Today we’d like to introduce you to Megumi Suenaga
Megumi, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I came to the U.S. from Japan exactly 10 years ago. When I first came to the country, I was living in Los Angeles and working for a small Japanese company. After living in LA for 5 years, I lived in various states including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Florida, and came to South Carolina less than 2 years ago.
I now run my own company here that provides digital marketing services. When I was in Japan, I worked for the Dentsu Group, so my background is in marketing, and my experience from that time still helps me today. My clients are in various states, but most of them are Japanese companies doing business in the US, mainly B2B companies.
Outside of work, I volunteer for the Japan-America Association of South Carolina (JAASC), a non-profit organization, where I’m in charge of the Marketing/PR board. JAASC is a state-wide, volunteer-run NPO dedicated to strengthening bonds of friendship and understanding between the people of South Carolina and Japan. There aren’t many Japanese people living in South Carolina, but we want to help local people who are interested in Japan and its culture learn more about it.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The language, culture, and people are completely different between Japan and the US, so there were a lot of difficulties.
I moved across state lines a lot, so the DMV offices were a real nightmare every time. I also got some nasty looks because I was not a native English speaker. But I feel that each of those experiences helped me to put down roots in this country.
Overall, it was not a smooth journey, but I think I was very lucky. To move to the US from another country, you need a visa, which costs a lot of time and money, and is not easy to get approved. Having no roots in the U.S., I was very lucky to be able to get a visa. Additionally, I made and lived with a lot of good friends in LA, where I first resided. Thanks to them, I really enjoyed my first stage in the U.S. and I didn’t need to think I wanted to go back to Japan.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about COOQIE INC.?
COOQIE is a digital marketing services company. We cover all aspects of online marketing, including website development, SEO, social media, online advertising, email marketing, and more. Many of our clients are Japanese companies from all over the US, mostly B2B brands.
Japanese companies have really superior industrial technology and innovation. There are many small companies that are not well known around the world, but actually have products that only they can make in the world. However, in many cases, they are not very good at presenting themselves overseas. I guess it is because of the modest personalities of the Japanese people. My mission is to help them improve their brand presence in the U.S. through the use of digital technology.
How do you think about happiness?
I have loved road trips since I came to the US. As I go over endless meadows, I sense my thoughts becoming clearer. So far I have crossed the coast-to-coast three times and traveled to 45 states. I hope to complete all 50 states by around next year.
And of course, I am happiest when I am eating good sushi. Since there are not many authentic Japanese restaurants in Charleston, I would love to have more options.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.cooqieinc.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/megumi_in_america/
