Meet Lee Kim | Cybersecurity/AI subject matter expert, Attorney, and Creative

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lee Kim and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lee, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?

The most important factors are integrity and hard work. You have to do what you say and do as you promise. But rarely is anything easy. In fact, much of the time it’s just good old fashioned hard work. You need to have some talent or ability, of course. Sticking to it is key. It is so very important to do what others do not. By being contrarian (albeit in a good way), you will set yourself apart from the rest. You have to believe in what you do and do everything you can to achieve the goal. Make the impossible possible.

That said, it is important to also be realistic about one’s abilities and limitations. We all have constraints. Accordingly, exercising good judgment is key. You need to know where you are and where you can be.

We need to anchor ourselves to our commitment and hold the steady path. That is not to say that everything is a success. There is no one-hundred percent (100%) in anything. There will be failures. There will be miscalculations. But persevering will go a long way. Simply put, do what others do not and commit yourself to succeeding.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?

What I do:

In a nutshell:
Analyst, subject matter expert, attorney, pundit, writer;
Actress, voiceover artist

There are two sides of what I do:
First, I provide insights regarding cybersecurity and artificial intelligence as an industry subject matter expert. I am international public speaker and writer.

Second, I provide creative services, including acting and voiceover work. I am represented by A3 Artists Agency for commercials and Cleri Models for television, film, and print work. I also do creative writing. One of the areas that I would like to expand into is script consulting, especially in areas that I know work in professionally, such as cybersecurity and artificial intelligence.

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A. What sets me apart:

1. Mental toughness and grit

I didn’t have an ordinary childhood, at least starting from the age of 8. I had to take care of my mother who was chronically ill. Instead of being a kid, I had to be an adult and make some significant medical decisions for her. My father couldn’t, as he just didn’t know how to handle it. Many years of a harsh reality made me into a fairly serious person early on. In 4^th grade, my elementary school teacher nicknamed me “Giggles” because I was always laughing at something. But as soon as I started dealing with really hard situations involving my mother’s care, my viewpoint changed. The next year (in 5^th grade), my guidance counselor always remarked, whenever he saw me in the hallway, how serious I seemed. (Well, this wasn’t a coincidence.)

My personal experience is what taught me the value of integrity. Life is very serious and precious. But life has also taught me to appreciate good things and good people. Nonetheless, I have a lot of mental toughness and grit. I realize that any challenge is relatively small, compared to where I first started in life.

2. Left brain and right brain – analytical/creative –> insights

When I was in college, my father’s colleague in the English department told me that I was equally left and right brained and that he didn’t know of anyone else that was like that. When I was in college, I studied chemistry and neurobiology but I also exceled in creative writing and philosophy.

As a professional, I was told by the then President of a not-for-profit organization that is dedicated to disrupting cybercrime that I always have such great insights.

I think that both of these things are true. I have a great, detail-oriented memory and I often have a crisp recall of conversations and other things.

In terms of having great insights, this isn’t accidental. I have the ability to absorb a large amount of information and determine what’s meaningful and relevant to the task at hand.

3. Transparency and openness

I am who I am, whether in my personal or professional life. You know who you are dealing with.

4. Very accomplished, but a real person

I think that the biggest catalyst to my success is that no one thought that I would ever succeed. Not my parents and not my peers. Not even at birth – as I had a 50-50 chance of survival being born very premature.

It’s taken awhile to achieve success. Success isn’t something that’s static. It can be here one day and gone the next. But, at least for this part of my life, I have helped to draft Federal legislation, garnered a lot of media attention (television, radio, trade press, and mainstream media), taught a lot of people around the world (including in the US, Canada, Asia-Pacific, and Europe), and worked with a variety of peers on different projects spanning both the public and private sectors.

But if you were to see me on the street, you would not “see” any of this. By default, I respect everyone and I am humble. I recognize that, despite all of this, I am simply a person. It’s great to succeed, but success is fleeting and the operative question after one has achieved something is “what’s next?”

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B. Most proud of/excited about

I am most proud of my being self-made. By this, I mean that no one has handed to me success. I keep reaching higher and higher and accomplishing more. I am happy that I am able to contribute to meaningful matters relating to cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and law, as well as things relevant to national security and society. In so doing, I can explore the world and interact with people that I never thought that I would meet, let alone work with. I am happy to finally be able to explore the world and do meaningful work.

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C. How did I to where I am today business-wise

After I graduated college, I assumed that I would become a scientist (since that is what I studied). But I had to change course, due to having to take care of my mother. That is how I ended up working in IT. My first job was doing healthcare IT for a Fortune 200 company. Specifically, I worked in radiology at a major academic medical center. Within a year of my working there, I was offered a big promotion but this involved relocating to the headquarters in New Jersey (albeit with a $20,000 pay increase and a 4-day workweek). As a young person, this would have been an amazing opportunity but I made a decision to stay because I couldn’t leave my mother behind. I also felt that I needed a real challenge.

