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Happy AANHPI Heritage Month! Every year, we love to highlight our personal stories and connections with our heritage. In this episode, we’re taking a deep dive into specific topics we’ve always been curious about: Why did most early immigrants from China to the US come from the Toisan region? What’s the history & symbolism behind the familiar Chinese knot artistry often used to decorate homes & clothing? And why was the Taiwanese language banned for some time? By bringing attention to these topics, we hope to preserve memories of these practices and appreciate parts of our heritage that we sometimes take for granted.
As people grow and change, you might find yourself in your 30s as a very different person than you were in your 20s. Teenage you might not have even imagined who you are today. So while it may be slightly embarrassing to look back at those old versions of ourselves, in this episode we’re reflecting on all the glow ups (and even glow downs) that brought us here. From puberty and bad haircuts, to finding our self-confidence post-college, it’s fun to reflect on how far we’ve come and how our definition of glow ups has changed over the years.
Oof, no one likes to look back on past failures, even if it’s been years since then. But making mistakes is a part of life, and none of them define who you are or what the rest of your life will look like. Today, we share our biggest academic, relationship, and career failures – from getting a D+ on a final, to facing negative performance reviews at work. These moments often felt like they closed so many doors, but now we realize that they only redirected us onto a different, better path. Ultimately, what matters is not the mistake you made, but how you walk through the fire.
In a world filled with so many influences and voices, how do you return back to your core self and rediscover your life’s purpose? Or in the words of today’s guest, how do you start living from the inside out, rather than the outside in? We’re so excited to sit down with John Kim, known for his work as The Angry Therapist. After going through a divorce, John shared his self-development journey online, growing a community through his frankness and vulnerability. He brings the same to our podcast today, talking about everything from what it means to focus on yourself outside of a relationship to how something like riding a motorcycle can actually be a form of meditation.
When you go through big life changes, it can frequently feel like you’re unbalanced and losing control of your circumstances, even if the changes are good ones. This year, Mel’s taking big steps by moving cross-country, while Janet is stepping out of her comfort zone into a new era of carefree play. As we enter new chapters in life, what is the best way to measure progress and re-center ourselves? Are there books, practices, and self-help podcasts that we love to turn to, to help us navigate these transitions?
Regardless of how many personal & professional events you’ve been to, we’ve all experienced awkward social interactions before. Sometimes you enter a room and realize you don’t know anyone there, or maybe your social battery runs out mid-conversation. Or what if someone you recognize starts talking to you, but you absolutely can’t remember their name? We share our best advice for how to navigate these sticky situations, along with our tried and true tips & tricks for how to hype yourself up before an event, manage your social energy throughout, and end the night with lasting impressions.
As you navigate the dating world, it’s important to know what you’re looking for and to watch out for those green, beige, and red flags. We’ve had our fair share of red flag experiences that have taught us more about ourselves and what we’re unwilling to compromise on. If a guy isn’t super action-oriented, or if someone doesn’t want to have kids, these could be major red flags, or even deal breakers for a relationship. And what about red flags when it comes to 1st date locations? Zoos and buffets are off the table for us, but what if someone asked us to be their plus-one to a wedding?!
Many of us know the joy (and sometimes frustration) of growing up with siblings, but the bond shared between twins is something only approximately 3% of the world can understand. So what better way to learn than to invite the experts! Our good friends Jason and Justin Rodjanapanyakul have joined us today to share all about their experience living and working together as twins. From growing up in a monastery as “baby monks”, to starting a music duo on YouTube as the JRod Twins, to now returning to school to study interior design & entrepreneurship - Jason and Justin have lived it all both as a pair and as individuals.
Yes, it’s true, Mel is officially moving to New York City! Not only is this a big deal for her to move from West to East Coast, but she’s also taking a major step in her relationship by moving in with her boyfriend Ray. It’s never easy to step out of your comfort zone, but as someone who’s always wanted to experience living in new places, this move is coming at the perfect time for Mel. She’s so excited to share why she’s moving to NYC, what she’s most excited (and nervous) about, and…is this a forever move?
Today, we’re following up on one of Janet’s personal 2024 goals – learning how to flirt. Flirting is a bit of an art; it’s often a combination of charisma, body language, and EQ, but different things will work for different people. Sometimes though, it can be challenging to tell when someone is flirting with you, or even to make your own intentions clear without miscommunication. So we’re here to share advice on how to read flirting cues, discuss what kind of flirt we are (Playful? Sincere?) and recall some of our best (& worst) flirting experiences.
