This is a different kind of episode. It's just me, sharing what's been happening in my life over the past few weeks, and being honest about something I don't always find easy to admit: I'm not okay right now.I thought 2026 was going to be my year. There have been some incredible highs, but also some devastating lows, and the past few weeks have been especially hard.In this bonus episode, I share what happened when my husband, Eric, experienced a grand mal seizure in the middle of the night, followed by frightening panic attacks and complications that we later learned were likely related to a medication change. I talk about the terror of not knowing if the person you love is going to be okay, the exhaustion of trying to hold everything together for your family, and the anxiety that lingers long after the immediate crisis has passed.I'm still processing what happened, struggling with sleep and trying to figure out how to take care of myself while my husband recovers. I'm incredibly grateful for the friends, neighbours and community members who have shown up for our family in ways that have made an overwhelming time a little more manageable.But that's not the only thing I'm dealing with.I also share a painful update about my estrangement from my parents and a recent conversation between my husband and my dad that brought some old wounds back to the surface. After years of working through childhood emotional abuse, neglect and abandonment, I'm once again confronting the expectation that I should stay silent about what happened to me to protect my family's image.I'm not willing to do that anymore.I talk about the shame of speaking up, the damage that comes from being told your experiences don't matter, and why we have every right to tell our own stories, even when the people in them don't like what we have to say. What happened to us is part of our story, too. We deserve to process it, talk about it and heal without being shamed into silence.This episode is raw, emotional and very personal. I'm sharing it because talking helps me process what I'm going through, and because I know I'm not the only woman navigating trauma, family estrangement, fear, anger or the pressure to pretend everything is fine when it isn't.Sometimes we need to stop trying to be strong for everyone else and admit that we're struggling. We can be grateful for the good in our lives and still be overwhelmed by the hard. We can love our families and still need boundaries. We can have compassion for others without accepting mistreatment.We can be a work in progress without having to pretend we're okay.It's okay not to be okay. You don't have to turn your pain into a lesson before you're ready. You don't have to protect other people's feelings at the expense of your own well-being, and you don't have to go through difficult things alone.If you're struggling right now, I hope this conversation reminds you that you're allowed to ask for help, take a step back and give yourself the same compassion you so readily offer everyone else.Thank you for being here, for listening and for creating a space where we can talk about the things we're so often expected to keep quiet.Sending love to all of you who are going through a hard season. We deserve to be heard, believed, respected and safe.This is Shedding the Shame. And today, I'm reminding myself of the message at the heart of this podcast: we don't have to hide the parts of our lives that hurt.

This is a different kind of episode. It's just me, sharing what's been happening in my life over the past few weeks, and being honest about something I don't always find easy to admit: I'm not okay right now. I thought 2026 was going to be my year. There have been some incredible highs, but also some devastating lows, and the past few weeks have been especially hard. In this bonus episode, I share what happened when my husband, Eric, experienced a grand mal seizure in the middle of the night, followed by frightening panic attacks and complications that we later learned were likely related to a medication change. I talk about the terror of not knowing if the person you love is going to be okay, the exhaustion of trying to hold everything together for your family, and the anxiety that lingers long after the immediate crisis has passed. I'm still processing what happened, struggling with sleep and trying to figure out how to take care of myself while my husband recovers. I'm incredibly grateful for the friends, neighbours and community members who have shown up for our family in ways that have made an overwhelming time a little more manageable. But that's not the only thing I'm dealing with. I also share a painful update about my estrangement from my parents and a recent conversation between my husband and my dad that brought some old wounds back to the surface. After years of working through childhood emotional abuse, neglect and abandonment, I'm once again confronting the expectation that I should stay silent about what happened to me to protect my family's image. I'm not willing to do that anymore. I talk about the shame of speaking up, the damage that comes from being told your experiences don't matter, and why we have every right to tell our own stories, even when the people in them don't like what we have to say. What happened to us is part of our story, too. We deserve to process it, talk about it and heal without being shamed into silence. This episode is raw, emotional and very personal. I'm sharing it because talking helps me process what I'm going through, and because I know I'm not the only woman navigating trauma, family estrangement, fear, anger or the pressure to pretend everything is fine when it isn't. Sometimes we need to stop trying to be strong for everyone else and admit that we're struggling. We can be grateful for the good in our lives and still be overwhelmed by the hard. We can love our families and still need boundaries. We can have compassion for others without accepting mistreatment. We can be a work in progress without having to pretend we're okay. It's okay not to be okay. You don't have to turn your pain into a lesson before you're ready. You don't have to protect other people's feelings at the expense of your own well-being, and you don't have to go through difficult things alone. If you're struggling right now, I hope this conversation reminds you that you're allowed to ask for help, take a step back and give yourself the same compassion you so readily offer everyone else. Thank you for being here, for listening and for creating a space where we can talk about the things we're so often expected to keep quiet. Sending love to all of you who are going through a hard season. We deserve to be heard, believed, respected and safe. This is Shedding the Shame. And today, I'm reminding myself of the message at the heart of this podcast: we don't have to hide the parts of our lives that hurt.

