We were lucky to catch up with Shi Choong recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Shi, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

The “Women Who Dare” event on Mar 8, 2025
Women Who Dare” is an event that celebrates the fearless women who have dared to break boundaries and pave the way for others. Audience will hear stories from 6 incredible women speakers to share their personal stories of how they embrace courage, break out of their shell, let go of the limiting beliefs that hold them back, and take the journey to find their authentic self.

The heart of the Women Who Dare event is to create a space where women come together, share their stories, and inspire one another. It’s about celebrating courage, fostering connection, honoring successes, and finding the strength to keep daring, believing, leading, and leaping forward.
Inspired by my own leap of faith—leaving behind a six-figure corporate job to follow a path that truly sparks my heart and nourishes my soul—I’ve learned that sometimes, the scariest steps are the ones that lead us to our true calling. Since making this life-changing decision, I’ve met so many courageous women who have bravely broken through barriers to live as their authentic selves. Their stories are incredibly powerful and deserve to be heard. That’s why I’m creating this platform—to give these fearless women a voice and inspire others to embrace their true selves. I believe with all my heart that this event will spark a ripple effect, empowering women to support one another and create lasting, positive change.

I hope you will join us in this movement—let’s share, inspire, and uplift each other. Learn more about the event, including links to ticket sale and sponsorship package: https://www.eventplannershi.com/women-who-dare

Nicole Severson Photography

Shi, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Shi Choong. As an award-winning and published wedding planner, I work with busy professionals to craft the wedding of their dreams. I specialize in creating vibrant, multicultural weddings that reflect your unique love story and personality.

As a former TEDx license-holder and organizer, I have planned many sold-out events, with audience sizes ranged from 50 to 1,000. I help fashion designers and artists to plan fashion shows to showcase your work. I help organizations to plan fun and memorable galas, fundraisers, product launches and milestone celebrations. I take the stress out of organizing and ensure every detail is flawlessly handled.

I was born and raise in Malaysia. I came to the US for college many years ago. When I first came here, I couldn’t speak English, had no family and friends, and had just enough money to pay for the rent and tuition for my first quarter of education. I worked 4 jobs to pay for college and was selected by the faculty and students to graduate as the department honoree for Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Later on, I earned my PhD in Analytical Chemistry from the nation’s top program, Purdue University.

During my doctorate journey, I was the organizer and license-holder for TEDxPurdueU. I fell in love in event planning and management right then. I also realized I was excellent at it.

After my PhD graduation, I joined Intel as a process engineer. It was a very stressful, high demand and fast-paced industry. It is also a male-dominating environment. I was working 130 hrs a week during my first year, it was difficult, mentally, physically and socially. I later moved to a different group with a healthier work hour (80-100 work hours a week) within the manufacturing sector, where with my unique perspective and capability, I earned recognition from the management to create a new system to improve training, work culture and work-life efficiency for the team. Through the strong support from my former manager, I created my own job description and my new role positively impacted 350 engineers and managers.

While my role in the company helped me improve the work experiences of many engineers and managers, I did not feel happy and it did not feel like a fulfilling career. Through strong symptoms of physical and mental health, my body begged me to leave, and I listened. I quit Intel 3 months ago on Sept 30, 2024, to be a full-time entrepreneur to do what I love, spark my heart, nourish my soul, and to create a life that feels authentic and fulfilling.

I am very proud of myself and the journey I have embraced. I am proud that I transformed my life from nothing to a life full of abundance and joy. I am proud of myself that I did not give up when life was at its hardest. I am proud to believe in myself, dare to believe, dare to dream, dare to break barriers and dare to leap into a life I truly believe in to be my authentic self, embracing every challenge as an opportunity for growth and every success as a reflection of my inner strength.

Nicole Severson Photography

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

At 15, my parents left, and I suddenly had to raise my 3 younger siblings, the youngest just 8. I became their caretaker overnight, providing for them, ensuring they stayed healthy, did their homework, and were surrounded by positive influences, all to give them a better shot at life despite our struggles. My mother came back, unexpectedly, a year later. This happened when I was in Malaysia. But that was not the hardest part of my life.

The toughest moment of my journey came during my PhD studies in the States, when my mother, for reasons I couldn’t grasp, demanded I abandon my education. When I refused, she disowned me and spread damaging lies that turned nearly every family member against me.

During this time, I also faced the frustration of working on private, confidential research projects that prevented me from publishing my findings. Despite producing excellent results that secured significant funding for my lab, I was unable to share my work through publication. When I challenged my advisor to assign me projects I could publish, he asked me to leave. Starting over in my fourth year was daunting, but I pushed through, finding a new advisor and continuing my PhD journey. I completed my studies while battling anxiety and depression, relying on medication to get me through one of the toughest periods of my life.

This journey reflects my resilience. Despite the immense challenges—being disowned by my family, facing personal struggles, and dealing with professional setbacks—I refused to give up. My determination and strength helped me push through, ultimately earning my PhD from one of the top programs in the United States.

Nicole Severson Photography

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

During the pandemic, I battled loneliness and depression, but in those quiet moments, I reflected on my time with TEDxPurdueU during my PhD journey and remembered the joy and fulfillment it brought me. I realized event planning and management was my true passion—and I excelled at it. But I also yearned to learn how to love—how to love myself and others in a way I hadn’t experienced growing up. I wanted to understand how people in love interact and how love flows through families and friendships. So, I began planning weddings for busy professionals, infusing each celebration with their unique love stories and personalities. What started as a side hustle two years ago has now earned me 37 five-star reviews with high praise from clients and vendors alike, along with several wedding awards through The Knot and WeddingWire. One of the weddings I supported was even featured in a prominent wedding magazine, Oregon Wedding Day magazine (formerly Oregon Bride).

In the past two years, while working full-time as a process engineer in a high-pressure industry, I successfully planned and coordinated 17 weddings, fueled by my deep passion for event planning. Three months ago, I took a bold step, leaving my six-figure role at Intel to pursue event planning full-time. Starting in 2025, I will expand my business beyond weddings to include a variety of events. I’m particularly excited to help fashion designers and artists produce captivating fashion shows that highlight their work. Additionally, I look forward to collaborating with both for-profit and non-profit organizations to create unforgettable galas, fundraisers, product launches, and milestone celebrations. My mission is to eliminate the stress of event planning and ensure every detail is flawlessly executed.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.eventplannershi.com
• Instagram: EventPlannerShi
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eventplannershi
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shichoong/

Nicole Severson Photography

Sound Originals

Wedding Photographer Guy

my assistant using my camera

Nicole Severson Photography

Nicole Severson Photography