After a difficult breakup, many people often want space to heal, reflect, and forget. But when your ex still lives in the same city as you, it’s difficult to avoid familiar spaces that you used to share together. Your favorite bar might remind you of that person, things can get awkward if you have mutual friends, and you could even run into them at the grocery store. Whether it was a long-term relationship, a situationship, or a hookup, running into an ex can bring up some complicated feelings. So how can you mentally prepare yourself for these situations, reclaim spaces for yourself, and ultimately reach a place of healing and peace? In this episode, we share our top tips based on personal experiences & our most awkward run-ins with an ex.
Today we’re fighting for survival and searching for love on Inferno Island. Yes, we are diving deep into Season 3 of Single’s Inferno, the Korean reality dating show that had us on the edge of our seats from start to finish. Of course, we couldn’t discuss all the gasp-worthy moments without our good friend & Korean entertainment expert Mimi Ahn! Together we discuss the nuances of Korean dating culture, what it means to have “nunchi”, and most importantly, which contestants would we choose if we were stuck on Inferno Island??
We’re going to be discussing major spoilers for Single’s Inferno 3, so if you don’t know which couples made it off the island yet, come back to this episode later!
Mel recently traveled to Japan & Taiwan to visit family… but she didn’t go alone! She went with her boyfriend Ray, exploring new cities like Tokyo and Kyoto together, and yes, bringing Ray to meet her extended family for the first time. During ABG’s latest Asia trip, Mel was chasing someone we have now lovingly deemed “The Fuckboi” – so going from that to bringing your S.O. to meet Grandpa?! That’s a big deal.
In this episode, Mel shares the highs & lows of her vacation, helpful tips for anyone who might be planning to travel to Asia (solo, or with a partner), and new things she learned about herself and her partner along the way.
We’ve had several amazing conversations with licensed therapists over the years, but today’s episode will focus on our own personal journeys with therapy. All three of us have gone to therapy at some point in our lives, and it’s given us many tools to reframe thoughts, better understand ourselves, and view the world with a more positive outlook. Today we’ll share what led us to therapy, tips for finding a therapist that will work with you & challenge you, and how therapy taught us that vulnerability is not a weakness, but a sign of courage.
For the Asian diaspora, Lunar New Year is the best time of year to reconnect with our family heritage and cultural traditions, while also creating new traditions that are unique to our experiences. Today, we’re focusing on the intersection between American and Chinese & Taiwanese cultures, drawing from our parents’ stories of how Lunar New Year was celebrated in the Motherlands. What did celebrations look like when they were growing up? Which traditions did they choose to pass to the next generation, or adapt to fit American culture so they could “do as the locals do”? And what are new traditions that we want to implement into our own Lunar New Year celebrations?
This January has been busy at ABG, both in our work and personal lives, so we actually haven’t had a chance to really catch up since the Holidays! Mel spent time in the Bay Area with a packed social calendar along with her partner; Helen enjoyed celebrating her son’s 2nd birthday and seeing him get into the Christmas spirit. But in between these busy schedules, they still found time to catch up on some TV shows. In particular, they got heavily invested in Squid Game: The Challenge. Who were their favorite/least favorite contestants? What were their thoughts on the finale? And would either of them want to be on the show??
Spoiler Alert: We’ll be discussing the outcomes/ending of Squid Game: The Challenge, so if you haven’t finished the show yet, come back to this episode later!
How did a full-time attorney become a New York Times best-selling cookbook author, James Beard Award Winner, and marathon runner? Through her work as The Korean Vegan, Joanne Lee Molinaro proves that you can accomplish anything by simply starting. She’s best known for her powerful visual storytelling – connecting food with her family’s history and sharing important lessons with vulnerability. We’re so excited to have her as a guest to talk about staying connected to her culture with a plant-based diet, achieving success by keeping her goals in focus, and making her grandmothers proud.
2023 was a busy year for ABG, both professionally and personally. We started simulcasting on YouTube, Helen had her wedding, Janet moved several times, and Mel traveled to Japan & Taiwan! So since this is our first episode of 2024, we thought it’d be a good opportunity to sit down and reflect on 2023 so that we can set intentional goals for the new year. What are significant lessons we learned last year? What are our top priorities for this new year? What words/phrases would we use to define our intentions for 2024?
Happy Holidays from AsianBossGirl! This is our last episode of 2023, and we hope that everyone is enjoying time with loved ones, eating good food, and appreciating some well-deserved rest & relaxation. We’d like to take a moment to look back on one of our favorite episodes, where our parents speak about how they incorporated Western holiday traditions into our upbringing as 2nd-generation Asian Americans. Whether it was an effort for assimilation, or a convenient way to gather extended family together, the unique combination of Eastern and Western cultures & traditions is something we now appreciate more than ever.
