First of All

Whatever your preference - beer pong at a house party, shots in a club, or a glass of wine (or three) with friends over dinner, alcohol is the widely beloved social lubricant of the ages. But as much as Drake loves to sing about it, sometimes a more in-depth conversation on partying, drinking, & evolving social etiquette can help. For this doozy of a topic, Minji sits down with her friend, Bryan, the quintessential club promoter & partier. Together they walk through their introductions to alcohol & other substances, talking about their honest impressions about social settings, peer pressure from high school to adulthood, cultural nuances & some, um, questionable decisions they've made over the years.

This week's guest:

Follow Minji on:

Our theme song is "Yellow Ranger" by Awkwafina

Follow the show on Instagram and Twitter and support our Patreon

This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective

Produced by @marvinyueh

Mentioned in this episode:

Don't miss an all AAPI production of HENRY VI: A Trilogy in Two Parts at The Public in NYC

The National Asian American Theatre Company’s acclaimed production of HENRY VI: A TRILOGY IN TWO PARTS brings an all-AANHPI cast to The Public Theater for a decades-spanning saga of Joan of Arc, warring dukes, and the bloody birth of the War of the Roses. Adapted by Stephen Brown-Fried, this is Shakespeare like you've never experienced it.

Henry VI at The Public with an all AAPI cast

"Empower" has become a word used regularly in speeches, mission statements, & personal goals. But it can mean something different depending on who you ask for a definition. In a preparation for Minji's 4th Kollaboration EMPOWER Creative Leadership Conference, she sits down to talk through it all with one of the incredible women who, in her eyes, embodies the word itself - tv/film writer, novelist, comic book writer & hilarious human being, Pamela Ribon. Buckle your seatbelts & get ready for an incredible journey through Pam's life & mind from moving all around some the most obscure & quizzical parts of the US, becoming a mother unexpectedly, writing for a couple small projects with Disney (Moana & Wreck It Ralph 2, thankyouverymuch), & using the Internet to address some very problematic sexism with Barbie in between it all. Hopefully by the end, you will understand Minji's appreciation of Pam's fire & maybe walk away a little empowered yourself.

This week's guest:

Follow Minji on:

Our theme song is "Yellow Ranger" by Awkwafina

Follow the show on Instagram and Twitter and support our Patreon

This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective

Produced by @marvinyueh

Mentioned in this episode:

Don't miss an all AAPI production of HENRY VI: A Trilogy in Two Parts at The Public in NYC

The National Asian American Theatre Company’s acclaimed production of HENRY VI: A TRILOGY IN TWO PARTS brings an all-AANHPI cast to The Public Theater for a decades-spanning saga of Joan of Arc, warring dukes, and the bloody birth of the War of the Roses. Adapted by Stephen Brown-Fried, this is Shakespeare like you've never experienced it.

Henry VI at The Public with an all AAPI cast

As far as we can tell, there aren't that many people that can say they knew EXACTLY what their career would be early on, or had an easy time laying the groundwork to build it. For most of us regular folk, finding a career is much like a baby deer learning how to walk - it's awkward, entertaining, shaky, scary, & an inevitable part of the process. Or as we at First Of All like to call it, "the journey." How does a person take a mix of passion, interest, talent, timing, & good old-fashioned hard work, & produce a job that can pay the bills, keep our spirits inspired & our sanity intact? In this episode, Minji sits down with her dear friend & award-winning director Andrew Ahn. Together they take a look back at the many steps that brought them to their current places in life, & acknowledge the scattered but meaningful steps that brought them where they both believe they should be. Get ready from some practical advice, like student loan management & when to leave your day job for a passion career, plus some therapeutic soul-searching on anger, anxiety, & learning how to trust your gut.

This week's guest:

Follow Minji on:

Our theme song is "Yellow Ranger" by Awkwafina

Follow the show on Instagram and Twitter and support our Patreon

This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective

Produced by @marvinyueh

Mentioned in this episode:

Don't miss an all AAPI production of HENRY VI: A Trilogy in Two Parts at The Public in NYC

The National Asian American Theatre Company’s acclaimed production of HENRY VI: A TRILOGY IN TWO PARTS brings an all-AANHPI cast to The Public Theater for a decades-spanning saga of Joan of Arc, warring dukes, and the bloody birth of the War of the Roses. Adapted by Stephen Brown-Fried, this is Shakespeare like you've never experienced it.

