Remember back in school when you could not decide if you wanted to be a lawyer, a pilot, or a DJ? Parents, teachers, and that one uncle told you to be sensible and pick one and stick with it. But some people never lose that itch to do it all. Instead of narrowing down, they doubled up (maybe even tripled). Today, they are switching between worlds with ease, running boardrooms by day and commanding festival stages by night. Their lives do not fit neatly into one job title, and that is exactly the point. This is the story of the region’s ultimate moonlighters.
Suheyee is a 27-year-old South Korean based in Dubai whose family roots trace all the way back to Jeju Island in 1392. She has two streams of income as an asset manager at a development holding company and as a lifestyle influencer.
CosmoME: You juggle two very different worlds: asset management and being a lifestyle influencer. How do you balance the structure of finance with the creativity of social media?
Suheyee: I do not consider content creation as a job. It is simply a hobby I enjoy outside of work. It motivates me to maintain an efficiently cut-throat schedule so I can do my due diligence at work and be free afterwards. I even have a daily activity tracker that monitors my life at 30-minute intervals.
CosmoME: What first inspired you to start sharing your life on Instagram?
Suheyee: I have been active on Instagram since 2010, mostly sharing with close friends. It was not until 2022 that I got involved in the creative side through mutuals. Then a GRWM video about corporate life lessons blew up with 10 million views, and that really set things in motion.
CosmoME: Has your Korean heritage and globalised upbringing influenced how you present yourself?
Suheyee: Definitely. I actually spent most of my life in Shanghai and completed my education under an English-speaking curriculum. I am a textbook adult third-culture kid. That worldliness has been pivotal in shaping my persona both online and offline.
CosmoME: What is the most unexpected skill from your finance career that has helped you as an influencer?
Suheyee: My 9-to-5 keeps me grounded, I know social media is smoke and mirrors. People toss around big words without really knowing what they are talking about, so I like calling out their fluff. And I have learned to be efficient with my emotional battery when it comes to tolerating nonsense.
CosmoME: How do you avoid burnout?
Suheyee: I do not see it as a second job, social media comes so naturally that I do not even register the effort. Honestly, I had so much fun with this Q&A that ChatGPT scripts do not hit the same level as natural creative flow.
CosmoME: Do your colleagues know about your Instagram presence?
Suheyee: The nature of my job does not require me to be client-facing. Some colleagues have recognised me though, and they find it hilarious since I act very differently in the office.
CosmoME: What advice would you give young women wanting to pursue finance while nurturing creative passion?
Suheyee: Work smart, not hard. No one really cares about anyone else, so grab their attention to your benefit. And do what your 12-year-old self would see and go, “Wow, I want to be like her when I grow up.”