Extraordinary Asian Women: Recent Episodes
Claudia Chan
Extraordinary Asian Women is a podcast featuring Asian women and the journey to their extraordinary lives. My name is Claudia Chan, and In this journey together, I’ll help you build the curiosity to know yourself, the compassion to love yourself, and the courage to be yourself, in order to bring out the unicorn in you! As a Life Coach, wife and mom, I will share with you my stories, along with other Asian women, to inspire and encourage you to live the life you’d always dreamed of! I’m excited about this! Let’s go!
This is a quick hypnobreathwork session to help our body release any stored anxiety or fear.
To see the polyvagal chart.
The hypnobreathwork exercise starts at 13:10
If you want more training like this, join me in the FB group, Journey to Me
A super embarrassing story, and yet, here we are.
Having my mom followed me to the airport, and finding out I was lying. I wasn’t going to Buenos Aires alone, I was going with my bf.
It wasn’t just the external force, between my mom and I.
It was an internal force.
This was one of the bigger fights with my parents, because I could actually stand.
There were so many times, I felt I couldn’t stand for me. I just kept being pushed.
Every two steps I forge ahead, I was pushed back 10.
And yet, it’s more than that.
Not just external, it’s internal.
It’s me against me. The internal guilt, that I wasn’t the good daughter they wanted me to be. The doubt, am I making the right decision? What if it was a bad one? The fear… of having to face my parents.
If you know, you know.
I’m sharing to let you know that I understand fully.
And as much as we want to figure out what can we say or do to make them understand, there is no such thing.
We can’t change them, we can only change ourselves.
We let them be them, we let us be us.
So let’s go on a journey, to heal ourselves, to figure out our wants, and build the courage to take that stand.
If you want to join, there are so many ways.
Come to the FB group “Journey to Me”
Join my 5-day free training to let go of guilt.
Watch my training videos.
Book a time with me.
You’re not alone, we can do this, together.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2249634185512389
healingjourney
#toxicparents
#familytrauma
#boundariesmatter
#emotionalhealing
I've created a group for Adult Children who have very traditional, controlling, manipulative parents, who now just want to live for themselves.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2249634185512389
I was the daughter who was very obedient, who wanted to please my family. I studied hard, and worked hard. And yet I wanted more than the traditional path.
So when I came upon the time to decide on my life partner, I had to make a very difficult choice. Do I please my parents and make myself unhappy? Or do I choose myself, and watch them walk away?
Because obedience equals love. If I don’t obey, that means I don’t love them, don’t respect them.
It took me a long time to separate these two things.
Luckily my parents came around. And yet I know there are many people whose parents are not like that, very toxic and controlling.
And that’s why I created this group, so we can walk through this together.
Because I know it can be quite lonely and scary.
I’ll be creating training videos and sharing stories in this group.
I’ll see you in there. https://www.facebook.com/groups/2249634185512389
This week, we talk about the concept of Delulu is the Solulu - "Delusion is the Solution".
And we shared about what that looks like for each of us.
Believing that things are going to work out no matter what.
Dealing with disappointment, and being able to go back to tease out the limiting beliefs.
How seeing our parents (and our ancestors) doing their best.
Also how for those of us with parents who don't love us, seeing our lives as the Hero's Journey.
This month, stay delusional! We hope you're a magnetic for the magic in your life.
A little more about Phoebe Maina (@selflovewithphoebe )
A heart break and the lost of her best friend propelled Phoebe to a deep practice of self-love, which forever changed the trajectory of her life. From being a model, an aeronautical engineer to now a Self-Love Coach and Speaker. Other things she love: her cat, the gym & dancing in elevators.
A bit about Claudia Chan: from playing super small and chock full of self-doubt to becoming an award winning speaker, a Courage Coach, and the queen of burning everything down just so she can have fun along the way.
Things she love: her son, her husband, Japan, and tango and salsa around the world.
Today, we opened our conversation to share things that are getting too real.
We shared about this mean inner voice we have.
We talked about gratitude, our dreams, of what we want to see happen.
If you want to connect with us:
Phoebe:
https://www.instagram.com/selflovewithphoebe/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/phoebe-maina-22109222b/
Claudia:
https://www.instagram.com/claudiachan.co/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/claudia-chan-coaching/
Starting this week, Phoebe and myself are going to go live once a week for 30 min, come together for a chat on Youtube. And the recording will also be uploaded here.
This week, we talked about friendship, and choice.
Have a listen, and would love any feedback!
Sometimes when two people come together, we may come into conflict.
If only this person can do that! Or I have to behave this way.
