are also sacrifices we take. Do you think your upbringing and personal circumstances have made you more appreciative of your achievements and of your life in general?

Coming from my experience, where simply having legal status in a country is a privilege rather than a right, it forced me to not take for granted those opportunities that most people are fortunate to be able to take for granted. The expression, “there is no success without failure,” really resonates with me. If you get everything you want in life without any difficulty, then life itself can become dull and boring. Just like how there are so many people who fail to appreciate how fortunate it is to be healthy until they are sick. There’s a limit to how much you can understand from a third-person perspective—at some point, you have to experience it for yourself. So, for me, I feel really appreciative of every single, small achievement, and it doesn’t even have to be an achievement, but the things that are going in the direction that I’m working on to make them happen… I’m very appreciative of that process.

Can we always turn difficulty and adversity into opportunities?

Without a doubt. As long as you believe in yourself and commit, I truly believe that your biggest opportunity can come when you feel you don’t even have one.

How do we create our own luck?

Believe in yourself, and don’t give up on your dreams, goal, and objectives, so you are prepared to take advantage of that “luck” when it arrives. Luck tends to creep up on you when it's least expected, either through another person, timing, situation, or environment. If you don’t believe in yourself, you won’t recognize others who believe in you, And if you give up, you may fail to recognize the opportunity in front of you. Many people say all luck is just one thing, but honestly, by being persistent, consistent with your activities, by believing in yourself and keep trying to achieve what you're dreaming about… those processes are essentially what's helping you prepare yourself to really take on that luck, take on that opportunity. And for me that's how we create our own luck.

Are entrepreneurs born or made?

In my humble opinion, I think a little bit of both. During childhood, we are filled with curiosity, and our creativity wasn’t bound by any systems or structures. But as we grow up, we’re taught to follow a system, taught to follow existing standards, and society tries to instil a definition of success that might not be how you would define success. This makes it easy for us to become trapped in our comfort zones, since it’s easy to accept and buy into the status quo.

But when we learn how to break out of the norm, we can begin to think outside the box, we begin to act outside of our comfort zone, and we start creating our own standards and, ultimately, our version of success. Along the way, without a doubt, we all experience failures. But that’s just part of the process because there are no manuals that tell us what we need to do. What we take away from our failures becomes the foundation of our success.

Unfortunately (or, in hindsight, fortunately), my situation in the US prevented me from being able to follow the system. Ironically, I can say this situation was a critical component of what made me an entrepreneur and ultimately helped me pursue what I’m passionate about.

As an entrepreneur and business founder, how do you find and select the right talent to work in your organizations?

In the early stages of a startup, especially when you don’t have much capital to invest, it’s challenging to find/recruit the right people. But it also has its benefits:

• You tend to find a talent who truly believes in a company’s vision and mission and, more importantly, who believes in you.
• You find talent who are smarter than you in their field of expertise.
• You find talent who can challenge your limits.

I think those 3 traits are the most essential aspects of recruiting a talent, regardless of which stage of the startup it is.

What advice can you give to young entrepreneurs who are in the early stages of their businesses?

I wouldn't say advice, because I have yet to really kind of become the success story, and turns out as an entrepreneur, but just simply from my own experience, and which for past 2 years I've been walking in this path.

• Surround yourself with people who believe in you.
• Keep learning about your industry/business, from books, seminars, your peers…
• Don’t be afraid to ask questions and ask for help.
• Be stern with your objectives but flexible enough to pivot when necessary.
• Don’t compare yourself with others. Just focus on your own progress.
• There’s no such thing as enough validation; Keep validating.

There was a moment in your life when you realized you had no control over your future. Do you feel more in control now?

Absolutely! When the US government announced that they were rescinding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program (which had allowed me to live and work legally), that was the day I realized I did not really have control over my life. I felt as if everything had been taken away from me in a split second. But now, having left the US, I feel like I’m in the driver’s seat, holding the steering wheel, and I am controlling where I’m going and what I will be doing next.

What advice can you give to young students beginning their journey at iE?

Focus on your academics but focus more on finding the best version of yourself. Be patient with your own progress, keep yourself open-minded, and prepare yourself for any unexpected opportunities. Break out of your comfort zone!

Why is it important to give back?

It’s a great way to recognize and show appreciation to those who have helped you, and it also encourages a more welcoming and mutually beneficial culture of selflessness. When other people realize that you are someone who is capable of giving back they'll be more willing to help you out. And this becomes a cycle. And I think that by doing so, we help each other and we also learn to take the time to enjoy helping each other. 

What can alumni do to create a positive impact, not only within the IE community but also for the rest of the world?

Embrace IE’s entrepreneurial spirit, challenge the status quo, and become leaders. Focus on positivity, both personally and professionally.

How is the Eun Suk of today different from the Eun Suk who graduated from IE?

Professionally, I’m hyper-focused on my two ventures, ANTI and Proppex, and my level of conviction in entrepreneurship has never been stronger. As a matter of fact, I’m enjoying the process so much that it often doesn’t feel like work!

Personally, I’ve not only become a permanent resident of Spain, but I was also able to resolve the 10-year bar from re-entering my home, and I was thrilled to be able to legally travel back to the US on a business trip. On a related note, I created ONWARD, a non-profit that assists undocumented immigrants in the US who are dealing with many of the same difficulties that I faced not long ago. Overall, I’ve never been happier and more gratified in my life.

If you had a billboard that you could display to the world, what would you write on it?

“The best opportunities often arise when you feel there are none.”

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