How do community builders become who they are? What motivates them to build communities, and how do they find the courage to continue to speak up in the face of disagreements? In this episode, we speak with Maggie Chui and Bryan Pham from Asian Hustle Network, Derrin Slack from ProActIndy, and Avani Parekh from Facebook. Learn more about us at curiousmonica.com and sign up to our monthly newsletter at InnovatorsBox!

Great music moves people. But what does it take to be a musician and build a career in music? Today we caught up with Serin Oh and Luke Helder to learn about their music careers and why at the end of the day, how you invest in yourself as a person really matters. From the music they make at InnovatorsBox Studios, to the music they make together as a team, you’ll find a new charm and want to rethink how you show up each day. Thank you Serin and Luke for sharing your story! Learn more about us at curiousmonica.com. Sign up to InnovatorsBox’s monthly newsletter here to get free resources.

Can you love your day job and your part-time business? Yes! In today’s conversation I’m interviewing friends who love their day job, as well as their side businesses. How do they make time for what they do and how does working two jobs help them be who they want to be? When you hear their stories, you’ll come to view part-time entrepreneurs with more respect and appreciation. Thank you to Ashley Sutton, Corey Ponder, and Shaun Applegate-Swanson for sharing your story with us. Learn more about us at curiousmonica.com. Sign up to InnovatorsBox’s monthly newsletter here to get resources and insights on workplace creativity.

What is it like to run your business full time? With high risk and high reward, despite the never-ending challenges every day, there are always new businesses opening somewhere in the world. Why do people start their businesses, and what helps them be a good entrepreneur? In this episode, we visit all your questions on being a full-time founder. Thank you to Kevin Felix Chan, Nish Parikh, Hetal Parikh, Ariana Gómez, Dave Dellacato, Lumbie Mlambo, and Gary Hwang for sharing your stories as founders. 

Learn more about us at curiousmonica.com. Join our monthly newsletter here by InnovatorsBox.

From TacoBell’s kiosk to design thinking workshops, innovation experts play a key role in finding new paths in familiar places. But how do they build a career in innovation, and what does it really mean to be creative in what they do? In this episode, I caught up with six friends who shared why they fell in love with innovation, honing their expertise, and empowering others to unleash their creativity. Join us to unlock your creativity too. Thank you, Leo Chan, Brian Gaab, Coonoor Behal, Van Lai-DuMone, Jeff Harry, and Rishi Gupta for sharing your stories about working in innovation. Learn more at curiousmonica.com. Join our newsletter from InnovatorsBox here.

Diversity and inclusion jobs have been on the rise as the world seeks a more inclusive workplace for all. But what do you do in this career? How do you become good at it? From understanding differences in diversity to being more inclusive to learning how to build psychological safety, we untangle all your questions about D&I and workplace belonging jobs in this episode. Thank you, Ashley T. Brundage and Abadesi Osunsade for sharing your stories. Learn more at curiousmonica.com. Join our newsletter from InnovatorsBox here.

While some would not describe a career in law to be fun or creative, many who love this profession beg to differ. In this episode, I spoke with three friends who love being a lawyer to learn more about why they love what they do, how they started their careers, and how they stay creative. Whether it was learning how to practice law, writing a children’s book or a novel, or building a niche in cryptocurrency, resilience, and patience was key to their growth. Thank you, Jessica Childress, Natashia Deón, and Maureen Murat for sharing your insights with us today. Learn more at curiousmonica.com. Join our newsletter from InnovatorsBox here.

What is therapy and what does it mean to be a therapist? - from the rise of mental wellbeing awareness to society’s misconceptions of therapy. In this episode, I speak with Jeanie Chang and Ivy Kwong to share their journey of becoming therapists and why other leaders like Tiffany Gray and Minji Chang advocate for therapy. There will also be some great tips for your mind and body, aka free therapy and wellbeing tips! Learn more at curiousmonica.com. Join our newsletter from InnovatorsBox here.

From acting to filmmaking, what is it really like to work in entertainment? I had so many questions. How do you handle all the rejections? How do you develop a film? Why is representation hard to find? Luckily, a few friends were able to share their perspectives and wisdom including a voice actor, filmmaker, comedian, creative producer, and founder. Learn more at curiousmonica.com.

Thank you, Minji Chang, PK Paul Kim, Pierre Edwards, DeShuna Spencer, Joseph Juhn, Luke Helder, and Serin Oh for sharing your insights.

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Writing your story is a vulnerable and humbling process. I wanted to learn more. How do authors decide what to write? How does the publication process work? Where do they get inspiration? In this episode, we speak with friends who write books, publish books, and help others write books. Tune in to learn how you’ll tell your stories. I spoke with some friends - Jenn T. Grace, Ashley T. Brundage, Ivy Kwong, Smiley Poswolsky, Dr. Stephanie Han - to learn more about the power of storytellers.

Learn more at curiousmonica.com. Join our newsletter from InnovatorsBox here.