In 2015, the Kinjaz blew up on Season 8 of America's Best Dance Crew, massively changing the industry of dance and how Asians are perceived in media and entertainment. As admirers, we saw how impactful it was for our Asian American peers to see dancers with faces like theirs, tear it up on stage. Mike Song and Anthony Lee are two of the founding members of the Kinjaz and in this episode, they share with us the crazy and inspiring journey they've been on (How did they go from dance performances t...
Jul 30, 2021•1 hr 31 min•Season 11Ep. 126
The three of us are officially ALL in our 30's! When people are asked what they love about being in their 30s, we hear a unanimous response: They give less fucks. But in reality, many gained a sense of self-confidence through the lessons they learned in their 20s. Today, we’re going to spend some time sharing the collective and individual advice + tips we gained to help us thrive in our 30s. This episode was edited by Michelle Hsieh. ___ P A R T N E R S mentioned in this episode: - Pepper Bras: ...
Jul 23, 2021•1 hr 5 min•Season 11Ep. 125
Never Have I Ever came onto the Netflix scene in April of 2020 and has since been described as a watershed moment for South Asian representation in Hollywood. Known for breaking Asian stereotypes, the series was created by Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher and is a coming-of-age comedy and teen drama partially based on Kaling’s childhood. Today, our guest, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, captured the hearts of many by playing the main character, Devi, an Indian American high school student coping with her fat...
Jul 16, 2021•41 min•Season 10Ep. 124
At our talks and through our messages, we often get questions about navigating career and professional development, and while we love drawing from our own experiences and sharing personal advice and anecdotes, today, we have a conversation with Anita Hossain an Executive Coach and Co-founder and CEO of The Grand, focused on group coaching, professional learning and development. Join us as Anita shares her unique angle on executive coaching, when it makes sense to work with an executive coach, so...
Jul 09, 2021•52 min•Season 10Ep. 123
We are still feeling the energy from that Hot Girl Summer episode! With LA opening up and summer officially here, the single ladies of the trio, Janet & Mel, are making their entrance back into the dating scene. Mel went on her first in-person date and ran into some little bumps (do guys ask you to come over on the first date?!), while Janet’s potential guy seems to be forward on the apps but lukewarm on the FaceTime call? Tune in as we recount our latest dates and what we foresee for our da...
Jul 02, 2021•52 min•Season 10Ep. 122
It is officially summer! And we could not be more excited!! We thought it would be fun to share our favorite summer memories from when we were kids, since summer marked the end of the school year & summer vacation was actually a thing -- remember those days? For anyone who hasn't heard of the term “Hot Girl Summer” just yet, Coach Meg aka Megan thee Stallion said it best -- “Hot girl summer is about just being you, just having fun. It’s turning up, driving the boat, and not giving a damn abo...
Jun 25, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Season 10Ep. 121
The last few weeks have been a whirlwind and we haven't been able to spend much time catching up on our personal lives. Listen in as we share what we have been up to personally, aside from ABG - Janet went on a rejuvinating roadtrip with some close friends, Mel shares her lessons learned from her first time being in a bridal party (and as a Maid of Honor, no less), and Helen gets officially married in the midst of buying and renovating a new home. Where did Janet go and what did she do? Did Mel'...
Jun 18, 2021•1 hr 9 min•Season 10Ep. 120
We get a lot of messages about relationships - both romantic and platonic. And when it comes to conversations around relationships, romantic ones seem to get most of the attention during our 20s and 30s. But FRIENDSHIPS - are just as, if not MORE important, than romantic relationships. What does it mean to be a friend? A best friend? Do you remember your high school best friend and are they still a part of your life? Tune in as we recount the friendships that have made a lasting impact on our li...
Jun 11, 2021•1 hr 26 min•Season 10Ep. 119
On today’s episode of AsianBossGirl, we have Dan Matthews, a Los Angeles-based rapper and Korean-American adoptee. Dan is an active spokesperson and advocate for Trans-racial Asian Adoptees, known for his docu-series about his search for his birth family that reached audiences worldwide and garnered a feature in Lisa Ling’s “This Is Life”. He is also an alternative rap artist who has toured internationally and released two full-length albums under the moniker DANakaDAN, as well as the executive ...
Jun 04, 2021•1 hr 24 min•Season 10Ep. 118
Today, we take the time to sit down and chat with Youtuber, entrepreneur, social media guru, and true Asian BOSS Girl, Jenn Im!! She is someone who is super proactive about truly understanding herself and is setting an amazing example for others to do the same. She has spent hours reading self-help books, attended vulnerability events, and written countless pages in her journal to process her thoughts. You may know her as one of the OGs in the fashion space through her YouTube channel, ClothesEn...
