Today’s episode explores how a memory of mine was recently triggered, one where I spent a lot of my junior high years living in my parents’ 1980s Toyota Minivan, because they were carting four kids around, trying to save two ailing businesses: my father’s construction company, and the aquarium store they also owned. As they continued to dive deeper into debt, they would drive all over Southern California with us, going from suppliers to Home Depots, until they were too exhausted to drive the 45-min back home to the Westside. 

So, we’d sleep in the van, parked in my father’s construction warehouse. We’d wipe ourselves clean in the early mornings via the deep industrial sink, my mother would drive us to LA and drop us each off at school, and then drive back to Rowland Heights, and home again to feed us, then repeat the whole ordeal again. When I heard Trevor Noah narrate a similar experience at his stepfather’s used car repair warehouse in the book, Born a Crime, I casually mentioned it to my husband at the time. He looked alarmed. I said the same to my current partner who paused, came close to me, and said, “You’ve been through more than most people. You’re a strong woman.”

We’ll talk about resiliency, taking radical responsibility, resources for healing (I’m loving the Brain.fm app!), NFTs & VeeCon, and more.

I hope you loved this insight into my world today!

Come watch me speak live in San Gabriel Valley. Register here.

WANT TO KNOW THE REAL STORY?

If you want in on the story behind the story, join us over on our Twitter! Over there, you can dive deeper into this topic with our community and ask whatever (literally) you want to know more about. Or, buy our team an ice cream by making a donation here. Thank you for your support!

ARE YOU ENJOYING THE PODCAST?

If so, I'd love your review on Apple Podcasts! It helps our message get in front of more people. And the best part? It only takes a minute:

Step 1: Go to https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1554330617

Step 2: Click “View on Apple Podcasts”

Step 3: Click “Ratings and Reviews”

Step 4: Click to rate and leave a short review!

Bonus step: Subscribe if you’re not already to get notified when an episode drops every Tuesday!

A huge thank you for listening to the show and sharing it with your tribe.

lqcalyIDFVCRraOhlNCZ

Today, we have the lovely Vanda Asapahu join us in the studio! Vanda is a second-generation Thai restaurateur and the first female host of Masters of Taste, the biggest food event at the Rose Bowl!

While it’s easy to look on the outside and marvel at this amazing accomplishment, Vanda shares the hurdles she had to overcome on a personal level to show up in the ways she wants and needs to for herself, her family, and her team. We talk a lot about perfectionism, finding a path for ourselves, and shedding our familys’ expectations.

WANT TO KNOW THE REAL STORY?

If you want in on the story behind the story, join us over on Twitter! Over there, you can dive deeper into this topic with our community and ask whatever (literally) you want to know more about. Or, buy our team an ice cream by making a donation here. Thank you for your support!

ARE YOU ENJOYING THE PODCAST?

If so, I'd love your review on Apple Podcasts! It helps our message get in front of more people. And the best part? It only takes a minute:

Step 1: Go to https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1554330617

Step 2: Click “View on Apple Podcasts”

Step 3: Click “Ratings and Reviews”

Step 4: Click to rate and leave a short review!

Bonus step: Subscribe if you’re not already to get notified when an episode drops every Tuesday!

A huge thank you for listening to the show and sharing it with your tribe.

Episode 78: [Mindfulness] Step into your power, even in challenging moments
This is the first mindfulness episode of the season! They’re one of my favorite episodes to create and based on the messages I receive, it seems like it’s yours too. I think it shows that we all need more time to breathe and reflect on how we feel.

The news has been weighing heavily on me lately, and I’ve been experiencing this underlying and ongoing anxiety, sense of dread, and uncertainty — and I know I’m not the only one. So this mindfulness episode is for anyone who feels similarly. Join me as we take the time to pause, reclaim the power we do have, and reconnect with our inner peace.

WANT TO KNOW THE REAL STORY?

If you want in on the story behind the story, join us over on Twitter! Over there, you can dive deeper into this topic with our community and ask whatever (literally) you want to know more about. Or, buy our team an ice cream by making a donation here. Thank you for your support!

ARE YOU ENJOYING THE PODCAST?

If so, I'd love your review on Apple Podcasts! It helps our message get in front of more people. And the best part? It only takes a minute:

Step 1: Go to  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1554330617
Step 2: Click “View on Apple Podcasts
Step 3: Click “Ratings and Reviews”
Step 4: Click to rate and leave a short review!
Bonus step: Subscribe if you’re not already to get notified when an episode drops every Tuesday!

A huge thank you for listening to the show and sharing it with your tribe.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Despite these three topics being the heart and center of F*ck Saving Face, these are still conversations I’m getting familiar with as an Asian American breaking free from my sheltered past.

This episode is a great example of why I feature guests on my show, so they can teach both you and me about the various perspectives around these important conversations. And that’s exactly what Jaya Mallik is offering today.

What I love about Jaya is that not only has she had extensive personal and professional experiences, such as her pivotal positions as Program Manager and DEI lead at Meta and DEI Program Director at Meta, around these topics, which she can speak so eloquently about, but she is also forthcoming and encourages open conversations about diversity and the real work that still needs to be done in our country.

WANT TO KNOW THE REAL STORY?

If you want in on the story behind the story, join us over on Twitter! Over there, you can dive deeper into this topic with our community and ask whatever (literally) you want to know more about. Or, buy our team an ice cream by making a donation here. Thank you for your support!

ARE YOU ENJOYING THE PODCAST?

If so, I'd love your review on Apple Podcasts! It helps our message get in front of more people. And the best part? It only takes a minute:

Step 1: Go to https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1554330617
Step 2: Click “View on Apple Podcasts”
Step 3: Click “Ratings and Reviews”
Step 4: Click to rate and leave a short review!
Bonus step: Subscribe if you’re not already to get notified when an episode drops every Tuesday!

A huge thank you for listening to the show and sharing it with your tribe.

We are back for season three of F*ck Saving Face! I’ve missed sitting down to a microphone and having meaningful conversations with you. In this episode, we'll talk about what's to come for this season.

It’s going to be a special season for me because it parallels so perfectly with this sort of coming-of-age-moment I've had in my recent life. I've already felt so encouraged while navigating this discomfort of growth, and I know you will too. 

Plus, we talk about my new book that launches today! The Little Book of Tibetan Rites and Rituals: Simple Practices for Rejuvenating the Mind, Body, and Spirit is on Amazon and Target.

WANT TO KNOW THE REAL STORY?

If you want in on the story behind the story, join us over on our private Facebook group! Over there, you can dive deeper into this topic with our community and ask whatever (literally) you want to know more about. Or, buy our team an ice cream by making a donation here. Thank you for your support!

ARE YOU ENJOYING THE PODCAST?

If so, I'd love your review on Apple Podcasts! It helps our message get in front of more people. And the best part? It only takes a minute:

Step 1: Go to https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1554330617
Step 2: Click “View on Apple Podcasts”
Step 3: Click “Ratings and Reviews”
Step 4: Click to rate and leave a short review!

Bonus step: Subscribe if you’re not already to get notified when an episode drops every Tuesday!

A huge thank you for listening to the show and sharing it with your tribe.

We’re closing out Season 2 (and beginning 2022!) with a mindfulness episode dedicated to something I’ve been practicing this year: setting boundaries and putting yourself first to achieve mental peace.

There’s no denying that the process can often result in initial loneliness or resistance — or both. I’ve experienced it first-hand. So, today’s meditation will take you through the challenges you may face along your journey, help you pause, and encourage you to show up in the ways you want to in the world.

I hope that after you listen to this episode, you’ll take a step into this new year with confidence and conviction to make your story beautiful.

WANT TO KNOW THE REAL STORY?

If you want in on the story behind the story, join us over on our private Facebook group! Over there, you can dive deeper into this topic with our community and ask whatever (literally) you want to know more about. Or, buy our team an ice cream by making a donation here. Thank you for your support!

ARE YOU ENJOYING THE PODCAST?

If so, I'd love your review on Apple Podcasts! It helps our message get in front of more people. And the best part? It only takes a minute:

Step 1: Go to https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1554330617
Step 2: Click “View on Apple Podcasts”
Step 3: Click “Ratings and Reviews”
Step 4: Click to rate and leave a short review!
Bonus step: Subscribe if you’re not already to get notified when an episode drops every Tuesday!

A huge thank you for listening to the show and sharing it with your tribe.

Today, I have some very special guests on the show — my team!

For those who aren’t familiar, I also run a branding and content marketing agency called Wild Hearted Words in addition to this podcast. Together, we use our gifts to help businesses expand their community, grow their platforms, engage their audiences, and get their unique purpose out there in the world.

More than that, we are all champions of mental and emotional health, so we’re able to take our passion in that area and combine it with our own talents to truly leave a positive mark on the world.

I wanted to bring their stories to you, so you could hear first-hand from individuals like you and me, who are living their days growing their dreams with their families and the people they love. They’re also continually figuring it out, refining their path, and ebb and shift as they go along in their journey.