I decided to go to law school and combine my knowledge and skills, blending in the IT experience into intellectual property law. Subsequent to law school, I worked for several law firms in the region. I handled everything from contract drafting and negotiation, responding to breaches, performing due diligence, and all kinds of different things relevant to high technology, cybersecurity, data privacy, and intellectual property.

I then transitioned into a career as an industry subject matter expert with the opportunity to work with Congress and others in government. This was indeed a turning point in my career—and I have no regrets. (On a related note, on the second day of my employment at my new job, I received an “AV Preeminent” rating as an attorney. I was over the moon. This is the highest rating that an attorney can achieve and we are rated by our attorney peers. My old firm wanted me to stay on in an “of counsel” role, but my supervisor (at the time) at my new job didn’t want me to. My transition to industry subject matter expert, then, was indeed a turning point in my career.)

Two things that helped me shape my career has been my interactions with governments (including policymakers) as well as the media. Interacting with stakeholders in industry has also helped pave the way. I have learned a lot and I still continue to learn.

I have built my career by figuring out ways in which I could build upon my previous experiences and abilities. If anything, I think that the world needs unique people that have rare backgrounds.

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C. Challenges and overcoming them

Progress has never been easy. But I have persisted and stayed true to myself and stayed the course. Persistence is key.

Even when people doubt me and my abilities (which sometimes happens — because I am not “aggressive”), I simply take the opportunity to show them my work or tell them my thoughts. More often than not, they are quite surprised. My objective, though, isn’t to impress anyone. I am just being me and doing my work as I normally do.

(I was never the popular kid. I still am not. What’s different now is that people show interest in me because of what I can do and how I think.)

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C. Lessons learned

People have different types of luck. I don’t quite believe in it. We all have different circumstances that we are born into and we have different life circumstances. I believe that integrity, above all, as well as grit is necessary to be successful. Some degree of talent or ability is also necessary, of course. But both sides of the equation must be balanced.

Some people like to work and others don’t. I happen to be a person who likes to work. Work, for me, is part of my identity. I take pride in what I do and I feel a sense of accomplishment and purpose.

Success, though, is fleeting. I have been very successful and I am succeeding. But this path I am on isn’t necessarily the path I thought I would take. You never know where life may lead. There is some combination of determining which way you want things to go and also going with the flow. In my view, there is also a bit of the “universe” factor. (In other words, yes, I believe in karma.)

You have to focus on what you like and what you want. This is part of discovering who you are and who you want to be. I like to help others and that is the secret of my success.

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D. What the world needs to know about me or my brand and story

I’ve fought adverse circumstances and being counted out. I wasn’t really accepted by anyone, nor was I really integrated into society in the early part of my life. I was an outcast who thought and perceived the world differently.

But now I am telling the world, “Hello! I’m here!” And “Don’t count me out!” “You just might see me someday, somewhere.” I’m not in the world to be rich or to achieve glory. I am a person, though, that loves good people and good things in life. Values are incredibly important to me and my brand. Professionally, I provide analytical and creative insights and that’s what I’m about.

If I had a single wish, it would be to connect with more good people, professionally and personally.

That said, I would like to connect with more people and explore the world of possibilities. Let’s explore the world together, my friend! And let’s explore the future. I am a futurist, including in the fields of cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and law. I am a creative that can see things others cannot.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?

International travel has been on the itinerary in a major way. Last year, we explored Canada, Indonesia, Italy, and the Middle East. You see, being an international public speaker has its perks. This past June (June 2023), we went to Portugal. Based upon our travels, here is a recommended itinerary for when you visit Portugal!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’ve encountered several mentors along the way. When I was first starting my career in cybersecurity, I was mentored by two people from a highly regarded Federally Funded Research and Development Center. Their insights have been relevant and helped me throughout the years. As Isaac Newton said, “If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants.”

But my first real mentor was someone whom I met at the US Department of Commerce. Perhaps her best advice to me has been the following: “When the doors of opportunity open, be ready to take it.” In other words, you have to recognize when there is an opportunity and, whether or not you feel you are ready, you really have to take it. (But everything should be done within reason. Obviously, if it results in a decision that is unwise or puts one’s safety or well-being at risk, then it’s another thing entirely.) I think there’s something to be said about being able to talk with someone who has accomplished so much in the world.

Finally, my mother emphasized often the need to “enjoy life.” She didn’t really get a chance to. And, as with many things that my mentors have told me over the years, it has taken years for me to understand what certain things mean. I am still on this journey. It has never been easy. But happiness is achieved in the balance of everything – ambition, work, effort, and…a bit of joy.

(As a footnote, I wanted to give a shout out to all of the volunteers. It’s a way to give back to the community. And it’s through helping others that we ultimately help ourselves. There are many good people in the world.)

Instagram: www.instagram.com/leekimart

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/leekim

Other: I am happy to connect with you via Instagram and LinkedIn! Feel free to drop me a line. (The photos that I have supplied with this article reflect the places that I have been as a result of my international speaking engagements in Canada, the Asia-Pacific, and Europe.) For these photos: © 2022-2023 Lee Kim

Image Credits
© 2022-2023 Lee Kim