It's Okay Not To Be Okay with Tami

Confidence isn't about feeling fearless.It's about trusting yourself enough to take the first step anyway.In this episode of Shedding the Shame, I sit down with Sheena Yap Chan, Wall Street Journal bestselling author, TEDx speaker, host of The Tao of Self-Confidence podcast, and creator of the VISIBLE™ Framework. For nearly a decade, Sheena has been helping women build confidence and step into leadership, with a special focus on increasing the visibility and representation of Asian women, whose voices and contributions have too often been overlooked.Together, we explore why so many women struggle to recognize their own abilities and how the confidence gap impacts our careers, relationships, and lives.Sheena shares how cultural expectations, imposter syndrome, and the fear of self-promotion can keep women playing small, even when they're more than qualified. We also talk about why simply working hard isn't enough, the importance of advocating for yourself, and how confidence is a skill that can be built.In this episode, we discuss:• What the "confidence gap" really is and why it holds so many women back• Why working hard doesn't always lead to recognition or promotion• The importance of self-advocacy in your career and everyday life• How cultural conditioning can shape the way we see ourselves, especially for Asian women navigating stereotypes and expectations• Navigating imposter syndrome and learning to trust your own voice• Why confidence isn't something you're born with. It's something you practice.• Small, practical ways to become more visible and advocate for yourself, even before you feel readyIf you've ever questioned whether you're qualified enough, worried about speaking up, or waited for someone else to recognize your worth, this conversation is for you.The opportunities you're waiting for may start with believing you're already capable of them.Sheena's Website: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.sheenayapchan.com/" target="_blank">https://www.sheenayapchan.com/</a>LinkedIn: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheenayapchan/" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheenayapchan/</a>Instagram: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/sheena.yap.chan/?hl=en" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/sheena.yap.chan/?hl=en</a>Bridging the Confidence Gap Book: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://a.co/d/0eSzCMZm" target="_blank">https://a.co/d/0eSzCMZm</a>

Confidence isn't about feeling fearless. It's about trusting yourself enough to take the first step anyway. In this episode of Shedding the Shame, I sit down with Sheena Yap Chan, Wall Street Journal bestselling author, TEDx speaker, host of The Tao of Self-Confidence podcast, and creator of the VISIBLE™ Framework. For nearly a decade, Sheena has been helping women build confidence and step into leadership, with a special focus on increasing the visibility and representation of Asian women, whose voices and contributions have too often been overlooked. Together, we explore why so many women struggle to recognize their own abilities and how the confidence gap impacts our careers, relationships, and lives. Sheena shares how cultural expectations, imposter syndrome, and the fear of self-promotion can keep women playing small, even when they're more than qualified. We also talk about why simply working hard isn't enough, the importance of advocating for yourself, and how confidence is a skill that can be built. In this episode, we discuss: • What the "confidence gap" really is and why it holds so many women back • Why working hard doesn't always lead to recognition or promotion • The importance of self-advocacy in your career and everyday life • How cultural conditioning can shape the way we see ourselves, especially for Asian women navigating stereotypes and expectations • Navigating imposter syndrome and learning to trust your own voice • Why confidence isn't something you're born with. It's something you practice. • Small, practical ways to become more visible and advocate for yourself, even before you feel ready If you've ever questioned whether you're qualified enough, worried about speaking up, or waited for someone else to recognize your worth, this conversation is for you. The opportunities you're waiting for may start with believing you're already capable of them. Sheena's Website: https://www.sheenayapchan.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheenayapchan/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sheena.yap.chan/?hl=en Bridging the Confidence Gap Book: https://a.co/d/0eSzCMZm