Many of it can be traced back to our childhood, while growing up, we had written ourselves a book of expectations.
And the only way to make changes to the list is to get to know what is written in this book.
That’s why Phoebe Maina and myself hosting our 9th Radiant Blossom: My expectations in and within my relationships.
I fucked up a lot this year.
I mean … I said yes when I should have & needed to say no.
I hesitated saying “HECK YES” to what felt in alignment.
I waited too long when opportunities came up.
I put off doing the big things & the small, almost inconsequential ones.
Some days I ended up with a longer to do list than I started the day with.
Point is, I failed A LOT.
I fucked up one too many times.
And yes, I took multiple detours in 2024.
But you see, in the detours, failures & fuckery / fuckedupness, I grew, I stretched & ended up exactly where I was meant to be.
I became who I am & I drew invaluable life lessons that I will take with me to the next phase of my life.
How about you? Did you win a lot? Did you kiss rock bottom at least once in 2024?
Join my beautiful soul sister @claudiachan.co & I, for our 10th & final Radiant Blossom in 2024, on the 28th Dec 9:00am, Beijing Time (8pm Eastern 27th), where we will all celebrate the detours, fuck-ups & wins in a safe space.
Come as you are & Bring all of who you are.
DM for the Zoom link.
From the deepest parts of who I am,
I see you & I love you.
WHAT'S HOLDING ME/YOU BACK?
When the world is quiet and you’re truly alone and with your mind, what do you think about? What do you hope for? Follow that. - Bianca Sparacino
Now, what's holding you back from going all in after the deep seated desires of your soul? What's holding you back from saying Yes and jumping in head first? What's holding you back?
Join us for Part 2 of The Becoming Series, on the 17th of August, 9:00am Beijing Time (16th of August, 9:00pm Eastern) where my girl @claudiachan.co and I, will sit with you and explore this question deeper.
I can't wait to see you then!
Love you loads.
9th August, 2020, I walked into a changing room that changed my life.
The stylist took one long look at me, sized me up & down … and blatantly said how not quite right my body was.
How unokay & unpropotional I was.
Hips too wide … check.
Boobs too small … check.
Ass too big … check.
…
& that ripped away at my self-confidence.
I thought I was enough & pretty enough & good enough to be a model. To be a pretty girl. To be a p… person.
But here I’m standing … blinking away at these hot tears fighting their way through & eventually streaming down my face … two minutes away from my runway walk. Damn!
You see … your body is your own, with all its perks, all its perfections & imperfections.
Your body is your own.
There’s no body like it out there.
Only one of a kind. And that’s the one you’ve been gifted to walk this life with.
& yet sometimes we have a tendency to perhaps look outside of ourselves, for validation.
To maybe wait for someone else to praise how we look, move & do life, with our bodies.
Sometimes, we may end up using what someone may have said about us as evidence that we aren’t good enough.
Has there been a time in your life, where maybe just maybe, you may have felt this way?
Mmmh.
I see you.
Yes. I do.
And sis, you are not alone.
Join us on the 28th June @9pm EST / 29th June 9am Beijing Time, where my incredible friend @claudiachan.co & I will be sharing from our souls, some struggles we’ve had when it came to loving & appreciating our bodies … as they are …
Bring your heart, your soul & be ready to get loved on as you also get to love on your beautiful body.
Because the truth is …
You have a beautiful body that matches your beautiful soul.
When the world is quiet and you’re truly alone and with your mind, what do you think about? What do you hope for? Follow that. - Bianca Sparacino
Man, this quote ... When all the distractions are gone ...
When your phone's off & your laptop is shut ...
When all your friends are away ...
and you're by yourself ... all alone ... with nothing but time & quiet ...
What do you think about?
What do you dream about?
What do you hope for? Wish for?
...
Join us this Saturday where my girl @claudiachan.co and I will be holding space for us to explore this question ... What do I really want? ...
As always,
I see you & I love you.
This is our second community event, Radiant Blossom! Each month, we put together an event where we’ll do a deep dive into a topic.
Phoebe Maina and I explored what it means to belong to ourselves (vs. how we were taught to give up who we are to fit in), so we can stand a little taller, speak a little louder.
If you’re interested in more resources, here’re some free gifts from us.
Claudia:
If you find yourself having a lot of deep emotions, like guilt, anger, pain, I have this resource for you so you can Flip the Table: https://claudiachan.co/flip-the-table/
Phoebe: Self-love Playlist, so that you can move your body to these music!
https://selflovewithphoebe.ck.page/
If you’d like to get in touch with us:
Claudia: https://www.instagram.com/claudiachan.co/
Phoebe: https://www.instagram.com/selflovewithphoebe/
Welcome to the first community event Radiant Blossom, held by Phoebe Mania and myself, Claudia Chan.