Henry VI at The Public with an all AAPI cast

Anyone else find it easy to give solid, loving, practical advice... & also be the worst at taking it, even (gasp) applying it in our actual lives?? A common struggle we all can face at some point is not taking action to improve our own lives, even when it's easy to dish out & implore (maybe even nag) others to just do as we say. Or maybe we're open to hearing advice, perhaps even resolving to make a change, but when it comes down to putting the wheels in motion, we freeze, we procrastinate, we make excuses, we "forget", we project.. or all of the above. On this solo episode, Minji shares the long, ironic road that led her to finally take her own advice & start therapy to address her growing bouts of anxiety & depression. She also shares how she's been since starting her sessions & what she's learned along the way. Being brutally honest with yourself & accepting responsibility can suck..& it could also be the key to actually moving forward & learning how to practice the self-love we truly need.

Follow Minji on:

Our theme song is "Yellow Ranger" by Awkwafina

Follow the show on Instagram and Twitter and support our Patreon

This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective

Produced by @marvinyueh

Mentioned in this episode:

Don't miss an all AAPI production of HENRY VI: A Trilogy in Two Parts at The Public in NYC

The National Asian American Theatre Company’s acclaimed production of HENRY VI: A TRILOGY IN TWO PARTS brings an all-AANHPI cast to The Public Theater for a decades-spanning saga of Joan of Arc, warring dukes, and the bloody birth of the War of the Roses. Adapted by Stephen Brown-Fried, this is Shakespeare like you've never experienced it.

Henry VI at The Public with an all AAPI cast

Who loves Valentine's Day?! XOXO <333 @}--}----- ..... Kenji & Minji don't. But the holiday does lend itself to a perfect podcast theme for all things dating and romance! So we're going to go ahead and celebrate that! Now, Kenji has already made multiple First Of All guest appearances to discuss long distance woes and how to navigate fights and rough patches while being in a relationship with our beloved host.. but how did all of it start??? In this special Valentine's Day episode, Minji and Kenji take a trip down memory lane to share their honest first impressions of each other from the moment they met years before their first date. They also share the long windy road of being random acquaintances out in Utah to becoming a committed couple. Every relationship has its own unique beginning, and theirs involves so many of the crazy, stupid, lovely things we celebrate and cringe about on this blasted day - risk, rejection, patience, persistence, openness, and so much more. Disclaimer: Minji was on flu medication while recording this episode, so please throw her a bone and some healing vibes. LOVE YALL, ENJOY!

This week's guest:

Follow Minji on:

Our theme song is "Yellow Ranger" by Awkwafina

Follow the show on Instagram and Twitter and support our Patreon

This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective

Produced by @marvinyueh

Mentioned in this episode:

Don't miss an all AAPI production of HENRY VI: A Trilogy in Two Parts at The Public in NYC

The National Asian American Theatre Company’s acclaimed production of HENRY VI: A TRILOGY IN TWO PARTS brings an all-AANHPI cast to The Public Theater for a decades-spanning saga of Joan of Arc, warring dukes, and the bloody birth of the War of the Roses. Adapted by Stephen Brown-Fried, this is Shakespeare like you've never experienced it.

Henry VI at The Public with an all AAPI cast

The self-care 2019 resolution is in full effect, yall. As a longtime advocate of self-care & mental health, Minji finally puts her money where her mouth is & starts her transformational journey getting therapy with her friend & certified hypnotherapist, Panney Wei. Together they discuss Panney's evolution in finding her calling to become a mental health provider after multiple careers as a star athlete, film producer, & entertainment professional. They peel back the layers about stigmas on asking for help, the reality of our subconscious minds, true self-actualization & how they deal with juggling all of it (plus much more) with integrity, honesty, & perseverance.

This week's guest:

Follow Minji on:

Our theme song is "Yellow Ranger" by Awkwafina

Follow the show on Instagram and Twitter and support our Patreon

Mentioned in this episode:

Don't miss an all AAPI production of HENRY VI: A Trilogy in Two Parts at The Public in NYC

The National Asian American Theatre Company’s acclaimed production of HENRY VI: A TRILOGY IN TWO PARTS brings an all-AANHPI cast to The Public Theater for a decades-spanning saga of Joan of Arc, warring dukes, and the bloody birth of the War of the Roses. Adapted by Stephen Brown-Fried, this is Shakespeare like you've never experienced it.

Henry VI at The Public with an all AAPI cast

Minji sits down with her friend, producer, "Perfectly Imperfect" podcast host & life coach Christine Chen to talk about a much discussed and often difficult to understand reality of "mean girls" - being one, dealing with one (or many), and some of the underlying layers that feed into problematic female relationships. In the age of #MeToo and #TimesUp, these elder millennials go down the rabbit hole of bullying, low self-esteem, professional obstacles and sexualization of women, and how it results in women who hurt other women. They get real with how they've struggled to see women as friends and allies, and even how seeing themselves being "one of the guys" has changed over the years. They share their thoughts on feminism, and how to process all of it as they work towards creating a drama-free and supportive space for friendship, and dare we say it?, sisterhood.

