Love Letters from a Creative Chimera. 💌 my hypnotherapy experience & overcoming chronic stress, 🌾 a bday present for myself - 18 again.

Don’t Be Strangers is a series of wholesome conversations that focuses on fighting social isolation through stories of everyday people. I’m your host XinYi, and I typically meet my co-hosts for the very first time while recording! If this sounds fun to you, please consider applying to co-host a future episode. Or if you’re into community building and making friends, we now have a Discord channel open to you. All that information can be found on instagram @dontbestrangers!

Full letter on Medium. ✍🏼

Welcome back to Don’t Be Strangers, a series of wholesome conversations that focuses on fighting social isolation through stories of everyday people. **I’m XinYi, and I typically meet my co-hosts for the very first time while recording! If this sounds fun to you, please consider applying to co-host a future episode. Or if you’re into community building and making friends, we now have a Discord channel open to you. All that information can be found on instagram @dontbestrangers!

Today I’m speaking with my hypnotherapist Tiffani who was introduced to me by my friend Abhas of episode 9. The way that it was explained to me by both Abhas and Tiffani is that hypnotherapy uses light hypnosis (where you are completely conscious the entire time) to access and explore your subconscious mind. You do this to find the exact source of your issue and therefore resolve your problem in a single session as opposed to using traditional therapy where you might spend years never actually targeting the source. The reason why this came up in conversation was because Abhas had used and successfully resolved a problem using Tiffani’s services in the past and was about to try again to tackle a different problem. Furthermore, he’s had two other friends successfully use Tiffani’s hypnotherapy to resolve their problems.

As a fellow introspective and personal development junkie and someone who highly regard Abhas’s opinions…. my interest was piqued. So at the beginning of April this year, I asked Tiffani to help me with an issue I’ve been struggling with all of my adulthood and… I’m really happy with the results. That’s just a little context for how we met. If you’re interested in hearing more about my personal experience, I’ll speak more about it at the end of this conversation.

As someone in her 50’s, I admire Tiffani greatly for the enthusiasm and outlook she has on life. Honestly, whenever I meet someone significantly older but full of energy, I think to myself, “I hope I age gracefully like you.” In this next hour, we cover topics such as…

With that, please meet Tiffani!

Love Letters from a Creative Chimera. 💌 “will I ever feel at home?” asks nowhere girl (Dallas, San Francisco, & Cusco in 3 weeks)

Don’t Be Strangers is a series of wholesome conversations that focuses on fighting social isolation through stories of everyday people. I’m your host XinYi, and I typically meet my co-hosts for the very first time while recording! If this sounds fun to you, please consider applying to co-host a future episode. Or if you’re into community building and making friends, we now have a Discord channel open to you. All that information can be found on instagram @dontbestrangers!

Full letter on Medium. ✍🏼

Welcome back to Don’t Be Strangers, a series of wholesome conversations that focuses on fighting social isolation through stories of everyday people. **I’m your host XinYi, and I typically meet my co-hosts for the very first time while recording! If this sounds fun to you, please consider applying to co-host a future episode. Or if you’re into community building and making friends, we now have a Discord channel open to you. All that information can be found on instagram @dontbestrangers!

Today I’m speaking with a stranger Erin who is currently in university studying all things filmaking. I love that I’ve been able to, in the very small sample size of co-hosts I’ve had on this show, speak to strangers and friends as young as students to as hold as breaching their 50’s. I believe there’s something to learned from everyone, hence why I decided to start this podcast where I hoped, in contrast to other interview-type podcasts where the interviewees are typically famous or universally accepted “successful” public figures, I could share your story. So thank you Erin for offering your voice as we dive into…

Hi, you’re listening to episode 23 of Don’t Be Strangers, a series of wholesome conversations that focuses on fighting social isolation through stories of everyday people. Today I’m speaking with a very special childhood friend of mine, Sean, who was actually the reason why I re-connected with Bekah from episode 21. I’m confessing publicly that growing up I was always very envious of how incredibly and effortlessly intelligent Sean has always been. I remember suffering in computer science class by his side while he crushed all the assignments and exams. However, he’s also the type of person who you could never dislike. I always felt a deep sense of respect despite my jealousy. That said, it’s been really cool seeing how we’ve both grown up since our middle school days. In this conversation we cover topics such as

Co-Host: Eva Tang (@etang20 + founder of @fosterpints) | Host: Xinyi Xan (@xinyixan)

📮  Pen Pals Club | 👋🏼 Come Say Hi! @dontbestrangers   | 🎉 Never Miss an Ep & Support for Free: Sign up for the Newsletter

Hello, hello, you’re listening to episode 22 of Don’t Be Strangers, a series of wholesome conversations that focuses on fighting social isolation via stories of everyday people. Think Humans of New York meets casual coffee chat. I’m XinYi and normally my co-hosts are strangers who I meet for the very first time while recording! If that sounds interesting to you, please consider applying to co-host an episode. Or if you’re into community building and making friends, we now have a Discord channel associated with our Pen Pals Club. All that information can be found on instagram @dontbestrangers!