Each month, we’re putting together an event where we’ll do a deep dive into a topic.
For this first one, we talk about Holding Fear. Being afraid to do something is super uncomfortable. We got a chance to sit with our fear, and hold it in our arms, so we can understand how it shows up in our body. We also got a chance to recite some affirmations, so that we give our heart and brain the love that they deserve.
If you’re interested in more resources, here’re some free gifts from us.
Claudia: Give yourself a chance to Flip the Table and let out some of the pent up stress and anger.
https://claudiachan.co/flip-the-table/
Phoebe: Self-love Playlist, so that you can move your body to these music!
https://selflovewithphoebe.ck.page/
If you’d like to get in touch with us:
Claudia: https://www.instagram.com/claudiachan.co/
Phoebe: https://www.instagram.com/selflovewithphoebe/
Grief is a damn heavy topic let alone sitting or being with it!
It's all the unspent love that gathers at the corners of your eyes and behind your throat.
It's the knot in your stomach when you see an old photo of you best friend that ... well, once made you happy.
It's the wailing in the middle of the night once you remember the last conversation you had or the last time you may have been too busy to pick up.
It's all the hours you spend wishing you'd had more time.
It's the quiet way your heart breaks when you remember that they won't be physically present for all your milestones.
It's in all the words left unsaid.
It's in the emptiness. The silence. The pain.
No! I don't wanna have this conversation!
Yes! We're gonna have this conversation!
So, bring your broken heart, a shovel, a blanket and a box of tissues. We're gonna go deep, be with it and sit with it!
But we'll do it together!
Always together.
From the deepest parts of me,
the healed and unhealed parts of my heart,
I see you & I love you!
Bring all of you!
Loving all of you begins by building self-trust.
I wanna write a whole paragraph about why you should join us on the 20th at 9am, but my brain’s fried & I can’t formulate full sentences that make sense.
So, I’ll ask you this,
How different would your life be, if you trusted yourself a little more?
If you were able to fully show up for yourself & therefore show up for everyone else in your life in the best possible way?
How different would your life be, if you began feeling safe in your body, again?
Mmmh. Join us on the 20th of April at 9am Beijing Time, 19th April 9pm Eastern, and let’s explore self-trust together.
Bring your heart & soul.
I see you & I love you.
Just before my 23rd birthday, I asked my best friend Carren, who’s now my Angel ,
What does friendship mean to you?
What does a healthy friendship look like for you?
What’s the point of friendship? Really?
Having had a lot of failed friendships in the past, I truly thought that I was just terrible at this thing!
I had a tendency of leaving people before they left.
What’s the point of having them if they’re gonna hurt you & leave you, was a question always never too far away from my mind.
So you know what Carren said to me?
Phoebe, I don’t always know if a friendship will always work out or not. But I think the experience is worth it.
Even when it doesn’t work out in the end.
Because the moments of connection, the safe space, the vulnerability, the rib-cracking laughter, bad jokes & all … those will always be with you even after the person is no longer in your life.
And a healthy friendship really just means,
A safe space in the shape of a person.
Someone who sees you, loves you & is willing to lend you their strength till your wings grow back.
Someone who you call on the best days of your life & one who will sit with you on the other end of the call as you cry your eyes out till you go deaf from your own voice.
Someone who will be with you in the hallways of those in-between moments of life.
&
Whether a day or a decade,
No matter the length of time or depth of the season,
It will always be worth it.
Now at 26, with an Angel in the shape of my best friend Carren, I know like I know that I know … the power of friendship & community.
Yes, I can do life alone.
But no, I don’t want to.
& no, I don’t ever have to.
Of all types of wealth, what I’m most proud of & deeply grateful for, is my friendship wealth.
Which is why I’m fucking excited to be speaking on this very topic at our next Radiant Blossom #5.
The power of community .
I hope to see you there!!!!!
From my heart to yours,
I see you & I love you.
In this episode of Extraordinary Asian Women podcast, I’m super excited to introduce you to my guest today! From having a house with white picket fence, designer clothes, 1 vacation per year to living in 4 countries over the past 2 years. She shared with us how she packed of her family for 4 into 6 suitcases and now living in Tokyo Japan.
I introduce to you Veronica Hanson
Veronica talked the expectations she came to realize she was living under. To distinguish for ourselves the need to be accepted by other people rather than being able to accept ourselves for who we are.
