Hear Us Roar

Season 2 is officially here! It feels really darn good to get back in the groove of playing editor, graphic designer, and social media manager, all the while bringing you 13 more amazing conversations with phenomenal women who make it a point to kick butt, and shatter the cultural mold.

I am a small but mighty team of one in this wonderous podcasting operation. It's not easy. Okay I'll say it—it's a full on black hole of time and energy. Perhaps that's why I so wholeheartedly love and admire others who decide to take on full blown side gigs, and no one does that quite like Megan Ruan.

Megan is an investor at The Johnson Company by day, and the Co-Director of Gold Rush by night.

In this season premiere episode of Conversations with HUR, Megan drops some real gems about how she's able to wear multiple hats without burning out, and why community is a key thread-through for personal, as well as professional success.

To find out more about the Hear Us Roar podcast, and sign up for my mailing list, visit www.hurpodcast.com. Please subscribe to the show, and leave a comment, so I know how you feel. I look forward to hearing from you!

I can't believe we're at the end of Season 1! It was around the 4th or 5th episode mark when I realized that this podcast I've created for you has started to change me as well.

A good friend shared with me an Instagram post from author Adam Grant the other day where he outlines "the evolution of self-esteem in a career," and it goes a little something like this:

Phase 1: I'm not important

Phase 2: I'm important

Phase 3: I want to work on something important

He then goes on to say that, "the sooner you get to phase 3, the more success you achieve and the more impact you have."

I can honestly say that I am sprinting towards phase 3, and I'm so grateful that you've come along this journey with me, and have given me the fuel for such purposeful work.

So you might be asking, what does any of this have to do with Marie Kondo?

Well, I realized at the top of the year that in order for us to create space for ourselves, we all need to take a step back, and evaluate the things that are worth tidying up in our lives. Until we've given ourselves the respect and luxury to create that space, purpose and self care can very easily a back seat. I have a feeling that 2020 is going to be a GREAT year, and what better time to clean house and spark joy!

To find out more about the Hear Us Roar podcast, and sign up for my mailing list, visit www.hurpodcast.com. Please subscribe to the show, and leave a comment. I look forward to hearing from you!

Betty Ng, founder and CEO of Inspiring Diversity, LLC has had a lot of experience breaking down walls and stereotypes as a strong and capable woman of color. With 20 years of corporate experience rising up the ranks in some extremely high profile organizations, Betty understands first hand how difficult it is to cultivate a genuine culture of inclusion in a corporate setting.

Betty's story is one of multiple generations of incredible women who have fought for representation and equality, and I am thrilled that we were able to touch on all 3 generations during our chat.

Tune in to hear about how Betty tackles bias, and why it's so important for all of us to build up relationship capital. We talk about finding opportunity in moments of change, as well as why it's pertinent to drive Diversity and Inclusion initiatives from the heart.

Head over to https://www.inspiringdiversity.com/ to hear more of Betty's story and dig deeper into her offerings.

To find out more about the Hear Us Roar podcast, and sign up for my mailing list, visit www.hurpodcast.com. Please subscribe to the show, and leave a comment. I look forward to hearing from you!

Chand Nirankari founded Youth Boxing For Change because she wanted to create a safe space where under-resourced youth in New York City could be empowered through boxing, service, mentorship, and leadership opportunities.

Chand didn't grow up as an athlete. When she serendipitously discovered boxing as an adult, she realized that not only was she perfectly capable of tackling this sport, but it also gifted her with immense physical and mental strength. This was a lightbulb moment that led Chand to launch an organization that she could have greatly benefited from in her early years.

Tune in to hear about how Chand straddled 2 different cultures but didn't quite feel like she belonged to either, and why she chose to reexamine the definition of under-resourced within the context of her non-profit. We talk about how the lessons you learn in boxing can translate to real life, and why having guidelines but not being too rigid is critical to success.

Head over to https://youthboxingforchange.org/ and check out the amazing impact that the organization is having on New York City's youth, and find out how you can either sign up to participate, or join in to support their efforts.

To find out more about the Hear Us Roar podcast, and sign up for my mailing list, visit www.hurpodcast.com. Please subscribe to the show, and leave a comment. I look forward to hearing from you!

Legendary comedian Margaret Cho was one of the first faces I saw on American television, that reminded me of myself. That is one powerful feeling. She has fearlessly put herself in the line of fire over and over again in order to speak up for those whose voices and stories have often gone unheard, and bares the true essence of a pioneer who is unyielding in creating forward momentum in an industry where she has been unlike anyone else.

While Margaret is best known for her stand-up routines, she is also an actress, author, activist, and composer. Margaret rose to prominence after creating and starring in ABC's All-American Girl—the first Asian American sitcom to air on network television—and became an established stand-up comedian in subsequent years.

Tune in to hear about the challenges of growing up on the road, the inherent pressures of being the first, and the value in appreciating honesty in art.

