Welcome back, Career Unicorns! This week, we are honored to host the incredible Dr. Grace Poon Ghaffari: a motherscholar practitioner, proud daughter of Chinese immigrants, and embodied healer. Grace is an Assistant Professor at San Jose State University, where she focuses on healing and harm among student survivors of sexual and relationship violence, examining how these experiences are intertwined with broader systems of oppression. In this deep and vital conversation, we discuss why the traditional justice system often fails to be a source of healing, the critical importance of naming violence as it truly is (especially anti-Asian women hate), and how to move toward decolonizing our own healing experiences. Grace shares her wisdom on tuning into ancestral knowledge, recognizing the validity of traditional wisdom, and finding sustainable ways to resist the exhausting cycles of systemic harm and microaggressions. Key Takeaways:

• The Healing Gap: Why victims often don't find the justice system to be a source of healing, and the importance of acknowledging harm.
• Revictimization: The harmful experience of unhelpful police and the dismissal of non-stereotypical victims of violence.
• The Fight To Name Harm: Connecting the Atlanta spa shootings, anti-Asian women hate, and the necessity of uplifting marginalized narratives that are often wildly dismissed
• Internalized Dismissal: How Asian women's experiences of violence are often minimized ("that just happens to Asian women"), and the role of purity culture in the Asian cultural context.
• Decolonizing Healing: Recognizing the positives of Western medicine alongside the profound knowledge and wisdom of our ancestors, and how our relationship to the body and land are part of the healing ecosystem.
• Ancestors As Researchers: Tuning into your own lineage and recognizing that your parents and community have been doing research all along, even if it wasn't recognized by traditional science.
• The Tiring Nature of Resistance: The layers of trauma, microaggressions, and the importance of finding ways to be sustainable and be in the resistance for the long haul.

Connect with us:

• Learn more about our guest, Dr. Grace Poon on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/gpoonghaffari/.
• Follow our host, Samorn Selim, on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/samornselim/.
• Get a copy of Samorn's book, Career Unicorns™ 90-Day 5-Minute Gratitude Journal: An Easy & Proven Way To Cultivate Mindfulness, Beat Burnout & Find Career Joy, at https://tinyurl.com/49xdxrz8.
• Ready for a career change? Schedule a free 30-minute build your dream career consult by sending a message at www.careerunicorns.com.

As a former lawyer, business expert, and founder of Mpowered Families, Ann Sheu has gone through her own journey of achieving society's definition of success only to realize it wasn't her own. She uses her unique background to help high-achieving leaders move past the "hustle culture" and design a career and a life that is deeply rooted in personal alignment.

In this episode of Career Unicorns - Spark Your Joy, we tackle the pressure to prioritize prestige and money over happiness.

Key Career Strategies You'll Learn:

• How to Pivot: The steps to take when you realize the hustle culture you've been chasing is leading you to live someone else's definition of success.
• The Value Test: A practical framework for defining your "no matter what values" to instantly guide your biggest career and life decisions.
• Silence the Critics: Strategies for managing the pressure from professional networks who don't understand why you would leave a "prestigious" career for happiness.
• Build Your Aligned Life: How to move past external expectations and successfully design a life and career that "feels good" and honors who you truly are.
• Conflict Resolution: How to navigate friction when your professional and personal values clash, and gain the clarity needed for intentional decision-making.
• The Power of No: How to gain the confidence and strategies needed to say "no" to opportunities and responsibilities that don't align with your values.
• Two-Parent Balance: Essential insights into addressing parental responsibilities and career goals in two-parent working households, focusing on equitable solutions.

Connect with us:

• Learn more about our guest, Ann Sheu at https://www.mpoweredjourney.com/ and on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/anncsheu/.
• Follow our host, Samorn Selim, on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/samornselim/.
• Get a copy of Samorn's book, Career Unicorns™ 90-Day 5-Minute Gratitude Journal: An Easy & Proven Way To Cultivate Mindfulness, Beat Burnout & Find Career Joy, at https://tinyurl.com/49xdxrz8.
• Ready for a career change? Schedule a free 30-minute build your dream career consult by sending a message at www.careerunicorns.com.

