One of the most bittersweet aspects of parenthood is teaching your children to fly from the nest and become independent, but still longing for their daily presence in your life. So, imagine if you got to work at the same company office as your adult child and your relationship continued to blossom in totally unexpected ways.
Father-daughter duo Peter and Nicole Wen get to experience this ideal scenario. In addition to their parent-child relationship, the two are colleagues at AT&T, where Peter Wen is director of technical sales and Nicole Wen is principal project program manager. Peter has worked at the company for over 26 years, and Nicole started working there in 2019. Although they report to different departments at AT&T, the two have “lunch-ins” together to share advice with each other, and Peter says his daughter has helped bring him out of his shell and taught him the importance and value of networking.
Q&A with Peter and Nicole Wen
We spoke with Peter and Nicole Wen about how carpooling to work together and meeting for lunch dates has helped them both evolve personally and professionally.
(This conversation has been edited for clarity and length.)
SUCCESS: What prompted the idea for you to start meeting for “lunch-ins” together during your workday?
Nicole Wen: We started having casual “lunch-ins” early on when I first started at AT&T. At first, it was just to check in to ensure I was getting my footing at the company and share what we were working on, but as they continued it became a meaningful way to connect and learn from each other professionally.
Peter Wen: When Nicole joined the company, I was thrilled—it’s rare to get this kind of overlap with your adult child. We make time to connect whenever our schedules align to talk about work and life. Being able to speak the same “work language” even though we work in different departments on different projects has made us so much closer, and I’ve learned so much from Nicole since she started at AT&T.
S: Nicole, what advice has your dad given you during one of your lunch-ins that has helped or inspired you?
NW: Professionally, my dad has shown me the importance of staying focused on building your expertise in your career. Our approaches might differ, but we share that same core value. During our lunch-ins and carpool rides together, I’ll often ask, “How would you approach this?” and he gives practical, balanced advice I can apply in my own way.
Personally, I’ve learned from his calm, thoughtful approach. He told me to never say no to an opportunity, big or small. This is something that has stayed with me and I remind myself from time to time when new opportunities arise.
S: Peter, as the parent of an adult child you may not get to see as often, I imagine it’s so special getting to spend your lunches with Nicole. Please share how Nicole has helped bring you out of your shell.
PW: Lunch-ins with Nicole have made us so much closer and it’s been incredible to see all of her success in such a short amount of time at the company. She’s masterful at connecting with people from all backgrounds.
Her personality has always let her branch out easily, and seeing this at work has really inspired me to come out of my shell. When Nicole joined and eventually took a leadership position in our employee group InspirASIAN, she encouraged me to participate more and get involved. I had been a member but never really participated before she joined. I started going to the meetings and engaging with other members— even mentoring some—and this has really shown me the value of connecting with colleagues at work.
S: Peter, please discuss how Nicole has energized your focus on networking. What networking tips has she taught you that you could share with us?
PW: Nicole’s generation really understands networking in a way mine didn’t. Back when I was building my career, you stayed in your role for many years, kept your head down, and let your work speak for itself. I was so focused on becoming a subject matter expert, and networking was less of a priority then. But Nicole showed me that building relationships is just as important and can even help you hone your craft.
She’s intentional about connecting with people—understanding what they do, finding ways to collaborate and creating space for mutual support. This is something I wish I did more of earlier in my own career.
S: Nicole, what do you think we can learn from your dad’s generation about work and life?
NW: His generation has a lot of valuable advice for those who are just starting their careers. I think my generation should learn to connect with tenured professionals they work with more often to gain this perspective and new insights. They’ve navigated the corporate world and have decades of experience problem-solving different challenges and working with all different kinds of personalities. He’s taught me the value of being thoughtful and intentional, even when everything around you moves quickly.
S: Peter, what do you think we can learn from Nicole’s generation about how they navigate work and life?
PW: They’re incredibly open to change. Nicole has already held several roles in just a few years, and she embraces each one with curiosity and confidence. When I was just starting my career, there was less of a priority placed on networking. Her generation isn’t afraid to speak up, explore new paths or ask for what they need—which is a real strength.
S: Peter and Nicole, what do you each feel is the best thing about getting to work together?
NW: It made joining a large company like AT&T much less intimidating. Just knowing he was a hallway or a call away gave me confidence. And it’s fun—we talk about work, bounce ideas around and even used to carpool karaoke on occasion!
In addition to my day job, I also support our AT&T employee resource group, InspirASIAN, as the vice president for the Dallas–Fort Worth chapter. Prior to me joining the company, my dad wasn’t too involved in any extracurriculars. I joined to make friends outside my organization. I mentioned to my dad how awesome the group is, all the charity work and scholarship fundraising, and encouraged him to join. And now it’s another thing we do together. Our favorite event is the Lunar New Year event, a big celebration with food, music and dragon dancing, and it’s very special to do together.
PW: Watching Nicole thrive in her own career is the best part. I get to see her in action, building relationships, solving problems and growing into a leader. And I get little moments—lunches, quick chats—that I wouldn’t otherwise have now that she’s out of the house. It’s a gift.
Photo from Nicole and Peter Wen
