bamboo & glass

Accelerated by a global pandemic, youth are experiencing a mental health crisis unlike anything we've seen before.

• There aren't enough clinical providers. For every 1,200 students there's only one school psychologist.
• Lack of providers makes support inaccessible. Costs are high and waitlists are as long as 4-6 months
• Support is reactive rather than proactive. Students don't get help until they reach a breaking point
• Educators are burnt out. There's not enough support & educators are feeling the burden

Clayful provides coaching for every student - when & where they need it. We chat with founder Maria Barrera about:

• Maria's experiences as an immigrant from Colombia 
• What it takes to get schools admin, teachers, counselors, parents, and students onboard 
• The financial incentives that make it possible for schools to provide Clayful 
• The importance of providing support, not advice - and the inspiration behind this intention
• How to measure success and what to optimize for -  "We want to reach more kids - but we also want to build their own capacity to coach themselves. If we design for daily use, does that mean we become a crutch? How do you define value? If one session changes a kid's life, is that enough?"

About Maria
Maria ran her first coaching session when she was 15. 

Then as a tutor, and now as founder of Clayful, Maria has always found joy in coaching others through everyday life stressors and challenges. This led her to start a tutoring company while getting her engineering degrees at Stanford University, to leading growth, product, and marketing at edtech leader Nearpod, and to being a part of the early team at HR-focused, a16z-backed, ChartHop. 

Now, she is building Clayful to be the support she wished she had had (and that would have saved her lots in therapy bills!). With Clayful, kids have access to personalized resources that improve their mental wellness, regardless of socio-economic status.

Follow Maria:

• LinkedIn 
• Twitter

Follow Clayful, and bring Clayful to your school;

• LinkedIn 
• Instagram 
• Twitter 
• www.clayfulhealth.com

Part 2 of our conversation with Sharon! Last time on bamboo & glass, we focused on the beginnings of her content creation journey and the tribulations that came with the new chapter. In this episode, we'll chat more about specifically confidence and self-love, and how they go hand-in-hand with putting yourself out there both online and offline, especially when it comes to dating~

About Sharon Lee:
Sharon Lee loves food, media, and Asian American culture. Sharon is a restaurant + media critic who shares her favorite Koreatown/LA spots as well as her takes on whatever show she’s watching (probably a reality dating show on Netflix.) Born in Memphis, Tennessee but raised to be a proud Korean American by Los Angeles, Sharon is grateful to be embraced by Koreatown. Sharon is training for the LA Marathon with Koreatown Run Club, volunteers at Bicycle Meals, and loves to have her Korean corrected by the ajumma's at various Koreatown establishments. Sharon contributes for Netflix Golden, Infatuation LA, Eater LA, Sundae School, and many more fun upcoming projects—stay tuned :)
⟡ tiktok: @helloimsharon

How to support bamboo & glass:  
🌿Share thoughts and ideas with us via Instagram @bambooandglass
🌿Share our Instagram posts & episodes with loved ones - we're on every podcast platform
🌿Treat us to a coffee through Buy Me a Coffee
🌿Invite us to your company/org/school to lead a workshop! DM @bambooandglass or email us at [email protected].

Follow bamboo & glass on:
⟡ instagram: @bambooandglass
⟡ substack: bambooandglass.substack.com
⟡ tiktok: @bambooandglass
⟡ twitter: @bambooandglass
⟡ links to various platforms: beacons.ai/bambooandglass
⟡ website: www.bambooandglass.buzzsprout.com

Posting online is scary - especially when you come in with preconceived notions of what it means to gather a following and to put work into that. We spoke with Sharon Lee, a TikToker best known for her LA recs, loving advice from her dad, and hot takes on media, about her journey into TikTok - how she hated (and still hates) influencer culture, how she positions herself to make this endeavor meaningful, and how she even deals with negative feedback from judgmental friends and getting canceled.

Part 2 coming next week!

About Sharon Lee:
Sharon Lee loves food, media, and Asian American culture. Sharon is a restaurant + media critic who shares her favorite Koreatown/LA spots as well as her takes on whatever show she’s watching (probably a reality dating show on Netflix.) Born in Memphis, Tennessee but raised to be a proud Korean American by Los Angeles, Sharon is grateful to be embraced by Koreatown. Sharon is training for the LA Marathon with Koreatown Run Club, volunteers at Bicycle Meals, and loves to have her Korean corrected by the ajumma's at various Koreatown establishments. Sharon contributes for Netflix Golden, Infatuation LA, Eater LA, Sundae School, and many more fun upcoming projects—stay tuned :)
⟡ tiktok: @helloimsharon

How to support bamboo & glass:  
🌿Share thoughts and ideas with us via Instagram @bambooandglass
🌿Share our Instagram posts & episodes with loved ones - we're on every podcast platform
🌿Treat us to a coffee through Buy Me a Coffee
🌿Invite us to your company/org/school to lead a workshop! DM @bambooandglass or email us at [email protected].

