Q + A from Me to Me
I talk to myself. A lot. Even more disturbing, I often ask and answer myself. I’ve decided to use my Grenade Fishing philosophy and turn this bad little habit into something beneficial. Since I have trouble writing about myself, I figured I’ll just interview and answer myself instead.
Q. What is your full name?
A. Kristine Dang
Q. Where are you from?
A. I was born in Vietnam. I came to the U.S. in 1975. I’ve lived in San Francisco for the past 20 years. Last year I moved to Oakland, and I love experiencing real seasons again.
Q. What is your occupation?
A. I recently started consulting, after taking some time off. I am assisting several Web 2.0 companies with integrating commerce, and I am also assisting other clients with integrating open source strategies to their existing business models.
Q. What did you do before this?
A. My last position was at RedEnvelope, where I was Executive Vice President of Merchandising and Creative.
Q. What was your favorite part of that job?
A. It was a start-up. I was there from the beginning, 1998 to 2006. There were so many great aspects of my job, it is hard to say there is one favorite. I guess it could be building a great brand from ground up. But it’s a toss between that and helping an individual build their career. I’ve had a few assistants who went on to become great merchants. That makes me feel good.
Q. What did you do before RedEnvelope?
A. I was a merchant at Williams-Sonoma. I was one of the first, if not the first, to leave Williams-Sonoma for an ‘internet start-up.’ Back then, they called it ‘internet retail.’ We did not start using the word e-commerce until six months later. Funny to think how long ago that sounds, but it was only nine years ago. Before Williams-Sonoma I was a buyer at Macy’s. My entire career has been in retail, starting with the Gap right out of college.
Q. Where did you go to school?
A. San Francisco State University. I studied Fashion Design and Merchandising with a minor in Marketing.
Q. Okay, I’m going to change direction now. Do you have an idol?
A. I idolize my parents (sshhh, don’t tell my siblings). I know that sounds a bit corny. But really. They are my idols. It took me a long time to get here, but I so appreciate what they have achieved. They fled a country with their nine children. They spoke no English. Can you imagine? Landing in a foreign country you know nothing about? Where you do not understand the language? Or the food they eat? Or the laws they enforce? That takes a lot of guts.
| Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind. |
Q. What do you consider your biggest achievement to date?
A. I came in First Place in the California Typing Contest. Yeap, 215 words per minute. Now, that is something to be proud of, don’t you think?
Q. What is your favorite music?
A. I like almost all music. I listen to electronica, alternative rock, some old rock like Bob Dylan, pop. My fiance likes to DJ as a hobby, so actually, I listen to electronica a lot. Recently I’ve been into folk, and I do worry too much it’s a sign of old age.
Q. So, what is your favorite movie?
A. I think Lord of the Rings. The first movie. I like action sci-fi movies. It just amazes me what they can do now. In my wildest dreams I never imagined someone would be able to translate the book so well. I wish Peter Jackson would remake Dune, one of my favorite books. I think maybe he is the only one who can possibly pull it off.
Q. Do you have a favorite restaurant?
A. There are too many great restaurants in the Bay Area to have a favorite. I really like this divy hamburger joint down the street. They make the best chili dogs. In San Francisco, I tend to favor the Slanted Door and Chow’s.
Q. What is your favorite clothing brand?
A. Lately, I’ve been less focused on brands and more focused on functionality. You will find me often in cargo pants, bamboo t-shirts , microfiber fleece jacket, rubber boots for gardening and my cowboy hat. There is one brand I am fond of right now, Converse shoes.
Q. If you had to choose, what is the one thing you can’t live without?
A. My freedom.
Q. How about a material thing?
A. Hmmm. I’m not sure. Shoes! Any pair of comfortable shoes.
Q. Why is that?
A. It’s a long story. I’ll try to make it short. When we fled Vietnam during the fall of Saigon, I lost one sandal. We only brought the clothes we wore. I remember hopping around because my other foot hurt. Now I have serious paranoia of being caught in a disaster with no shoes.
Q. What do you do for fun? Do you have a favorite hobby?
A. My favorite hobby used to be roller hockey. I was fanatic about playing hockey, but after my fourth shoulder surgery, the doctor said no-no. Now for fun I enjoy gardening, dancing and chilling with friends. I am on the internet a lot. Does that count as a hobby? Or is it more a habit?
Q. What three goods things would your friends say about you?
A. I’m honest, generous and goofy.
Q. What three not-so-great things would they say about you?
A. I’m honest, generous and goofy. Unfortunately, these traits can work both ways.
Q. Do you have a favorite quote?
A. It changes as I change. For a long time my favorite quote was, “Just when the caterpillar thinks it is dying, it becomes a butterfly.” Right now I’m quite fond of “Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind,” by Dr.Seuss.
Q. How can we contact you if we have more questions?
A. You can email me at kdang.oakland [at] gmail [dot] com.
Q. Anything else?
A. I also blog at Dimondites.com, which is a community blog about Dimond, Oakland, where I live.
RELATED ARTICLES:
Dimond Ready to Shine, Oakland Tribune
The Future if Now-or-Never, New York Times
Seeing Red, SFSU Alumni Magazine