Head over to http://margaretcho.com/ for the latest news on Margaret, and to keep up with her tour schedule.

To find out more about the Hear Us Roar podcast, and sign up for my mailing list, visit www.hurpodcast.com. Please subscribe to the show, and leave a comment. I look forward to hearing from you!

Eliza Blank founded The Sill because she understood that urbanites needed an easier way to find, acquire and care for their houseplants. Since quitting her job and launching her Kickstarter in 2012, Eliza has grown The Sill into an Instagram and eCommerce phenomenon raising over $13 million in funding, and expanding into multiple retail locations across the U.S.

In honoring her personal ambitions as an entrepreneur, Eliza was also able to honor her mother, and the Filipino side of her heritage as a young girl growing up in a house full of green. Just like Eliza's favorite plant, the resilient and fast growing Philodendron, The Sill has taken the world by storm, and I'm excited to share her, and its story with you!

Tune in to hear about why Eliza feels like we should lean into our differences, and how she was able to use that as fuel for her fire. Eliza gives me a quick masterclass on fundraising, and asks all of us to embrace the idea of making mistakes.

Head over to https://www.thesill.com/ and check out the amazing selection of houseplants that you can ship straight to your home!

To find out more about the Hear Us Roar podcast, and sign up for my mailing list, visit www.hurpodcast.com. Please subscribe to the show, and leave a comment. I look forward to hearing from you!

Kimmy Yam is the Co-Founder of HuffPost Asian Voices and a champion for issues that disproportionately affect the Asian-American community. Growing up in Upstate New York as a member of a Chinese restaurant family, Kimmy understood the irony of being called a model minority. While in college at Georgetown University, Kimmy fell in love with journalism and thankfully so, as she stresses the importance of reporting on Asian American news beyond the breadth of representation in Hollywood because "our community is so much bigger than that."

Tune in to hear about Kimmy's journey towards self love, and how she learned to appreciate her parents' sacrifices. Kimmy talks about how there's no such thing as a perfect job, and why news and reporting can, and should be beautiful.

Head over to https://www.huffpost.com/voices/asian-voices, as well as Kimmy's new home https://www.nbcnews.com/asian-america to learn about pertinent issues within the Asian American community.

To find out more about the Hear Us Roar podcast, and sign up for my mailing list, visit www.hurpodcast.com. Please subscribe to the show, and leave a comment, so I know how you feel. I look forward to hearing from you!

Let's switch things up a bit with a new segment called, Conversations with HUR, where I get to sit down with a wide a range of friends and experts to discuss key topics of interest for Asian American women. First up is acupuncturist and Chinese herbal medicine practitioner Janet Lee, who swung by to give me some tips on staying healthy during these critical transitional months between Fall and Winter.

Tune in to hear about how holistic treatment addresses the emotional, as well as the physical, and why you should incorporate acupressure into your daily self care practice.

I hope you enjoy the new segment, and I'd love to know if you have any topics that you'd like for me to explore in the future!

To find out more about the Hear Us Roar podcast, and sign up for my mailing list, visit www.hurpodcast.com. Please subscribe to the show, and leave a comment, so I know how you feel. I look forward to hearing from you!

Sitting in Eataly with Julie Young, founder of DreamMaker 3D, the TIDE Film Festival, The Phenomenal Girls Club, and the $6.99 Per Pound Podcast, she tells me about how much she digs Italian food, even though she's never been to Italy, the home country of her adopted family. Growing up in a homogenous neighborhood in Rochester New York, feeling and looking different than the rest of her classmates, Julie recalls how disjointed it was to come home to spaghetti and meatballs and American television. Her journey to understanding and loving her own unique identity is full of dynamic twists and turns.

Tune in to hear how Julie learned to push past the fear of her own greatness, and why representation in media is so critical to our cultural context.

Head over to http://dreammaker3d.org/ to learn more about Julie's organization, and I encourage you to reach out to her if you'd like to get involved.

To find out more about the Hear Us Roar podcast, and sign up for my mailing list, visit www.hurpodcast.com. Please subscribe to the show, and leave a comment, so I know how you feel. I look forward to hearing from you!

There's a reason why Birchbox is such a fun and successful brand! Its personality is a core part of the corporate culture and its creative energy is rooted in the very ethos of the company. COO Pooja Agarwal was thrilled to joined the executive team because she saw it as an opportunity to build and scale a brand new business model for the beauty industry.

Tune in to hear Pooja's tips on what it takes to make a successful cold call/email, how she was able to turn an internship paying $200 a month to a blossoming career, and why we should all value being authentically ourselves.

Head over to www.birchbox.com to get the DL on some beauty must haves.

To find out more about the Hear Us Roar podcast, and sign up for my mailing list, visit www.hurpodcast.com. Please subscribe to the show, and leave a comment, so I know how you feel. I look forward to hearing from you!