Koller Commentary

This week, I had a spontaneous conversation with Janice Tong, formerly Janice Yi, to shed some light on our more "positive" birth experiences, share our pregnancy journeys and scares, and reflect on the overall joys and struggles of motherhood as we prepare for the imminent transition from one to two. Our sons, Levi and Jadon, were born a day apart at the start of lockdown in TX, and now, two years later, we are both preparing to welcome our second babies!

Janice was born and raised in Dallas with a fun path that took her through bible college to corporate life to now stay-at-home mom life while managing operations for Ignis Community. While Janice and I have been acquaintances with various connections over the years, what brought us even closer now is motherhood, and I love how this stage in life can bring us together! Excuse our heavy breathing as we are both in our third trimesters, and enjoy us ajummas babbling about life :)

Janice is an Enneagram 6 and her MBTI is ISFJ - The Defender! Instagram: @jan1cetong

If you eunjoyed this episode, make sure to rate it 5 stars and subscribe so you never miss another! Go to @kollercommentary to comment your key takeaways and share what you want to hear about next! I would love to hear more from you on the topics you want to listen to. Thank you for being a part of this community <3

Go to https://betterhelp.com/koller for 10% off your first month of therapy with BetterHelp and get matched with a therapist who will listen and help #sponsored

This week, I got to sit back down with Grace Yun and hear her reflect on her difficult birth story, celebrate the end of her fourth trimester, and share all the beautifully jumbled reflections of a newborn mama. I know there are a lot of soon-to-be mamas out there, so listen as Grace shares tips for newborn moms and some must-have baby gear for the early days to welcome your little one in soon!

Grace is an Enneagram 7 and her MBTI is ESFP - The Entertainer!

If you eunjoyed this episode, make sure to rate it 5 stars and subscribe so you never miss another! Go to @kollercommentary to comment your key takeaways and share what you want to hear about next! I would love to hear more from you on the topics you want to listen to. Thank you for being a part of this community <3

Go to https://betterhelp.com/koller for 10% off your first month of therapy with BetterHelp and get matched with a therapist who will listen and help #sponsored

This week, I challenge myself to be brave and sit down to vulnerably share reflections from my one year therapy journey thus far! I try to open up with some specific examples and "aha!" moments that revealed the layered hurts that have built within me while still protecting the space that is meant to be fully raw and exposed in just therapy. Thank you for your grace and love as you celebrate this milestone alongside me <3 I hope we can all take small steps to normalize the importance of caring for our mental health. You don't have to be severely struggling to take that first step. 

Enneagram 2w3, MBTI ENFJ - The Protagonist!

If you eunjoyed this episode, make sure to rate it 5 stars and subscribe so you never miss another! Go to @kollercommentary to comment your key takeaways and share what you want to hear about next! I would love to hear more from you on the topics you want to listen to. Thank you for being a part of this community <3

Go to https://betterhelp.com/koller for 10% off your first month of therapy with BetterHelp and get matched with a therapist who will listen and help #sponsored

This week, I sit down with two best friends who became first time dads during the pandemic. I invited them onto the podcast to share their reflections in adjusting to fatherhood and also the unique lens of their strong friendship with one another through many seasons of life. We talked for nearly 2 hours as they reflected on their deep love for each other, their wives, their kids, and how this new identity has completely changed them for the better. While these two just became dads and the journey ahead is still vast and mighty, listening to them honor their wives, share some heavy reflections on how they hope to lead their families, and how they continue to value the pillars of their friendship is inspiring to say the least. Oh, but don't you worry, while there were many sweet words exchanged, I still got them to spill the tea on their reckless days and we even had some gossip time at the end about some of their other male besties ;) I also got rebuked a few times by these Enneagram 3 bros, so listen in for a good time! I bet you'll want to reach out to a dear bestie of yours after the episode ends <3 

Dad #1, Joon Chong, currently lives in Seattle with his wife, Ashley, and daughter, Olivia, who just turned 1. He works as a product manager at Amazon and loves to explore new areas of Seattle, TV shows, foods, and hobbies with his family. Dad #2, Peter is a follower of Jesus, a husband to Kat, a father to 7 month old Elijah, a pastor at Seven Mile Road, and a weary Texas Longhorns fan. In spite of the humidity and traffic, Houston is home and the city he has grown to love a great deal. Happy Father's Day to all you amazing men out there! Your love and sacrifice do not go unnoticed <3  

Both Joon and Peter are Enneagram 3's. Joon's MBTI is ENFJ - The Protagonist while Peter's is INFJ - The Advocate! #literalmatchmadeinheaven 

Make sure to rate 5 stars and subscribe so you never miss an episode! Go to @kollercommentary to comment your key takeaways and join the email list to share what you want to hear about next! I would love to hear more from you on the topics you want to listen to. Eunjoy ~

I can’t believe I got to (virtually) meet Jane Park on the podcast! This week I sit down with her and discuss her journey from establishing herself as a successful professional, to balancing life as a working mom, to making the tough decision to stay home with her kids, to ultimately finding her groove as a TikTok Momfluencer with over 3.5 million followers.

