Inspirations In My Backyard

Jason Yap is a professional dancer, the first Asia full-time dancer at Divadlo Študio Tanca, a performing arts theatre in Slovakia. He sees  himself living his dream life now, but not many people knew he had faced  many challenges before:

Apart from his secret self-talks and decisions which made his dream come true, you will also hear:

You may have met a person who is a magician or a lecturer, but what about an entertaining educator who is doing both? Ross made it happen.  In this episode, I got to listen to his whole journey and the joys and struggles of his magician life.

But more than that, I believe his story is relatable to many of you, especially if you are from an Asian background:

Also, you can watch his zoom magic tricks during our chat from here: https://youtu.be/cC6qOnc4zCM. Enjoy!

Sam Shlansky is an award-winning community advocate, supporter and leader. He brings together diverse communities to create a fairer future for all. He wants to connect with people and help them to find their awesome not only for themselves but also for others. He believes  Australia needs to better engage with the world.

In this episode, Sam tells us why he is passionate about what he is doing by reflecting on his entire journey.

To my surprise, despite being a “philanthropist captain” at his high school, all he wanted to do was to become a school teacher.

However, what happened that led him to find his current purpose? Join me to listen to his interesting stories behind: the important lessons that he learned at his residential college, the profound moment during his development study program in Indonesia, and the most special event that he organised in his country-town. His journey truly shows the possibility of creating his human by human change.

Also, you will find out how to be a culturally sensitive person and his tips for international students on how to create better connections.

Two years ago, Kaley Chu started a mission: to have 100 lunches with 100  strangers within a year. For others, it might not be a big deal. But for her, it’s a huge step. Her shyness had severely impacted her life.  Therefore, a decision was made after an emergency meeting.

However,  Kaley didn’t know that this journey has completely transformed her in every way. She is now a TEDx speaker, an author and an entrepreneur who is passionate about building meaningful networks for others. She firmly believes that “Anyone who has 100 lunches with strangers will have a better life.”

In this episode, Kaley shared with me her whole journey, memorable lunches, reflections, and great tips about self-discovery,  communication, networking and resilience. A story about determination,  self-confidence, compassion and growth.

Want to participate in 100 lunches too? Check out https://100lunches.com/.

Mario Pizarro had a humble beginning. When he first moved to  Australia from Chile, he was only 15, with no extended family, no friends, unable to speak the language and no money. But after shifting his mindset, he changed his life completely: from being a nail bender to a  director of 12 companies, generating hundreds of millions of dollars in  revenue. More importantly, he is now transforming the lives of thousands of people, helping people and making them believe in themselves.

In this episode, Mario reveals his life-changing moment and thought processes. Also, he shares his tips for new immigrants and his top three daily habits.

Recommended books:

n Part 2 I stepped closer to Helena’s life to hear more about the reflections about her life so far, such as the biggest lesson that she learned, good habits that she has, her happiness source, and dreams.

Also, I didn’t expect to hear these from her. Listen in to find out why:

When we talk about immigrants, we may think of challenges a lot, but Helena shows us another possibility.

Listen to Part 1 to find out:

In Part 2, I stepped closer to Beatriz’s past to hear more about her personal journey and her findings as a researcher in China space and higher education.

For me, as a Chinese, to hear views from a researcher from another country Mexico was interesting. I also resonated a lot from her personal reflections.

Listen in to find out more:

Beatriz is very passionate about making social changes. Currently,  her work is around widening participation of unrepresented groups of  university students to foster a more inclusive environment.

However, this passion initially came from her own mid-life crisis.

Listen to part one to find out more about her project and stories behind.

In Part 2, find out more about Nathaniel, what made him the person he is: