Today we’d like to introduce you to Su-Jit Lin.
Hi Su-Jit, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Contrary to all stereotypes, my parents always wanted me to be a writer. They encouraged me to look into journalism school, but coming from a lower income family, I was determined not to be a starving artist. I set my sights on law school, studying history and English during my undergrad years because they were good foundations for that next step … and because they were always interesting to me. What’s not to love about never-ending stories?
But when push came to shove, after I took an LSAT course, I realized I absolutely did NOT want to spend the next few years of my life taking exams like that, and pivoted to my natural inclination to be a storyteller. At the time, that meant advertising, marketing, and branding. But as I entered that industry, I learned that I could build a commercial career around writing for others as a copywriter. I begged for opportunities to write, which led me to start freelancing as a journalist as well as a copywriter, building up clips and a book simultaneously.
Now, I do both and count that as my blessing, even as I embark on the next step of my storytelling journey, which is a podcast called “Good Sh!t with Su-Jit” I plan to launch in 2026.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Absolutely not! It took me six years just to get a full-time position as a writer, and I spent that whole time proofing and editing other people’s work, offering to write for pennies if not “exposure”, and fielding questions in the meantime if I was fluent in English, based off my very ethnic name. But I kept taking risks, being open to opportunities, and educating myself on the subject matters I liked writing about and I’m glad I did. I’m definitely one of the lucky ones.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My editorial work is typically in the travel, food/dining, and lifestyle space. However, the work I’m most proud of are the stories I tell OF people and FOR people. The do-gooders, the dreamers, the strivers whose horns aren’t tooted nearly enough. Because the things that people do for their families and their communities inspire me to no end, which is actually going to be the whole premise of my in-development podcast.
I love using my voice and any available platform to highlight folks trying their hardest to add value to this often dreary life, and showing the world that change, that a better bubble, is possible as long as you’re willing to take the first step toward it.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
Journalism is still fighting hard for individuals over AI, and I’m here for that. I think there will continue to be tremendous value in real work by real creatives, and writers, artists, designers, musicians, and our like will need to work really hard to hold the line and keep misinformation and stolen art in check. Fact-checking, whether it’s information and data or licensing, will become increasingly important, even as the consuming public becomes less trusting.
Additionally, creatives will have to work harder to show originality, style, and establish unique voices to rise above the static of high-volume AI.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/sjlin
