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Before stepping into the corporate world, Gene Hong had already worn many hats: founder, designer, creative director, entrepreneur. He’d launched three men’s retail stores and built e-commerce businesses. His life was securely positioned at the intersection of fashion and business.
“Creative work has always been fun,” Gene says. “But underneath, I’ve always been an entrepreneur. This journey has really been about figuring out how to properly leverage and amplify both sides of who I am.”
Gene knew that climbing the corporate ladder takes more than just great ideas and a keen eye for design. It requires presence, clarity, and the ability to command a room.
Leaders who speak eloquently and confidently get the nod (along with promotions and new opportunities). The ones who can’t? They risk getting passed over, forgotten. They become stagnant.
Accelerating in the Corporate World
Twelve years ago, when Gene took the leap and joined Target as Senior Designer for the kids fashion department, he scaled the corporate ladder. He quickly got to the point where he felt he was able to make an impact at a higher level, while balancing his authenticity as a creative.
Today at Target, Gene leads with vision and voice; he speaks and presents frequently to teams, brand partners, and corporate leaders.
“I never had an issue speaking or presenting. But I wanted to get better,” Gene says.
Gene doesn’t sit still. Like any ambitious leader, he’s always looking for the next edge. He had already tackled a six-month Stanford Graduate School of Business program and invested in an executive coach. But he had no idea a speaking program like HEROIC’s even existed.
“My executive coach knew someone who trained at HEROIC. He said, ‘Gene, have you ever thought about speaking? You could totally kill it if you wanted to.’”
Gene had thought about speaking, but never beyond what was already built into his role at Target.
Still, something clicked. He wasn’t looking for just another skill. He was looking for transformation. For something that would make him an even more trusted, charismatic leader.
“I think of it kind of like a competition,” he says. “If I do this, I'll be able to show up as the best version of myself in high-leverage situations.”
Embarking on the HEROIC Journey
When Gene walked through the door at the HEROIC Campus for CORE | The Breakthrough Experience, he didn’t have a speech to work on. But he quickly realized that was normal. He was surrounded by founders, entrepreneurs, nonprofit leaders, and other corporate leaders who all wanted to speak with confidence and skill in high-stakes situations. Gene fit right in, felt at home, and thrived in the group-learning environment.
“I had ideas, and I wanted to learn frameworks and tools that I could apply so that I could make myself even better,” Gene says.
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