January 19 , 2026

Every year, we invite our team to pause and reflect.

It’s not a performance review.
It’s not about numbers or titles.
It’s simply a moment to look back and ask, How have I grown? What has this year held? What could we do better?

Most reflections stay within our walls.
But every so often, someone shares something so honest, so full of heart, that it feels almost wrong not to pass it on.

When I read Bai’s reflection, I knew immediately, our community needs to hear this.

Bai has been with us for over a decade. And as she wrote, the scale and professionalism of Starfish Project today are things she couldn’t have imagined back then. But what moved me most wasn’t just how much the company has grown. It was how deeply she has grown alongside it.

She joined us knowing very little. Over the years, she learned professional skills, office software, photography, and e-commerce. She learned Photoshop. She earned certifications she once never thought possible. And she’s clear about where that growth came from, not pressure, not expectation, but steady encouragement, protected time, and real financial support.

“The company has always encouraged us to learn and grow personally,” Bai wrote. “They provided dedicated time and even financial support. For that, I am deeply grateful.”

But Bai’s story goes far beyond professional development.

When she became a mother and had no one to help her, the company stepped in with a childcare allowance.
When she felt lost after childbirth, a colleague encouraged her to pursue postpartum care training.
When her marriage became unsafe and she experienced domestic violence, the company helped her escape a dangerous situation.
When finances were tight, coworkers quietly reached out with help.

And then there was her wedding.

When Bai remarried, she shared that she felt inferior because she had no family to stand beside her. But once again, she was not alone. Her colleagues gathered to see her off, surrounding her with love and dignity. And for her maid of honor, Bai made a deeply intentional choice.

She asked Jenny, our Founder and CEO, to stand beside her.

Not because of a title, but because of a life lived. Bai shared that over the years, she had watched how Jenny and her husband love one another, how they do family, how they walk through life with steadiness and grace. On her wedding day, Bai wanted that example, that inspiration, standing with her and her husband at the altar as they began their life together.

It was a quiet, powerful moment. One that said, This is what leadership can look like. This is what family can become.

During later seasons of illness and depression, Bai was again met with presence, not pressure. Sisters listened. They stayed. They reminded her she mattered. And slowly, strength returned.

This year, Bai shared that she was finally able to truly face herself. With encouragement from her team, she earned a nationally recognized professional e-commerce photography certificate. And she’s already looking ahead, eager to keep learning, to keep growing.

Then came the final question in the evaluation:
What improvements or changes would you like to see in the company?

Her answer was simple.

“We don’t need to change,” she wrote. “We’ve always been doing a great job. We help more women recognize their value, dare to face society, and stand up against feelings of inferiority. We’ll continue doing great work, and we’ll earn more so we can help even more women.”

This is why we do what we do.

Not for headlines.
Not for perfect stories.
But for real lives, unfolding slowly, imperfectly, beautifully, with dignity, safety, and hope woven in along the way.

Bai, thank you for trusting us with your story.
And to our community, thank you for making stories like hers possible.