As a physician, biotech CEO, and champion for women in leadership, Dr. Sheila Gujrathi, MD, has spent her career breaking ceilings and teaching others how to do the same.

In this powerful episode of Career Unicorns - Spark Your Joy, we dive deep into the real-world barriers—from childhood racism ("Indians Go Home") to professional microaggressions—and how she reframed the pain of shame and doubt.

We discuss:

• The devastating impact of FIDS (Fear, Insecurity, Doubt, & Shame).
• Why self-compassion is the key to silencing your inner critic.
• Battle-tested strategies for addressing toxic behavior and gaslighting immediately.
• How practicing gratitude is the ultimate superpower for career resilience.

You do not want to miss this essential masterclass in owning your power.

Connect with us:

• Learn more about our guest, Dr. Sheila Gujrathi at https://sheilagujrathimd.com/ and on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheila-gujrathi-md/.
• Follow our host, Samorn Selim, on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/samornselim/.
• Get a copy of Samorn's book, Career Unicorns™ 90-Day 5-Minute Gratitude Journal: An Easy & Proven Way To Cultivate Mindfulness, Beat Burnout & Find Career Joy, at https://tinyurl.com/49xdxrz8.
• Ready for a career change? Schedule a free 30-minute build your dream career consult by sending a message at www.careerunicorns.com.

Welcome, Career Unicorns! How do we lead with courage and heart when the system is stacked against us?

Join us for a deeply moving and vital conversation with Kori Carew, Chief Catalyst Officer and Founder of Bridge 68 LLC, lawyer, TedX speaker, and former Chief Inclusion and Diversity Officer.

Kori challenges us to move beyond "a moment" to a true movement, urging us to reflect deeply on our values and courageously design the world we want to see.

In this episode, we dive deep into:

• Courageous Leadership: Discover how to show up as leaders in our ordinary daily lives when systemic biases are real.
• Reclaiming Humanity: The impact of a racialized society stripping away our humanity and what we can do to reclaim our human dignity.
• Power of Empathy: Learn how to practice empathy, especially when we're attacked, and remain hopeful in our capacity for good.
• Creating Belonging: Practicing empathy with the understanding that we may all be in the same storm, but we're not in the same boat.
• Embracing Rest: Recognizing why burnout is real, and what you can do to find joy while advocating for justice and change.

Connect with us:

• Learn more about our guest, Kori Carew, at https://www.koricarew.com/ and on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/koriscarewesq/.
• Follow our host, Samorn Selim, on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/samornselim/.
• Get a copy of Samorn's book, Career Unicorns™ 90-Day 5-Minute Gratitude Journal: An Easy & Proven Way To Cultivate Mindfulness, Beat Burnout & Find Career Joy, at https://tinyurl.com/49xdxrz8.
• Ready for a career change? Schedule a free 30-minute build your dream career consult by sending a message at www.careerunicorns.com.

Are you in a toxic job, but feel stuck? Making great money but feel absolutely dead inside? If yes, then this episode of Career Unicorns - Spark Your Joy is for you.

Join us as we welcome Sarah Cottrell, founder of Former Lawyer LLC, who helps unhappy lawyers ditch soul-crushing jobs for fulfilling alternative careers. Sarah shares her expertise on the unique pain of leaving a high-prestige career.

We dive deep into how to recognize the signs of an abusive workplace and the importance of prioritizing your mental health.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why the prestige trap and sunk cost fallacy keep people in miserable, high-paying jobs.
• How gaslighting and narcissistic behavior from bad bosses lead to workplace PTSD, GAD, and panic disorder.
• Why leaving a toxic job is like leaving an abusive relationship, and how to start the necessary grieving process.
• The critical role of calming your nervous system to do the deeper work of envisioning a sustainable career.
• Why working with both a career coach and a therapist is the most efficient path to a successful transition.
• The importance of reminding yourself that you are not crazy, and your feelings are real.
• Key strategies for feeling less stuck and building a thriving career that aligns with your values.

