Instead of pursuing a career in software engineering, this 22-year-old directed her first TV commercial.

Ash Xu initially believed she would become a software engineer like her father. However, at 22 years old, she has just directed her first TV commercial.

Xu, who grew up in the Bay Area and now resides in New York City, discovered her passion for film during middle school through her exposure to YouTube and Buzzfeed videos, but she never considered it as a career.

Despite hating an advanced placement computer science class in high school, she channeled her energy into creating short films with friends.

In 2020, Xu began posting videos online after graduating from high school and before starting college at Northwestern for film. She filmed a commercial for an online brand that paid $400 later that year.

She realized she could make money doing something she loves and her dream of becoming a commercial director isn't as far away as she thought.

Since then, her videos on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube have become popular and attracted the attention of Taco Bell.

In September, Xu received an email from the fast food chain requesting her to write a concept for a commercial. If they found her idea compelling, they would also pay her to film it. Xu consulted with her management team, whom she has been working with since March 2021. Her team negotiated her rates for the project, and Xu began working on it.

Xu declined to reveal the amount she was paid for the commercial, but she mentioned that it was one of the highest-paying gigs she has taken on so far.

Xu says that being chosen for the project and directing the commercial boosted her confidence in her abilities. It was her first time leading a team of six people, including a food stylist and marketing managers, for a brand, rather than a group of friends working on a personal project. The commercial was released in November.

She has learned that being "perfect" is not a requirement for job qualification through her experience.

"Xu recalls that while in film school, he believed that landing a first directing gig required being a genius or a prodigy. He thought the entry barrier to creating anything was extremely high and one had to be flawless to be chosen."

Her debut as a TV commercial director taught her that she doesn't need to be the most knowledgeable or perfect person in the room. As long as she trusts her own creative process and can communicate it effectively to those around her, she is deserving of the projects she has been working on.

According to her, success is a combination of your experience, creative vision, and how you market yourself. However, she emphasizes that everyone has something valuable to contribute.

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