She shared with us how to become a minimalist, to identify the 3 reasons why we hold onto materialistic things.
Veronica also talked about identifying the 3 level of dreams within ourselves, and how to go after the 3rd level, which is the dream we really want for ourselves.
You really don’t want to miss this episode!!
Connect with Veronica
veronicahanson.com
www.facebook.com/nomadveronica
www.instagram.com/nomadveronica
About Veronica
I did all the things that were supposed to make me happy. I got married, I had 2 children, I balanced my home and career, I had an actual white picket fence. Everyone told me I would be happy when I got to that spot in my life. But I wasn't happy. I created a life based on social approval and family expectations. I didn't want a house in the suburbs, one vacation per year, or designer clothing. One day I decided to become a minimalist. A little while later I decided to become a nomadic family. People had all sorts of negative stuff to say which they disguised as concern for my well being. My family for 4 fits into 6 suitcases and we've lived or long term stayed in 4 countries over the past 2 years. Currently we live in Tokyo Japan.
In this episode of Extraordinary Asian Women, I’m super excited to have Christina Vo!
Christina shared her journey to finding happiness and fulfillment through writing. She was able to develop a deeper understanding of her mom, dad and herself.
Christina also shared with us tips on how one can use writing as a way to heal oneself and develop a stronger voice.
You can also preorder her book The Veil Between Two Worlds.
It is an amazing episode! Don’t miss it!
Connect with Christina:
christinavo.com
christinavo.substack.com
facebook.com/stina.vo
https://www.instagram.com/stina_vo/
About Christina
Christina Vo is a writer based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The Veil Between Two Worlds, her debut memoir, will be published in April 2023. She is currently working on her second memoir. Christina previously worked for international organizations in Vietnam and Switzerland, including UNICEF and the World Economic Forum, among other institutions. She also ran a floral design business in San Francisco. She is a graduate of the London School of Economics and Political Science and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. You can learn more at: christinavo.com
In this episode of Extraordinary Asian Women, I have an amazing guest with me! Lilian Wee
She shared her story with us about how she uprooted her life from Singapore to Houston, Texas, going through the dark journey of feeling alone in a new and foreign land.
Through her therapy work, she was able to have a better relationship with her husband, she found her happiness and purpose by building her own community, and creating her podcast, Heart Open ConversAsians.
Don’t miss this episode!
Connect with Lilian
https://www.instagram.com/heartopenconvers_asians/
About Lilian
Podcast host of heartopenconvers_asians
Specialist in Commercialization of Offshore Transportation of Ultra Large Cargoes | Female Empowerment Advocator | Amplifying Asian Voices & Stories through Podcasting
In this episode of Extraordinary Asian Women, I have an amazing guest with me! Gail Mariel shared with us her experience for being a Filipino Woman who had gone into the corporate world instead of the medical fields as expected. She learned to overcome her imposter syndrome to let her talent and skills shine through.
She also shared with us the 5 different types of imposter and the 3 things to do to overcome imposter syndrome.
Don’t miss this episode!
Connect with Gail
www.gailmeriel.com
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086974834914
https://www.linkedin.com/in/gail-meriel-mba-pmp-6943894/
About Gail
Gail Meriel is a Project Manager, award-winning motivational speaker, author and coach. She holds an MBA degree, Professional Project Management certification, and has over 25 years of corporate experience. She has also been recognized as one of the Inspiring Women in Technology 2021 by the Association of Telecom, Mobility and IT Management Professionals. Gail lives in the Chicago area with her husband and golden retriever. Her greatest accomplishment is her 20-year-old son, a college junior who is an instrument-rated private pilot and plays Division II baseball.
I have an amazing guest with me on this episode of Extraordinary Asian Women! She is a naturopathic doctor based in San Jose, CA. She decided to pursue this career as an avenue to explore whole person healing.
Along with it, she is an international best selling author of the book Asian Women Trailblazers Who BossUp and of the eBook The Best Book on Naturopathy, a guide for starting a career in naturopathic medicine.
I’d like to introduce you to Dr. Julie Tran-Olive
In this episode, Dr. Julie shared with us her journey of becoming a naturopathic doctor, and her struggle with dealing with her own body image.
Which led us to the discussion of self-care.
One of the tips she shared with us was how to master our calendar. It is important for us to schedule this time for ourselves.
She explained the importance of choosing ourselves first, because our family is dependent on us. When we choose ourselves, then we can be healthy enough to be there for them.
Also, Dr. Julie shared with us how self-care can be really easy!
Don’t miss this episode!
