PICA Member Spotlights

Q&A with independent consultants who successfully “made the leap” and created the consulting career of their dreams

 

Q: Who are you and what’s your business?

A: My name is Chia-Yung Wu. I am a "T cell whisperer" who enables biotech leaders to turbocharge their preclinical R&D programs for T cell-related drug candidates.

My company is Lima Hui BioConsulting. In Hawaiian, "lima" means "hand" and "hui" means "join." "Lima Hui" thus can be interpreted as "partnership." I admire the Hawaiian culture, so I came up with a Hawaiian-inspired business name.

 

Q: How long have you been independent?

A: Since September 2023.

 

Q: What inspired you to “go for it” and become a solopreneur?

A: I had been curious about solopreneurship since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Articles about independent consulting, such as those found on the PICA website, as well as tests for career preferences I took around that time suggested that solo consulting could be a good fit for me. I enjoy working from home, being a trusted advisor to executives, and preemptively addressing drug development challenges through in-depth synthesis and planning. I also value doing impactful and timely work much more than conventional title or status.

Q: How did you “make the leap”?

A: Like many colleagues during the current contraction in biotech/pharma, I was laid off amid a re-organization. The layoff gave me an opportune chance to explore, after having wondered about it for years.

Q: How did you get your first client?

A: Serendipity. My first client was an acquaintance whom I had met briefly years ago. In 2023, both of us had been laid off and were starting something new. My client-to-be had just successfully raised the seed fund for a biotech startup, and I had just started consulting. Our partnership turned out to be an excellent match for a win-win.

Q: What’s one thing you know now that you wish you’d known before you started?

A: The transition to solopreneurship could feel disorienting at first. Previously as a standard full-time employee, my weekly schedule had been largely structured around the business needs defined by my employers. As a beginning solo consultant, my calendar became a blank canvas for re-painting to my liking. After a few vacation weeks, the flexibility started to feel unsettling. It took some time to build a new weekly routine, one that felt sustainable and balanced among multiple priorities - personal wellness and growth, client work, upskilling, business development, etc.

Q: What’s surprised you the most about being self-employed? 

A: How energizing it feels to have much more control over my schedule. Reading about something doesn't equate to first-hand experience with it.

Q: What is something that many aspiring solopreneurs think they need that they really don’t? 

A: A sophisticated website isn't necessary. Depending on the nature of your business, a reader-friendly, informative LinkedIn page may be enough to start with. Then take time to build a simple website and incrementally add more content to it.

Q: Is there a particular quote or saying that you use as personal motivation?

A: The days and nights are relentlessly passing; how well am I spending my time?

Q: How can people find out more about you or your business?

A: You can find me at my website or on LinkedIn.

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