Ultimately, when you listen to this episode, I hope you feel encouraged to step into your power and that each of their stories reveals to you that there are so many possible paths to get to where you want to go if you give yourself the space and grace to explore and take risks.


WANT TO KNOW THE REAL STORY?

If you want in on the story behind the story, join us over on our private Facebook group! Over there, you can dive deeper into this topic with our community and ask whatever (literally) you want to know more about. Or, buy our team an ice cream by making a donation here. Thank you for your support!


ARE YOU ENJOYING THE PODCAST?

If so, I'd love your review on Apple Podcasts! It helps our message get in front of more people. And the best part? It only takes a minute:

Step 1: Go to https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1554330617
Step 2: Click “View on Apple Podcasts”
Step 3: Click “Ratings and Reviews”
Step 4: Click to rate and leave a short review!
Bonus step: Subscribe if you’re not already to get notified when an episode drops every Tuesday!

A huge thank you for listening to the show and sharing it with your tribe.

Trigger warning: suicide is mentioned in this episode.

Ruoyun Xu Killian is one of the last guests for this season, and I gotta say: we're really ending with a bang.

Ruoyun is a marketer who uses a human-centered approach for digital marketing and strategy, which you'll hear more about in this episode. Being a projector (a category of personality within human design) and Chinese American (but self-identified global citizen), she has a profound and unique perception of humans and our relationship with each other.

In this episode, we take a deep dive into a lot of topics many of us Asian Americans didn't get to talk about growing up such as suicide, mental health, grief, shame, and what it felt — or still feels like — being the "parentified generation."

Despite these heavy topics, Ruoyun brings a lot of energy, sass, and humor into the episode, so I know you'll resonate with this episode as much as I did!

WANT TO KNOW THE REAL STORY?

If you want in on the story behind the story, join us over on our private Facebook group! Over there, you can dive deeper into this topic with our community and ask whatever (literally) you want to know more about. Or, buy our team an ice cream by making a donation here. Thank you for your support!

ARE YOU ENJOYING THE PODCAST?

If so, I'd love your review on Apple Podcasts! It helps our message get in front of more people. And the best part? It only takes a minute:

Step 1: Go to https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1554330617

Step 2: Click “View on Apple Podcasts”

Step 3: Click “Ratings and Reviews”

Step 4: Click to rate and leave a short review!

Bonus step: Subscribe if you’re not already to get notified when an episode drops every Tuesday!

A huge thank you for listening to the show and sharing it with your tribe.

Fellow listeners, I hope you’re sitting down as you press the play button on this episode because our guest, Zion Kim, dropped some incredible nuggets of wisdom in our conversation together.

You’ll hear him talk about his upbringing, his relationship with his parents, and how getting arrested all contributed to changing his view about what was valuable in life and what the true meaning of a life purpose is. It inspired him to become a life coach for business owners, and now, he’s using his experience to amplify messaging he never heard growing up about sovereignty, self-healing, and mental health.

I highly recommend you turn off your notifications, plug in your headphones, and sit back to absorb the wisdom that Zion has to share.

WANT TO KNOW THE REAL STORY?

If you want in on the story behind the story, join us over on our private Facebook group! Over there, you can dive deeper into this topic with our community and ask whatever (literally) you want to know more about. Or, buy our team an ice cream by making a donation here. Thank you for your support!

ARE YOU ENJOYING THE PODCAST?

If so, I'd love your review on Apple Podcasts! It helps our message get in front of more people. And the best part? It only takes a minute:

Step 1: Go to https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1554330617

Step 2: Click “View on Apple Podcasts”

Step 3: Click “Ratings and Reviews”

Step 4: Click to rate and leave a short review!

Bonus step: Subscribe if you’re not already to get notified when an episode drops every Tuesday!

A huge thank you for listening to the show and sharing it with your tribe.

Have you ever felt imposter syndrome take over your life, so much that it prevents you from seeking out career opportunities you're truly passionate about? You're not alone.

Justin Kang, our guest today, taught me that these feelings are incredibly pervasive throughout underrepresented communities because we are just that — underrepresented.

Though the climate is changing, there are still systemic and structural barriers that reject otherwise talented and creative people from pursuing their dreams. And one significant sector that’s trailblazing change? Venture capitalism.

For me, venture capitalism always seemed like such an intimidating world. Thankfully, now that I’m a mentor with the Founder Institute, triple digit million dollar revenue has become part of my normal vocabulary.

That’s why I’m excited you’re tuning into our conversation because Justin and I will talk about what VC means, how it's changing representation for the better, what Visible Hands and similar investing companies are doing to empower people of color to become entrepreneurs, and the importance of being vulnerable, real, and transparent about the struggles entrepreneurs face.

WANT TO KNOW THE REAL STORY?

If you want in on the story behind the story, join us over on our private Facebook group! Over there, you can dive deeper into this topic with our community and ask whatever (literally) you want to know more about. Or, buy our team an ice cream by making a donation here. Thank you for your support!

ARE YOU ENJOYING THE PODCAST?

If so, I'd love your review on Apple Podcasts! It helps our message get in front of more people. And the best part? It only takes a minute:

Step 1: Go to https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1554330617

Step 2: Click “View on Apple Podcasts”

Step 3: Click “Ratings and Reviews”

Step 4: Click to rate and leave a short review!

Bonus step: Subscribe if you’re not already to get notified when an episode drops every Tuesday!

A huge thank you for listening to the show and sharing it with your tribe.

Jeff Le’s parents came to America from Vietnam on a 32-foot raft in the 70s to escape The Fall of Saigon. He’s seen the hard work of his parents and his community — who have similar stories and backgrounds — climb their way out of poverty, yet not receive the kind of opportunities as our white counterparts.

In this episode, we talk about the fascinating work Jeff has done throughout his life to challenge The American Dream, reverse the damage The Model Minority myth has caused, and push the narrative forward that right now is a unique time to push for the changes we need to see in this social justice climate.

We also talk about how all of us can make a difference in politics, climate change, the types of advocacy we can get involved in, how to talk to our loved ones about important issues, money, self-acceptance, and even the meaning of life. (Yes, folks, we go deep.)

WANT TO KNOW THE REAL STORY?

If you want in on the story behind the story, join us over on our private Facebook group! Over there, you can dive deeper into this topic with our community and ask whatever (literally) you want to know more about. Or, buy our team an ice cream by making a donation here. Thank you for your support!

ARE YOU ENJOYING THE PODCAST?

If so, I'd love your review on Apple Podcasts! It helps our message get in front of more people. And the best part? It only takes a minute:

Step 1: Go to https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1554330617

Step 2: Click “View on Apple Podcasts”

Step 3: Click “Ratings and Reviews”

Step 4: Click to rate and leave a short review!

Bonus step: Subscribe if you’re not already to get notified when an episode drops every Tuesday!

A huge thank you for listening to the show and sharing it with your tribe.

I almost can't believe it, but we have our very first non-AAPI voice on the podcast today. And I can't imagine anyone else to debut than the extraordinary Nathalie Molina Niño.

You could probably easily name things Nathalie isn't involved in rather than the opposite, because she has integrated herself into almost every sector you could possibly imagine when it comes to amplifying BIPOC voices.

From learning storytelling through theater, working as a global tech entrepreneur, becoming a published author and educator, and now investing to open opportunities for BIPOC folks to achieve positions of ownership.

As part of her work as a champion of women, communities of color and the planet, she also co-founded the trade organization for Builder Capitalism, a long-view, alternative asset class to Venture Capital.

I encourage you to listen to this podcast while you're not doing anything too mentally demanding — Nathalie drops some seriously jaw-dropping stats and amazing nuggets of wisdom during this episode that I know you'll feel inspired by. So, sit back and enjoy our conversation!

WANT TO KNOW THE REAL STORY?

If you want in on the story behind the story, join us over on our private Facebook group! Over there, you can dive deeper into this topic with our community and ask whatever (literally) you want to know more about. Or, buy our team an ice cream by making a donation here. Thank you for your support!

ARE YOU ENJOYING THE PODCAST?

If so, I'd love your review on Apple Podcasts! It helps our message get in front of more people. And the best part? It only takes a minute:

Step 1: Go to https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1554330617

Step 2: Click “View on Apple Podcasts”

Step 3: Click “Ratings and Reviews”

Step 4: Click to rate and leave a short review!

Bonus step: Subscribe if you’re not already to get notified when an episode drops every Tuesday!

A huge thank you for listening to the show and sharing it with your tribe.

It all started when Frances Tang was working as a baker, scooping cake batter with a spatula. Suddenly, the idea hit her: "What if there was a spatula for my vagina?"

Fast forward years later, and Frances Tang now runs Awkward Essentials, a sexual wellness company that provides innovative crotch care solutions for all things we do when we close the bathroom door. Not only that, but she also has become the only solo venture-capital-backed female Asian American in the sex tech space.

In this episode, we talk all about how her parents handled her coming up with the idea of the Dripstick (an after-sex care sponge), what it's like navigating being the only VC-backed female Asian American entrepreneur, her tips on how to develop confidence, and using humor to navigate awkward conversations around sex.

WANT TO KNOW THE REAL STORY?

If you want in on the story behind the story, support the podcast on Patreon for access to #AskMeAnything sessions! It’s your opportunity to dive deeper into this topic with our community and ask whatever (literally) you want to know more about. Or, buy our team an ice cream by making a donation here. Thank you for your support!

ARE YOU ENJOYING THE PODCAST?

If so, I'd love your review on Apple Podcasts! It helps our message get in front of more people. And the best part? It only takes a minute:

Step 1: Go to https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1554330617

Step 2: Click “View on Apple Podcasts”

Step 3: Click “Ratings and Reviews”

Step 4: Click to rate and leave a short review!

Bonus step: Subscribe if you’re not already to get notified when an episode drops every Tuesday!

A huge thank you for listening to the show and sharing it with your tribe.

We’re talking about S-E-X on the podcast today. If you grew up in a household like mine, raised by traditional parents, there’s a good chance you never talked about sex. But I’m slowly learning how to detatch guilt, shame, and embarrassment from not just sex, but also self-exploration and pleasure. (Spoiler alert: so far, it’s been incredibly liberating.) Want to join me in this journey? Listen to this episode, where I explore how I experienced shame around pleasure at a very young age. Plus, how to find the reframe your experience around sexuality, sensuality, and pleasure.

WANT TO KNOW THE REAL STORY?

If you want in on the story behind the story, support the podcast on Patreon for access to #AskMeAnything sessions! It’s your opportunity to dive deeper into this topic with our community and ask whatever (literally) you want to know more about. Or, buy our team an ice cream by making a donation here. Thank you for your support!

ARE YOU ENJOYING THE PODCAST?

If so, I'd love your review on Apple Podcasts! It helps our message get in front of more people. And the best part? It only takes a minute:

Step 1: Go to https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1554330617

Step 2: Click “View on Apple Podcasts”

Step 3: Click “Ratings and Reviews”

Step 4: Click to rate and leave a short review!

Bonus step: Subscribe if you’re not already to get notified when an episode drops every Tuesday!

A huge thank you for listening to the show and sharing it with your tribe.

Welcome to our first mindfulness episode of season 2 of the F*ck Saving Face Podcast! Today’s meditation focuses on freedom — the freedom to express yourself unapologetically.

Have you ever felt like you need to put on different ‘masks’ or personas depending on who you’re around? You might have one mask on when you talk with coworkers, one for family, one for friends, and maybe even one for social media. 

What if I told you it doesn’t have to be this way, and you can live a life that truly aligns with your values? That when you express yourself unapologetically, creative freedom, financial freedom, time freedom, and any other freedom you’re looking for flows. 

Of course, easier said than done! So, join me in this meditation if you want to learn how to start living out the freedom you’re looking for in life.

For more show notes and links to the things we mention, visit the blog: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/express-yourself 

WANT TO KNOW THE REAL STORY?

If you're curious about the story behind the story, support the podcast on Patreon for access to #AskMeAnything sessions! This is your opportunity to dive deeper and truly ask whatever you really want to know about. Join us on Patreon today to support our podcast or make a donation here.

ARE YOU ENJOYING THE PODCAST?

If so, I'd love your review on Apple Podcasts! It only takes a minute: 1. Click on this link (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1554330617) 2. Click “View on Apple Podcasts” 3. Click “Subscribe”  4. Click “Ratings and Reviews” text 5. Click to rate and leave short review and you’re done!

A huge thank you for listening to the show and sharing with your tribe.

Sara Blanchard and Misasha Suzuki, the incredible co-hosts of the award-winning podcast “Dear White Women" podcast, join me on today’s episode! The duo have recently launched a level-setting anti-racism book under the same name to get white people – particularly white women – to talk about the history of racism in America and take action. They've interviewed everyone from Dr. Shefali to author Qian Julie Wang.

Join us as we dive into conversations about motherhood, being biracial (they're both of mixed Japanese and white heritage),  and how to talk about the uncomfortable topics within their own families and broader communities — as well as what it means to be seen by those around us. 

For more show notes and links to the things we mention, visit the blog: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/dear-white-women

WANT TO KNOW THE REAL STORY?

If you're curious about the story behind the story, support the podcast on Patreon for access to #AskMeAnything sessions! This is your opportunity to dive deeper and truly ask whatever you really want to know about. Join us on Patreon today to support our podcast or make a donation here.

ARE YOU ENJOYING THE PODCAST?

If so, I'd love your review on Apple Podcasts! It only takes a minute: 1. Click on this link (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1554330617) 2. Click “View on Apple Podcasts” 3. Click “Subscribe”  4. Click “Ratings and Reviews” text 5. Click to rate and leave short review and you’re done!

A huge thank you for listening to the show and sharing with your tribe.

It’s been two months since the last episode of F*ck Saving Face, and in the season 2 premiere I tell you all about what I’ve done and learned in the meantime. I’m also giving some sneak peeks into what the rest of the season will hold — did you know we’re doing one episode every week now? And we’ve got some great guests lined up to interview, some mindfulness episodes, and of course personal essays.

For more show notes and links to the things we mention, visit the blog: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/season-2-intro

WANT TO KNOW THE REAL STORY?

Thank you so much for listening to this episode! You can also follow me on Instagram at @fcksavingface or have an honest conversation with me in my private Facebook group, @fcksavingface.

If you enjoy this work, please help support and sustain it — the best ways to do that are to share it with your friends & networks, subscribe rate & review on your listening platforms, and of course, through your thoughtful financial donations! You can buy me a coffee or treat me to lunch and share even bigger love at fcksavingface.com. 

ARE YOU ENJOYING THE PODCAST?

If so, I'd love your review on Apple Podcasts! It only takes a minute: 1. Click on this link (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1554330617) 2. Click “View on Apple Podcasts” 3. Click “Subscribe”  4. Click “Ratings and Reviews” text 5. Click to rate and leave short review and you’re done!

A huge thank you for listening to the show and sharing with your tribe.

We've arrived at the end of Season 1! Today's mindfulness practice celebrates how far we've each individually come since the beginning of the season, as well as recognizing the bravery and courageousness that it requires to be human. From there, we dive into exploring how there are forces seen and unseen that are working in our favor, and we close with a reminder of how truly worthy each of us is. Remember that you are made of star stuff — really! Science proves it!

Thank you for joining me thus far. Stay tuned in Season 2 for a whole new way of breaking through taboo topics and empowering mental and emotional health for Asian Americans... and all of us.

For more show notes and links to the things we mention, visit the blog: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/expand-yourself

WANT TO KNOW THE REAL STORY?

If you're curious about the story behind the story, support the podcast on Patreon for access to #AskMeAnything sessions! This is your opportunity to dive deeper and truly ask whatever you really want to know about. Join us on Patreon today to support our podcast or make a donation here.

ARE YOU ENJOYING THE PODCAST?
 
If so, I'd love your review on Apple Podcasts! It only takes a minute: 1. Click on this link (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1554330617) 2. Click “View on Apple Podcasts” 3. Click “Subscribe”  4. Click “Ratings and Reviews” text 5. Click to rate and leave short review and you’re done!

A huge thank you for listening to the show and sharing with your tribe.

What was once a fringe party drug has now become an opportunity to support mental and emotional health, namely breaking through persistent issues that other therapeutic modalities have a hard time addressing. Tune into this informative interview about ketamine therapy with Dr. Sam Ko, Board Certified emergency physician and the founder of Reset Ketamine, a medical clinic in Palm Springs, California, where we not only debunk myths about ketamine, but explore innovations around holistic multi-modality therapies and Dr. Ko's own personal journey into wellness after being on the verge of burnout as an emergency room doctor. 

Dr. Ko's willingly shares personal stories on what it was like to grow up as an Asian American, and what he experienced in his Korean-American upbringing.

For more show notes and links to the things we mention, visit the blog: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/ketamine-therapy

WANT TO KNOW THE REAL STORY?

If you're curious about the story behind the story, support the podcast on Patreon for access to #AskMeAnything sessions! This is your opportunity to dive deeper and truly ask whatever you really want to know about. Join us on Patreon today to support our podcast or make a donation here.

ARE YOU ENJOYING THE PODCAST?
 
If so, I'd love your review on Apple Podcasts! It only takes a minute: 1. Click on this link (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1554330617) 2. Click “View on Apple Podcasts” 3. Click “Subscribe”  4. Click “Ratings and Reviews” text 5. Click to rate and leave short review and you’re done!

A huge thank you for listening to the show and sharing with your tribe.

From being selected in elementary school as a representative of the D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) Program to becoming a yoga teacher and learning about LSD to trying cannabis, mushrooms, and DMT, listen to my experience exploring "drugs" to expand consciousness.

