Today we’d like to introduce you to Desi Lu.
Hi Desi, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
It’s hard to pinpoint the start of my journey because the impulse to translate the inner world has always been in my DNA. Even as a child, filling pages with earnest squiggles, I was attempting the same core mission I have today: to give form to the ‘foreign concepts’ of the mind. I just didn’t have the words yet.
That early, desperate need to convey depth has since evolved into a disciplined craft. I’ve spent years honing the tools of writing and speaking not for their own sake, but to build a bridge between the solitude of abstract thought and the communion of human connection.
Today, that lifelong excavation has taken concrete form. It lives in The Immersive Experience podcast, where we map those internal landscapes, and it fuels the pages of my upcoming book, The Excavation of Giants. The journey has been from scribbles to a vocation: to inform, to enlighten, but most of all, to uncover the buried stories that remind us what it is to feel profoundly human.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
No, it hasn’t been a smooth road. The most significant obstacles, as they often are, have been internal. My greatest struggle has been the discipline of self—the exhausting work of understanding my own vision while constantly disarming the saboteur within.
Then, there’s the weight of the ‘silent support.’ When you’re carrying a dream like The Excavation of Giants, a vision that feels so much larger than yourself, the loneliness can be palpable. You pour energy into helping others shoulder their burdens, and the urge to quit screams loudest when that support doesn’t visibly return.
The pivotal lesson was this: what I am carrying is mine to carry. The dream’s value isn’t contingent on an audience’s applause. Managing that reality is a daily practice—what feels like a minor stumble one day can seem like a chasm the next. But I’ve come to understand that this pain, this weight, is not a sign of failure. It’s the necessary resistance. The very act of carrying the dream is what forges the strength, the muscle, needed to eventually lift it high.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My work is the translation of the unspoken. I act as an archaeologist of the inner world, using my podcast and writing to excavate those abstract, foreign thoughts we all have and turn them into a shared language of enlightenment. What defines my approach is a perspective on the “burden” of creativity: while many wait for a crowd’s applause to build, I’ve learned to build alone, understanding that the weight of the idea itself is the blueprint. I’m most proud of cultivating the discipline to stay open and curious about the world without losing my discernment or my way. So, I don’t just produce content or chase highlight reels; I offer a lived-out example of the dark walked toward the light. My mission is to do the heavy digging into the concepts we find too daunting to voice, proving that our deepest burdens can become our truest compasses.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
My philosophy on networking and mentorship is action-first. You have to become visible to be seen by the right people. Do the open mic night scared. Launch the project imperfectly. Make the big move. Often, the most significant connection is waiting on the other side of that fear.
What worked for me was shifting from seeking a mentor to demonstrating a prototype of my future self. People are drawn to invest in a moving train. So, I started building in public—sharing my ‘translations,’ my process, my excavations—even when my audience was tiny. This wasn’t about broadcasting; it was about broadcasting my frequency. It attracts those who resonate on the same wavelength.
My practical strategy has three parts:
1. Focus on Allies, Not Just Mentors: A single ‘guru’ is rare. Build a constellation of allies—peers a few steps ahead, collaborators with different strengths, even ardent supporters. This network is more resilient and dynamic.
2. Provide Value First, Ask Second: When reaching out, lead with genuine insight. Comment on their work with depth. Share a resource that made you think of them. This frames the connection as mutual respect, not a transaction.
3. Master the ‘Warm Outreach’: Never send a cold “pick your brain” request. Always find a genuine point of connection—a shared value, a piece of their work that impacted you, a mutual contact. Then, ask one specific, thoughtful question. It’s about starting a dialogue, not extracting value.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/choklatecoveredcodeine
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1CM7ff3GQh/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@theimmersiveexperience