Follow bamboo & glass on:
⟡ instagram: @bambooandglass
⟡ substack: bambooandglass.substack.com
⟡ tiktok: @bambooandglass
⟡ twitter: @bambooandglass
⟡ links to various platforms: beacons.ai/bambooandglass
⟡ website: www.bambooandglass.buzzsprout.com

Reading the love story I got to introduce to millions of people on TikTok: "You May Want to Marry My Husband"

Media mentioned in the episode

• My Wife Said You May Want to Marry Me link
• weekly, short newsletter: bambooandglass.substack.com

Additional stories about love & loss

• Children Don't Always Live link
• What Does Daddy Cry About? link
• Years Ago, My Sister Vanished. I See Her Whenever I Want. link
• Best stories about love and loss, curated by Sophia

How to support bamboo & glass:  
🌿Share thoughts and ideas with us via Instagram @bambooandglass
🌿Share our Instagram posts & episodes with loved ones - we're on every podcast platform
🌿Treat us to a coffee through Buy Me a Coffee
🌿Invite us to your company/org/school to lead a workshop! DM @bambooandglass or email us at [email protected].

Follow bamboo & glass on:
⟡ instagram: @bambooandglass
⟡ substack: bambooandglass.substack.com
⟡ tiktok: @bambooandglass
⟡ twitter: @bambooandglass
⟡ links to various platforms: beacons.ai/bambooandglass
⟡ website: www.bambooandglass.buzzsprout.com

Previously on the podcast, Erica came onto the podcast to chat about how we can all level up our lives with side quests. As we dug a little deeper in our questions, at one point Erica shares that it gets into her life philosophy of believing the journey is more important than the destination (it’s even her go-to second date question). But what if you’re more like us and have habitually cared about the destination, but still crave the ability to feel freedom/agency to start a new hobby? We’ll share our perspectives as trained main questers and some of the mistakes we’ve learned as we’ve embarked on new hobbies and side quests.

Previous episode: Level up with a side quest ft. Erica Barry

How to support bamboo & glass:  
🌿Share thoughts and ideas with us via Instagram @bambooandglass
🌿Share our Instagram posts & episodes with loved ones - we're on every podcast platform
🌿Treat us to a coffee through Buy Me a Coffee
🌿Invite us to your company/org/school to lead a workshop! DM @bambooandglass or email us at [email protected].

Follow bamboo & glass on:
⟡ instagram: @bambooandglass
⟡ substack: bambooandglass.substack.com
⟡ tiktok: @bambooandglass
⟡ twitter: @bambooandglass
⟡ links to various platforms: beacons.ai/bambooandglass
⟡ website: www.bambooandglass.buzzsprout.com

What holds you back from starting new things? Could reframing interests as "side quests" lower the barriers, expectations, and even the guilt of trying something totally different?

Outside of Erica's 9-5 job as a senior manager of client strategy & analytics, she's also: performer at Disneyland, contestant on the baking show Baker’s Dozen, Ted Talk speaker, reporter, yoga instructor, surfer, model, actress, producer, and author of Don't Wait, Create: How to Be a Content Creator in the New Digital Revolution

Erica shares the many benefits of the "side quest mindset" and 3 simple side quests you can start today, to build the muscle of trying new things.
 
About Erica:

Erica Barry is a media strategist, entertainment industry professional, writer, and digital content creator. She studied economics and media studies at Pomona College, where she discovered her passion for media, entrepreneurship, and representation.
⟡ Instagram: @eribarry
⟡ Email: [email protected]

Related episodes:

• Da Eun's experience with a Korean shaman: Do you believe in miracles and coincidences?
• Don’t Wait, Create: Overcoming Your Inner Critic ft. Erica Barry
• Facetune & Influencers, Art & Cancel Culture: A Debate! ft. Erica Barry & Sarah Park 

How to support bamboo & glass:  
🌿Share thoughts and ideas with us via Instagram @bambooandglass
🌿Share our Instagram posts & episodes with loved ones - we're on every podcast platform
🌿Treat us to a coffee through Buy Me a Coffee
🌿Invite us to your company/org/school to lead a workshop! DM @bambooandglass or email us at [email protected].

Follow bamboo & glass on:
⟡ instagram: @bambooandglass
⟡ substack: bambooandglass.substack.com
⟡ tiktok: @bambooandglass
⟡ links to various platforms: beacons.ai/bambooandglass
⟡ website: www.bambooandglass.buzzsprout.com

Malicious compliance, quiet hiring, worker hoarding, career cushioning, and quiet quitting are movements in the ever-shifting relationship between employer and employee in this economy.

We break down what these terms mean, and talk about how social media influences our relationship with labor and autonomy.

We end by talking about the most recent round of layoffs by big tech, and predict what’s going to happen next.

More episodes about career:

• Dear b&g: I never feel like I’m doing a good job at work
• What really goes into a dream career ft. Karen Mok & Serena Lee Kim
• You need to hear these 6 things if you're making a career switch
• Revisiting His 13-Year Fight to Stay in the US ft. MD Ma

How to support bamboo & glass:  
🌿Share thoughts and ideas with us via Instagram @bambooandglass
🌿Share our Instagram posts & episodes with loved ones - we're on every podcast platform
🌿Treat us to a coffee through Buy Me a Coffee
🌿Invite us to your company/org/school to lead a workshop! DM @bambooandglass or email us at [email protected].