My Chinese parents would never allow for this. They said any type of substance use was bad – they never even had alcohol in the house growing up except for extremely special occasions – so imagine my surprise when I realized that some "illicit" substances are now being studied for mental and emotional health breakthroughs.

For more show notes and links to the things we mention, visit the blog: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/dmt

WANT TO KNOW THE REAL STORY?

If you're curious about the story behind the story, support the podcast on Patreon for access to #AskMeAnything sessions! This is your opportunity to dive deeper and truly ask whatever you really want to know about. Join us on Patreon today to support our podcast or make a donation here.

ARE YOU ENJOYING THE PODCAST?
 
If so, I'd love your review on Apple Podcasts! It only takes a minute: 1. Click on this link (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1554330617) 2. Click “View on Apple Podcasts” 3. Click “Subscribe”  4. Click “Ratings and Reviews” text 5. Click to rate and leave short review and you’re done!

A huge thank you for listening to the show and sharing with your tribe.

We've been exploring trauma this week, so today's practice is designed to help you let down the guard you've been putting up to protect yourself, whatever it is that you've gone through. Being a warrior, on alert, needing to know what's going to happen next, avoiding having the other shoe drop? Those are all extremely difficult burdens to carry. For today's mindfulness practice, you are invited to connect with your breath, to learn how to navigate through painful memories, and honor yourself for doing the hard work of practicing self-awareness and healing — simultaneously.

You are a remarkable human being. There are indeed opportunities for you to feel safe and find meaning again, as well as to connect to the people in your life.

Let's begin.

For more show notes and links to the things we mention, visit the blog: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/let-your-guard-down

WANT TO KNOW THE REAL STORY?

If you're curious about the story behind the story, support the podcast on Patreon for access to #AskMeAnything sessions! This is your opportunity to dive deeper and truly ask whatever you really want to know about. Join us on Patreon today to support our podcast or make a donation here.

ARE YOU ENJOYING THE PODCAST?
 
If so, I'd love your review on Apple Podcasts! It only takes a minute: 1. Click on this link (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1554330617) 2. Click “View on Apple Podcasts” 3. Click “Subscribe”  4. Click “Ratings and Reviews” text 5. Click to rate and leave short review and you’re done!

A huge thank you for listening to the show and sharing with your tribe.

Licensed psychotherapist Kimberly “KJ” Nasrul is Asian American woman, adopted into a Caucasian family, who learned how to embrace her Asian identity through her Indonesian husband. She’s also a Psychological First Aid Responder with The Red Cross, helping essential frontline workers recover their resilient stories via expressive arts such as music, art journaling and compassionate conversations to prevent burnout so that they can continue to uplift and heal their communities. In this episode, we talk about trauma with a lowercase “t” and an uppercase “T,” the small and big challenging moments of your life, and how to heal these experiences for yourself.

KJ can be found on her podcast Stories of Astonishing Light jamming with musicians, artists and trailblazers about creativity for mental wellness. She grew up roller skating along the beaches of LA County and these days, with practice, she's returning to tip top skating shape.

For more show notes and links to the things we mention, visit the blog: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/trauma-therapist

WANT TO KNOW THE REAL STORY?

If you're curious about the story behind the story, support the podcast on Patreon for access to #AskMeAnything sessions! This is your opportunity to dive deeper and truly ask whatever you really want to know about. Join us on Patreon today to support our podcast or make a donation here.

ARE YOU ENJOYING THE PODCAST?
 
If so, I'd love your review on Apple Podcasts! It only takes a minute: 1. Click on this link (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1554330617) 2. Click “View on Apple Podcasts” 3. Click “Subscribe”  4. Click “Ratings and Reviews” text 5. Click to rate and leave short review and you’re done!

A huge thank you for listening to the show and sharing with your tribe.

In this week's Fck Saving Face Podcast episodes, we'll be talking about Trauma. And to jumpstart the topic, I share vulnerability reflecting upon the question, "How do you handle the heartbreak when your family of origin doesn’t love or accept you? Is this considered trauma?'"

In today’s episode, you’ll hear a vulnerable share about my relationship with my siblings and how your heart can break for reasons both within and beyond your control. Listen to an intimate story that involves immigrant parent dynamics, being a parentified child, and having a daughter of my own now… realizing I won’t be able to give her the tight knit family I wished for and still creating a modern family dynamic that can involve extended family made of friendships and community.

Being human can be really challenging sometimes. Doing the right thing and continuing to have an open heart with healthy boundaries can also be very difficult, especially if you're also learning how to be vulnerable and continuing to show up in the midst of things that are not exactly as you'd hoped.

For more show notes and links to the things we mention, visit the blog: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/family-trauma

WANT TO KNOW THE REAL STORY?

If you're curious about the story behind the story, support the podcast on Patreon for access to #AskMeAnything sessions! This is your opportunity to dive deeper and truly ask whatever you really want to know about. Join us on Patreon today to support our podcast or make a donation here.

ARE YOU ENJOYING THE PODCAST?
 
If so, I'd love your review on Apple Podcasts! It only takes a minute: 1. Click on this link (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1554330617) 2. Click “View on Apple Podcasts” 3. Click “Subscribe”  4. Click “Ratings and Reviews” text 5. Click to rate and leave short review and you’re done!

A huge thank you for listening to the show and sharing with your tribe.

You're a badass. But, it's easy to forget. Especially if you're used to people-pleasing or adjusting your sails to fit someone else's navigation. Today's mindfulness practice offers you an opportunity to find that inner strength, so that you live authentically in all facets of your life.

Be bold. Be courageous. Be wildly you.

For more show notes and links to the things we mention, visit the blog: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/inner-strength-meditation

WANT TO KNOW THE REAL STORY?

If you're curious about the story behind the story, support the podcast on Patreon for access to #AskMeAnything sessions! This is your opportunity to dive deeper and truly ask whatever you really want to know about. Join us on Patreon today to support our podcast or make a donation here.

ARE YOU ENJOYING THE PODCAST?
 
If so, I'd love your review on Apple Podcasts! It only takes a minute: 1. Click on this link (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1554330617) 2. Click “View on Apple Podcasts” 3. Click “Subscribe”  4. Click “Ratings and Reviews” text 5. Click to rate and leave short review and you’re done!

A huge thank you for listening to the show and sharing with your tribe.

Vietnamese American triathlete and Google team member, Chi Pham, is vegan. But, how did her parents approach both her love of sports and her desire to be plant-based?

Listen to her story in today's episode, including how she became more compassionate towards her parents when she realized their backstory and where they were coming from.

You'll also hear Chi share about her work creating health equity initiatives with Google, as well as how she's bringing light to increasing diversity in sports, from socioeconomic levels to people of different backgrounds.

For more show notes and links to the things we mention, visit the blog: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/vegan-triathlete

WANT TO KNOW THE REAL STORY?

If you're curious about the story behind the story, support the podcast on Patreon for access to #AskMeAnything sessions! This is your opportunity to dive deeper and truly ask whatever you really want to know about. Join us on Patreon today to support our podcast or make a donation here.

ARE YOU ENJOYING THE PODCAST?
 
If so, I'd love your review on Apple Podcasts! It only takes a minute: 1. Click on this link (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1554330617) 2. Click “View on Apple Podcasts” 3. Click “Subscribe”  4. Click “Ratings and Reviews” text 5. Click to rate and leave short review and you’re done!

A huge thank you for listening to the show and sharing with your tribe.

When you grow up with Chinese immigrant parents who were extremely poor, eating meat is seen as a luxury. I still distinctly remember the moment when I went to a Chinese restaurant with my parents, bit into what I thought was red tofu, only to ask my mother who then said, "That's pig's blood." I could not have spit it out of my mouth faster — and I'd been eating it for years. Or, how my cousin used to get praised for eating every piece of the watermelon until he was biting into the white of the rind?

What happens when you grow up and see that the bone marrow you used to eat out of necessity to get the most out of every piece of bone becomes a delicacy on American menus? Or, how you were teased for eating seaweed, only to have your white friends now feed it to their children as regular snacks?

Listen to today's story about growing up and wanting to express yourself, only to have your parents (and others) not fully understand.

For more show notes and links to the things we mention, visit the blog: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/chinese-and-vegetarianism

WANT TO KNOW THE REAL STORY?

If you're curious about the story behind the story, support the podcast on Patreon for access to #AskMeAnything sessions! This is your opportunity to dive deeper and truly ask whatever you really want to know about. Join us on Patreon today to support our podcast or make a donation here.

ARE YOU ENJOYING THE PODCAST?
 
If so, I'd love your review on Apple Podcasts! It only takes a minute: 1. Click on this link (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1554330617) 2. Click “View on Apple Podcasts” 3. Click “Subscribe”  4. Click “Ratings and Reviews” text 5. Click to rate and leave short review and you’re done!

A huge thank you for listening to the show and sharing with your tribe.

Worrying about the planet is stressful. It can actually cause deep anxiety and grief, especially when you're wondering how much of an impact you can actually have when the world is so big and the devastation we're potentially causing as a human species with climate change and more is so rampant.