We wish you all the best this holiday season, and we’ll see you in 2024!
We’re back with another Q&A episode with questions that were “secretly” submitted by one another (Check out Part 1 here!) and this time, things are getting a little 🌶️ spicy! We did not hesitate to ask things we’ve always been curious about: Does Mel see herself as the “best friend” character? Why does Helen hate feet so much? Are Janet’s yoga skills useful for sex?
We also stirred the pot with some deep questions about our business itself: What parts of ABG work do we enjoy the most? And if the company were to grow, who’s the 1 person we’d pick to be CEO?
In the final round of our 1-on-1 conversation series, Janet and Helen share how they went from meeting each other as “a friend of a friend” to the close, protective sisterhood they now share. Their friendship dynamic holds many similarities (they’re always down for a night out or new adventure), but also many differences (having traditional vs. non-conventional life paths, or being extroverted vs. introverted). It’s these differences in particular that make their friendship so meaningful - Helen may be a social bee who buzzes around the room but Janet is the flower who embraces the bee for a deep conversation.
Today, we’re diving deeper into conversations about mental health and therapy, including questions from our own perspectives, as well as topics we’ve seen others talk about recently. We’re covering a wide range of issues, from letting go of perfectionism and recovering from burnout, to navigating emotional intimacy in relationships. We’re so excited to have Alyssa “Lia” Mancao on the podcast to guide us through these questions.
Lia is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and owner of Alyssa Marie Wellness, a group practice that employs a team of licensed psychotherapists. Her insight was so valuable to us, and we hope this conversation will encourage you to prioritize your own mental health.
We grew up reading pop culture magazines (like Seventeen and Cosmo) and consuming content through shows (E! Entertainment and MTV). But Asian stars and stories were rarely featured. Today, we’re curating our own pop culture series in podcast format, covering everything that’s new in the world of Asian entertainment, business, fashion, and more! In this episode, we share some celebrity gossip (Daniel Henney is off the market?!), significant news in the Asian community (New York made Lunar New Year a public school holiday!) and recent beauty trends (What are the origins of gua sha?).
This season of holiday gatherings with friends and family is a great time to remind yourself of what you’re thankful for. However, with busy lives and so much going on, gratitude doesn’t always come easily. After all, we are built for survival, not happiness. So this week, we wanted to remind ourselves to slow down and reflect on what we’re grateful for, with a replay of one of our favorite episodes. Practicing gratitude is shown to improve physical and mental health, build your self-esteem, and benefit your ability to share love with others. This episode is one we go back to often, so we hope it can help you feel peaceful and grounded during this time.
We’ve done many Q&A episodes with listener-submitted questions, but on today’s episode, we’re going to be asking questions for each other! These are Q’s that listeners might be curious about (How do we feel about being called influencers?), things we’ve always wanted to ask (When was the last time you were truly happy?), and questions about ABG specifically (What new team members do we need?) - all “anonymously” submitted and picked randomly from a bowl.
Today’s topic of aging is more somber than usual. Walking through many stages of life with our parents is a blessing for us, but it’s still difficult to come to terms with the passage of time. As physical changes become more apparent, aging is not an avoidable subject. How do we navigate these conversations with our parents and siblings, particularly if it’s taboo to talk about? How will we address life’s natural processes with our own kids in the future? Though it may be challenging to bring up, we believe that normalizing discussions around aging can be healthy for everyone involved, and make difficult future events a bit easier.
Last time we played the card game “Let’s Get Deep”, we got to explore conversations we didn’t expect to have. So we’re doing another episode, and this time, we’re diving even deeper. What are embarrassing things we do when we’re alone? Do we believe in second chances? And would we trade 5 years of our life expectancy to become extremely attractive?
Halloween is fast approaching: many people are flocking to horror nights, exploring haunted houses, and watching movie thrillers. However, as people who get too easily scared and try to avoid these spooky encounters, we wondered: what are the reasons why humans might seek out horror and scary experiences? So we did a deep dive into this topic, exploring the psychological and relational benefits of scary entertainment. And after learning all of this, how will we be incorporating creepy fun into our lives this Halloween?
October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Month in the United States. Although research suggests that over 30% of pregnancies end in miscarriage, this experience can feel extremely isolating and lonely for families. It certainly did for our guest today, Anne Phung Nguyen Guzman, who experienced 2 miscarriages before giving birth to her beautiful baby boy last summer. Lack of support and empathy from her medical team, as well as toxic positivity from people around her, only made this process even more difficult.