Jane is a digital content creator and mom of two based in Seattle. A former TV news reporter, Jane stumbled onto TikTok at the height of the pandemic, where she shares relatable parenting joys and woes. She's a proud Korean American who is teaching her kids to love their culture and community, often sharing that journey with her social media audience. Jane grew up in the suburbs of Los Angeles, and has lived all over the U.S., including in New York, Chicago, D.C., and Michigan, before moving back to the west coast. Happy AAPI Month!

Jane is an Enneagram 6 and her MBTI is INTJ - The Architect!

Make sure to rate and subscribe so you never miss an episode! Go to @kollercommentary to comment your key takeaways and join the email list to share what you want to hear about next! I would love to hear more from you on the topics you want to listen to. Eunjoy ~

(Content Warning: This episode contains mention of suicidal ideation, self-harm, and sexual abuse while discussing journeys through mental illness) 

As many of you know, May is Mental Health Awareness Month. This week, I invited Sharon Kim onto the podcast to discuss her own mental health and illness journey and her passionate involvement in bringing awareness and bridging the gap for better mental health access for Korean Americans. Sharon serves as the Executive Director at Mustard Seed Generation (MSG), a nonprofit organization that exists to lower mental health barriers in the Korean American community. She was born in Paraguay to Korean parents and grew up in Paraguay, Spain, and China and has worked in Korea and Mexico. Growing up as a global nomad, she experienced hardships that many Third Culture Kids go through, namely anxiety that comes from constantly moving around as well as a sense of rootlessness and identity crisis. Through those experiences, she became passionate about raising awareness of cross-cultural kids to mono-cultural parents and hopes to help strengthen parent-child relationships through MSG. She holds a bachelor's degree in English Language and Literature from Seoul National University and a master's degree in International Education Policy from Harvard Graduate School of Education. Sharon enjoys going anywhere and everywhere on a journey with her brown leather journal, a black pen, and a good book in hand in her spare time.  

Sharon is an Ennegram 1w2 and her MBTI goes between an INFJ - The Advocate and an ENFJ - The Protagonist

This week, I got to sit down with Lily Kim as she reflected on her resilient journey from witnessing her parents' divorce at a young age, entering motherhood as a teenager, and allowing herself to be pruned and pulled to come back full circle to experience a redeeming Love. Lily's story is an inspiring one of surrender, redemption, and hope even in your darkest moments, and I am so grateful that she chose to be vulnerable on the pod with me in this episode. Listen in as you hear her lived experiences and even reflect on your own trials that made you who you are today!

Lily is an Enneagram 1w2 or 3w2 and her MBTI is ENFJ - The Protagonist!

Go to @kollercommentary to comment your key takeaways and join the email list to share what you want to hear about next! I would love to hear more from you on the topics you want to listen to. Eunjoy ~

This week, I invite my husband, Matt, onto the pod to reflect upon our past year of marriage as our 4th anniversary comes up at the end of the month! It's easy for both of us to say that this year was the absolute hardest year of marriage, oftentimes leaving us in despair and hopelessness at what our future looked like. We take time to reflect on the struggles that led to this point, how it affected us personally, and what happened to where we can actually be more in love today than we ever thought possible. Listen in as we reflect on things we would do differently if we could go back in time, ways we've grown as a partner-in-crime, and what we look forward to in the days to come! 

Matt is a controversial Enneagram 9w8 and his MBTI is ESFJ - The Consul! (he was weirdly an ESTP during medical school)

Instagram: @kollerkrew @mattyk62

Make sure to rate and subscribe so you never miss an episode! Go to @kollercommentary to comment your key takeaways and join the email list to share what you want to hear about next! I would love to hear more from you on the topics you want to listen to. Eunjoy ~

This week, I got to chat with Mina Park, a creative and strategist with over 10 years of experience in entertainment and marketing. In 2018, she co-founded a social media agency called Crispy Chicken, securing MTV as their first client. Mina has created content that has garnered hundreds of millions of views online and has been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur and AdWeek. Listen in to hear Mina reflect on her journey that led up to this point, the joys and struggles of starting her own business, and tips to stay creative in this field!

Mina's MBTI is INFJ - The Advocate!

Make sure to rate and subscribe so you never miss an episode! Go to @kollercommentary to comment your key takeaways and join the email list to share what you want to hear about next! I would love to hear more from you on the topics you want to listen to. Eunjoy ~

In this week's episode, I chat with Monica Chung, M.D., on her 11 year journey to soon becoming an attending! Dr. Chung is a board-certified OB/GYN. She completed her residency training at University of Texas Southwestern in Dallas, Texas in 2020. She moved to Houston, Texas, where she is currently training as a Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (REI) specialist to gain experience in the diagnosis and treatment of infertility. 

Monica takes pride in being a second generation Korean American and is extremely close with her family. She is the third of four daughters and considers her sisters her closest friends. During her free time, Monica enjoys traveling, exercising, exploring restaurants and different cuisines, and spending time with her family and friends.  

Monica is an Enneagram 3 and her MBTI is ESTP - The Entrepreneur!

If you loved this episode as much as I did, head on over to rate and subscribe so you never miss an episode! I would love to hear more from you on the topics you want to hear. Go to @kollercommentary to comment your key takeaways and join the email list to share what you want to hear about next! Eunjoy ~