This week's guest:

Follow Minji on:

Our theme song is "Yellow Ranger" by Awkwafina

Follow the show on Instagram and Twitter and support our Patreon

Mentioned in this episode:

Don't miss an all AAPI production of HENRY VI: A Trilogy in Two Parts at The Public in NYC

The National Asian American Theatre Company’s acclaimed production of HENRY VI: A TRILOGY IN TWO PARTS brings an all-AANHPI cast to The Public Theater for a decades-spanning saga of Joan of Arc, warring dukes, and the bloody birth of the War of the Roses. Adapted by Stephen Brown-Fried, this is Shakespeare like you've never experienced it.

Henry VI at The Public with an all AAPI cast

Do nice guys really finish last? And um, when & why did being "nice" become such a loaded, problematic thing? What's the baggage of this word & are we just giving it grief for no good reason? WHO WILL DEFEND THE NICE GUYS?? In this inaugural 2019 episode, Minji sits down with her friend Scott to unpackage all this & more. It's time to dive in deep with some funny anecdotes, painfully hard lessons learned, & of course, some very real talk from many perspectives. Welcome to 2019 on First Of All!

This week's guest:

Follow Minji on:

Our theme song is "Yellow Ranger" by Awkwafina

Follow the show on Instagram and Twitter and support our Patreon

This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective

Produced by @marvinyueh

Mentioned in this episode:

Don't miss an all AAPI production of HENRY VI: A Trilogy in Two Parts at The Public in NYC

The National Asian American Theatre Company’s acclaimed production of HENRY VI: A TRILOGY IN TWO PARTS brings an all-AANHPI cast to The Public Theater for a decades-spanning saga of Joan of Arc, warring dukes, and the bloody birth of the War of the Roses. Adapted by Stephen Brown-Fried, this is Shakespeare like you've never experienced it.

Henry VI at The Public with an all AAPI cast

The man, the myth, the legend - Producer Marvin joins Minji for the first time on First of All. After 5 years of working together for the Asian American grassroots organization Kollaboration, 180+ episodes of co-hosting KollabCast podcast, launching First Of All & multiple years of nagging, venting, regrouping, & apologizing...Marvin & Minji are pretty familiar with powering through hard times. In this episode, they reflect on how they've handled getting through tough times, with themselves as individuals & with one another as colleagues & friends. Sidebar: Marvin shares one or two (or five) anecdotes of Minji's meltdowns, so suffice it to say it's an entertaining journey. Hope you all close out the year on a strong & positive note!

This week's guest:

Follow Minji on:

Our theme song is "Yellow Ranger" by Awkwafina

Follow the show on Instagram and Twitter and support our Patreon

This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective

Produced by @marvinyueh

Mentioned in this episode:

Don't miss an all AAPI production of HENRY VI: A Trilogy in Two Parts at The Public in NYC

The National Asian American Theatre Company’s acclaimed production of HENRY VI: A TRILOGY IN TWO PARTS brings an all-AANHPI cast to The Public Theater for a decades-spanning saga of Joan of Arc, warring dukes, and the bloody birth of the War of the Roses. Adapted by Stephen Brown-Fried, this is Shakespeare like you've never experienced it.

Henry VI at The Public with an all AAPI cast

HEY GUYS, it's that time of year again. 2018 is rapidly coming to a close & it's time to reflect, plan, & strategize execution of the most INCREDIBLE, FULFILLING, & ABUNDANT YEARS OF OUR LIVES Y'ALL. You know, to counteract whatever stressful, debilitating, anxiety-inducing nonsense this year may have caused you to lose hope in humanity or.. just simply killed your vibe. Whatever it may be, Minji is with you. Seriously. And figuring out how to protect your energy with good vibes & constructive habits is what we're here to discuss. In this episode, Minji brings back her AMAZING friend & talent manager KEVYN FONG to do what they do best - spill the tea (literally/figuratively) & Marie Kondo deep clean their hearts in preparation for 2019. Together they share what they're leaving behind as they move forward into the new year with more clarity, compassion, self-care, & habits. We're talking mind, body, money & so much more. Happy Holidays First Of All fam!!

This week's guest:

Follow Minji on:

Our theme song is "Yellow Ranger" by Awkwafina

Follow the show on Instagram and Twitter and support our Patreon

This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective

Produced by @marvinyueh

Mentioned in this episode:

Don't miss an all AAPI production of HENRY VI: A Trilogy in Two Parts at The Public in NYC

The National Asian American Theatre Company’s acclaimed production of HENRY VI: A TRILOGY IN TWO PARTS brings an all-AANHPI cast to The Public Theater for a decades-spanning saga of Joan of Arc, warring dukes, and the bloody birth of the War of the Roses. Adapted by Stephen Brown-Fried, this is Shakespeare like you've never experienced it.

Henry VI at The Public with an all AAPI cast