Connect with us:

• Learn more about our guest, Sarah Cottrell, at www.formerlawyer.com.
• Follow our host, Samorn Selim, on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/samornselim/.
• Get a copy of Samorn's book, Career Unicorns™ 90-Day 5-Minute Gratitude Journal: An Easy & Proven Way To Cultivate Mindfulness, Beat Burnout & Find Career Joy, at https://tinyurl.com/49xdxrz8.
• Ready for a career change? Schedule a free 30-minute build your dream career consult by sending a message at www.careerunicorns.com.

Ready to shatter the old-school corporate rules? In this powerful episode of Career Unicorns - Spark Your Joy, host Samorn Selim welcomes back Rosie Yeung, a Certified Trauma Recovery Coach, HR Leader, and Chartered Professional Accountant. Rosie, a Chinese-Canadian, immigrant, cis-het woman living with mental illness and recovering from cPTSD (complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), shares her deeply personal journey of navigating identity, assimilation, and complex trauma. In this episode, we dive deep into:

• The ripple effects of trauma, including gender bias, systemic racism, psychological unsafety, and gaslighting that is often baked into the modern workplace.
• How seemingly "good people" can perpetuate harmful systems and why traditional career advice often fails marginalized individuals.
• Why the problem isn't you, but it's the system, and what you can do to protect your mental health.
• How to anchor in your body, name your truth, and step into your worth, even when the corporate structure is working against you.
• The Un-Executive Coaching™ approach, a practice that sits at the intersection of social justice, trauma, and career growth.
• The importance of having the permission and power to name your truth.
• The fact that you are never responsible for someone else's bad behaviors or the failings of a toxic system.

Connect with us:

• Learn more about our guest, Rosie Yeung, at https://changinglenses.ca/ and on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosieyeung/.
• Follow our host, Samorn Selim, on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/samornselim/.
• Get a copy of Samorn's book, Career Unicorns™ 90-Day 5-Minute Gratitude Journal: An Easy & Proven Way To Cultivate Mindfulness, Beat Burnout & Find Career Joy, at https://tinyurl.com/49xdxrz8.
• Ready for a career change? Schedule a free 30-minute build your dream career consult by sending a message at www.careerunicorns.com.

Get ready for a profound and powerful conversation with the incredible Dyanna Volek, a quintessential "Career Unicorn" who is using her voice and influence to push for real change. As a first-generation college student and daughter of Filipino immigrants, Dyanna currently serves as the Manager of Government Affairs for the San Francisco International Airport. She's also a licensed attorney and a dedicated community advocate, including serving on the Board of Directors for Planned Parenthood, Northern California.

In this episode, Dyanna issues a call for collective action, getting candid about the despair and apathy she sees in the current political climate and offering concrete ways we can use our spheres of influence to fight back.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this podcast are solely those of Luke Liss and the host, and do not represent the views of any referenced organizations.

In this episode, we dive deep into:

• A guide on how to use local politics to effect positive change and tap into your spheres of influence.
• The trauma, frustration, and emotional labor of dealing with Anti-Asian Hate and being a woman of color in leadership.
• The urgent need to address systemic injustice and the breakdown of civility in public discourse.
• Navigating DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) during challenging political times and what you can do to create a culture of inclusion.
• Key strategies on how to sustain your energy, set boundaries, and find what "fills your cup" so you can continue the fight for decency and justice without burning out.

Connect with us:

• Learn more about our guest, Dyanna Volek, on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/dyannavolek/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/dyannaluna/ - @dyannaluna.
• Follow our host, Samorn Selim, on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/samornselim/.
• Get a copy of Samorn's book, Career Unicorns™ 90-Day 5-Minute Gratitude Journal: An Easy & Proven Way To Cultivate Mindfulness, Beat Burnout & Find Career Joy, at https://tinyurl.com/49xdxrz8.
• Ready for a career change? Schedule a free 30-minute build your dream career consult by sending a message at www.careerunicorns.com.

In this inspiring and candid conversation, we sit down with Ron Monteiro, author of Love Mondays, to discuss his 20-year journey from a shy finance professional to a powerful public speaker and executive coach. Ron shares how he turned a perceived weakness in public speaking into his life's mission.

We dive into the challenges he faced as a person of color navigating corporate finance, offering a powerful perspective on how to tackle systemic barriers by focusing on what you can control: your daily growth, your commitment to learning, and the commitment to "put in the reps."

