A Tribute To Family Business | Celebrating Father's Day

Every Mien piece has passed through my father's hands, been tallied on his handy clipboard, and scanned by his earnest eyes before being shipped out. My dad, James, is Mien's Quality Manager, Warehouse Manager, my biggest critique, and greatest supporter. Father's Day is upon us and I'd like to finally introduce my dad, a shy, retired former structural engineer who has been there for me since I started this brand from my garage.

He's my first email subscriber, an early follower, the first to give a thumbs up emoji when I post Mien news to our family group chat. When I have failures, he's literally been my shoulder to cry on, and because I believe no one will work harder than my own father, I've been able to confidently let him handle the integral tasks of inventory management and QC so I can focus on other aspects of Mien. He is my source of strength, wisdom, and unbiased advise, however difficult it is for me to hear sometimes.

My father is an immigrant, we moved here from Taiwan with both of my parents giving up great careers and their life savings so my two sisters and I can have an even brighter future. Because his Taiwanese engineering degree isn't recognized in the U.S., my father would travel to work abroad in Asia for over a decade to support us here in California, enduring home sickness and being without his family. Now that my sisters and I are grown and have our own kids, he has shifted to becoming a loving grandparent and role model for our children. It's perhaps awkward for me to tell him in person, but I'm proud of him and the life he built for us.

Our social media manager, Eleena, put together a list of thoughtful questions she asked him and it was heartwarming for me to read my typically stoic father's responses. He replied in Mandarin which I decided to keep as well.  

Here's to Fathers and Father figures, thank you for all you do. This post is a small tribute but I hope my dad knows how much I love and appreciate him. 

 

Hello Mr. Hsieh! Please introduce yourself and your background. 

I studied engineering and worked in construction engineering until my retirement.
我是學工程的，一直從事營造工程直到退休。

Why do you like handling quality control at Mien?

It's my belief that no matter what we do, the most important thing is quality. With good quality, you can ensure the longevity of a business, that's why I enjoy the opportunity to continue in this type of work after my retirement.
在我的認知裡，不管做什麼最重要的就是品質，有好的品質，事業的經營才能長久。所以我很喜歡在退休後還有機會能夠在這方面做這個工作。

What makes you most proud of Lisa?

Lisa devoted herself wholeheartedly into Mien's business with her own strength. She never once gave up when she encountered difficulties again and again. Even when I suggested that she should quit, she continued to persevere. This makes me very proud of her.

Lisa憑她個人的力量全人全心的投入Mien的經營，遇到一次又一次的困境，她從來不放棄，甚至在我建議她放棄時，她都繼續堅持下去，這點讓我以她為榮。

What's your favorite part about working with family?

Working at my daughter's company, my favorite part is that I can freely give my opinion at any time. Although they're not always implemented, I happily never tire of it.

在女兒的公司工作，最喜歡的是我可以隨時的提出我的看法，雖然不是每次都被採納，但我樂此不疲。

What’s the most important thing you learned as a dad?

As a father, seeing my daughter work so hard towards her goal, I only hope that I can be there to give her comfort when she encounters hardship, to give her strength when she needs it most!
做為一個父親，看到我的女兒為她自已的目標在努力奮鬥，我只希望我能在她遇到挫折時，隨時的給她安慰，適時的給她力量！