Ash Xu once thought she'd grow up to be a software engineer just like her dad. Instead, the 22-year-old is fresh off directing her first TV commercial. Later that year, she landed her first paid gig to film a commercial for an online brand. She also started to realize "my dreams of becoming a commercial director aren't as far away as I thought." Her TV commercial directing debut taught her "I don't have to be the most knowledgeable or perfect person in the room," she says.

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Persons: Ash Xu, she'd, Xu, aren't, Taco, she's, I've Organizations: Bay Area, YouTube, Northwestern, CNBC, Taco Bell Locations: Bay, New York City