Mimi

Everyone, meet Mimi!

Mimi Nguyen joined the Premier team back in July 2021 and since then we’ve had the honor of getting to know her both personally and professionally. Mimi is incredibly unique in the way that she makes Recruiting, which tends to be an often demanding and time-consuming career, look like an effortless side hustle. 

From 9-5, Mimi works with candidates and helps them find opportunities with life-changing potential. In her free time, she spreads her creative wings as a Wardrobe Stylist and Creative Director.

We jumped at the opportunity to ask Mimi a few questions about herself and the trail she is blazing – check out our conversation below:

Tell us a little about you and what has shaped you:
My name is Mi-Thao Nguyen but I go by “Mimi”. I am 1 of 3 girls and was raised by a business owner. My mother works in the beauty industry and has owned her own Salon & Spa for about 15 years. She is definitely where I get my hustler work ethic. After I graduated college with my degree in Fashion Merchandising, I moved to Washington, DC to pursue my wardrobe styling career. While most people felt like that was an unusual city to move to pursue a fashion career, I could not resist the energy and vibe I felt when I first visited. After spending my first few years there crashing on my friend’s couches, I started to establish a name for myself and got my styling career up and running. I inserted myself in networking events and eventually built up a good book of clients that led me to fashion shows, publications, interviews, etc. 

What influences or motivates you?
What motivates me the most is the love and support I receive from my family, friends, colleagues, social media followers, etc. To have people look at me and tell me how much they believe in me and remind me of how talented I am on a daily basis gives me so much inspiration. The fashion industry, in my opinion, is one of the hardest industries to thrive in. There are many days I doubt myself and want to quit, but then I remember all of the people who truly believe in my creative ability. The thought of letting those people down gives me all the motivation in the world to keep going. 

What role has risk played in your life or career?
My thoughts about risk are, “the bigger the risk, the bigger the reward.” Taking risks has played a huge role in my life. I took a big risk in leaving home and moving to a brand new city to follow my styling dreams with no plan, really no stable place to stay, and I only knew 3 people. It wasn’t easy and there were plenty of times I wanted to give up and go back home. With hard work and resilience, I have accomplished many goals and dreams that I thought were unattainable at that time. Those goals included being published 3 times, working backstage at fashion shows (including New York Fashion Week), and meeting so many successful and influential people in the industry.

LIGHTNING ROUND:

What was your first job? Any funny stories?
My first job was at Forever 21. It was one of my favorite stores growing up and I always imagined working there. I can’t recall any funny stories but let’s just say; I found out really fast that retail was not my passion.

Tell us about a unique or quirky habit of yours.
A habit that I have, that I think everyone should make a habit of, is giving myself a pep talk in the mirror. I hype myself up and remind myself of how cool and awesome I am. This truly helps me not take myself too seriously and build my confidence. 

Do you have any pet peeves?
When an attractive man doesn’t know how to dress. This might sound superficial, but I know you ladies (or gentlemen) hate this too.

Do you have hobbies?
I like to think that we should all have a hobby that makes us money, expands our knowledge, and takes care of us physically. Mine are creative directing (photo/video shoots), reading, and working out (gym, hiking, going to yoga, etc.).

Describe yourself in 3 words.
Creative, funny, gracious.

What three things do you think of most each day?
Food, how to make more money, my Dad.

If you had a warning label, what would yours say?
Proceed with caution.

What’s your go-to karaoke song?
Anything Destiny’s Child

Want to see what Mimi’s up to? Connect with her here.