About me
I can’t tell you the exact moment I first tapped into my creative side, but watching my mother sew is my earliest memory of it. As a small child, I would accompany her to flea markets to pick out the brightest, prettiest fabrics, which she would later transform into dresses for my sisters and me. Watching her sew is a memory that will never leave me.
Creativity weaves through my family like thread through paj ntaub. My paternal grandmother was also a seamstress, and I spent countless afternoons by her side, helping her sell her handmade clothes door to door. Her spirit of hustle and grit has been stitched into the very fabric of who I am, of my own story cloth. My maternal grandmother also passed down her craft to me: my mother, older sisters, and I would gather around her to learn Hmong embroidery. It was then that she taught me how to properly tie a starting knot. Now each time I tie starting a knot, I think of her.
​
Raised within a lineage of creators, I taught myself to sew at ten, and at fourteen, I was styling and sewing costumes for a production company that put on plays like Cinderella, West Side Story, and The King and I. In the early 2010s, I channeled my creativity into writing, driven to create community, where I advocated for conscious fashion by shopping secondhand.
​
Over the years, I partnered with leading agencies like Stars Management, collaborated with Miami's Trick Shot Productions, and worked with global brands such as JINS Eyewear as a wardrobe stylist and costume designer. My work has appeared in publications like Glamour, NEET, Elegant, and Lucky Magazine, where I contributed as a community voice. I also interned at the Hollywood startup, Colaborator.com, where my writing focused on film and entertainment.
​
As an ex-techie, joining startups like Pinterest, becoming an early employee at Substack, and serving as COO at an AI startup, I specialized in operations and strategy. But, eventually, my craving for imagination and creativity called me back to my roots, and I’m now rediscovering that joy, like the thrill of sewing my first pair of bell bottoms when I was ten years old.
​
My name is Jamie Xiong, but I go by Jamie B. Goode in honor of my late brother, Johnny. An empath (Enneagram 2), I stay inspired by writing prose and poetry, learning about the Gene Keys, and studying languages. I’m passionate about sharing my story as a first-generation American finding my identity, speaking at events to inspire students to reach their potential and challenge the status quo. As I grow closer to my true self, I’m leaning into my spiritual side, honoring my grandfather’s legacy as a shaman. I’m excited to share my stories and creations, guided by intention, heritage, and heart, as I craft projects that celebrate resilience and community.
Your presence means everything. Thank you for being part of this journey.
​