Anne has since shared her experiences on social media with vulnerability and honesty, in hopes that others who are going through their TTC (Trying to Conceive) journey can feel less alone. Everyone’s TTC journey is unique and deeply personal, so we hope this episode can provide some comfort and insight if you or a loved one are going through this process.
Continuing our 1-on-1 friendship series, this time it’s Mel and Helen’s turn to share the history and nuances of their duo dynamic! With just a 4-year age gap, there’s a lot that they have in common (any other friend duos out there who are always unfiltered & unhinged??), but there are also distinct differences between them (morning runs vs. sleeping in) that bring a unique perspective and balance to this friendship. Having known each other across various life stages, from new relationships to motherhood, they’ve always got the other’s back. And the vibes are so impeccable, they always know what the other is thinking, without needing to speak out loud.
We’ve discussed many of our dating and relationship highs on this podcast over the years, and our listeners have also walked with us through our love woes. Love is hard, and loving someone is a learned skill. Today, Janet reflects on her recent breakup and shares some of her biggest takeaways from this relationship: what she was grateful for, what she learned about herself, and her outlook on dating now.
Friendships, just like romantic relationships, can sometimes be difficult to navigate, particularly as you move through different stages of life. As you graduate from college, get married, start a family, etc., friendships will often grow and change as you do. We asked you to send in questions: how to make new friends, how to maintain old friendships (or even leave toxic ones), and how platonic relationships can be as equally meaningful as romantic ones.
We’re celebrating Janet’s birthday this week! So what an excellent time to reflect not just on the past year, but also on what it means to be in your late 30’s. This decade in particular is often full of significant life decisions, new responsibilities, and mindset changes. Though we are all still relatively young, we strive to live intentionally and build healthy habits, while also continuing to step out of our comfort zones. Join us in this moment of self-reflection, no matter what stage of life you are in!
Kombucha tea has become many people’s drink of choice, and nowadays you’ll see various brands populating the beverage aisle of your local grocery store. One of the earliest pioneers of the drink, Health-Ade, started back in 2012, when Vanessa Dew took a leap of faith and started a business with her best friends. Despite the risks, she decided to leave her career in pharmaceuticals to start brewing kombucha at home. As regular drinkers of Health-Ade kombucha, we are so excited to learn more about Vanessa’s entrepreneurial journey, the amazing farmer-sourced flavors, and Vanessa’s personal approach to health and self-care.
Helen & Philip held their wedding celebration on a beautiful day in August, but as many of you know, they’ve been officially married for some time now. Their wedding plans got canceled due to the pandemic, so they got married via Microsoft Teams in Joshua Tree, and had a Chinese Tea ceremony with close family. But they still wanted a chance to celebrate with extended family and friends. Despite all of these hurdles, and only 5 months to pull everything together, the wedding weekend turned out to be one for the record books. Vows were shared, first dances were had, and the bridal party even put together a surprise dance performance! Tune in to hear how it all went down!
The topic of sex, pornography, and sex work is still considered pretty taboo in our society, particularly in Asian communities. This has been a highly requested topic for ABG, not only to promote conversation, but also because many are curious about representation in an industry that still highly favors Western beauty standards. Asian women are often fetishized and Asian men are often emasculated in mainstream media, so what does it look like in adult entertainment?
On this episode, we’ve invited Leo Vice to talk about his experience breaking into the porn industry: how he went from working a corporate job, to self-producing his own content, to being one of very few Asian male porn stars in the industry today.
Summer is all about sunshine and longer days spent with loved ones. This year in particular, we want to take full advantage of this season by embracing our summer-loving selves with confidence and unleashing our wild side! It’s the perfect time to look back on some of the hilarious (sometimes embarrassing) and unforgettable moments with friends. We even dive into a bit of the hypothetical: What if you and your friend are stranded on a desert island? How do you flirt at a summer pool party? And: If you were a popsicle, what seductive name would you give yourself?
Here at AsianBossGirl, we spend a lot of time on the podcast as a trio, but we don’t often share 1 on 1 conversations. So on today’s episode, Janet and Mel reflect on their friendship, one that could be described as an older/younger sister or cousin dynamic, where each person can talk to the other about anything, without judgment. Join as we walk down memory lane and share how our friendship developed from first impressions to a deep connection. And stay tuned for more 1:1 conversations with different ABG pairs in the future!