Follow bamboo & glass on:
⟡ instagram: @bambooandglass
⟡ substack: bambooandglass.substack.com
⟡ tiktok: @bambooandglass
⟡ links to various platforms: beacons.ai/bambooandglass
⟡ website: www.bambooandglass.buzzsprout.com

Have you ever wanted to hide a part of your identity or life from someone? As we grow older, we naturally become more aware of what biases and connotations our identity and history hold, and we could either look forward or be really reluctant to witness reactions and judgments from others. What if we took those insecurities, those what if’s, and leveled the playing field for all your love interests and gave you all the chance to present yourself the way you want to be presented?

Here's your Valentine's Day watch, PINK LIE, a show that's equal parts spicy and sincere, and we're so excited to dive deep into our review and reflections with our good friend and former guest, Vanuyen Pham.

Move aside Single's Inferno & Love is Blind, Pink Lie is here!

How to support bamboo & glass:  
🌿Share thoughts and ideas with us via Instagram @bambooandglass
🌿Share our Instagram posts & episodes with loved ones - we're on every podcast platform
🌿Treat us to a coffee through Buy Me a Coffee
🌿Invite us to your company/org/school to lead a workshop! DM @bambooandglass or email us at [email protected].

Follow bamboo & glass on:
⟡ instagram: @bambooandglass
⟡ substack: bambooandglass.substack.com
⟡ tiktok: @bambooandglass
⟡ links to various platforms: beacons.ai/bambooandglass
⟡ website: www.bambooandglass.buzzsprout.com

What can you do to ensure that lunch with your parents & partner goes well...especially if your parents have disliked your partner for the last 7 years?

This week, Da Eun shares her dilemma, and Sophia shares her perspective/advice.

“My partner and I have been dating for over 7 years now.

But what most people don’t know is that my parents have not liked my partner.

There are several reasons for their judgment, some of which I understand, some of which I don’t relate to. Whenever my relationship was brought up at home, one of us would always start crying. Because those conversations were filled with so much strife, it became easier to not talk about it. It’s probably been 5 years since I have spoken about my relationship in depth with my parents. Add the pandemic on top of that and my parents being on the other side of the world, there was really no chance to advocate for my relationship.

However, my parents are finally visiting me in the US, which could be an opportunity for my partner and family to spend time with one another in the form of a meal together. [...]

(1) Should I bring up the idea of a meal together with my parents?

(2) What can I do to ensure the meal goes well?”

How to support bamboo & glass:  
🌿Share thoughts and ideas with us via Instagram @bambooandglass
🌿Share our Instagram posts & episodes with loved ones - we're on every podcast platform
🌿Treat us to a coffee through Buy Me a Coffee
🌿Invite us to your company/org/school to lead a workshop! DM @bambooandglass or email us at [email protected].

Follow bamboo & glass on:
⟡ instagram: @bambooandglass
⟡ substack: bambooandglass.substack.com
⟡ tiktok: @bambooandglass
⟡ links to various platforms: beacons.ai/bambooandglass
⟡ website: www.bambooandglass.buzzsprout.com

Support the show

Last week, Da Eun asked for Sophia's advice regarding the workplace. Today is Sophia's turn to ask for Da Eun's advice.

TODAY'S TOPIC: I notice that overall, you’re very proactive in maintaining friendships and making new friends. For example, there are many times when a friend from hs reacehs out and you make time to catch up. Also, when you see someone interesting on LinkedIn, you’re great at reaching out and following through on scheduling time to get to know each other. I want to be like you, but I think some barriers for me are:

1. I’m scared to be tired when the time of the scheduled call/meetup comes around: I feel like my energy level is unpredictable, and I really dislike the feeling of being tired but having to muster up the energy to meet someone, EVEN IF I end up following through and enjoying the conversation. 
2. I know I over-value spontaneity yet that knowledge isn’t enough to push me to catch up with people: I like the feeling of keeping my evenings free to be spontaneous…even though I’ve learned again and again that once I go out and see people, I end up being really happy I did.
3. Deep down, I’m afraid I’ve become a less interesting person. It’s hard to re-find that energy and desire to meet up with people, when I wonder what how people's perceptions of me will change upon meeting up.

Do you have any tips on navigating these particular barriers?

Resources mentioned
Old/New Identity Activity on TikTok
clay.earth to support you in deepening friendships

How to support bamboo & glass:  
🌿Share thoughts and ideas with us via Instagram @bambooandglass
🌿Share our Instagram posts & episodes with loved ones - we're on every podcast platform
🌿Treat us to a coffee through Buy Me a Coffee
🌿Invite us to your company/org/school to lead a workshop! DM @bambooandglass or email us at [email protected].

Follow bamboo & glass on:
⟡ instagram: @bambooandglass
⟡ substack: bambooandglass.substack.com
⟡ tiktok: @bambooandglass
⟡ links to various platforms: beacons.ai/bambooandglass
⟡ website: www.bambooandglass.buzzsprout.com