The Undercurrent Podcast

Learning about myself through therapy has been a huge relief and also a struggle. It’s comforting to know the things that have weighed me down have a name and that other people experience it too. It’s also a challenging and humbling experience to face my negative patterns and do the work to heal.

In my conversation with Sonia Tydingco, my childhood friend and sportscaster for NBC Sports, she shares her experience with going to therapy and the life changing effect it had on her. She talked about the emotional abuse she endured in her childhood and past relationships and how it led her to seeking help through therapy, which helped her heal old wounds.

She also talks about the courageous leaps she made in her career - leaving a job in tech to become a waitress and work side jobs (for free!) to jump into a new industry.

If you’re experiencing a rough time in your life and need support, know that there are so many options out there. And therapy could be one of them. Talking to a friend is also another option. If you don't know where you start, maybe you can begin by reaching out to a loved one you trust.

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned through this whole process is that you don’t have to have it all figured out, and you don’t have to do it alone.

When I first started the podcast, I got comments on the sound of my voice. How it sounded smooth and easy to listen to. It was surprising to me, especially knowing how I used to sound. Listening to myself now, I hear a much more confident and grounded woman. Someone who speaks from a deeper place physically, emotionally and spiritually.

The difference? Now I’m living in alignment with my purpose. I’m speaking my truth and no longer performing. And I believe it’s a reflection of the journey I’ve been on over the last several years: leaving the safe and familiar environment of the US, my family and friends and going on a path to find myself.

And after finding my true self, I found my true voice.

In my conversation with Nicola Vella, a voice activation coach and self-proclaimed witch, she shares her life’s work using the power of voice. She believes that everyone has their own unique vocal tone and there is power and magic in finding it. And once you find it, you have access to your authentic, powerful self.

She also talks about ways that she’s helped people physically and emotionally, with trauma and neurological conditions through her work as a voicework coach.

Using your voice might seem like a normal, unspecial thing. We’ve been with it all our lives. But there’s so much more to it. Using it with intention has the power to heal, to self actualize and grow into the person you long to become.

Your voice can be a portal to finding your true self.

Doing something for the first time can be hard, awkward or confusing. Remember how difficult it was learning how to drive a car? At the time, it took all of your focus. And now I’m guessing you can probably multi-task like crazy: switch lanes, sing Adele songs at the top of your lungs and apply lipstick all at once.. You gotta do what you gotta sometimes.

In my conversation with Sheena Yap Chan, speaker, coach and podcast host, she shares the secrets she learned to become super confident after interviewing over 700 women.

She talks about her journey growing up as an Asian woman and how cultural influences and biases make it difficult for women like us to become leaders and show up confidently.

Do you put everyone else first? Do you stay quiet instead of speaking up? Do you doubt yourself regularly? You’re not alone.

You’ll hear sage advice on how to gain confidence and use your power to be the best version of yourself.

As a Filipino American, I grew up with both eastern and western customs, and often created new traditions which are a blend of the two.

In my conversation with Sysamone Phaphon, she shares her experiences straddling eastern and western culture. She grew up in the US but her family is from Laos, where polygamy is perfectly normal. Her father had two wives, and she lived under the same roof with 3 parents and 15 brothers and sisters.

Having this kind of upbringing brought on its hardships, but it also contributed to how Sysamone chose to live her life - as a strong female empowerment leader. She’s had multiple career changes, started a variety of businesses, and got her masters degree while raising a family as a single mother.

She shares her inspiring story and the things she learned on her journey on the podcast this week.

Listen to Episode 35 Now

Do you have a unique upbringing too? What was it like growing up? Share your story.

Studies show that holding on to secrets can cause depression and anxiety. And sharing them can be beneficial for your overall well-being.

We kinda know this info, but still choose not to share because it feels icky and vulnerable.

If you’ve been with me awhile you know that I often share personal stories from my life, past relationships and career that still make me feel uncomfortable thinking about till this day. 

In my conversation with Kimberly Anne, she shares one big secret she’d kept to herself for a long time (trigger warning: it’s about rape). This traumatic experience had been weighing her down for years until she decided to take ownership of her story and create a new narrative that helped her heal and connect with others who had been in similar situations.

Her story is compelling. It gave me the chills. I’ve never seen anyone turn their pain into power quite like Kimberly Anne has in this podcast episode.

Listen to Episode 34 Now

If you are in the process of healing from something, you’re not alone. I hope you find comfort in knowing that there are probably many others out there who share a similar experience. Don’t be afraid to reach out and connect 💕

According to the women in the workplace report, women who are “only’s” (like me and a lot of you) have especially difficult day-to-day experiences.

“Onlys stand out, and because of that, they tend to be more heavily scrutinized. Their successes and failures are often put under a microscope, and they are more likely to encounter comments and behavior that reduce them to negative stereotypes. ‘Double Onlys’ (like women of color) face even more bias, discrimination, and pressure to perform, and they are even more likely to be experiencing burnout.”

Does this resonate? You’re not alone.