Today I’m speaking with a fellow adventurist and travel addict who I was connected with from a previous co-host, Jeremy, from episode 15. After our recording, he was telling me about his super cool ex-roommate who was a hardcore digital nomad before digital nomading was a thing. Except Eva’s not so fond of the term “digital nomad” itself which we’ll dive into in the conversation. I especially loved editing this episode for all the anecdotes that were shared. My favorite topics we touch in this conversation include...

[ FULL TIMESTAMPS + SHOW NOTES HERE 🔗 ]

I couldn’t have put it better myself. So generally, I try my best not to set expectations not too high. Not because I’ve become a pessimist but because I want to leave room to welcome the unexpected.

Thanks again Eva for sharing your voice and time. The last time I got in touch with her, she was telling me that she had just gotten home from Mexico City and is back in Toronto for a little bit before jetsetting off again. If you would like to reach out to Eva, you can reach her on instagram @etang20 and check out her ice cream project @fosterpints ! And if you found any topics on this episode interesting or want to chat, of course you can reach me at @dontbestrangers! The instagram page will also have links to our Discord where we host our “Pen Pals” Club and the co-host application if either of these things interests you!

Co-Host:  Rebekah Hedges @bekahthehedgephoto | Host: Xinyi Xan @xinyixan

Hello and welcome to episode 21 of Don’t Be Strangers, your community for making friends via deep and soulful conversations. **I’m your host XinYi, and if you’ve ever had the curiosity of co-hosting a podcast episode, then here’s your chance! There are absolutely no requirements other than a willingness to share your time and thoughts. The application is always opened to you and all you have to do to prepare is come up with 5 questions of your choosing for me and I’ll do the same for you! Or, if you’d rather plug into the community and meet 2 new friends a month, our Club is always open for sign ups. Find all the information on instagram @dontbestrangers!

Today we’re speaking with my very dear friend Bekah whom is a full-time Dallas based photographer who has lived all over the globe. We actually loosely knew of each other from going to the same high-school but didn’t really connect and become closer friends until well after college. That’s to say, you simply never know! Bekah has one of the most open and instantaneously infectious warmth that makes it hard to not want to be her friend. In this conversation we get really real and really deep while keeping everything very light hearted. We chat about...

There is one mention about suicide so I’ll just give you this heads up, but with that... please meet Bekah.

[ FULL TIMESTAMPS + SHOW NOTES HERE 🔗 ]

Thanks so much Bekah for reminding me why I do this. I think I mentioned my creative funk in the last episode but I’m still working on pushing through it so that I can continue spreading this message. If you wanna chat with Bekah yourself, you can find her on instagram @bekahthehedgephoto which is also where you can see her beautiful photographs as well as some just-for-fun creative shoots we’ve collaborated on. She recently dropped our paparazzi shoot concept photos of my husband and me which was inspired by rumors going around that we were dating. But also, if you know of anyone in Dallas who needs photos, please consider passing her information along. Being an entrepreneur is no easy feat and all connections are a blessing!

As for how you can reach me and plug in with the community, check out @dontbestrangers on instagram. The monthly sign-ups for our Club is always open to you if you would like to personally get in touch with 2 new friends within the group. There are some exciting changes dropping very soon with the Club, so I’d love to have you in on the ride!!

Voice Vlogs entry no. 7, today is Tuesday April 12, 2022. Since this conversation with Bekah, I’ve indeed had my hypnotherapy/RTT session...

Co-Host: Chloe Choe @offhourhustle  | Host: Xinyi Xan @xinyixan

QUICK LINKS:

Welcome to episode 20 of Don’t Be Strangers, a social experiment  that focuses on the question “How do you define a stranger, and at what point do they transition from being one to not being one?” Think Humans of New York meets casual coffee chat. I’m your host XinYi and I’d love to invite you to come on to co-host an episode! These conversations usually are super chill and guided by any topics the co-hosts are interested in! Or, if you’d rather plug into the community, our Pen Pals club is always open for sign ups. Find all the information on instagram @dontbestrangers!

In this final episode of season 4, I’m chatting with Chloe who is honestly such a badass. She started her personal finance blog during quarantine and is now breaking into the instagram and potentially YouTube space to inform the everyday person to optimize their financial health. Her content on instagram is really bite size and approachable, which makes total sense given that from first impressions, I’d definitely describe her as empathetic and warm. In this conversation we dive into (1) pivotal moments in our childhood that shapes us into who we are today (2) what she’s learned from disappointing her parents (3) how we both got into software engineering as a career (4) Chloe’s pro-tips on time management and... (5) is it really that important to be a morning person? With that, please meet Chloe...