May 28, 2021•1 hr 16 min•Season 10Ep. 117
On AsianBossGirl, we love to use our platform to share the life stories and work of amazing Asian women. Today, we have the pleasure of talking with serial entrepreneur and award-winning writer, filmmaker, director, journalist, and creative storyteller, Sahra Nguyen. In 2018, she founded Nguyen Coffee Supply, the first specialty Vietnamese coffee company in the United States importing via direct-trade & roasting in Brooklyn, New York. Their commitment to producing and offering premium Vietna...
May 21, 2021•1 hr 20 min•Season 10Ep. 116
Why is verbalizing or expressing love to our parents so hard? Growing up, many of us did not use words of affirmation as a love language with our parents. It could be mostly due to our contrasting generational Asian upbringing or the difference in language. Regardless, there are so many unspoken words of love and gratitude that we haven’t shared with them. As kids, we saw our parents as the people who’d nag us, drive us to our practices, automatically pack our lunch boxes for us, etc. However, a...
May 14, 2021•57 min•Season 10Ep. 115
Join us for a conversation with Bing Chen, Co-founder and President of Gold House, the premier collective of Asian founders, creative voices, and leaders dedicated to uniting the world’s largest populace–Asians & Pacific Islanders. Bing is a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree; a Hollywood Reporter Next Gen Leader; and his companies have been recognized as Business Insider’s Top Startups. We discuss his identity as a Third Culture Kid, how losing his father to cancer early in life impacted his outloo...
May 07, 2021•1 hr 30 min•Season 10Ep. 114
It's been a while since we've done a Q&A episode! Here are some of the most recent questions you've sent us - from working on ABG to favorite restaurants we're into at the moment, and love and dating - we spill on the questions you’re most curious about. How was Helen’s house buying process? Do we fight in ABG & how do we handle it? Any dates after the holidate special? Listen to find out! This episode was edited by Michelle Hsieh. ___ P A R T N E R S mentioned in this episode: - Jenni K...
Apr 30, 2021•1 hr 9 min•Season 10Ep. 113
Today’s episode is about dating and relationships. We have a lot of episodes about this general topic, but we haven’t given a real proper update about each of our personal situations (or lack of situations) more recently. And we realized that the three of us are actually uniquely positioned to talk about romantic relationships from very different perspectives. We'll be talking about Janet's recent could've-been-the-one relationship, Mel's quarantine flings in 2021, and the biggest thing Helen is...
Apr 23, 2021•1 hr 16 min•Season 9Ep. 112
Romantic relationships are one of the most challenging types of relationships to navigate. And while some connections hold strong and end in a beautiful lifetime together, many fizzle out. In episode 85, we each wrote a letter to our exes. It was the first time we got that open and vulnerable with one of our past relationships on this podcast! And so many of you enjoyed hearing our letters, especially the idea that opening old wounds and memories can actually be a healing process, if approached ...
Apr 16, 2021•1 hr 14 min•Season 9Ep. 111
According to a Business Insider article, some people say that it takes just 3 seconds for us to make up our minds about whether we like someone or want to do business with them. It seems then, that first impressions are pretty important when trying to land that job or internship. And you only ever get ONE with each person you meet - whether you join that company or not. Beyond just making a first impression, interviewing can be a nerve-wracking experience, and it can differ a lot between differe...
Apr 09, 2021•56 min•Season 9Ep. 110
On AsianBossGirl, we are all about empowering Asian American women to be unstoppable and “kick-ass” in their line of work. And speaking of kick-ass, we are beyond excited about the new CW show, Kung Fu, and its predominantly Asian American cast!! Kung Fu follows a Chinese American woman named Nicky Shen who, due to a quarter-life crisis, drops out of college and attends a monastery school in China. Upon her return to San Francisco, she finds her city overturned with crime and corruption from the...
Apr 02, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Season 9Ep. 109
March is Women's History Month, and in light of the tragic hate crime that occurred in Atlanta on March 16, 2021 - the killing of 7 women, 6 of whom were of Asian descent - there is even more reason for us to uplift, discuss, and celebrate what it means to be a woman in today's world. Join us as we recognize and talk about women who inspire us, who move us, and serve as motivation for us - women we think are beautiful (however we define beauty), women who challenge us, and women who make us feel...
Mar 26, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Season 9Ep. 108
In previous episodes, we have analyzed our astrological signs, as well as learned the art and science of matchmaking. Today, we’re going to take both subjects one step further and talk about astrology-based matchmaking. Does such a thing exist? According to Rachel Lo, the CEO and Co-Founder of Struck - an astrology-based dating app prioritizing intentional conversations and emotional intelligence - the answer is, yes. Rachel is a former Apple product design engineer turned matchmaker, who, despi...
