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Meet Simona Wong of Couch 2 Fire in Central Phoenix

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Simona Wong.

Simona, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I moved west to Phoenix in 1999 hired as the Art Director at ABC15 TV station. As a Chinese American growing up in the Philadelphia area, history ran deep in my surroundings: I lived in a converted mansion built in the late 1700s in one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city that dated back to the Civil War! So, when I moved out here to find a place and tried to find the historic section of Phoenix to live in, I was shocked to see how young this state was! I went from the 13 colonies to the 48th state of the United States. I soon realized that for me to live in such a young state, I coined to phrase to cultivate our stay here as the PIONEERS of COOLNESS.

In the East Coast, there is a uniform of colors as an artist and professional: black, black, grey, tan, white and black again. So, when I moved here, I vowed to wear as much color as possible and I’m thankful that I did! I threw away that East Coast uniform and never looked back!

I’ve grown in love with Arizona: for its weather, beauty, sunsets and of course, it’s people! There is a small town feel in the 5th largest city in the US! Instead of the 7 degrees of separation with people connections, the Valley is more like a 2-3 degrees of separation! Ha-ha, and I think that’s fabulous! We have a great artists scene in the Valley and I totally admire these true “Pioneers of Coolness!” One of the best parts of living in central Phoenix is during orange blossom season. The dense crop of citrus here is so overpowering that its lovely scent is even detected in the parking lot at Bashas! I will never go back to the East Coast. Life in Arizona is just too amazing!

OK enough about this AMAZING state and city. So, where was I? I have been in the TV design business for many years and I’ve been blessed to be in the design field my whole career. I get to shape the look of how people see TV shows by graphics, prints, set design and I had a blast at it. I’ve worked at KNXV, KTVK and KPHO but more recently, I ventured into the billboard industry as one of the main Art Directors in the Southwest regions. I loved creating a product that helps market the client’s assets to the consumer. There is a science to making it look aesthetic as well as sending the message out there.

But last year, I moved into a deeper introspection with life: is my life comprised of just my family and my career? Is there any out there besides that? Is this all? I think people call this a midlife crisis. Yes, you got it: I fell into that too. I wanted more in life. With my daughter growing older and self-sufficient, I focused on helping myself to become a better person. Physically, I started working out, lost 35 lbs. Mentally, I finally started to meditate and found that to be one of the best things I’ve ever experienced to help connect me and elevate my happiness. I was so happy and grateful that I started to think how can I help others more? So, I started a podcast called Couch 2 Fire.

Couch 2 Fire is a movement to help inspire others on the same path to find themselves and take action on the things they have been putting off. I interview inspiring people in the Valley and beyond that have taken that significant step to live their best lives. When I started organizing this, I invited a lot of my Arizona friends and connections to share with me their journeys and their inspiring stories to my audience.

Has it been a smooth road?
Starting anything on your own can be tough and it was for me. I had to work out a lot of self-doubt and push through it. I knew if I keep stepping into a forward direction, I could push through fear. I was committed to be consistent and build and create my podcast. I’m an introvert by nature, but I threw that out the window then I had to take action. When it was ready to launch, I went on social media every day to do a fitness exercise (a 2-minute plank at the office) as well as plug my podcast launch.

The one thing I did do to help push me into action was get a Life Coach. Boy is that a game-changer! I would highly recommend getting a life/business coach to keep you accountable for your actions or inactions. It’s a great investment and helpful to have someone on your side to cheer you on in your journey!

Nowadays, I do my best to meditate have gratitude for all the things in my life. I focus on connecting with positive energy and the love of God

I try to listen to positive and motivational recordings to get me in the right mindset. I really am lucky to have this podcast to share with others great and inspiring stories.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
Couch 2 Fire is a movement to help inspire others on the same path to find themselves and take action on the things they have been putting off. Whether it’s getting healthy or losing weight or wanting to write a screenplay, I created a podcast that interviews inspiring people in the Valley that have taken that significant step to live their best lives. When I started organizing this, I invited a lot of my Arizona friends and connections to share with me their journeys and their inspiring stories to my audience.

This past March 2020 during the Covid quarantine, Couch 2 Fire podcast launched and climbed the charts and reached to #13 in the life science in the US iTunes charts! I am always on the lookout for inspiring stories for my podcast, so please reach out to me with any amazing Arizona movers and shakers out there.

Since the quarantine, I’ve created fitness challenges for people to complete at home. I was inspired by a friend who challenged me to do 100 burpees for 30 days. I believed at first that 100 burpees were out of the question for me to accomplish! So, I revised the statement and implemented something a bit more realistic for me. Since I’ve been doing 2 min planks for a while, I settled for a 2 min plank, followed by 50 burpees for 50 days challenge. I completed the challenge and started increasing the burpees up to 80 per day! I did end up stopping when the gyms started opening up. I never been so happy to get back to the gym, ha-ha!

With the launch of Couch 2 Fire, I looked deep into myself to see what I can also give. And by chance, I decided to go back to my 1st love: painting and creating with my hands, mouse free. My first painting was a can of Dinty Moore Beef Stew by Hormel. It was a homage to my upbringing in New Jersey as and latch key kid being raised by the TV. While my Mom worked 2 jobs, she stocked our kitchen with TV dinners and canned food; easy meals for kids to make on their own. I ate a lot of Dinty Moore beef stew with rice growing up. It was also inspired by Andy Warhol’s Campbell Soup pop art. It felt really great and free and amazing! So easy and comfortable. I started a couple of Facebook live videos and did my own rendition of a Bob Ross class. It felt wonderful: and so perfect for the time of quarantine.

I am planning to offer a Zoom class for people that are interested in taking a painting class but with a nice twist. I wanted to add a bit more value and I plan on leading a positive mindset/meditation segment while our canvases dry. Painting and mediation are a much-needed way to escape the stressful situation in the world right now while honing into your creative side. You can find my classes on Facebook under my name or Couch 2 Fire.

I also have the privlege to be a panel speaker at the Women Millionaire Summit 2020. It is Asia’s biggest women’s virtual summit coming in July 2020. The summit schedule is geared toward Asian countries, so I will be speaking at night to an audience of 2,500+ attendees. I’m pretty excited about that!

Not sure if there is anything that sets me apart from others. I’m an average female, mother, wife, that just wants to live my best life possible and I believe that others that are in the same boat can do the same: live their life to the fullest, with no regrets.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Phoenix is a great place to create roots and grow your business. The city is open and young and has a lot of great opportunities to shine and be seen. I’m here to stay because I love the weather, the location and people! And we all have a chance to become the “Pioneers of Coolness.” I hope all that are reading this, do their part to keep Phoenix cool and creative!

I really don’t want to say any more praises about Phoenix: I’ve been here for over 20 years and the Valley has grown at such a ridiculous pace; I would be happy that the area slows down in the number of new residents. Shhh…So let’s keep it a secret!

Contact Info:

Image Credit:
Leland Gebhardt Photography

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