Today's mindfulness practice helps you manage your feelings, so that rather than falling into despair, you can actually find a way to sort through what you're going through and keep on doing what you can with what you know.

Listen in today.

For more show notes and links to the things we mention, visit the blog: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/eco-grief

WANT TO KNOW THE REAL STORY?

If you're curious about the story behind the story, support the podcast on Patreon for access to #AskMeAnything sessions! This is your opportunity to dive deeper and truly ask whatever you really want to know about. Join us on Patreon today to support our podcast or make a donation here.

ARE YOU ENJOYING THE PODCAST?
 
If so, I'd love your review on Apple Podcasts! It only takes a minute: 1. Click on this link (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1554330617) 2. Click “View on Apple Podcasts” 3. Click “Subscribe”  4. Click “Ratings and Reviews” text 5. Click to rate and leave short review and you’re done!

A huge thank you for listening to the show and sharing with your tribe.

I love clothes — Daisy Chen Hutton loves fashion too, especially after working at global brands, like Guess. But then she discovered the reality behind the fashion she loved, and how absolutely wasteful the industry is, namely when it comes to "cute, fast fashion."

How do you pursue what you love while also saving the planet? You can start your own sustainable clothing brand like she did.

In this interview, we talk about the immigrant mentality, and how it creates a sense of sustainability out of necessity, because you're going to use every single resource you have to the nth degree. Then, we talk about how socioeconomic class, especially when you start with nothing and start to have some things, become a potential source of waste to show how far you've come and to save face.

What do you do for yourself, your children, and the planet? Join our conversation today and find out!

For more show notes and links to the things we mention, visit the blog: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/fashion-sustainability

WANT TO KNOW THE REAL STORY?

If you're curious about the story behind the story, support the podcast on Patreon for access to #AskMeAnything sessions! This is your opportunity to dive deeper and truly ask whatever you really want to know about. Join us on Patreon today to support our podcast or make a donation here.

ARE YOU ENJOYING THE PODCAST?
 
If so, I'd love your review on Apple Podcasts! It only takes a minute: 1. Click on this link (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1554330617) 2. Click “View on Apple Podcasts” 3. Click “Subscribe”  4. Click “Ratings and Reviews” text 5. Click to rate and leave short review and you’re done!

A huge thank you for listening to the show and sharing with your tribe.

We have another exciting topic in this week’s episodes: Sustainability.

Do we have to have big names or own big companies to do our share of saving the planet? And, if you're growing up in scarcity with immigrant parents, how can you even have the luxury of thinking about the greater good of the planet when you're just trying to help your immediate family survive?

In this episode of the F*ck Saving Face Podcast, we explore how every person can start to make a huge impact for the world we live in, even in little ways — the same world where our children and our children’s children will be living in if we can help preserve it. (Psst... if you're feeling stressed about climate change, Friday's episode 54 features an eco-grief meditation to help). 

We also explore how to shift your mindset, especially because immigrant families can instill an idea of sustainability to use every resource you have – I still reuse Ziplock bags as many times as I can, and love a good glass jar that I can repurpose! – yet, as we rise in socioeconomic class, do we consume more to make up for how little we used to have and to demonstrate how far we've come?

Listen in and start to make a difference.

For more show notes and links to the things we mention, visit the blog: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/save-the-planet

WANT TO KNOW THE REAL STORY?

If you're curious about the story behind the story, support the podcast on Patreon for access to #AskMeAnything sessions! This is your opportunity to dive deeper and truly ask whatever you really want to know about. Join us on Patreon today to support our podcast or make a donation here.

ARE YOU ENJOYING THE PODCAST?
 
If so, I'd love your review on Apple Podcasts! It only takes a minute: 1. Click on this link (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1554330617) 2. Click “View on Apple Podcasts” 3. Click “Subscribe”  4. Click “Ratings and Reviews” text 5. Click to rate and leave short review and you’re done!

A huge thank you for listening to the show and sharing with your tribe.

This week's episodes have been dedicated towards medical practices. We talked about traditional Chinese medicine, covering topics like herbalism, acupuncture and energy healing — if you haven't heard the previous episode, I highly recommend you do so!

In this episode of mindful practice, we take a step forward towards healing, both mentally and emotionally. Join me as I share powerful stories that help guide you away from feeling the burden of external pressures put on you by other people and to remind you of your uniqueness and your individuality.

For more show notes and links to the things we mention, visit the blog: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/mindful-medicine

WANT TO KNOW THE REAL STORY?

If you're curious about the story behind the story, support the podcast on Patreon for access to #AskMeAnything sessions! This is your opportunity to dive deeper and truly ask whatever you really want to know about. Join us on Patreon today to support our podcast or make a donation here.

Listen in to this episode as Erin Wilkins of Herb Folk medicine talks to us about her acupuncture and herbalism practice in Petaluma, California. You'll discover how she learned to re-embrace her identity to show up in her work more authentically, what it's like to be raised biracial, how to honor the land around her, and ways in which we can all thrive in our mental, emotional, and physical health. This interview is truly a great resource when it comes to bridging eastern and western medicine.

We also had a wonderful discussion about code switching and how to manage other people's perceptions of us, as we learn how to belong to community.

For more show notes and links to the things we mention, visit the blog: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/bridging-east-west-medicine

WANT TO KNOW THE REAL STORY?

If you're curious about the story behind the story, support the podcast on Patreon for access to #AskMeAnything sessions! This is your opportunity to dive deeper and truly ask whatever you really want to know about. Join us on Patreon today to support our podcast or make a donation here.

When I grew up, my aunt – Da Gu Gu - decided to become an acupuncturist, and I have memories of her and her three children (my older cousins) coming after me and my younger siblings with thin needles in her hand until *ding* she would put one into the crown of our head and we would sit on the plastic covered peach couch of her living room, staring out and waiting for the timer to go off.

In this episode, I talk about my experience with Traditional Chinese Medicine, which included both acupuncture and herbalism, growing up — and what I didn't know about the spirituality and energy behind this beautiful practice. 

Now, as an adult, I've absolutely gone back to this modality of healing to great benefit, and have even taken my daughter for acupressure appointments, though I am sure to let her know that she has free will and ownership of her body.

For more show notes and links to the things we mention, visit the blog: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/chinese-medicine-and-acupuncture

WANT TO KNOW THE REAL STORY?

If you're curious about the story behind the story, support the podcast on Patreon for access to #AskMeAnything sessions! This is your opportunity to dive deeper and truly ask whatever you really want to know about. Join us on Patreon today to support our podcast or make a donation here.

aWrHhOFKkcrDZzPNafm5

After a week of diving into Waldorf education, racial equity in the college admissions process, and why there's so much more to learning than getting straight-A's, today's mindfulness practice explores the idea of play as adults — and how essential it truly is.

For more show notes and links to the things we mention, visit the blog: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/adult-play

WANT TO KNOW THE REAL STORY?

If you're curious about the story behind the story, support the podcast on Patreon for access to #AskMeAnything sessions! This is your opportunity to dive deeper and truly ask whatever you really want to know about. Join us on Patreon today to support our podcast or make a donation here.

Marie Bigham, founder and Executive Director of ACCEPT, talks about her early childhood — she shares what it was like to grow up biracial in predominantly white environments, as well as how shocking it was when she realized at one point that her mother raised her and her brother differently, because one of them looks more white. We’ll talk about gender and racial equity when it comes to the college admissions process and higher education.

Marie is very open and forthcoming with both her professional and personal stories. You’ll also hear about her journey through therapy and how in her professional work, she’s realized that the tiger parenting pressures don’t come solely from Asian parents. 

For more show notes and links to the things I mention, visit the blog: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/college-admissions

WANT TO KNOW THE REAL STORY?

If you're curious about the story behind the story, support the podcast on Patreon for access to #AskMeAnything sessions! This is your opportunity to dive deeper and truly ask whatever you really want to know about. Join us on Patreon today to support our podcast or make a donation here.

In this episode, I cover how my Asian parents don’t understand why I’d send my young daughter to a hippie school where grades don’t matter. They’re concerned that the Waldorf education won’t get her into a good college, and when I challenge them, I share how essential I believe it is to have social-emotional skills.

Find out what else in life is important... other than straight A+s.

Hopefully, this episode will remind you of whatever it is you need to know that you are a remarkable human being with so much more capacity than you may give yourself credit for, especially when straight A’s aren’t attached.

For more show notes and links to the things I mention, visit the blog: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/episode-46

WANT TO KNOW THE REAL STORY?

If you're curious about the story behind the story, support the podcast on Patreon for access to #AskMeAnything sessions! This is your opportunity to dive deeper and truly ask whatever you really want to know about. Join us on Patreon today to support our podcast or make a donation here.

If you've been following this week, we've been really focusing on joy and how to create more of it — especially if you were raised in rigid traditional environments that maybe didn't align with how you are as a person and who you want it to be. This is a sweet & fun little practice!