Confidence isn't about feeling fearless.It's about trusting yourself enough to take the first step anyway.In this episode of Shedding the Shame, I sit down with Sheena Yap Chan, Wall Street Journal bestselling author, TEDx speaker, host of The Tao of Self-Confidence podcast, and creator of the VISIBLE™ Framework. For nearly a decade, Sheena has been helping women build confidence and step into leadership, with a special focus on increasing the visibility and representation of Asian women, whose voices and contributions have too often been overlooked.Together, we explore why so many women struggle to recognize their own abilities and how the confidence gap impacts our careers, relationships, and lives.Sheena shares how cultural expectations, imposter syndrome, and the fear of self-promotion can keep women playing small, even when they're more than qualified. We also talk about why simply working hard isn't enough, the importance of advocating for yourself, and how confidence is a skill that can be built.In this episode, we discuss:• What the "confidence gap" really is and why it holds so many women back• Why working hard doesn't always lead to recognition or promotion• The importance of self-advocacy in your career and everyday life• How cultural conditioning can shape the way we see ourselves, especially for Asian women navigating stereotypes and expectations• Navigating imposter syndrome and learning to trust your own voice• Why confidence isn't something you're born with. It's something you practice.• Small, practical ways to become more visible and advocate for yourself, even before you feel readyIf you've ever questioned whether you're qualified enough, worried about speaking up, or waited for someone else to recognize your worth, this conversation is for you.The opportunities you're waiting for may start with believing you're already capable of them.Sheena's Website: <a href="https://www.sheenayapchan.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.sheenayapchan.com/</a>LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheenayapchan/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheenayapchan/</a>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sheena.yap.chan/?hl=en" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/sheena.yap.chan/?hl=en</a>Bridging the Confidence Gap Book: <a href="https://a.co/d/0eSzCMZm" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://a.co/d/0eSzCMZm</a>

Visibility Is a Skill: Bridging the Confidence Gap with Sheena Yap Chan

Some people find this podcast and wonder...Who is Tami? And why is she talking about shame?In this deeply personal solo episode, I'm answering that question. I'm sharing the experiences I've spent decades carrying quietly, from living with hair loss since I was 15, to growing up in an emotionally unsafe home, navigating religious shame, experiencing abandonment, infertility, miscarriage, grief, family trauma, and the imposter syndrome that still follows me today.For years, I believed these were the parts of my story that needed to stay hidden. Now I've learned that the very things we hide are often the things that connect us most deeply to one another.I also share why I started Shedding the Shame, how this podcast has grown beyond anything I imagined, and why I'll continue creating a space where women can tell the stories they've been told to keep quiet.If you've ever wondered whether your story matters...If you've ever felt like your struggles made you "too much" or "not enough"...Or if you've been carrying something alone for far too long...This episode is for you.Because shame grows in silence. Healing begins when someone is brave enough to speak.

