Sylvia Yu Friedman, Penguin Author, Filmmaker, Philanthropy Consultant, Mekong Club
Sylvia Yu Friedman is an award-winning filmmaker, Penguin author, serial entrepreneur, and philanthropy consultant. She is the author of three books, A Long Road to Justice: Stories from the Frontlines in Asia (Penguin Random House, September 2021); Silenced No More: Voices of Comfort Women, the only journalistic account of historical Japanese military sex slavery during WWII, and Heart and Soul: The Life Story of Pastor Augustus Chao.
A former TV anchor and advisor to philanthropists, Sylvia was among the Top 100 Human Trafficking and Slavery Influence Leaders List in 2017 by Assent Compliance. She won the prestigious 2013 International Human Rights Press Award for her three-part documentary series on human trafficking in China, Hong Kong, and Thailand.
After ten years of intensive research and interviewing elderly survivors, academics, lawyers and activists in different nations, Sylvia is considered an expert on "comfort women" Japanese Imperial military sex slavery. She's been interviewed or featured on the BBC, CNN, SCMP, Globe and Mail, and CGTN and covered widely in the Chinese media.
Sylvia is a SheSource expert of the Women's Media Center, founded by Jane Fonda and Gloria Steinem and is listed in a database of women experts who serve as journalists' resources. Since 2005, Sylvia has managed and directed millions of dollars to major humanitarian portfolios impacting at least one million people.
This work has given her access to many influential networks in different countries. For example, Sylvia led a Hong Kong-based movement against human trafficking that involved more than 120 churches, NGOs, and organizations and later expanded to other nations like Malaysia, South Africa, and the US.
Sylvia is married to Matthew Friedman, a top-ranked keynote speaker and global expert on slavery, CEO of The Mekong Club, and former UN and US diplomat. Together in the summer of 2016, they gave 113 talks in 27 US cities. Matthew is a producer of two award-winning films; he advised the movie Sold (2014), executive produced by Emma Thompson.
Sylvia is working on a feature film and several business projects. She is now promoting her latest book, A Long Road to Justice: Stories from the Frontlines in Asia, published by Penguin Random House and producing a film based on this memoir.
What is your favourite social media platform, and why?
If I can say that LinkedIn is a professional social media platform, then I vouch for the power of LinkedIn. It's hands down the best platform for professional networking.
I've connected with new friends of all backgrounds, been invited to podcasts and conferences and had many support offers from a doctor of an NBA team to business owners. It's been an incredible ride, but it's a commitment to one's community.
Tell us about you and your current role or area of interest.
I see myself as a serial entrepreneur that gives back to those in need. I am currently producing a feature film that is inspired by my latest Penguin book on sex trafficking across Asia, A Long Road to Justice.
It's been an amazing experience to connect with people in my country of birth: South Korea, and the entertainment industry there. In addition, I have represented some US family offices in Hong Kong and Asia, and I make introductions for business deals.
In my spare time, I also co-host a live digital show that interviews people leading in their spheres of influence, and I particularly enjoy getting to know people and hearing what motivates them; I write.
What do you like about your career or area of focus?
I usually have several projects on the go, and I appreciate having variety in my work life. It helps keep the fire burning so I don't get weighed down by the monotony. I find that I need at least two or three different things to juggle, but at its core, they all require a common skill of communication and connecting.
For instance, while I was writing a book, I was also representing US family offices and business people in Asia and currently, I am producing a feature film.
What is the best advice you have ever received?
I've received incredible advice over the years from my inspiring mother and many solid mentors. I would say the best advice I've had was to think about where you want to be near the end of your life career-wise and then take steps towards that now. Don't wait.
What inspires you, motivates you, or helps you to move forward?
I feel grateful for the good things that have come my way, and I have a deep sense of responsibility to give back to the community and to somehow find a way through my work platform to help those in desperate need and the marginalized.
My parents, especially my mother, instilled this compassion as a core value in me since I was young, and I've never been able to shake it off. Whether it was giving money or food to those with cancer or going on humanitarian trips, giving generously became a lifestyle. It was what my great-grandparents and my grandparents had done, too, so I think it's in my DNA.
My husband, the Mekong Club's CEO, inspires me every day with his unusual determination and commitment to helping modern address slavery. A lot of his time and our downtime is spent on work, but I don't mind because I know he's doing so to make this a better world (I also work longer hours than him often!). Despite the fact that he has been working on this issue for 35+ years, he's not discouraged, and his passion for keeping going hasn't faded, unlike me.
I struggle through at times with discouragement. But, he's truly impressive and has managed to influence and gain the trust of countless C-suite leaders of global companies and captains of industries.
What are you proud of in your life so far?
It took me 14 years to finish writing my previous book, Silenced No More: Voices of Comfort Women. I was tempted to quit writing many, many times because it was challenging to arrange interviews with survivors of Japanese military sex slavery during my vacations and the information in English was not very comprehensive, especially when I began this project in 2001.
Birthing this book and overcoming the adversities surrounding it made it easier to finish other book and film projects that were arduous. I'm also proud to mentor many young people and see some of them doing well in their careers and family life. They write to me from time to time.