For more show notes and links to the things we mention, visit the blog: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/episode-45

WANT TO KNOW THE REAL STORY?

If you're curious about the story behind the story, support the podcast on Patreon for access to #AskMeAnything sessions! This is your opportunity to dive deeper and truly ask whatever you really want to know about. Join us on Patreon today to support our podcast or make a donation here.

In this first three-person interview on the show, Judy Tsuei gets into a fun discussion with illustrator-writer sister duo, Sabrina and Eunice Moyle, of Hello!Lucky — a woman-owned and operated design studio based in San Francisco, CA. 

The sister duo grew up in Asia and Africa, along with the United States, and all three women gather together to talk about self-care, self-compassion, compassion for others, acceptance, inclusion, and mindfulness practices... and how to set aside a lot of the cultural baggage you carry while straddling different cultures.

You can find Hello!Lucky products on www.hellolucky.com, and in Target, Urban Outfitters, Whole Foods, Buy Buy Baby, Liberty of London, Paper Chase, Sainsbury’s, and hundreds of independent boutiques and booksellers worldwide. They've also published 21 books for adults and children!

For more show notes and links to the things we mention, visit the blog: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/episode-44

WANT TO KNOW THE REAL STORY?

If you're curious about the story behind the story, support the podcast on Patreon for access to #AskMeAnything sessions! This is your opportunity to dive deeper and truly ask whatever you really want to know about. Join us on Patreon today to support our podcast or make a donation here.

In this episode of F*ck Saving Face, I share my own intimate story about my relationship with my mother and the childhood environment I grew up in with the hopes that we understand that we can indeed stop intergenerational trauma and perpetuating toxic family cultures. You have the power to create a joyful life filled with continuous snippets of happy, even if that's not what you were raised with. And, you can still have compassion for what your immigrant parents went through — without compromising the truth of what it was like for you, too.

I believe it's essential to let your kids be kids. And, to help them become healthy adults when they're ready.

For more show notes and links to the things I mention, visit the blog: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/episode-43

WANT TO KNOW THE REAL STORY?

If you're curious about the story behind the story, support the podcast on Patreon for access to #AskMeAnything sessions! This is your opportunity to dive deeper and truly ask whatever you really want to know about. Join us on Patreon today to support our podcast or make a donation here.

Today's practice is a reminder that everything is always working out for you. Everything through forces, both seen and unseen. You may not know what that is. It may appear on the surface that things are not quite aligned to how you would like them to look. But your perspective is one perspective and there's a greater broader perspective. 

This episode is especially for you if you're looking to step out of what you think you know to pursue what you believe you were born to do. 

For more show notes and links to the things I mention, visit the blog: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/episode-42

WANT TO KNOW THE REAL STORY?

If you're curious about the story behind the story, support the podcast on Patreon for access to #AskMeAnything sessions! This is your opportunity to dive deeper and truly ask whatever you really want to know about. Join us on Patreon today to support our podcast or make a donation here.

In this episode with Re Perez, CEO and Founder of Branding for the People, we talk about finding your own way, what it's like to not only pursue an entrepreneurial path – which can be very lonely at times – but also how to live authentically as a gay Asian American man in both personal and professional settings. We also uncover how to have the confidence, resilience, tenacity and skills to go after what it is that you truly want.  Best of all, Re shares things he's never shared publicly before! Get ready to dive into a juicy interview.

This episode is especially for you if you're looking to step out of what you think you know to pursue what you believe you were born to do. 

For more show notes and links to the things I mention, visit the blog: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/episode-41

WANT TO KNOW THE REAL STORY?

If you're curious about the story behind the story, support the podcast on Patreon for access to #AskMeAnything sessions! This is your opportunity to dive deeper and truly ask whatever you really want to know about. Join us on Patreon today to support our podcast or make a donation here.

We’re talking about entrepreneurialism this week — especially because it can fly in the face of what traditional Asian parents want for us, which is usually to become a doctor and a lawyer. What do you do if you realize you’re not made for normal, if you’re yearning for “out of bounds,” if you’re looking to live true to your wild nature when you weren’t raised to believe that being different is okay? Listen to hear my journey into entrepreneurialism, becoming a writer and a yoga teacher, and how I've lived in 30 places in over 20 cities, 5 states, and 5 countries... and why!

This episode is especially for you if you're looking to step out of what you think you know to pursue what you believe you were born to do. 

For more show notes and links to the things I mention, visit the blog: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/episode-40

WANT TO KNOW THE REAL STORY?

If you're curious about the story behind the story, support the podcast on Patreon for access to #AskMeAnything sessions! This is your opportunity to dive deeper and truly ask whatever you really want to know about. Join us on Patreon today to support our podcast or make a donation here.

Everything is an act of love or a call for love. Today’s mindfulness practice is designed to help you heal your relationships: the relationship you have with your parents, the ones who set the model of what a relationship you thought had to look like; the relationship with a partner, someone that you either are currently with or you are no longer with; or, even a friendship or a professional connection. Listen to today’s mindfulness practice today to explore how and why people were put in your life and for what reason.

For more show notes and links to the things I mention, visit the blog: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/episode-39

WANT TO KNOW THE REAL STORY?

If you're curious about the story behind the story, support the podcast on Patreon for access to #AskMeAnything sessions! This is your opportunity to dive deeper and truly ask whatever you really want to know about. Join us on Patreon today to support our podcast or make a donation here.

Hear from Vietnamese American Christopher Vo, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, who's essentially a unicorn — he's an Asian American male in the field of mental and emotional health. He's the Chief of Operations of the Asian Mental Health Collective and listen to the end to see what resources there are available to you for whatever your budget.

We're all imperfect people striving to be better. And, when it comes to relationships, there's always room for improvement, especially if you weren't raised with healthy models to show you how to communicate with the people you love and show up in real connection and vulnerability. He offers insights on what to do when it comes to divorce and co-parenting with children, too. Christopher Vo also shares a bit about the Asian American male experience when it comes to talking about your feelings.

For more show notes and links to the things I mention, visit the blog: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/episode-38

WANT TO KNOW THE REAL STORY?

If you're curious about the story behind the story – and what I didn't share in this episode that my friend told me would be better to save for a private discussion – support the podcast on Patreon for access to #AskMeAnything sessions! This is your opportunity to dive deeper and truly ask whatever you really want to know about. Join us on Patreon today to support our podcast or make a donation here.

As a culture, we need to redefine what a “successful relationship” is — sometimes, that includes leaving. In this episode, you’ll hear about how deeply the belief “staying together, especially for your child” is the right thing to do in my Chinese upbringing was. You’ll also hear a snippet of my internal conflict, and how I had to battle what I thought was “wrong” to do what is truly right for myself and my daughter.

For more show notes and links to the things I mention, visit the blog: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/episode-37

WANT TO KNOW THE REAL STORY?

If you're curious about the story behind the story – and what I didn't share in this episode that my friend told me would be better to save for a private discussion – support the podcast on Patreon for access to #AskMeAnything sessions! This is your opportunity to dive deeper and truly ask whatever you really want to know about. Join us on Patreon today to support our podcast or make a donation here.

How do you get clear about what it is that you're feeling? How do you embrace who you are to clearly express that to the world? Today's mindfulness practice is focused on allowing all of who you are to shine through.

It’s Pride Month and I've always held so much respect for people who come out. I believe that to do so, you have to commit to living authentically. It takes bravery and courage to express who you are out into the world, especially when the world is not always receptive to that kind of authenticity and transparency. It can be deeply vulnerable to share who you are with someone else.

I hope today's mindfulness practice supports your personal journey, wherever you currently find yourself. <3

For more show notes and links to the things I mention, visit the blog: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/episode-36

LIKE WHAT YOU HEARD?

Help us get more content like this out into the world! Join us on Patreon today to support our podcast or make a donation here.

It's Pride Month, so I'm excited to share an interview with Ayoto Ataraxia, an artist who has worked as a director, writer, performing artist, producer, poet and musician — in this episode, we speak about:

• Sex positivity/sex negativity
• Exploring sexual identity, homophobia and being queer
• Figuring out “Asian-ness" and being scared to go into the hard topics
• Shamanic practices & psilocybin
• Being an Asian male and what's in a name
• How to communicate – or not – with your Asian parents 

For more show notes and links to the things I mention, visit the blog: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/episode-35

LIKE WHAT YOU HEARD?

Help us get more content like this out into the world! Join us on Patreon today to support our podcast or make a donation here.

It's Pride Month and in this episode, you'll hear about how I had a huge crush on my gay director at Neutrogena, when my daughter realized that her ayis were married to one another, and why I honor and celebrate anyone who's come out, because I believe the journey to embracing yourself and how you identify – regardless of what the world tells you is right or wrong – is a brave and courageous act.

For more show notes and links to the things I mention, visit the blog: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/episode-34

LIKE WHAT YOU HEARD?

Help us get more content like this out into the world! Join us on Patreon today to support our podcast or make a donation here.

