"We battle with so many things culturally as people in this industry begging to be seen and given a chance.

So in advocating for yourself, just having people say "you can" and "you should" is so supportive."

What goes into advocating for yourself when your career hinges on getting representation and book deals on the stories that you so eagerly want to share with the world? How does your view  on representation evolve as you go through the  journey of crafting an untold story?

The Kimchingoos get real with us in part 2 of our conversation, and we're so thankful for their wisdom, insight, as well as their empowering friendship. We hope that y'all get that warm feeling in your heart too as you hear these ladies hype each other up and share intimate thoughts on the podcast.

Learn a bit about Graci and Grace, and make sure to follow everyone on social media👇🏼
Grace Shim
Grace grew up in Tulsa Oklahoma as one of two Korean-Americans at her high school (her sister was the other one). Today, Grace writes books with Korean-American protagonists that she wished she had read about as a teen. When she’s not plotting (the writing kind, not the world domination kind), you can find her wearing a Korean sheet mask, baking French macarons, and unintentionally killing house plants & succulents. She lives in the Bay Area with her husband and three kids.
⟡ instagram: @gkshimwrites

Graci Kim
Graci Kim is a bestselling author of magic-infused books, inspired by her Korean heritage. Her debut middle grade novel, The Last Fallen Star, published by Rick Riordan Presents, became an instant bestseller in the US, and has been optioned by the Disney Channel for a live-action television series. In a previous life, Graci was a diplomat for the New Zealand foreign service, and now lives in Auckland with her husband and daughter.
⟡ instagram: @gracikimwrites

Sarah Suk
⟡ instagram: @sarahaelisuk

Susan Lee
⟡ instagram: @susanleewrites

Jessica Kim
⟡ instagram: @jesskimwrites

Follow bamboo & glass on:
⟡ instagram: @bambooandglass
⟡ links to various platforms: beacons.ai/bambooandglass
⟡ website: www.bambooandglass.buzzsprout.com
⟡ Da Eun: @daeunkm
⟡ Sophia: @sophiasysun

Do you ever feel alone in your creative journey? What is your impression of accountability groups? We got to sit down with the Kimchingoos, a group of Korean diasporic women who are releasing their debut books as we speak! Graci Kim (The Last Fallen Star, ep 140), Jessica Kim (Stand Up, Yumi Chung!), Sarah Suk (Made in Korea), Grace Shim (The Noh Family, 2022), and Susan Lee (Seoulmates, 2022) share the beginning journeys as authors, how they found each other, and poignant moments where they've actively prioritized this accountability group which has slowly become a second family "that I would leave my husband during  our honeymoon for."

Stay tuned for part 2, where we chat about representation in the publishing industry!

Learn a bit about Sarah, Susan, and Jessica, and make sure to follow everyone on social media👇🏼
Sarah Suk
Sarah Suk (pronounced like soup with a K) lives in Vancouver, Canada where she writes stories and admires mountains. When she’s not writing, you can find her hanging out by the water, taking film photos, or eating a bowl of bingsu. Made in Korea is her first novel. You can visit her online at sarahsuk.com and on Twitter and Instagram @sarahaelisuk.
⟡ instagram: @sarahaelisuk

Susan Lee
Susan Lee has had a lifetime of careers from bartender, to network engineer, to HR Executive at some of today’s most successful companies. But one thing has always been clear throughout, she was born to be a storyteller. And she has channeled her myriad of experiences into her writing of light-hearted, quirky novels about the oftentimes hilarious human condition. And love. Always write about love. She currently lives in Southern California (fighting her inner New Yorker from breaking free too often) with a pack of three feisty chihuahuas and a too-hearty obsession with K-pop and K-dramas.
⟡ instagram: @susanleewrites

Jessica Kim
Jessica Kim writes about Asian American girls finding their way in the world. Before she was an author, Jessica studied education at UC Berkeley and spent ten years teaching third, fourth, and fifth grades in public schools. Like Yumi, Jessica lives with her family in Southern California and can’t get enough Hot Cheetos, stand-up comedy, and Korean barbecue.
⟡ instagram: @jesskimwrites

Grace Shim
⟡ instagram: @gkshimwrites

Graci Kim
⟡ instagram: @gracikimwrites

Follow bamboo & glass on:
⟡ instagram: @bambooandglass
⟡ links to various platforms: beacons.ai/bambooandglass
⟡ website: www.bambooandglass.buzzsprout.com
⟡ Da Eun: @daeunkm
⟡ Sophia: @sophiasysun

Need encouragement and practical advice to create something new? Our dear friend and recurring guest, Erica Barry, recently published Don’t Wait, Create: How to Be A Content Creator in the New Digital Revolution.  We chat about: 

• How to create an environment to nurture your inner creative
• How to stop waiting for permission from others and start giving yourself permission to create
• How to draw inspiration from every day life 
• How to practice discipline to draw out the potential in new ideas 
• How to separate your creator persona from your everyday self 

And for you product-strategy-minded folks out there: Erica also shares what killer feature she wishes TikTok and Instagram would build!