In my conversation with artist and writer Adeline Er, she shares similar challenges she experienced in the workplace and in her daily life and how in combination with her Asian background, led her to suppressing her identity and voice. 

Adeline talks about her sexual and spiritual awakenings and how they led her to finding healing and her true self expression.

Listening to Episode 33 now

Have you ever experienced lonely feelings from being an “only” at work or in life in general?

Would you find it helpful to join a community of like-minded people to support and uplift you and help you achieve your biggest goals?

This is something that’s near and dear to my heart and what I’ve been considering creating for a long time. It’s so important to have people in your corner who understand you and can help you get to where you want to go.

I’m ready to connect in this way. Are you?

I’ve done a lot of personal work and moved on from accepting scraps. But the reason why I was in this situation back then was because I had a subconscious belief that I was unworthy of real love. 

My programming kept me stuck in toxic relationships where I was perpetually betraying and disrespecting myself, and allowing other men to do the same.

When I finally got sick of my behavior, I decided that I was done with kissing frogs and ready to do whatever it took to change. I was ready to manifest a relationship and life that reflected the emotionals wanted to feel more often: love, peace and joy.

Lani Nalu is a women’s coach who I interviewed on the podcast recently and she shares her wisdom that led her to create the life of her dreams. She had previously been in an on-again, off-again abusive marriage and went on a courageous journey of self-awareness and healing to manifest her ideal partner.

Lani also talks about the other challenges she’s faced: growing up with emotional and physical abuse, being 30K in debt, her paralyzing fear and doubt, and how she was able to overcome all of this adversity through making big decisions and consciously sticking to them.

Listen to Episode 32 Now

Are you in a place where you feel stuck? Where the path ahead looks tough or has too many options.? Or maybe there isn’t a path at all and you need to carve one out for yourself.

It could be a sign that you’re moving into your next chapter of life. In my experience, every evolution we go through comes along with some discomfort and uncertainty. And on the other side comes comfort, confidence and a deeper sense of self.

One of the best decisions I’ve made during times like these was to hire a life coach to guide me through. I gained the clarity and direction I needed to get out of the hamster wheel I felt I was stuck in and the traction and sense of control that I needed to transform my life.

If this is where you are right now, you can book a call with me or even set up a time to meet in person (I’m in SF in November and Europe in December!). Click here to meet up!

I changed careers, moved to Bali, healed a bunch of stuff and started a business - things that weren’t in my original life plan but are a big part of what brings me joy today.

In my interview with Rosanna, an ultra tri-athlete, coach and healer, she tells the story of her  incredible life: from living on a very cold and tiny island near Sweden, spending years in Pakistan, living on a sailboat with her young family and becoming a professional athlete in her late 30's while living in Bali. 

She went on a similar journey of finding herself and "stripping back the conditioning and beliefs that don't belong” and carved a unique path of her own.

Listen to Episode 31 now

Are you finding yourself feeling misaligned in your career, relationships or life in general? It could be a sign that it’s time to shift into a new phase of your life. It might be a little daunting to face, but you’re definitely not alone.

The world has changed over the last couple of years and it makes sense that we are changing along with it. And things that once seemed safe and familiar no longer feel like they fit. 

One of the best decisions I’ve made during times like these was to hire a life coach to guide me through. I gained the clarity and direction I needed to get out of the hamster wheel I felt I was stuck in, and the traction and sense of control that was necessary for me to step into the next chapter of my life.

Even if you’re on the fence you can easily book a call with me or set up a time to meet in person (I’m in SF / LA in November and Europe in December). Click here to connect.

Sometimes we make life harder than it has to be.

In my conversation with Anné Klint, we talk all about this topic and how women especially put so much pressure on themselves to perform. We overwork, we ignore our needs, we lose touch with our true selves. We put our physical and mental health at risk trying to conform to society’s standards of success and what others think will make us happy.

She shares her story of how her life “blew up” at the peak of her career, how she healed physically and emotionally from this experience, and how it became the impetus to changing her career and becoming a spiritual healer and coach.

Anné passionately believes we aren’t meant to suffer. And that we were born to flourish.

Listen to Episode 30 Now

Going on a self-awareness and healing journey has transformed my life in the best way. I’ve eliminated a lot of the suffering I was unintentionally putting myself through and replaced it with more joy, self-love and inner peace.

If you’re a healing journey and want inspiration and helpful tips on how to connect more deeply with yourself, you can read my blog article, 15 Effective Ways to Improve Your Relationship With Yourself.

In this podcast episode, you’ll learn what procrastination really is, why we do it and also receive helpful tips on how to stop procrastinating. I also share my personal experiences with procrastination and a theory about how people from marginalized groups (like women of color) might be more prone to this behavior.

There’s a misconception that procrastination is due to laziness and poor time management. And while that can sometimes be the case, procrastination is more likely to do with how we regulate our emotions.

If you’re a chronic procrastinator or want to work on minimizing this pattern through improving emotional regulation, you can start by downloading my FREE PDF guide on Understanding Emotions.