There's a close person in my life who has spent two decades working with special needs kids in education and has shared with me, "We're all a little bit on the spectrum." I believe that. Yes, we're all special in our own ways, but it's a matter of how we integrate our quirks and differences into our lives – regardless of what anyone else thinks – that can impact our levels of contentment and satisfaction. If you're struggling with insecurities or something you're feeling super self-conscious about, a trait of yours you haven't been able to get over, here's a mindfulness practice to help you embrace the idea that you are "perfectly imperfect."

Let's learn to love ourselves a little more.

For more show notes and links to the things I mention, visit the blog: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/episode-33

LIKE WHAT YOU HEARD?

Help us get more content like this out into the world! Join us on Patreon today to support our podcast or make a donation here.

While our episode began as a chat about guilt and shame around finances, because Anna Yen is a CFA with nearly 2 decades of experience spanning financial markets, cryptocurrencies, and digital marketing – and she's an investor and financial wellness expert at FamilyFI, working to empower families with financial literacy – we really dove into what it meant to battle guilt and shame from outside influences when she discovered that her second daughter would be born with Down Syndrome.

Her bilingual podcast Chinese Star Tales features storytelling and songs told with her kindergartener daughter, which my daughter and I love listening to!

Anna actively supports the special needs community, and has the pleasure of having a daughter with Down Syndrome.  She’s worked in 5 countries and visited 57.

For more show notes and links to the things I mention, visit the blog: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/episode-32

LIKE WHAT YOU HEARD?

Help us get more content like this out into the world! Join us on Patreon today to support our podcast or make a donation here.

This week's theme covers two main emotions that Asian Americans grapple with – shame & guilt – but, these feelings will be explored in unconventional ways. We'll explore how to move into a growth mindset around money, especially if you were raised with immigrant parents who had high amounts of debt, as well as what to do when your collectivist culture believes that having a child with special needs isn't an option.

For more show notes and links to the things I mention, visit the blog: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/episode-31

LIKE WHAT YOU HEARD?

Help us get more content like this out into the world! Join us on Patreon today to support our podcast or make a donation here.

If you're used to be being accommodating, people-pleasing, or saving face rather than saying what you really want or feel, it's helpful to practice different ways of finding your voice. And, rather than approaching it from a headspace, but rather from a heart space with the techniques shared in this episode (journaling, breathing, mantras, and singing), you can start to find more confidence in speaking up, listening, and being your authentic self.

For more show notes and links to the things I mention, visit the blog: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/mindfulness-voice

LIKE WHAT YOU HEARD?

Help us get more content like this out into the world! Join us on Patreon today to support our podcast or make a donation here.

According to my interview with therapist Sharon Kwon, the biggest emotions Asian Americans deal with is guilt and shame — can this play into your medical care, as well? Today, you’ll meet Mary Dee, who discovered she had stage 2 breast cancer and wanted to treat it holistically. She's now the Chair of the Board for TheBreasties.org.

Mary needed to advocate for her care when she challenged doctors realizing that nobody looked like her, not from an age standpoint or from an ethnicity standpoint. They were selling her traditional courses of treatment, and she wanted statistics about survival rates for the drugs they were offering. She also shares how her Thai heritage played into her ability to challenge authority, the racist comments she experienced growing up, and why it’s so essential to find joy, whatever you’re going through. 
 
Lastly, you'll hear how she fought guilt and shame when her successful business faced a lawsuit, and how she worked to find joy anyway.

One of my favorite quotes from the interview: 

You know, Asian brothers and sisters walked into the doctor's office and they're feeling like they're being a little slighted. We can say, no, no, this is your opportunity to actually take a stand for yourself because this isn't, it missing might be deeper than just your one situation. There could be something systemic here and we want to tackle that. And we only do that when we speak up. And when we create courage and some bravery, even though it feels a little scary, we do it anyway. And we lean in and we say, no, doctor, I actually need you to answer some questions for me and help me get this information so that I can make a good decision. I want to trust you. And I believe you're good at what you do, but I, I'm not doing my job and I'm not doing right by me. If I don't ask a few questions. And if you need some of those questions, I guarantee you there's, you know, depending on whatever you're going through, find your community and someone there has probably already made a list of great questions for you to ask.

For more show notes and links to the things we mention, visit the blog: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/mary-dee

Growing up in an Asian household, we weren’t taught to have privacy — in fact, privacy was seen as shameful. My parents fought in front of us and never kept any sort of healthy boundaries. They also continually made us defer to authority, to elders, to anyone in a position of power. It makes sense then, that into adulthood, I would never know when to advocate for myself. I didn’t know that I was worthy of fighting for. 

In today’s episode, we hear about different instances in which I trusted the medical establishment and it violated boundaries that I didn’t know I had a right to uphold. How do you learn to stand up for yourself and your body?

For more show notes and links to the things I mention, visit the blog: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/protect-your-body

It can be tough to learn how to listen to your intuition, when we live in a world that doesn't understand, nurture or foster a belief in forces unseen — or pursuing our individuality. Today's mindfulness practice is an opportunity for you to connect with what you already know within, to learn how to strengthen that muscle of listening to your higher knowing, and to simply experience intuition as it is for you and no one else but you.

For more show notes and links to the things I mention, visit the blog: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/mindfulness-intuition

LIKE WHAT YOU HEARD?

Help us get more content like this out into the world! Join us on Patreon today to support our podcast or make a donation here.

Human Design is a fascinating system that combines modern physics with ancient wisdom (including the chakra system, astrology, kabbalah, and the I Ching) to provide a comprehensive view of human nature. Each person falls into a specific energy type (e.g. Manifestor, Generator, Projector) with a distinct inner authority. When you live in your authority, you can experience less hustle and more flow. When you don't, you're in your "not self" and depending on your type, you'll have tell-tale signs that you're not aligned to who you truly are.

Listen to Chinese-American Victoria Jane, an expert Human Design Coach, who shares with this Human Design Experiment is all about!  After a decade in Silicon Valley achieving everything she thought she was supposed to, her health was being severely compromised. As she searched for how to heal not just her body, but her spirit, she discovered her Design. Today, she is passionate about sharing Human Design with others so they can boldly live their truth.

For more show notes and links to the things we mention, visit the blog: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/victoria-jane

After becoming a yoga teacher and a Reiki practitioner, I became surrounded by people who could read auras, tell you about your chakras, connect with otherworldly forces, guide your life based on your astrology, and more. But, what happens when there are people who are truly powerful — yet also dark? Hear about how I met a "false guru" and how the experience of unhealthy boundaries actually catapulted me to pursue my dreams of moving to Kauai, where I learned about Human Design.

This week's interview on Wednesday features Victoria Jane, a Human Design coach trained by renowned Human Design expert Jenna Zoe, and you'll learn about how to live with less hustle and more flow. On Friday, we'll dive into a mindfulness practice to connect you deeper to your own intuition.

Please consider supporting our show by making a donation or leaving a rating & review! fcksavingface.com/donate

For more show notes and links to the things I mention, visit the blog: 
https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/woo-woo

Listen to my version of a series of affirmations inspired by Abraham Hicks and the Law of Attraction as today’s mindfulness practice, after a week of learning about failing, pursuing your childhood pursuits, and more. Discover how to move up the emotional guidance scale, how to live in alignment and flow, and how to be more compassionate toward yourself.

For more show notes and links to the things I mention, visit the blog: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/mindset-affirmations

Kat Zhang has been an avid reader for as long as she can remember. After a childhood spent living in books, she now builds stories for other people to visit. In addition to her Young Adult trilogy, "The Hybrid Chronicles," published with HarperCollins, she has also published two Middle Grade novels, The Emperor's Riddle and The Memory of Forgotten Things, as well as two picture books, Amy Wu & the Perfect Bao and Amy Wu & the Patchwork Dragon. The third in the series, Amy Wu & the Warm Welcome, will release next year.

For more show notes and links to the things we mention, visit the blog: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/kat-zhang

What’s it like to fail according to a 6 year-old? Recently, my daughter was under the weather and we watched a movie together that taught how failure is good, why the idea “keep moving forward” is important, and how to create a growth mindset for yourself and your children. This upcoming week, we'll be interviewing children's author, Kat Zhang, who also has a trilogy coming out through HarperCollins, so our theme is about inspiring creativity for us as adults — and kids.

For more show notes and links to the things we mention, visit the blog: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/wilder-on-failing

As a culture, we don’t talk about grief — and from the people I’ve interviewed with who’ve lost someone, who are needing supporting, others around them simply don’t know what to say. Depending on what you feel you’ve lost, whether it’s a relationship, a dream, or someone dear to your heart, today’s mindfulness practice is based on Toni Parker, Ph.D.’s post with The Gottman Institute about “6 Steps to Mindfully Deal with Difficult Emotions.”

For more show notes and links to the things I mention, visit: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/mindfulness-grief

Trigger Warning: This episode contains talk of suicide.