Episodes mentioned:
98. Becoming an Entrepreneurial Creative & Performative Casualness
76. Celebrating 10K
65. Looking for "Your Next Date"? (Teaser)
63. Facetune & Influencers, Art & Cancel Culture: A Debate!

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.

Contact
⟡ Instagram: @eribarry
⟡ Email: [email protected]

Buy Don't Wait, Create
⟡ Website: www.ericabarry.com/book
⟡ Amazon: Don't Wait, Create

Follow bamboo & glass on:
⟡ instagram: @bambooandglass
⟡ links to various platforms: beacons.ai/bambooandglass
⟡ website: www.bambooandglass.buzzsprout.com
⟡ Da Eun: @daeunkm
⟡ Sophia: @sophiasysun

If you are an Asian American age 10-29, please take this survey to aid in the understanding of mental health of young Asian Americans for the development of policies and health programs.

How are you doing, this 2021?  If you ask me, it's been a lot - we're still in the middle of the pandemic, dealing with many of the same debates that were happening a year and a half ago, and our community has been in the news due to the anti-Asian hate that has felt rampant.

Education and policies can have a huge impact in how these crises are addressed, and to motivate change in these areas, there's a team of researchers behind the Young Asian American Health Survey who are collecting data to better understand the impact of these events on our mental health. We have James Huynh and Emily Cho from the team joining us to share:

• the historical context behind the connection of COVID-19 and anti-Asian hate
• how Asian American youth are particularly left out of the conversation
• the pre-existing data motivating research, as well as preliminary findings from YAAHS

So now, we invite you, if you are a young Asian American, especially those younger than 18 and not from the West Coast, to take part of this important survey which will inform policies and education in the (hopefully) near future!

More about the Young Asian American Health Survey
We are a group of scientists and professionals concerned about the well-being of Asian American adolescents and youth amid rising anti-Asian racism during the COVID-19 pandemic. Driven to support our community, we came together to amplify the voices of young Asian Americans through data and evidence.
⟡ Website: https://www.yaahsteam.org/

James Huỳnh (he/him/his) grew up in desert-turned-suburbia Fontana, CA and is the son of Vietnamese refugees from Huế, Việt Nam. James is a PhD student in Community Health Sciences at UCLA. His scholarly and activist commitments are to dismantling racial capitalism and to centering queer Asian/American well-being, kinship-making practices, and grassroots organizing. Outside of academia, James is the Board Chair for Viet Rainbow of Orange County (VROC), a grassroots organization that builds community and mobilizes intergenerationally with LGBTQ+ Vietnamese Americans and their loved ones through research, education, and advocacy.
⟡ Twitter: @semajaime

Emily Cho (she/her/hers) is a Seoul-born Third Culture Kid who grew up bouncing between 5 different countries. Based in New York, she is the Research Communications and Uptake Coordinator at Population Council’s Girl Innovation, Research, and Learning (GIRL) Center, where she translates research into actionable, evidence-based solutions to improve the lives of girls around the world. Building on her interest in international relations and development from a young age, she has also worked in the United Nations system and international food policy.
⟡ Twitter: @msemilycho

Follow us on:
⟡ instagram: @bambooandglass
⟡ links to various platforms: beacons.ai/bambooandglass
⟡ website: www.bambooandglass.buzzsprout.com
⟡ Da Eun: @daeunkm
⟡ Sophia: @sophiasysun

✨It’s always leveling-up season!✨Last week, we chatted with AsianBossGirls Janet and Mel about growing as creative entrepreneurs and creating opportunities to experience the impact, learning, and ownership they want: 143. Growing Up & Growing AsianBossGirl ft. Janet Wang and Mel Cheng.

This week, we dive into the powerful friendships and off-the-mic conversations that make AsianBossGirl possible. Janet and Mel share:

• How to grapple with the instinct to compare yourself with others   
• The conversations and boundaries necessary to foster a sustainable friendship and working relationship
• What they most appreciate about running AsianBossGirl full-time at this stage of their lives
• Challenges they're excited to tackle together
• Top 3 AsianBossGirl episodes they'd recommend to their 20-year-old selves

More about AsianBossGirl

A podcast for the modern day Asian American woman hosted by Melody Cheng (@melodyccheng), Helen Wu (@hwuwu), & Janet Wang (@janetdoubleu). It's no secret that Asian women are lacking in almost all media outlets, and those who are present mostly represent the fashion, beauty, or blogging industries. 