What is your preferred way to meet new people/network?
I usually meet new people through friends and colleagues, but I am open to meeting on LinkedIn or at events like Rotary.
What skills or qualities do you feel have helped you?
I believe my openness and intuition have helped me connect with people immediately and understand where they're coming from. In addition, it's helped me greatly in business dealings. My core values are kindness and integrity, and I appreciate working with like-minded people.
What do you wish you had known when you started out?
I wish I had known that everyone feels a level of insecurity and dread at large networking meetings! I hated those in my early years. Now I just try to enjoy meeting new people and try to connect with at least one person in a meaningful way at each event.
Who do you most admire in business, academic or creative circles and why?
I admire Warren Buffet's wisdom and humble living. And John Maxwell's insights on the marketplace.
Former World Bank president Jim Yong Kim's passion for mentoring the next generation, as well as Brene Brown and Simon Sinek's communication gifts.
I admire Theresa Kang-Lowe and Soo Hugh for producing the milestone TV series Pachinko, which broke a lot of barriers for Asians in entertainment.
And Head of Meta Prosper and Global head of social marketing Eric Toda for his tireless activism for social justice and the Asian Pacific Islander community.
Outside of your professional/work area, what hobbies or interests do you have or what other areas of your life are of real importance to you?
I enjoy singing and watching movies, and I'm writing a novel. I love dancing hip hop and will dance to release stress; I would love to paint more in the coming year and express more creatively. I am a reflective person and strive to pray daily and practice other Christian spiritual disciplines such as fasting.
I feel due to my busy schedule of chasing deadlines and feeling behind in my "to-do" list, I've been creatively stunted lately. So, I will try to make more space for creativity. After travel resumes, I also look forward to travelling again with my husband.
Has the pandemic had a positive or a negative effect on you and/or your business, and how have you managed it?
The pandemic hasn't slowed me down, and to my surprise, it's been very productive with releasing my latest book, developing my feature film and engaging in many media and podcast interviews, speaking engagements and co-hosting live shows and panels. I simply shifted all the work to online.
The only negative effect has been not being able to fly to Canada to see my parents for nearly three years. However, my heart aches to see them, and I will in the next several months.
I also have Zoom fatigue, and when that happens, I go into nature and make sure I hug a tree or go near the water on a beach. Hearing the sounds of the waves crashing is incredibly soothing.
Do you have a mentor, or have you ever mentored anyone?
It depends on the season of life. Sometimes I'm too busy to spend time with someone seeking advice intentionally. But I have mentored dozens of young people over the years and enjoy it. I've had outstanding mentors in the area of business and spirituality. These days I have a few younger people I meet up with.
What advice would you have for someone looking to get into the same area of work or interests?
For those seeking to write a book, find a talented book editor. I can recommend mine: Matthew Keeler in the UK. Brilliant and super nice guy.
For those who want to break into the business in Asia, learn about the culture and customs and how business is done here. It's way more relational than in the West.
Building relationships is everything, I suppose, in every area of life, but it determines a lot in Asia. For anyone seeking to get into film, take a few courses about it and network as much as you can.
What do you feel is the most common reason for people failing or giving up?
A lack of community or accountability is the most common reason for anyone to fail or give up. However, if we have people who support us, we can get up again and overcome adversity.
I often use the phrase "failing forward", which means that as long as we learn from our mistakes, we will still be moving ahead to our life goals. Our mindset is key.
Is there a phrase, quote or a saying that you really like?
"You see things you say Why? But I dream things that never were, and I say Why not?" - George Bernard Shaw.
"Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world" – Howard Zinn.
"If to be feelingly alive to the sufferings of my fellow creatures is to be a fanatic, I am one of the most incurable fanatics ever permitted to be at large." - William Wilberforce.
What companies, brands, or institutions do you like or do you think are getting it right?
It's a challenge to single out specific companies. However, I am committed to learning more about companies focused on AI and machine learning. These are areas that both fascinate and frighten me because of the disruption and impact they'll have on our lives in the near future.
How do you define success, and what lessons have you learned so far that you could share with our audience/readership?
It's important to me to live a life of "significance" than to merely be successful. Living a significant life of purpose involves making a difference in the lives of my loved ones and doing what I can to make this a better world for those enslaved in modern slavery, at-risk children and the poor.
I can do so by being generous with my time, money and talents to help others and give back to my community. It's what my parents have modelled as they've helped so many low-income families in Vancouver for more than 35 years.
After my husband, Matthew Friedman, overcame cancer in 2018, and it was a wake-up call for us to focus our lives on what is worth living and dying. For us, it's to help change the world through mobilizing people to fight modern slavery through his organization, the Mekong Club, which works with the private sector and for global volunteerism.
I also know and have met quite a number of wealthy and successful people who felt a painful emptiness and were devoid of purpose in life. They didn't have mind-body-soul health. In recent years, we've had friends and acquaintances diagnosed with late-stage cancer, and they've had to grapple with the prospect of an early death.
It was a painful realization that they had worked like a dog all their lives only to have it end too soon, and they couldn't take any of their wealth or achievements with them. Health is wealth. These experiences are sobering and impactful.