We just got back from a trip to Cabo, which was not only a vacation, but also… a Bachelorette Party! Helen is having her wedding soon, so of course we had to take time to let loose on the beach, and most importantly, celebrate our amazing bachelorette. With 12 girls total, there was a lot of fun to be had, but also a lot to plan! In this episode, we’ll share some Do’s and Don’ts for planning a Bachelorette, how we decided on the theme (Tropic Like It’s Hot!) and our favorite memories from the trip.
We’re bringing back sequin tops, cargo pants, and side parts… aka clothes we wore in high school!! On today’s episode, we’re looking back on our nostalgic (and cringey) high school memories. What were the trends, who did we hang out with in high school, and how did we spend our time? What about our high school sweethearts, first dances (raise your hand if you ever “freak danced”), and prom-posals?
It’s hard to believe that we’re already halfway through 2023! When life happens so quickly around us, we always want to take a moment to stop and reflect. How has the past year been? Which of our New Year goals have been checked off? Are there any areas of our lives that we want to work on throughout the rest of the year?
Traveling with your significant other, especially for the first time, can be a big test for a relationship. Planning a trip and getting out of your typical routine is a lot of fun, but aligning your travel styles can be challenging. On today’s episode, we share some of our travel stories, from Janet’s international trip to Japan with Eugene (only several months into their relationship!), to Helen and Phil’s travel mishaps overseas.
We’ve played many games to get to know one another better and test our friendship, but today we’re going even deeper with the card game “Let’s Get Deep”. From ice breaker questions like: “Top sheet or no top sheet?“ to deep end questions like: “What’s your least favorite sex position?”, we find out how much we still don’t know about each other in this episode!
We had the amazing opportunity to watch “Joy Ride” at South by Southwest and attend the premiere in LA. Both times the movie had us laughing the entire time, but also tearing up at the underlying story of identity and female friendships. Joy Ride is the first of its kind – a film where Asian women get to be raunchy, funny, and imperfect on the big screen.
It is an honor to have Sherry Cola (aka Lolo in Joy Ride) join us on the podcast today. She’s a stand up comedian and actress with such a magnetic energy and infectious laughter. Sherry shares what it was like to grow up as a fish out of water, and how special it felt to make this movie.
Our Significant Others are back with us on the couch (listen here if you missed Part 1!), this time for a little competition to see who knows their partner best. First we play the Newlywed Game, and then we get serious with some questions… about the FUTURE. For those still in the dating stage, what does the timeline for marriage look like? What values are important in the early years of a relationship? And what would we title the current chapter of our relationship?
You’ve heard us talk about our first dates, recent fights, and future goals with our Significant Others, but have you ever wondered about their side of the story? Philip, Ray, and Eugene join us today for an extra special episode where they finally get to share their perspectives firsthand. We also get to know each other better through a series of lighthearted and deep questions.
It’s been 3 years since we left our corporate jobs to work on ABG full time, and although our work looks very different from those days, there are some perks that we still miss. From benefits, to even just office supplies – what are the parts of working in Corporate that worked for us? Do we miss the “stability” of a corporate career? And, on the flip side, what are we very happy to have left behind?
When it comes to conflict with friends and family, it can be difficult to clearly express and elucidate your emotions. Particularly when you factor in cultural differences and generational gaps. Relating Between the Lines (RBTL), a school for relational education, has made it their mission to equip people with the tools they need to navigate these conversations.
The co-founders of RBTL, Stephanie and Norman, join us to share how their personal experiences informed their emotional development and walk us through techniques for how you can improve your relationships and communication skills. Through live and online learning experiences, RBTL helps people embrace conflict, befriend emotions, listen deeply, and express authentically.
On this podcast, we try to be as open and candid as possible. But realistically, our public persona only represents 5% of our lives. So, we wondered how much your assumptions about us match up with what’s really going on. From our personalities (Is Helen the most outgoing?) to our careers (Is ABG writing another book?) to our future plans (Would we ever move out of LA?) - are your assumptions about us correct?
As a society, we typically eat three meals a day, so nothing brings people together as much as food. Especially GOOD food. Today’s guest is a model turned therapist turned chef - Ronnie Woo, the author of a new cookbook, “Did You Eat Yet?” which celebrates his Asian and American heritage. What should you cook for someone on a 1st date? What dish will help you lock in a relationship? And what makes food sexy?
One of the most difficult life transitions someone can go through is letting go of a relationship and going through the process of a divorce. It’s a deeply personal journey, so we are extremely grateful that our dear friend Cathy Nguyen is joining us today to share how her experience with divorce has given her a new perspective on motherhood and self-love.