Some people find this podcast and wonder... Who is Tami? And why is she talking about shame? In this deeply personal solo episode, I'm answering that question. I'm sharing the experiences I've spent decades carrying quietly, from living with hair loss since I was 15, to growing up in an emotionally unsafe home, navigating religious shame, experiencing abandonment, infertility, miscarriage, grief, family trauma, and the imposter syndrome that still follows me today. For years, I believed these were the parts of my story that needed to stay hidden. Now I've learned that the very things we hide are often the things that connect us most deeply to one another. I also share why I started Shedding the Shame, how this podcast has grown beyond anything I imagined, and why I'll continue creating a space where women can tell the stories they've been told to keep quiet. If you've ever wondered whether your story matters... If you've ever felt like your struggles made you "too much" or "not enough"... Or if you've been carrying something alone for far too long... This episode is for you. Because shame grows in silence. Healing begins when someone is brave enough to speak.

Who The Hell Am I and I Why Did I Start A Podcast?

Welcome to the very first episode of Shedding the Shame.In this opening conversation, Tami, Founder of Hair Loss Pride, shares the personal story behind this podcast and why she believes shame thrives in silence.Tami opens up about experiencing hair loss at fifteen and how the isolation, pretending, and minimizing were often more painful than the hair loss itself. When she finally began speaking about it publicly, something shifted. Not just for her, but for the women around her.This made her her realize something bigger:Hair loss isn’t the only thing women are whispering about.In this episode, Tami shares her lived experiences with infertility, miscarriage, family estrangement, friendship breakups, layoffs, a parent going to jail, emotional abuse, anxiety, autoimmune disease, and debt; and how carrying those stories quietly shaped her life.This podcast was created to normalize honest conversations about miscarriage, infertility, mental health, estrangement, trauma, identity, and the complicated realities women are often shamed into silence over.Shedding the Shame is not about trauma dumping. It’s not about perfection. It’s about respectful, grounded conversations where women can speak the truth about what they’ve survived and how they rebuilt.If you’ve ever:<ul><li>Felt alone in your pain</li><li>Minimized your own struggles</li><li>Wondered if you were “too much”</li><li>Smiled while carrying something heavy</li></ul>This space is for you.Shame weakens when it’s spoken out loud.This is just the beginning.Let’s shed the shame.Want to be a guest? Fill out the intake form here: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://therealtamiwong.com/podcast" target="_blank">https://therealtamiwong.com/podcast</a>

Welcome to the very first episode of Shedding the Shame. In this opening conversation, Tami, Founder of Hair Loss Pride, shares the personal story behind this podcast and why she believes shame thrives in silence. Tami opens up about experiencing hair loss at fifteen and how the isolation, pretending, and minimizing were often more painful than the hair loss itself. When she finally began speaking about it publicly, something shifted. Not just for her, but for the women around her. This made her her realize something bigger: Hair loss isn’t the only thing women are whispering about. In this episode, Tami shares her lived experiences with infertility, miscarriage, family estrangement, friendship breakups, layoffs, a parent going to jail, emotional abuse, anxiety, autoimmune disease, and debt; and how carrying those stories quietly shaped her life. This podcast was created to normalize honest conversations about miscarriage, infertility, mental health, estrangement, trauma, identity, and the complicated realities women are often shamed into silence over. Shedding the Shame is not about trauma dumping. It’s not about perfection. It’s about respectful, grounded conversations where women can speak the truth about what they’ve survived and how they rebuilt. If you’ve ever:Felt alone in your painMinimized your own strugglesWondered if you were “too much”Smiled while carrying something heavyThis space is for you. Shame weakens when it’s spoken out loud. This is just the beginning. Let’s shed the shame. Want to be a guest? Fill out the intake form here: https://therealtamiwong.com/podcast

