“Why did you start a coaching business? How did you become who you are today?” These two questions come back to me constantly.
I have already shared the outlines of my career in “Who do you want to be in twenty years?” Thanks to a recent interview for the community Femmes taïwanaises de France, I could dive deeper into the turning points that pushed me toward entrepreneurship and coaching.
I want to show—with the light and the shadows—that professional life is no smooth highway. Pride, victories, mistakes that teach. Through it all, I have felt God’s faithfulness lifting me up when I stumbled. May this story encourage anyone who needs hope.
When I was younger, I equated happiness with ticking every personal aspiration. Now, in the “second half”, walking with the Lord and accepting imperfection gives me a steadier form of happiness.
Interview — “second-half uniqueness”
Interview / Xiao Wu, ACHU
Text / ACHU
Photos / Kyria
Kyria graduated in Economics from NTU (2004), worked in finance, then moved to Paris for an HEC MBA to pivot into marketing. During fifteen years she went from economic analysis to beauty and jewellery marketing, holding management roles in international groups like L’Oréal in Taiwan and France. In 2019 she launched her own career-leadership coaching practice, earning ICF and French trainer certifications.
Some people know her through the Facebook page One Day in Paris or the book of the same name. Today, let’s discover why—mid-career—she chose coaching and what anchored her for good in Parisian life.
🖌 Q: What led you to discover and pick career coaching?
Kyria : Looking back, the path feels long yet very organic. At university I already enjoyed being a “big sister”. After NTU I wanted marketing jobs but couldn’t get interviews, so I spent a year in finance, then did an MBA to aim at cosmetics. In 2007 I joined L’Oréal Taiwan.
Two years later I became a mentor in a corporate programme. I loved the one-to-one dynamic. I could run big meetings too, but those drained me; coaching conversations energized me.
Later, back at L’Oréal HQ, I also served as a campus pastor for French students. My husband finally asked: “Why don’t you take professional coach training?” In France a certification boosts credibility.
During the programme I questioned the second half of my life: I wanted to centre it on faith service, family and then career. Entrepreneurship—coaching—looked like the right container.
In fact, my whole background (marketing, intercultural leadership) suddenly made sense for coaching managers. I never deliberately prepared for this job; every stage just added a tool.
🖌 Q: Each transition seems easy for you. Do you enjoy constant adaptation?
Kyria : Not always pleasant. Leaving L’Oréal HQ for a small jewellery company meant losing the big-brand aura. I had to learn local business realities and realise the “French codes” I thought I knew were partial.
Side consulting gigs showed I could work independently and invoice clients. Combined with coach training, the entrepreneurial leap felt natural. Many bumps, yes, but each bounce built resilience and pointed me to a bigger mission: help people evolve through crises.
🖌 Q: You seem self-aware. Innate or learned?
Kyria : No one knows herself 100 %. At every transition I write a mini-synthesis: what did I learn, how does it fit my life story? When patterns repeat, they confirm my calling.
Being a coach also means offering unshakeable belief in the client—while remaining humble because success belongs to them.
🖌 Q: Burnout at 35—did it push you toward coaching?
Kyria : Absolutely. As an expat manager I was perfectionist, resistant to criticism, under huge pressure. Physical symptoms appeared; one morning I couldn’t even stand up. The doctor said my willpower had overridden body signals until shutdown.
That crisis turned me back to faith and forced healthier boundaries—eventually guiding me to help others avoid the same trap.
🖌 Q: Could you be a coach without those hardships?
Kyria : I doubt it. Ex-colleagues say I’m unrecognisable compared to 2013, and they’re right. I’m grateful for every tough stretch; today I’m happier and truly myself.
🖌 Q: What are the prerequisites to become a coach? Can training alone suffice?
Kyria : Coach training benefits anyone who wants a coaching mindset, yet professional coaching also requires talent, expertise and lived experience. My lane is international managers because that’s where I walked the talk.
🖌 Q: How long does a coaching engagement last with you?
Kyria : I often propose a six-hour package over six months—about one hour per month—to define the goal, test actions in real life, debrief, iterate. The coach doesn’t give ready-made answers; the point is to spark the client’s own solutions.
🖌 Q: Advice for Taiwanese professionals in France?
Kyria : Relying only on the “Asian identity” limits growth. Ask: “Without my original label, what unique value do I offer here?” Be willing to drop some old cards and earn new ones; that’s how you truly root and flourish locally.
Conclusion : success forged by falls and pivots
Kyria’s story shows how each transition—reflection, hard work, patience—builds a success that can inspire others.
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