Various losses in Christina's life brought her back over and over again to the practices and teachings in meditation and yoga. Before focusing on yoga full-time, Christina served the White House for 9 years in the White House Office of Management and Budget; and then served as President Obama’s Deputy Director of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. She helped establish the Asian American Studies Program at the University of Maryland and received her Masters in Public Policy from the New School for Social Research in New York City.  She co-founded True Self Yoga with her husband, Vajra.

For more show notes and links to the things we mention, visit: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/suicide-prevention

Trigger Warning: Suicide. 

In this episode, you'll hear the three times I felt like I wanted to commit suicide — namely my experience with postpartum depression. How long it took me to figure out something was wrong; how I had to get on medication to treat my PPD; how as a smart, college-educated woman, I couldn't use my intelligence to navigate out of my emotions that didn't make sense. This upcoming week is filled with explorations of mental health, namely suicide and unhealthy relationships... and what to do about it.

For more show notes and links to the things I mention, visit: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/depression-suicide

In the pursuit of your dreams, you may encounter a lot of self-doubt — in addition to moments of challenge and triumph. Today's mindfulness practice, inspired by Sylvia Boorstein, is rooted in the idea of lovingkindess or metta. You'll also hear a Goethe quote about committing what you really want, and how this quote played out for me in a story of serendipity that happened after I devoted myself to becoming a travel writer, including all the forces both seen and unseen that showed up to help me achieve my goal. Happy breathing!

For more show notes and links to the things I mention, visit: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/mindfulness-lovingkindness

Jane Ko is the blogger behind A Taste of Koko, Austin's top food and travel blog featuring the hottest restaurants and weekend getaways since 2010. A Taste of Koko has been voted best local Austin blogger by the Austin Chronicle in 2018 and 2019 and has been featured in O Magazine, InStyle Magazine, OWN TV Network, and The New York Times. 

In this episode, you'll hear things Jane has never shared publicly before! Hear what it's been like to have Asian parents who haven't understood or supported her career path, dating Asian men, and more.

For more show notes and links to the things we mention, visit: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/jane-ko

In this episode, you'll learn why – even though your Asian parents may want you to become a lawyer or a doctor – there's an opportunity for you to explore what truly makes you come alive professionally and personally. Learn about how I failed math (twice!) in school and how I became a writer (a travel writer who has been invited to one-of-a-kind luxurious experiences around the world), yoga teacher, Reiki practitioner, and more.

For more show notes and links to the things I mention, visit: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/episode-16-pick-a-different-career

I learned in therapy that emotions aren't linear — they can come out of nowhere, seemingly when it doesn't make sense. After this week's episodes all about mental & emotional health, if you find yourself feeling raw, you're in the midst of going through therapy, or you're considering finding a therapist, then good on you! This mindfulness practice is designed to help support you.

For more show notes and links to the things I mention, visit: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/episode-15-mindfulness-its-okay-to-feel-your-feelings

Sharon Kwon is a psychotherapist for BIPOC and immigrant populations struggling with racial trauma and identity at Yellow Chair Collective. Recently, she wrote two articles for The Huffington Post that have gone viral, titled This Is What No One Tells You About Being Asian In America In 2021 and I Hated Myself For Not Being White For Most Of My Life. Here’s How I Stopped. She is also a psychiatric social worker at a Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health contracted non-profit agency serving foster families and youth. 

For more show notes and links to the things we mention, visit: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/episode-14-mental-health-with-sharon-kwon

In this episode, you’ll find out why I’m such an advocate of mental & emotional health — and my own journey into therapy. You’ll hear about my eating disorder, my living in Shanghai, China and working as an editor, and what I had to do to get the kind of help I needed.

For more show notes and links to the things I mention, visit: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/episode-13-you-should-go-to-therapy

In this mindfulness practice, I talk about the different koshas (sheaths) that cover your soul, and how to integrate all the parts of you, to remove blocks, and to feel all your feelings. Give this mindfulness practice a quick listen.

For more show notes and links to the things I mention, visit: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/episode-12-mindfulness

Rahi Chun was born Charles Seung-Kwon Chun in New York City to parents of Korean heritage. A certified Somatic Sex Educator and creator of Somatic Sexual Wholeness, he is also host of the Organic Sexuality Podcast, exploring practical methodologies for restoring, reclaiming, and realizing our sexual pleasure, health and wholeness. Previously, he was an actor having appeared in over 100 episodes of television and film and founder of C-KAV, the Coalition for Korean American Voters in NYC. His guilty pleasure is malt vinegar & sea salt potato chips with a tall glass of kombucha. Listen to our fascinating interview today!

For more show notes and links to the things I mention, visit: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/episode-11-sexual-somatic-work-with-rahi-chun

I've probably watched more porn than anyone you know. You'll find out why in this episode. Let's explore sexuality, sensuality, and how to heal the stories that you may have learned growing up in an Asian American household, where topics like sex and masturbation were beyond taboo — maybe you were shamed about them, too.  Here's to healing our bodies, minds, and souls.

For more show notes and links to the things I mention, visit: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/episode-10-porn-sex-me

Did you know that many cultures refer to the ocean as "mother" because of the rocking and lulling of the waves. Listen to today's mindfulness practice, where I share how I'm friends with legendary surfer Bill Hamilton (Laird Hamilton's dad) and what tip he gave me that transformed the way I approached life. Try this simple practice, whether you're a surfer or not!

For more show notes and links to the things I mention, visit: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/episode-09-mindfulness-riding-the-waves-of-life

In this episode we talk with former pro surfer, Margaret Yao Calvani, co-owner of Bing Surfboards, about motherhood, leaving the expectation of a “traditional career” Chinese parents would be proud of, raising biracial children and, of course, surfing. Listen to our interview which we recorded at her home in Encinitas, California — I hope you laugh and nod your head in understanding as much as I did!

For more show notes and links to the things I mention, visit: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/episode-08-surfing-motherhood-with-margaret-yao-calvani

A lot of people don't know that I was proposed to and engaged in my mid-20s — I legit don't think about it and you'll find out why in this episode. You'll also hear my dear friend, Margaret Yao Calvani, in this week's series of episodes as she talks about growing up Taiwanese-American, becoming a professional surfer, raising biracial children, and being an entrepreneur. 

For more show notes and links to the things I mention, visit: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/episode-07-how-to-surf-your-life

When it comes to your Asian American family, there can be a lot to forgive, especially if you were a parentified child or experienced tiger parenting as we explored in this week's Monday and Wednesday episodes. Try this simple mindfulness practice, inspired by Hawaiian traditions. 

For more show notes and links to the things I mention, visit: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/episode-06-mindfulness-hooponopono

Iris Chen is the founder of the Untigering movement and author of "Untigering: Peaceful Parenting for the Deconstructing Tiger Parent." Her mission is to promote peaceful parenting, intersectional unschooling, and anti-oppression, especially among Asian communities. After spending 16 years living overseas in China (land of the tiger parent!), she now resides in her native California with her husband, two sons, and cat. Listen to our interview as we unpack her book... and other things!

For more show notes and links to the things I mention, visit: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/episode-05-untigering-with-iris-chen

If you're a child of immigrant parents, then you may have had the experience of being a "parentified child," where you were forced to take on the role of an adult. If you were ever forced into the role of caretaker for your younger siblings or had to become a referee in your parent's arguments, this episode is for you.

For more show notes and links to the things I mention, visit: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/episode-4-the-parentified-child

If this week's topics have been "activating" for you, bringing up feelings and responses you may not have realized you had, this mindfulness practice is designed to help you heal and to bring all the disparate parts of you home to create a real sense of wholeness.

For more show notes and links to the things I mention, visit: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/episode-03-call-your-spirit-home

How do you embrace all facets of your identity, when you’re made up of multiple marginalized populations? Judy speaks with Susan Epps, a self-proclaimed goofy nerd, educator and mom of two who always finds a way to infuse humor and levity when tackling life's toughest issues.  As a veteran independent school senior administrator, Equity & Inclusion consultant, affinity group facilitator, public speaker and writer, Susan brings her personal story and unique voice to every stage she occupies. Tune in for laugh out loud moments and hardcore truths.

For more show notes and links to the things I mention, visit: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/episode-02-susan-epps

Judy shares in our first episode what F*ck Saving Face is all about! And, why we’re launching this podcast NOW — as well as a personal essay about how to find your safe spaces in the world, especially if you’ve ever felt an outcast in your family.

For more show notes and links to the things I mention, visit: https://www.fcksavingface.com/podcast/episode-01-find-belonging

Welcome to the Fuck Saving Face podcast, a space where we learn how to become and celebrate the New Asian in America.

In this podcast, we’ll cover: 

• Mental, emotional, and physical health topics specifically for Asian-Americans
• Conscious parenting, if you were raised by a tiger mother and have a cub of your own
• Relationships, marriage, divorce, and dating, especially SEX
• Spirituality
• Finding your own kind of happy in career and life — which doesn’t mean becoming a doctor, lawyer or pursuing a traditional path toward success

Episodes coming soon!