Mar 19, 2021•1 hr 5 min•Season 9Ep. 107
Friend, Daughter, Podcast host -- are all titles that the three of us have in common. Today, we want to explore another title we share... Sister! The three of us are fortunate to have grown up with either a younger sibling or an older sibling. From causing havoc in the house together, someone to be our parent’s guinea pig, to having someone to get you out of trouble...there is no one else in the world that has seen us or gone through things alongside us like our brother & sisters. As we star...
Mar 12, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Season 9Ep. 106
Today we are going to be talking about...Boobs. Breasts, tits, hoohahs, boobies - whatever you want to call them, they are a noteworthy part of the human body, and hold particular anatomical and symbolic meaning. Different people will conjure up different associations and ideals when it comes to the topic of boobs. Today, we want to discuss it from the perspective of 3 cis-gendered Asian American women. We’re going to talk about our personal experiences: what our boobs mean to us, recalling our ...
Mar 05, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Season 9Ep. 105
In the last month, the U.S. has seen a massive spike in anti-Asian hate crimes. According to The Cut, there were 20 incidents in the first half of 2020 alone, compared to 1 in the entire year of 2019. These activities have prompted intense sadness, frustration, anger, and fear amidst the Asian and Asian American community. Today, we have Tammy Cho & Michelle Hanabusa, co-founders of Hate Is A Virus, a community of mobilizers and amplifiers that exists to dismantle racism and hate. Tammy &...
Feb 26, 2021•58 min•Season 9Ep. 104
On today's episode, we pick the brain of the mastermind behind the "To All the Boys I've Loved Before" trilogy, Jenny Han! She is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and also the executive producer on all three of the Netflix films - "To All the Boys I've Loved Before", "To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You", and the final film, "To All the Boys: Always and Forever" (out now!) When her first film came out on Netflix, we all watched the movie and relished in the sweet nostalgia of young love...
Feb 19, 2021•46 min•Season 9Ep. 103
Join us as we chat with our friend and Bling Empire star, Kevin Kreider. As residents of LA working on projects promoting Asian American representation, we met Kevin years ago through our friends at Wongfu Productions, whose shorts Kevin has acted in. And Kevin actually hosted a gala where ABG received our first cultural impact award from APEX in 2019. In this episode, we talk about both the Kevin in Bling Empire and the Kevin BEFORE Bling Empire - the Kevin who worked as a model and fitness coa...
Feb 12, 2021•55 min•Season 9Ep. 102
To many brides and grooms, the past year may have felt more like a Wedding “miss” than Wedding “bliss", with all the unexpected changes due to the pandemic. From changing expectations of the big day, bridal gowns that remain hanging in closets, to wedding invites with TBD dates…a lot of adjustments had to be made for many couples. Our bride, Helen, also had to work through these changes, and she shares all the wedding updates in this episode. Did she find her dream wedding dress? When are Helen ...
Feb 05, 2021•55 min•Season 9Ep. 101
We made it!! Triple digits!!! 100 is the beginning of a new chapter that we are opening as we enter the uncharted, the unknown, and the incredibly promising year of 2021. From that late-night casual conversation over drinks 4 years ago that lead to mic purchases, googling “how to make a podcast”, and claiming the @asianbossgirl handle across multiple platforms -- to a multi-media LLC powering the #3 podcast in the Personal Journals category in Canada and the #7 in the U.S. on Apple Podcasts and ...
Jan 29, 2021•1 hr 20 min•Season 8Ep. 100
We are a couple of weeks into 2021, the year following an U.S. election year unlike any other many of us in our lifetime have, and perhaps ever will, experience. And though we are hot off the inauguration last night where Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were formally sworn into office, marking the start of a new presidency, the intensity and aftermath of the social and political landscape from 2020 continues to affect us all. Like many people, we have been feeling overwhelmed, and sometimes numb, by...
Jan 22, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Season 8Ep. 99
Have you ever wondered about the world of energy healing, spiritual mediumship, and psychic powers? We've been curious about this for a while but waiting for the right opportunity - and that happens to be TODAY, ON THIS EPISODE. From questions like "What strengths or weakness does Helen need to be aware of?", "What does Janet need to work on to find that husband?", "When is Mel going to find THE ONE?", to "What does the future hold for ABG?", we get answers from Carla, a Spiritual Medium. Tune i...
Jan 15, 2021•1 hr 29 min•Season 8Ep. 98
This episode is sponsored by alcohol-free Heineken 0.0! We are in the month of January -- a time when most people start experimenting with new habits in an effort to improve themselves. In recent years, it’s become increasingly popular to take a break from alcohol in an effort to reset and experiment with new habits. And here at ABG, we have decided that THIS year, 2021, we will collectively be committing to an alcohol-free start of the year!! So in this episode, we'll discuss tips for staying m...
Jan 13, 2021•33 min