We started ABG as girlfriends while balancing jobs in finance, technology, & media with corporate careers spanning over a decade. Here, we share our experiences and explore topics as 20/30 something Asian American women working, dating, and living in LA, CA. Grab a glass of wine and let's get this show started ;)

Instagram: @AsianBossGirl
Website: AsianBossGirl.com

Follow us on:
⟡ instagram: @bambooandglass
⟡ links to various platforms: beacons.ai/bambooandglass
⟡ website: www.bambooandglass.buzzsprout.com
⟡ Da Eun: @daeunkm
⟡ Sophia: @sophiasysun

You asked, we listened: we're finally chatting with AsianBossGirls Janet and Mel about the reframing, redefining, learning, and unlearning that goes into growing up, growing as creative entrepreneurs, and growing AsianBossGirl full-time!

Janet and Mel share a wealth of wisdom about: 

• How to identify the kind of impact, learning, and ownership you hope to experience at different points in your career
• How they realized their previous roles did not provide the balance of impact, learning, and ownership they wanted 
• How to define your own career timeline and gain the support of loved ones 

Next week, we’ll continue the conversation by uncovering the powerful friendships and off-the-mic conversations that make AsianBossGirl possible! Subscribe on your preferred podcast platform now to be notified when part 2 comes out.

More about AsianBossGirl

A podcast for the modern day Asian American woman hosted by Melody Cheng (@melodyccheng), Helen Wu (@hwuwu), & Janet Wang (@janetdoubleu). It's no secret that Asian women are lacking in almost all media outlets, and those who are present mostly represent the fashion, beauty, or blogging industries. 

We started ABG as girlfriends while balancing jobs in finance, technology, & media with corporate careers spanning over a decade. Here, we share our experiences and explore topics as 20/30 something Asian American women working, dating, and living in LA, CA. Grab a glass of wine and let's get this show started ;)

Instagram: @AsianBossGirl
Website: AsianBossGirl.com

Follow us on:
⟡ instagram: @bambooandglass
⟡ links to various platforms: beacons.ai/bambooandglass
⟡ website: www.bambooandglass.buzzsprout.com
⟡ Da Eun: @daeunkm
⟡ Sophia: @sophiasysun

We want South Asians to cast off shackles of self-doubt and step into the protagonist roles of their own lives and bask in their achievements, their shared cultures and their individual stories.

We’ve had quite a few interesting conversations around representation (in the workplace and media), as well as how beauty was positioned in our lives, from our relationship to clothing & fashion to the type of self talk we found ourselves having to our bodies! Our guest today is Priyanka Ganjoo, the founder of Kulfi Beauty, a beauty brand and digital platform celebrating South Asian beauty.

Join us for this episode as we chat about:

• what research was done to better understand what felt missing in the beauty space for South Asians
• what Priyanka put forth about herself to attract the right business partners and team
• the ways Kulfi is pushing the boundaries on what authentic community-building and representation can look like
• and more!

More about Priyanka:
I am the founder of Kulfi, a beauty brand and digital platform celebrating South Asian beauty. I spent years in the beauty industry at powerhouses like Estee Lauder and IPSY helping indie and established brands grow their business. I rarely saw South Asians represented at the forefront or behind the scenes in the industry. For years, I kept waiting for a brand that celebrated and centered us South Asians in its narrative. All I found were brands that tokenized and appropriated our culture, without even creating shades that worked for our skin tones! I always felt like an outsider. In 2019, I said to myself, this isn’t good enough. So I left the world of corporate beauty and started Kulfi.
⟡ instagram: @kulfi.beauty
⟡ website: https://kulfibeauty.com/

Follow us on:
⟡ instagram: @bambooandglass
⟡ links to various platforms: beacons.ai/bambooandglass
⟡ website: www.bambooandglass.buzzsprout.com
⟡ Da Eun: @daeunkm
⟡ Sophia: @sophiasysun

CW: body image, body dysmorphia, relationship to food

Have you ever felt confused and betrayed by your body, and wanted to hear how others are moving from self-criticism to self-compassion? In this episode, we catch up about: 

• Earliest influences on our body image (e.g., family, school, peers)
• Questioning influences we took for granted growing up
• How fashion trends have impacted our body image
• The line between compassionate accountability and ill-informed criticism  from others
• Worries about shifting from video calls (during which we only have to show our faces) to in-person hangouts  
• Social obligations that make it more difficult for us to intentionally choose what we eat (e.g., what are ways to extend an in-person hangout other than getting boba and inevitably adding toppings and sugar?)