Get in touch with Dr. Julie Tran
https://svnaturalhealth.com/
https://www.facebook.com/svnaturalhealth
https://www.instagram.com/svnaturalhealth/
https://svnaturalhealth.com/bossupbook/
Dr. Julie’ Bio
Dr. Julie Tran-Olive, ND, L.Ac, is a native of San Jose, CA. She earned a BA in Psychology from The University of Redlands in CA. During her undergraduate studies, she interned at the Loma Linda Behavioral Medical Center as a Behavioral Health Specialist. Inspired by the idea that there is more to healing than just changing brain chemistry, Dr. Tran-Olive decided to pursue a career in naturopathic medicine as an avenue to explore whole person healing.
An avid researcher and clinician, Dr. Tran-Olive enjoys writing articles and keeping patients abreast of new treatment methods. She is an international best selling author of the book Asian Women Trailblazers Who BossUp and of the eBook The Best Book on Naturopathy, a guide for starting a career in naturopathic medicine.When not researching or seeing patients she enjoys relaxing, music and spending time with her husband.
In this episode of Extraordinary Asian Women, I had an amazing time speaking with Amanda Ma.
Amanda talked about how she got into event planning. She also shared with us how she processed the fear she faced and the mindset change required for her to turn the situation around when the pandemic hit.
There are many amazing nuggets in this episode, don't miss out!
Connect with Amanda:
Website
LinkedIn
Bio:
Amanda Ma is the Founder and CEO of Innovate Marketing Group, an award-winning experience agency based in Los Angeles that provides full-service event management service for top brands such as TikTok, Google, and East West Bank (Live, hybrid, virtual event experiences). Through her leadership, the company has flourished into one of the most distinguished experience agencies both locally and nationally. Her mission is to help fuel brands to change lives for the better. Amanda has 17+ years of experience in business, event management & marketing. During the pandemic, her
events company not only did not close but thrived. Her pandemic pivot story of 0 to 250 continues to shine to inspire others. She was named "Top 100 Most Influential People in the Event Industry Globally" by Eventex and Bizbash Top 500 most influential event professionals in the US. She is recognized as a business and community leader. She is also host of the EventUp Podcast.A collaborative leader, she is consistently sought out as a trusted strategic advisor. She currently sits on
numerous boards. When she is not working with the White House or secret service, you can find her spending time with her family or traveling.
In this episode of Extraordinary Asian Women, I got a chance to interview Marilen Crump. She shared with us her epiphany moment when she decided to go after what she wanted in her life.
Marilen also taught us her D.R.E.A.M strategy to achieve our goals!
Make sure you don't miss this one!
Connect with Marilen:
Website
Facebook
LinkedIn
Instagram
Bio:
Marilen Crump is the owner of ARTINSPIRED, LLC and is a sought-after Business Developer and Marketing Strategist based in Yorktown, VA. She serves on the board of the York County Chamber of Commerce and recently launched the "Phenomenal Female Business Network" where she serves as it's President and Creative Programs Director. She is also the owner of multiple brands such as "$1k in a Day Program", "Online Course Creators Community", and "VAPC Video, Photography, Audio Classes."
In this episode, I had a wonderful time speaking with Vanya Wryter. She shared with us how she came to redefine her dual identity of being Chinese Canadian, and talked about what cultural identity means to her. Vanya also shared with us a few tips on how to define and own our identity.
Connect with Vanya
Website: Vanya Wryter
LinkedIn: Vanya Wryter
Bio: Vanya is a workplace training consultant who has found herself in some unusual and memorable workplaces in the name of workplace education. After traveling to remote regions of Canada, to standing at the top of highrises still under construction, she has gathered over 10 years of experience learning about people’s jobs and designing training to improve job skills. She has worked for startups, entrepreneurs, colleges, not-for-profits, government agencies, and various companies to improve the efficiency of training and business operations processes.
In this episode, I have the opportunity to speak with the beloved Tess Vergara. She shared with us her journey through her depression and burnt out. Finding her identity after her children had grown.
Tess shares with us the 4 pillars in our lives, and teaches us how to align these 4 pillars so that we can return to wholeness.
She also shares with us how to shift from fear power to soul power, so that we can tap into our soul's uniqueness.
If you want to take a look at the poster behind Tess, here it is!
Connect with Tess:
Website: Soul Powered Leaders
Podcast: Soul Power to the People
Tess Vergara Bio:
Soul Powered Executive Coach Tess Vergara addresses the conflicts many executives face between mind and heart, soul and ego. Through her coaching programs, Tess guides executives, leaders and change makers to the shift from fear power to Soul Power so they can fulfill their unique mark in the world. Soul Power is the revolution that helps leaders achieve financial freedom and abundance, master productivity and creativity, and gain true wealth and happiness in a way that feels good and right without compromise and inner conflict.
