Candid and Cringe: Recent Episodes
Thuy Doan
A podcast about growth and the rollercoaster of life. Breaking barriers one candid conversation at a time. On this podcast, I don't shy away from difficult topics and speak candidly about things such as mental health, therapy, burnout, difficult relationships, career and more.
Everything Everywhere All at Once is a film described by the internet as an absurdist comedy-drama film with elements of sci-fi. It follows Evelyn (Michelle Yeoh) and her strained relationships with her husband, daughter, business, accountant, and interestingly, the multiverse! It’s the kind of film that people loved, were very confused by, deeply moved by, and also the kind of film people wished more people had watched.
Host
Thuy Doan
Topics Covered
- What is “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
- How to pronounce Michelle Yeoh’s name
- Recapping the movie
- Memorable scenes
- Commentary based off an “Explained” walkthrough by the Los Angeles Times
Show Notes
- Podcast edited by Chris Enns at Lemon Productions
Keep it candid,
Thuy
In the summer of 2018, I lost my then 48-year old mother. This special episode is a small tribute to my mom - otherwise known as Me to me, which means “mom” in Vietnamese. She was warm and kind. A person that enjoyed talking and laughing. She was able to do that up to the day she died, which was coincidentally the same date as her birthday, having spent it with all of us. A personal recollection of a beautiful young woman full of life that courageously left her country, learned a new language and skills, turned mother and wife, from the perspective of her oldest child and daughter. Rest in paradise.
Host
Thuy Doan
Topics Covered
- Commemorating my dad, Ngoc Thi Tran or Ngoc Tran, on her 52nd birthday
- How she came to Canada from Vietnam
- My favourite memories with her
- The kind of person she was
- Reflecting on my life with her and her death
Show Notes
- Podcast edited by Chris Enns at Lemon Productions
Keep it candid,
Thuy
Roommates. That’s a loaded word. It carries with it a lot of anxiety and joy. Will you become best friends? Will they be the worst ever? How do you live well together? This dynamic is even more difficult when you have a pre-existing relationship. How do we talk about it?
Host
Thuy Doan
Topics Covered
- Household chores with family members
- Household chores with strangers
- Household chores with partners
- Household chores with friends
- Having difficult conversations about expectations
Show Notes
- Podcast edited by Chris Enns at Lemon Productions
- Radical Candor by Kim Scott
- Neurodiversity
- Body doubling and ADHD (video and thread)
Keep it candid,
Thuy
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Conflict is awkward and sometimes frustrating but not always bad. Sometimes it results in us cutting people out of our lives, even when they are a good person. These “breakups”” take the most unexpected forms too, for example, a friendship of many years. How can this be?
Host
Thuy Doan
Topics Covered
- What is a friendship breakup?
- What is ghosting?
- When is a friendship breakup necessary?
- How to approach the friendship breakup?
- Can you become friends again after breaking up?
Show Notes
- Podcast edited by Chris Enns at Lemon Productions
- Radical Candor by Kim Scott
Keep it candid,
Thuy
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
The birth of the internet has made it easier to disseminate information as well as to connect with others. This ease of access has made it possible for both healthy and unhealthy parasocial relationships to form with artists and for us to stay in touch with the people we love when life inevitably takes us in different ways. However, some will challenge that space.
Host
Thuy Doan
Topics Covered
- Setting boundaries on the internet
- Muting or blocking people on social media
- Closing your DMs
- Proactively pruning your friends lists
- Vibe checks
Show Notes
- Podcast edited by Chris Enns at Lemon Productions
- Set Boundaries, Find Peace by Nedra Glover Tawwab
- Parasocial relationships or interactions by Cynthia Vinney
Keep it candid,
Thuy
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
In the summer of 2018, I lost my then 53-year old dad. This special episode is a small tribute him - otherwise known as Ba to me (“dad” in Vietnamese, his mother tongue). He was a provider. A person that enjoyed peace and quiet. In a sense, he eventually got it despite never realizing his dream to raise chickens on a farm and go to Hawaii. A personal recollection of a groovy young man that entered the working world young, who became a father and husband, from the perspective of his oldest child and daughter. Rest in paradise.
Host
Thuy Doan
Topics Covered
- Commemorating my dad, Doan Thanh Binh or Binh Doan, on his 57th birthday
- How he came to Canada from Vietnam
- My favourite memories with him
- The kind of person he was
- Reflecting on my life with him and his death
Show Notes
- Podcast edited by Chris Enns at Lemon Productions
Keep it candid,
Thuy
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
For my last three jobs (one in advertising and two in tech), I’ve been able to land them in large part to my social platforms and online presence (personal brand). It’s gotten to the point where I have recruiters coming to me on LinkedIn instead of me going to them. Let’s talk about being intentional and strategic (without compromising on genuine connections).