Welcome to the very first episode of Shedding the Shame.In this opening conversation, Tami, Founder of Hair Loss Pride, shares the personal story behind this podcast and why she believes shame thrives in silence.Tami opens up about experiencing hair loss at fifteen and how the isolation, pretending, and minimizing were often more painful than the hair loss itself. When she finally began speaking about it publicly, something shifted. Not just for her, but for the women around her.This made her her realize something bigger:Hair loss isn’t the only thing women are whispering about.In this episode, Tami shares her lived experiences with infertility, miscarriage, family estrangement, friendship breakups, layoffs, a parent going to jail, emotional abuse, anxiety, autoimmune disease, and debt; and how carrying those stories quietly shaped her life.This podcast was created to normalize honest conversations about miscarriage, infertility, mental health, estrangement, trauma, identity, and the complicated realities women are often shamed into silence over.Shedding the Shame is not about trauma dumping. It’s not about perfection. It’s about respectful, grounded conversations where women can speak the truth about what they’ve survived and how they rebuilt.If you’ve ever:<ul><li>Felt alone in your pain</li><li>Minimized your own struggles</li><li>Wondered if you were “too much”</li><li>Smiled while carrying something heavy</li></ul>This space is for you.Shame weakens when it’s spoken out loud.This is just the beginning.Let’s shed the shame.Want to be a guest? Fill out the intake form here: <a href="https://therealtamiwong.com/podcast" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://therealtamiwong.com/podcast</a>

Shedding the Shame Intro with Tami Wong

Shedding the Shame is a women’s empowerment podcast where we talk openly about the experiences society tells women to keep quiet.Every episode explores a different experience that can leave women carrying shame, whether that's infertility, emotional abuse, widowhood, alopecia, divorce, career loss, eating disorders, or something else entirely.For generations, women have been conditioned to push through, downplay pain, and stay silent. This podcast challenges that.Shedding the Shame was created by <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/hairlosspride/" target="_blank">Tami Wong</a>, Founder of <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://therealtamiwong.com/" target="_blank">Hair Loss Pride</a>, who knows firsthand what it means to carry shame in silence,Each episode features honest conversations about women’s mental health, healing, identity, personal growth, and resilience. Guests share the shame they carried, how it shaped them, and how they rebuilt their lives with strength and self-trust.There’s no trauma mining and no fixing. Just respectful, thoughtful dialogue and space to be heard.If you’ve ever felt broken, dramatic, or alone because of what you’ve lived through, this podcast is for you.This is for women who are done whispering.Let’s shed the shame.

Society & Culture

Health & Fitness

Mental Health

Relationships

Shedding the Shame is a women’s empowerment podcast where we talk openly about the experiences society tells women to keep quiet. Every episode explores a different experience that can leave women carrying shame, whether that's infertility, emotional abuse, widowhood, alopecia, divorce, career loss, eating disorders, or something else entirely. For generations, women have been conditioned to push through, downplay pain, and stay silent. This podcast challenges that. Shedding the Shame was created by Tami Wong, Founder of Hair Loss Pride, who knows firsthand what it means to carry shame in silence, Each episode features honest conversations about women’s mental health, healing, identity, personal growth, and resilience. Guests share the shame they carried, how it shaped them, and how they rebuilt their lives with strength and self-trust. There’s no trauma mining and no fixing. Just respectful, thoughtful dialogue and space to be heard. If you’ve ever felt broken, dramatic, or alone because of what you’ve lived through, this podcast is for you. This is for women who are done whispering. Let’s shed the shame.

Shedding the Shame is a women’s empowerment podcast where we talk openly about the experiences society tells women to keep quiet.Every episode explores a different experience that can leave women carrying shame, whether that's infertility, emotional abuse, widowhood, alopecia, divorce, career loss, eating disorders, or something else entirely.For generations, women have been conditioned to push through, downplay pain, and stay silent. This podcast challenges that.Shedding the Shame was created by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/hairlosspride/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tami Wong</a>, Founder of <a href="https://therealtamiwong.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Hair Loss Pride</a>, who knows firsthand what it means to carry shame in silence,Each episode features honest conversations about women’s mental health, healing, identity, personal growth, and resilience. Guests share the shame they carried, how it shaped them, and how they rebuilt their lives with strength and self-trust.There’s no trauma mining and no fixing. Just respectful, thoughtful dialogue and space to be heard.If you’ve ever felt broken, dramatic, or alone because of what you’ve lived through, this podcast is for you.This is for women who are done whispering.Let’s shed the shame.

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