She is the host of Soul Power To The People Podcast shedding light on crimes against humanity.
I am so excited to bring back this wonderful guest, Leslie Lew! I'd interviewed her once before, and I can call her my soul sister!
Leslie and I chatted about how to stand in your power through your mind, body and soul. So many times, Asian women are afraid to fight back, because they believe they lack in the physical strength. But the first thing Leslie teaches is to help you shift your mindset first, before tapping into the use of your voice and body.
Connect with Leslie at
Website: Reclaim Your Courage
Instagram: @reclaimyourcourage - keep a lookout for her Kimchi Slap videos!
Get your Practical Street Defense Basics Training video - awesome videos where Leslie teaches you practical moves so you can go home safely!
Bio:
Leslie Lew is the Founder of Reclaiming Your Courage, a Trauma-informed Self-Defense Coach, international best-selling author, and speaker. She values love, courage and community. Leslie is a second-generation Korean and Chinese American, mother of two, and wife. She is a San Francisco native and has been a martial artist for over 20 years.
Leslie helps professional women and mothers stand in their power through mind, voice, and body. At the start of the pandemic, Leslie was deeply impacted by the rise of anti-Asian hate crimes. She has dedicated her life to #stopasianhate and strengthening her community by helping Asian women find their voice and not fall victim to being perceived as easy prey.
Her mission is to save the lives of AAPI womxn and allies to the BIPOC, Latinx, LGBTQIA+, Neurodivergent, and Differently Abled communities.
I have an amazing guest on this episode today! She is a life coach helping women live a joyful fulfilling life! She is an unshakable optimist, wife, mom, entrepreneur, workshop facilitator, motivational speaker, author and host of The Lucy Liu Show.
I'd like to introduce you to Lucy Liu!
In this episode, Lucy shared with us how she overcame the obstacle of having the same name as the Hollywood Star Lucy Liu, and how she fully embraced her name and thrived.
She also shared tips on what we can do to shatter the self-imposed glass ceilings and cultivate Rock Star Confidence!
If you want to double your confidence in 30 seconds, you can get your freebie here!
Connect with Lucy:
Website: lucyliucoaching.com
Instagram: @mslucyliu
Facebook: @mslucyliu
Twitter: @mslucyliu
LinkedIn: @mslucyliu
Podcast: The Lucy Liu Show
So many times, we feel like we need to have our alone time. We need to get away from other people.
That is because a lot of times, who we're presenting to the outside world is very different from who we really are on the inside.
In this episode, I present to you what exactly is happening on the external and internal levels, which makes you want to remove yourself from other people.
If you'd like to work on this area, I'm offering 2 free 30min coaching sessions with me. You can book by clicking on this Link.
I look forward to working with you.
Other ways to connect with me:
Instagram: @claudiachan.co
Facebook: @claudiachan.co
Website: claudiachan.co
LinkedIn: Claudia Chan Coaching
In this episode, I have a very special guest. She is a powerhouse in the publishing world! Also, she and I are in the same book which we’d written, which is called Asian Women Trailblazers Who Boss up.
I’d like to introduce you to the Founder of Quill Hawk Publishing and the award-winning author of the Snow Trilogy, Amy Le.
In this episode, Amy shared with us her journey of going to America from Vietnam, and how she started writing her books.
Amy also shared with us on how she found her voice, and her strategy on dealing with No's.
If you'd like to connect with Amy because you also want to write your own book, or if you're interested in reading her Snow Trilogy books, you can connect with her through the following ways!
About Amy:
Like hundreds of thousands of boat people, my family fled Vietnam as refugees of the war to escape persecution. Because I was also born with a Congenital Heart Defect (CHD), the escape was extremely perilous and complicated due to my heart condition. In 1980 my family was sponsored to America. After graduating from Western Washington University with a BA in Sociology, I served for twenty years in the tech industry. My world shattered when my mother passed away. I took two years off to mourn, unearth my identity and write my mother's story to honor her memory. The Snow trilogy (Snow in Vietnam, Snow in Seattle, and Snow’s Kitchen) tell the tale of how we survived the war, the escape, the refugee camps, and learned to thrive in a new land.
