Hey friends, it's Wisdom here! In today’s episode, I sat down with Katharina Huang—author, traveler, and creator of the Veg Out Voyage Puzzle book series. We dove deep into her bold journey from Silicon Valley data scientist to self-employed creative, and how life changes (like her father’s stroke) reshaped her priorities. Katharina shared the real costs and fears of leaving the 9-to-5, the joy of designing a life around puzzles and travel, and the rollercoaster ride of self-publishing and online business. What I really hope you take away: it’s okay to pivot, to build something truly yours from scratch, and that mistakes are part of the process. Your path doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s—you can find momentum and meaning in ways that surprise you. Thanks for listening, and keep walking your own wisdom journey!

Connect with Katharina Huang

Website:https://vegoutvoyage.com/

I’m building an online business in public — sharing every win, setback, and “I can’t believe that happened” moment along the way. If you’ve ever wondered what it really looks like to start from scratch, come along for the ride. Join the journey at https://wisdom.beehiiv.com/

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Katharina's Background

01:33 Life in Silicon Valley and Career Path

04:22 Burnout and Realizations Post-Pandemic

07:21 Deciding to Leave Tech 09:33 Family and Friends’ Reactions

10:37 Impact of Her Father’s Stroke

17:51 Life After Quitting: Plans and Self-Care

19:46 Creating Travel Puzzle Game Books

22:03 Lessons from Self-Publishing

24:22 Tech Skills: Data Science Meets E-commerce

26:32 Platform Choices: WordPress vs Shopify

29:29 Overcoming Challenges of Solopreneurship

33:24 Explaining Her Work for All Ages

35:34 Surprises as a Solo Creator

37:41 Marketing Insights and Social Media

40:30 Newsletter and Building Community

43:10 Practical Newsletter and Sales Tips

44:39 Measuring Website Traffic and Ads

46:41 Podcasting and Audience Building

47:46 Closing Thoughts and How to Connect