Emiko Rasmussen says she had a crush on me from the moment she saw my 2016 TEDx Talk! Even though she thought I probably wouldn't respond, she decided to be brave and contact me through social media.

That was the start of our lovely friendship.

Emiko moved from Japan to the U.S. when she was 20 years old. Facing language and cultural barriers, she played small and missed out on multiple opportunities.

Many times, she wanted to raise her hand and share her opinion or say "YES!" to reach her potential, but she kept repeating her limiting beliefs in her mind: "My English isn't good enough" or "I don't feel confident." This stopped her from being her true self and doing what she really wanted to do.

Look at her now! Emiko is an inspiring speaker and podcast host. After being laid off from her corporate job, she's a full-time online entrepreneur who teaches other Japanese women how they can break through common barriers and shares important skills to elevate their work life.

In Episode 59 of the Sasuga! Podcast, you'll hear

• How Emiko went from feeling invisible in her company to being an inspiring leader
• How Emiko used to worry that people might think she was stupid because English was her second language and now hosts her own podcast in English
• The meaning of "menterrupting" and what you can do about it

Enjoy!