I am the founder of Quill Hawk Publishing and help authors indie publish their work. To continue my passion for community service, I co-founded The Heart Community Collection, an online cooperative resource for the CHD community. I serve on the board of the Vietnamese Boat People Podcast and am an officer of two writing organizations in Oklahoma. I also partner with Together For Good Refugee Film School, Healing Hearts Vietnam, the Seahawks Booster Clubs, AASuccess, and many other nonprofits as a volunteer and advocate.
For fun, I love to cook, watch NFL, UFC and F-1 events. I have a Scandinavian husband and a 13-year old son who loves football and Vietnamese food.
https://amzn.to/3ORkrMX
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www.quillhawkpublishing.com
On the one hand, we keep hearing things like, there isn't enough Asian Women representation in the leadership roles (with only 2.7% leaders being Asian Women).
While on the other hand, we have Asian parents continuously pushing us to do more and better since a very young age.
How are these two things linked to each other?
It all comes down to creating Asian women who have a very difficult time receiving.
Receiving recongnition of our efforts, being able to showcase our talents, and having the mindset to take on leadership challenges in life.
I came to Canada from Hong Kong when I was 11. Being a Chinese-Canadian girl I had a lot of trouble with receiving.
In this episode, I'm going to explore how the two things listed above are closely related to each other.
How the constant not-enoughness is creating a lot of self-doubt, which becomes very difficult for Asian women to go after leadership positions.
How the constant self-judgement is creating a lot of competition, and inability to celebrate and uplift each other.
And what we can do to love ourselves, so we are more willing and more courageous to go after more challening things in our lives.
I'd love for you to have a listen to it, and let me know whether you agree or disagree with it!
If you'd like to get in touch with me for the 30min free coaching session, you can book your session here.
Connect with me:
Website: https://claudiachan.co/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/claudiachan.co/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claudia-chan-coaching/
On Aug 9th, I, along with 15 other Asian Women, launched a book called Asian Women Trailblazers Who BossUp, and we became #1 International Bestseller!
I'm really proud of it, but on that day, I felt like I rode an emotional rollercoaster.
And looking back, I believe these 4 mindset shifts really helped me to show up on that day.
So I'm going to share them with you on this episode!
They are
1) Overcome the fear of judgement
2) Deliberatly choose your thoughts
3) Be okay to ask for support and be open to receiving
4) Practice celebrating
They really helped me, so I hope they help you too!
Also, if you're interested to purchas a physical book from me, you can purchase it here!
Part of the proceeds of the book goes to Immigrant Women in Business, where I empower other women along the way.
Also, if you're interested to be in the next book and be part of the Women Who BossUp movement, I'd love for you to contact me!
I know you have a dream that you want to go after. But if you find yourself holding back, then try to implement these! If you'd like someone to guide you along, I'd love for you to hop on a session with me!
Your dreams are important! It's never too late! Let's go!
In this episode, I share with you my experience on doing something new and challenging, and through this process, I gained an understanding of why it is so hard for us to go after what we want.
The truth is, we all have beliefs about ourselves that are not true, but we believe them to be true about us. And they're very painful and uncomfortable for us to face.
When we try something new and challenging, these voices come right at us, making us feel frustrated and inadequate.
So in order for us to feel better right away, we stop ourselves from trying. We'd rather feel regret for trying the thing, than to face the negative thoughts.
I hope that my story will inspire you to become willing to identify these false beliefs, so we can face them headon. Because once you're willing to face them, then you'll be willing to try anything in life!
In this episode, I talk about the feeling of not belonging anywhere, constantly feeling like I'm alone, and how I broke out of that.
With all of our past experiences and pain, it's inevitable we try to shield ourselves, so we end up building up a wall. But during this process of protecting ourselves, we also stop other people from reaching out to us.
I share with you some tips on what to do if you feel this way.
1) recognize you have this wall
2) give love to yourself
3) start breaking it down one brick at a time.
I want you to know that you don't have to do it on your own, there are people reaching out to you and ready to support you if you let them.
If you're in Toronto, and you want to rebuild your connection and support, come to this event called Women Empowerment, hosted by Immigrant Women in Business.
There are people ready to reach out to you to give you what you need.
It's happening on July 15th from 5pm-9:30pm at Toronto City Hall.
If you're interested in the event, or if you'd like someone to help you start connecting with other people again, reach out to me at claudia@claudiachan.co
I'd love to chat with you! And if you find this episode helpful to you, I'd love for you to share it with others!
We always talk about needing to celebrate ourselves more!
But we never do.
It's so easy for us to reach a goal, and then we'd rush off to another goal, or critize our work.
So why is that?