[ FULL TIMESTAMPS + SHOW NOTES 🎉 CLICK HERE ]

Q - What was your childhood like and how did it affect who you became? (2:26)

Q - When did you disappoint your parents? (10:03)

Q - How do you determine where you want to go digital nomading? (13:52)

Q - How did you get into software if your dad was pressuring you into medicine? (18:48)

Q - What are your passions? (21:07)

Q - What’s something that you’re struggling with currently and how long have you been struggling with it? (35:05)

Q - How do you define a stranger and at what point do they transition from being one to not being one? (42:07)

Q - What are your eventual goals with the podcast? (47:58)

Co-Host: Noor @designdrawdo | Host: Xinyi Xan @xinyixan

Welcome to episode 19 of Don’t Be Strangers, a series of collaborative conversations that focuses on learning how to create agency in your life and manifest deeper connections. Think Humans of New York meets casual coffee chat. My name is XinYi and as anyone of any background is welcomed to apply to come on to co-host an episode, this is my invitation to you to consider applying! Or if you’re not quite up for this sort of thing, you should consider joining our Pen Pals Club. All the information can be found on instagram page @dontbestrangers!

Today I’m speaking with Noor from Dubai who is a fellow creative chimera sister who does it all. I mean, she has a newsletter, a youtube channel, and a podcast where she has interviewed over 25 upcoming artists to get to know the mysterious workings behind their creative process. In this conversation we cover topics such as (1) productivity and anxiety, (2) her favorite hack for creative productivity, (3) what it means to truly travel, (4) our creative parents, and (5) her current struggles. I don’t want to steal any more of her thunder so I’ll let her explain more about herself...

[ FULL TIMESTAMPS + SHOW NOTES HERE 🔗 ]

Voice Vlogs entry no. 5, today is Thursday Feb 24, 2022, and I’m on vacation in Oaxaca, Mexico. It’s actually my second to last day here and wow, the experience of re-visiting a place is so interesting to me. But this time around, it feels quite different because last time, I was here for a month but I basically worked that entire time and took Spanish classes 3 hours a day. This time was truly a vacation and my husband and I attended a traditional mole cooking class, some salsa dancing classes, and even met up with my old Spanish teachers as friends catching up for coffee and food in the city. It’s been really lovely. Especially because, I also missed out on the culinary art aspect of visiting Oaxaca last time? I basically cooked almost all my meals in (more details of that in episodes 8 and 15 if you’re curious). But this time, since it’s vacation and also the celebration of my husband’s birthday, we’ve just allowed ourself to indulge a little...

Co-Host: Jemarc Axinto @jemarcaxinto | Host: Xinyi Xan @xinyixan

Jermarc’s Masterclass - Reclaiming My Passion: Empowering Our Community Care. Sat, February 26, 2022 (1:00 PM – 3:00 PM CST)

Jemarc will share his combined interest and expertise in ancient Tantric Buddhism and modern neuroscience to take you on a journey towards reclaiming your compassion, healing old wounds, and opening your heart. 💗

📮 Pen Pals Club | 👋🏼 Come Say Hi! @dontbestrangers   | 🎉 Never Miss an Ep & Support for Free: Sign up for the Newsletter

Hello & you’re listening to episode 18 of Don’t Be Strangers, a series of collaborative conversations that focuses on learning how to create agency in your life  and manifest deeper connections. Think Humans of New York meets casual coffee chat. If we haven’t met before, I’m your host XinYi, and anyone of any background is welcomed to apply to come on to co-host an episode. Sign ups for our Pen Pals Club for March is open until the 25th.  Find all the information and more on the instagram page @dontbestrangers!

Today we’re speaking with total wellbeing coach and spiritual guide Jemarc who I met for the very first time through this very conversation. We get really real and really deep, so I’m going to drop 2 gentle warnings here upfront. If you feel uncomfortable with listening to swear words, you might just want to sit out on this one. We also touch on the topic of the fight against suicide. If you’re on the fence after hearing about those two tidbits (aka, you’re not sure but willing to giving it a try), I’d highly encourage you to try because... just re-listening to this episode, I was transcribing and taking all the notes from the wisdom that Jemarc was sharing with me and... actually, even if you don’t listen, you should peep the show note transcriptions. We dive into (1) Jemarc’s daily morning ritual with a death mantra (2) relative vs absolute truths (3) our journey towards self healing (the how’s and why’s) (4) what is community care and (5) how to make the world a better place.  So, with all that hype... please meet Jemarc!

[ FULL TIMESTAMPS + SHOW NOTES HERE 🔗 ]

I’ve already signed up for Jemarc’s masterclass, so if anything that we’ve touched on piqued your interest, I’d highly recommend checking out their instagram page @jemarcaxinto. If you miss this month’s masterclass, as they mentioned, there will be more in the future to come. And as Jemarc said, if you know of anyone holding wellness retreats or conscious spaces that are looking to higher a teacher and guide, they’re looking for plugging in with the community! So please reach out!!! Speaking of communities, if you want to participate in our pen pals club and connect deeper with our community, information for that can be found @dontbestrangers!