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
I like to think of myself as someone with a healthy amount of self-confidence but of course there are times I have faltered and times that it has not been as high as it is now. I used to subconsciously place my worth in the hands of how many people wanted to date me and how much I’m producing (spoiler: burned out). Learn to spot changes in your behaviour, ask yourself the right questions, and apply learnings to avoid situations that are not a fit.
Host
Thuy Doan
Note
I accidentally said, “It’s easier to marry myself to the company because I’ve started doing things just for me,” but I meant to say, “It’s easier to not marry myself to the company…”
Topics Covered
- Changes in behaviour when you like someone you’re not a fit with
- Changes in behaviour when you are no longer a fit at work
- What to ask yourself when you notice changes in your behaviour
- How to take your observations and apply them to future relationships and orgs
Show Notes
- Podcast edited by Chris Enns at Lemon Productions
- The Five Whys
- Slang: Get The Bag (used it to describe successfully getting into a relationship)
- Slang: Sunday Scaries
- Slang: Shill
- Slang: Cheesed
Keep it candid,
Thuy
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
I’ve been a long-time avoider of needles and bloodwork. Particularly blood work - to the point where I’ve contemplated not applying for insurance that requires any. However, persevering through an onslaught of needles and blood work, plus undergoing a minimally invasive procedure, has enabled me to make fertility decisions at my own pace, in my own way. It was a roller-coaster journey full of singing songs out loud in the clinic and a lot of Gatorade.
Host
Thuy Doan
Trigger Warnings
- Blood
- Needles
- Surgery
Topics Covered
- What is IVF?
- Why IVF?
- Getting ready for the process
- The stimulation process
- Egg retrieval procedure
- Post-surgery
- Reflection and future cycles
- The cost
Show Notes
- Podcast edited by Chris Enns at Lemon Productions
- Lilia, an egg-freezing concierge
- 8 Things You Should Consider Before Freezing Your Eggs
- Questions for Insurance Company or Employer (USA but generally applicable)
- Ontario Fertility Coverage (Canada)
Keep it candid,
Thuy
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
In the wake of The Great Resignation, people are focusing on their mental health, boundaries, and learning about burnout (sometimes the hard way) more than ever. In this episode, we dig into what burnout is, common misconceptions of burnout, my own burnout experience, how to manage your energy, and therapy.
Host
Thuy Doan
Topics Covered
- Mass burnout across industries
- Energy audits
- Energy management vs. time management
- Burnout and a less commonly known reason for it
- Leaves of absences (in Ontario)
Show Notes
- Podcast edited by Chris Enns at Lemon Productions
- “The Pandemic Has Created A New Kind Of Burnout, Which Makes Well-Being More Critical Than Ever” via Forbes
- Time vs. Energy Management via Medium
- Workplace burnout by Mayo Clinic
- Eisenhower Matrix
- Leave of Absence Laws in Ontario
- Disability related accommodation by the Ontario Humans Rights Commission
- Taking stress leave during the pandemic by Levitt Sheikh Law
- Stress leave and everything you need to know by Levitt Sheikh Law
- Note: May differ depending on your company as well.
- In the podcast, I call my leave “medical leave” because that’s what my employer and I call it but under the law it may be another thing.
Keep it candid,
Thuy
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
This episode is jam-packed with a lot of uncomfortable revelations and growth moments. It also includes an interactive activity where I share my definitions of success for every season of my life. Feel free to join me and do the activity yourself while you’re listening!
Host
Thuy Doan
Topics Covered
- Announcing that I am on leave from work
- Sharing my definitions of success for the day, week, month, year, and life
- What would it take for my leave to be successful?
- Risks with my leave
- Character flaws and capitalism
- My nervous breakdown
- Trying to cheat yourself out of a break
- Being unable to recognize when you’re stressed
- Therapy
- What I did my first week of leave
- How sharing this tough time is me living a candid life
Show Notes
- Podcast edited by Chris Enns at Lemon Productions
- Brand design by Janel Lucia
- Codeland 2021 talk on “How To Provide Value from Day 1 of Your Dev Career”
- Romance Is a Bonus Book on Netflix
Keep it candid,
Thuy
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
For a long time, I’ve had the urge to share my thoughts and feelings. Some ways, fulfilling. Other ways, not so much. I’ve been a person for almost 30 years and a professional software developer for almost 5 and haven’t really done a thing to uplift anyone outside of my immediate circle. With a little encouragement from the experienced, I’m doing it.
Host
Thuy Doan
Topics Covered
- The meaning behind the podcast name
- Why a podcast specifically
- How Jason Lengstorf jumpstarted me sharing my experiences
- What my tagline means: “Breaking barriers through candid conversations”
- Why it’s important to me to have thought-provoking discussions
- How I’m actually funny
- A story about that one time I messed up baking donuts really bad
- Building a community. Come join me!
Show Notes
- Podcast edited by Chris Enns at Lemon Productions
- Learn with Jason
Keep it candid,
Thuy
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★