In this episode, I'm sharing with you
-The reasons why we don't celebrate
-What celebration actually means
-Give you a few steps to celebrate yourself
I hope that through this episode, you will learn to appreciate why this practice is so important, so you can incorpate it into your life!
So many times we do things because we feel like we have on other choice. We believe that we have to do this thing.
What if we DO have a choice?
All the things we feel we have to do in life, they're all optional!
What if the truth is, we never enetertained the other choice because it comes with a consequence that we don't want to face.
And just by knowing that, we are given options.
What if instead of saying, "I have to", we start reframing our decisions with, "I choose to"?
The phrase "I have to" traps us into a restrictive/binding energy.
While, "I choose to" empowers us, that we do indeed have a choice. And we're making a deliberate decision for ourselves.
Listen for more!
I always say you have to become aware.
Today I share with you this one question that can help you with it.
"What am I making it mean?"
During our everyday life, situations happen that trigger us. But it's not because of the situation. It's because we have a story around it that is painful for us.
So by asking this question, it will help us uncover what we're thinking and what our beliefs are.
Because of our past expeirences and interactions, we grow up believing that what we see is true.
But we're only seeing the world based on our filtered lenses.
All the beliefs that we hold about ourselves, what if there is more to it?
You may have the belief that you can't do it.
Maybe you want to get a dream house, write a book, have a better relationship, lose weight.
But you've stopped yourself from dreaming, because you were afraid of dealing with disappointment.
You are too scared to do it because you're afriad you can't reach the goal.
What if you are actually gifted this desire to achieve, because you're actually gifted the ability to obtain it?
The path may not be easy, but what if you have the ability to do it?
We all have a mean girl within us, they're the jealous part, the angry part, the gossipy part, the condesending part, the resentful part.
Our mean girl is the part of us that we don't want to admit that we have.
That's because this part has somehow been denied, been shamed, been punished.
And we don't want to admit that we have it, because it means we're not good girls. It's not appropriate for us, because as a girl, we are nice, caring, loving, kind, generous, etc.
In this episode, I shared with you 3 of my mean girls.
The envious/jealous mean girl.
The impatient/high expectation mean girl.
The resentful mean girl.
I worked really hard to get to know them, accept them, embrace them and love them.
I'd love for you to see yours for who she is, let her know that there is nothing to be ashamed of, nothing to hide. It's all a sign that there is pain residing deep within us. And we're here to love them fully and wholeheartedly.
I wanted to share with you this tool called The Law of Mirroring.
This is a tool that I used to create a deeper awareness of myself, and a phenomenal tool for me to learn more about how other people are feeling.
This is super useful especially with your kids, esp. when you feel there is a communication breakdown, this tool will help you gain a deeper understanding of what your kids are feeling.
I hope this tools benefits you as much as it benefited me!
Let's connect: https://instagram.com/claudiachan.co
In this episode, I shared with you some of my deepest struggles when it came to balancing between my full time work, being a mom and being a business owner.
I had to work through a lot of resentment and frustration. It was through coaching that I discovered 8 different beliefs that didn't serve me, but had defined me unconsciously:
- I believed that to be a great mom I have to sacrifice and trade in my identity and give up my dreams
- I believed that to be a great wife I have to make sure the household is running well,my husband is happy, and I take on a fair share amount of work.
- I created a few businesses before and didn’t see result, so I believed there is NO POINT wasting my time on new things UNLESS I know it will work out.
- I believed no matter how hard I try, things will always stay the same
- I can’t go after what I want because I don’t feel worthy.
- I don’t deserve what I ask for because asking for me means I’m being ungrateful for what I have.
- I can’t do that because I’m a girl.
- I believed that other people will think that I’m too greedy or selfish.
I also shared with you what coaching meant for me, and gave a very fun imagery of climbing a rope ladder, and also highlighted how a coach could advance your life.
Don't miss out!
So many times, we cry yet we don't want to. Well, why not?
In this episode, we explore the 2 reasons why we cry.
The first reason is for us to get to know ourselves better.
The second reason is our body's way to guide us through our transformational journey of cleansing, lamenting and healing.
If you have been trying to hold back your tears intentionally, or unintentionally, this episode is for you!
Welcome to the first episode! I'm launching my podcast on International Women's day, and so excited about this!
In this episode, we explore what we deem acceptable in other people's behaviours, and it's a direct reflection of what we find acceptable and unacceptable in ourselves.
Awareness is the key, and it is only by exploring what we believe, then we can choose for ourselves.
You can follow me here:
Instagram: @claudiachan.co
Website: claudiachan.co
You can also get my free ebook 3 Reasons Why You Can't Say No