We end by sharing practices that enable us to form habits that are healthier for us - physically, emotionally, and mentally. As always, we hope you feel seen and supported through our conversation.

Follow us on:
⟡ instagram: @bambooandglass
⟡ links to various platforms: beacons.ai/bambooandglass
⟡ website: www.bambooandglass.buzzsprout.com
⟡ Da Eun: @daeunkm
⟡ Sophia: @sophiasysun

We've had a fascination with names and the power they hold, along with the ways people choose to honor their culture/heritage. This episode's guest, Graci Kim, has committed her current creative endeavors to exploring the myths and folktales originating from Korea! Her book, The Last Fallen Star, is about a Korean American girl who discovers her heritage and her magic on a perilous journey to save her witch clan family. As if in parallel, Graci shares how she's navigated her own labels/identities as a hyphenated Asian, at one point going by the pen  name Graci Goldheart and continuing to experiment with her pen names. Amidst these confusing explorations of names and identities, she opens up about how magic and childlike wonder are pillars in her life that she is committed to infusing in her works, career, and family as she is raising her 1 year old daughter.

If you love conversations about names, fantasy, books, parenting, you don't want to miss this episode!

Read The Last Fallen Star!
https://bookshop.org/books/the-last-fallen-star/9781368059633

More about Graci:
Graci Kim is a bestselling author of magic-infused middle grade books, who was vine-picked in Korea and sun-ripened in New Zealand… Her Korean mythology-inspired debut, The Last Fallen Star, published by Rick Riordan Presents, became an instant US bestseller. It was named by Indigo as a Best Book of 2021, was an Amazon Best Book Ages 9-12, and was selected by Publishers Lunch as a 2021 Buzz Book. It’s also already been optioned by the Disney Channel for a live-action television series. In a previous life, Graci was a diplomat for the New Zealand foreign service, a cooking show host, and once ran a business that turned children’s drawings into cuddly toys. She lives in New Zealand with her husband and daughter.
⟡ instagram: @gracikimwrites
⟡ website: https://www.gracikim.com/

Follow us on:
⟡ instagram: @bambooandglass
⟡ links to various platforms: beacons.ai/bambooandglass
⟡ website: www.bambooandglass.buzzsprout.com
⟡ Da Eun: @daeunkm
⟡ Sophia: @sophiasysun

How can virtual reality experiences motivate people to adopt more inclusive behaviors? Tune in to our chat with Heather Shen, a trailblazer in the immersive learning space (and Forbes 30 Under 30 in Education)! 

Heather is co-founder and CPO of Praxis Labs, which partners with organizations to increase diversity and inclusion outcomes through research-backed immersive learning experiences. Heather shares: 

• Her journey iterating on Pivotal Experiences (Praxis Labs' curriculum), which aims to use finite modules to help participants develop empathy for the infinite range of intersectional identities, and adopt more inclusive behaviors
• Challenges of productizing research findings and scaling VR solutions 
• The biggest unknowns before launching, and the experiences, resources, perspectives, and communities turned out to be the most helpful
• Decisions she wishes she spent more time making when launching Praxis Labs, versus decisions that proved to be more easily reversible 
• How events in 2020/2021 shaped Praxis Labs' and clients' approaches to JEDI (justice, equity, diversity, inclusion)
• Advice for finding investors that align with your mission and approach 
• and more! 

About Heather Shen

Prior to co-founding Praxis Labs, Heather has experience at NASA researching mixed reality, at Microsoft HoloLens as an electrical engineer, and at Bain & Co focused on tech strategy. Heather holds a M.S. and B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University. As a first generation Asian American, she is driven by her parents’ immigration story and her own experiences to share across and celebrate cultural differences. Combining this with her engineering background, she believes technology can change the way we connect with individuals and communities.

About Praxis Labs

Research has shown that first person perspective-taking in virtual reality (VR) can increase empathy, reduce bias, and encourage the adoption of more inclusive behaviors. We’re re-imagining work cultures by developing inclusive leaders that drive sustainable change for individuals and organizations.

• @praxis_labs on Instagram
• praxislabs.co
• Careers
• Join the waitlist

Follow us on:
⟡ instagram: @bambooandglass
⟡ links to various platforms: beacons.ai/bambooandglass
⟡ website: www.bambooandglass.buzzsprout.com
⟡ Da Eun: @daeunkm
⟡ Sophia: @sophiasysun