Whether you're struggling with toxic work, aiming for executive presence, or grieving a derailed career path, Ron's wisdom on self-investment and finding mentors will give you the tools and courage to move forward and, eventually, Love Mondays.

Key Takeaways

• How to turn your weakness into your strength.
• The importance of taking small, actionable steps to achieve your big goals.
• The secret to building your confidence.
• How to navigate systemic barriers and the power of surrounding yourself with people who believe in you.
• What you can do to build executive presence and take up space in a room.
• Why it's important to acknowledge injustice and how to use it as fuel for driving change.
• The power of Ikigai and why investing in yourself leads to more freedom.
• Advice for those who feel lost and scared after an unexpected career change.

Connect with us:

• Learn more about our guest, Ron Monteiro, on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronmonteiro18/ and grab a copy of Love Mondays at https://tinyurl.com/2eed99yj.
• Follow our host, Samorn Selim, on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/samornselim/.
• Get a copy of Samorn's book, Career Unicorns™ 90-Day 5-Minute Gratitude Journal: An Easy & Proven Way To Cultivate Mindfulness, Beat Burnout & Find Career Joy, at https://tinyurl.com/49xdxrz8.
• Ready for a career change? Schedule a free 30-minute build your dream career consult by sending a message at www.careerunicorns.com.

What if a childhood trauma followed you into the boardroom? In this powerful episode, Wall Street Journal bestselling author and DEI leader Mita Mallick shares the story of her long hair being burned as a "joke" when she was a little girl. She thought bullying ended on the playground, but learned the painful truth that bullies follow you into Corporate America.

Mita, a top LinkedIn Voice and contributor for Harvard Business Review, has built her brand by tackling tough topics head-on. She joins us to share insights from her two bestselling books, including her latest, The Devil Emails at Midnight: What Good Leaders Can Learn From Bad Bosses.

Key Takeaways:

• How to spot a toxic boss and understand their impact on your career.
• The surprising link between being a bad boss and becoming a great leader.
• How to handle microaggressions like having your name changed by colleagues and reclaim your identity.
• Strategies for navigating pregnancy discrimination and theft of your ideas in the workplace.
• The secret to building a culture of integrity and accountability.
• Practical ways to recover from burnout and find work-life balance.

Connect with us:

• Learn more about our guest, Mita Mallick, on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mita-mallick-2b165822/ and https://www.mitamallick.com/.
• Follow our host, Samorn Selim, on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/samornselim/.
• Get a copy of Samorn's book, Career Unicorns™ 90-Day 5-Minute Gratitude Journal: An Easy & Proven Way To Cultivate Mindfulness, Beat Burnout & Find Career Joy, at https://tinyurl.com/49xdxrz8.
• Ready for a career change? Schedule a free 30-minute build your dream career consult by sending a message at www.careerunicorns.com.

Are you looking to make a career pivot from private practice to your first legal in-house job?

But you're struggling because most employers already want someone who has in-house experience?

Then this episode with Lisa Mak is for you. Lisa Mak shares her journey from how she went from a plaintiff-side litigator to landing her dream job as Senior Employment Counsel at Flynn Group, the largest restaurant franchise operator in the U.S., with a portfolio of brands including Applebee's, Wendy's, Taco Bell, and Panera. Lisa also serves as the Northern California Regional Governor for the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) and also served as the President of the Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area in 2022.

In this episode, we dive deep into:

• The key strategies you can use to help you make a career pivot.
• What you can do to cultivate a growth mindset to help you push through a challenging job market.
• How you can get clarity about your values and advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in challenging times.
• What you can do to recover from burnout and have hope during dark times.

Connect with us:

• Learn more about Lisa Mak on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisapmak/.
• Follow Samorn on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/samornselim/.
• Get a copy of Samorn's book, Career Unicorns™ 90-Day 5-Minute Gratitude Journal: An Easy & Proven Way To Cultivate Mindfulness, Beat Burnout & Find Career Joy, at https://tinyurl.com/49xdxrz8.
• Schedule a free 30-minute build your dream career consult by sending Career Unicorns a message at www.careerunicorns.com.