14-The Power of Learning: Why I Believe in Change

If there’s one belief that has shaped my life more than any other,
it’s this:

Learning can change everything.

Not just improve things.But fundamentally transform who you are.

When I was a teenager, it was English that opened the first door.
I studied hard, and it led me to university.

Later, it took me to Ernst & Young.

Years later, when the world shut down during the pandemic,
it was photography that kept me afloat.

Not by chance—but because I chose to learn,
to start again, even when everything felt uncertain.

I learned lighting setups on YouTube.
I photographed takeout meals on my kitchen table.

That scrappy effort turned into a business.
Three hundred restaurants. Hundreds of chefs.
A life reborn through a lens.

Through it all, one truth kept resurfacing:

Transformation takes courage.

But with the right mindset—and a few new skills—
anyone can change their life.

And I began to realize something even deeper.
I didn’t just want to transform my own life.
I wanted to help others do the same.

Because I know how terrifying it is to start over.
To risk failure. To not know what’s next.

But I also know the thrill—the joy—
of becoming someone you didn’t think you could be.

That’s why I teach.
Why I guide.
Why I open my kitchen to strangers from across the world.

Not just to show them sushi.
But to remind them—maybe for the first time—
that change is possible.
And worth it.