TFS#242 - Yvonne An Shares How She Used Data to Grow 700K Followers & Leveraging That Into a Startup

Yvonne An is a Korean entrepreneur and creator based in Manila. She blends creativity with data, even building her own TikTok analysis bot to study trends, performance, and what drives PR and brand deals. Yvonne shares an honest look into her life—balancing startups, mental health, and her experience living in the Philippines—making her a relatable voice for Gen Z builders and creatives.

Connect with Yvonne:

https://www.instagram.com/yvonnean_

https://www.tiktok.com/@yvonnne

CHAPTERS:

0:00 – Introduction

0:49 – Meet Yvonne

1:15 – What Yvonne has been focused on

2:21 – Why Yvonne started a company

5:12 – Content creation as stress relief

5:59 – What she enjoys about creating

7:38 – Building a TikTok data bot

9:27 – How the bot measures content ROI

10:44 – How she built the bot

11:58 – Labeling & scraping TikTok data

12:51 – Tracking growth and plateaus

14:11 – Why she signed with an agency

15:27 – Balancing startups + content

16:28 – Her dad’s surprising hobbies

16:56 – Yvonne on her mom & family

19:11 – Where her independent energy comes from

20:24 – Gen Z entrepreneurs

21:59 – Thoughts on Cluely’s content strategy

23:45 – Young entrepreneurs today

24:09 – Her brother’s path

24:40 – Would she want kids?

25:17 – Raising entrepreneurial kids

27:15 – How parents shape business mindset

28:51 – Lessons from her dad’s hardships

32:09 – When her dad left LG

33:48 – How old she was then

34:46 – Andy’s first trip to the Philippines

36:37 – Rockwell run club

38:42 – Filipino “clientele relationship”

41:58 – Building company culture in PH

45:53 – Antidepressants & mental health

47:57 – Impulsive behavior in relationships

48:33 – Andy’s personality quiz (money)

50:11 – Is religion good or bad?

52:14 – Emotional vs. logical

54:01 – Who’s more hardworking?

54:12 – Wait for someone or date who likes you?

54:39 – Her biggest 2024–2025 takeaways

55:55 – Naming a child with two letters

56:40 – What she’d change about Andy

57:37 – Airport ride scenario

59:12 – Last time she asked for help

1:04:18 – Last three times she helped others

1:07:45 – Andy’s reflection on Yvonne

1:09:45 – Guessing each other’s MBTI

1:16:00 – Similar vs. opposite partners

1:16:49 – Does she have ADHD?

1:17:06 – Feeling out of place in PH

1:19:35 – Her day-to-day life in Manila

1:20:43 – Balancing career + relationship

1:22:02 – Purpose of life

1:23:19 – Is life meaningless?

1:23:51 – What puts her in a sad state

1:24:43 – How convo would differ without SSRIs

1:25:35 – Does she need SSRIs long-term?

1:26:49 – Her anxiety

1:27:49 – Plans for the rest of her gap year

1:29:10 – Could she thrive at UC Berkeley?

1:30:40 – Being seen as a “pretty dumb girl”

1:32:07 – Story about people “playing dumb”

1:34:40 – Yvonne’s recent life discoveries

1:35:26 – Her next 6-month goal

1:36:42 – Why Andy thought her life was “nerfed”

1:38:58 – Connect with Yvonne

1:40:14 – Why some girls “play dumb”

1:41:13 – How her personal brand shows only a slice of her

1:42:21 – Outro