Today, we’re following up on one of Janet’s personal 2024 goals – learning how to flirt. Flirting is a bit of an art; it’s often a combination of charisma, body language, and EQ, but different things will work for different people. Sometimes though, it can be challenging to tell when someone is flirting with you, or even to make your own intentions clear without miscommunication. So we’re here to share advice on how to read flirting cues, discuss what kind of flirt we are (Playful? Sincere?) and...
Mar 01, 2024•52 min•Season 22Ep. 261
How many people should you date at one time? What’s the best way to ask someone about their past relationships? Listen in on my conversation with Elite Matchmaker, Cassindy Chao to find out! We also talk about having accountability partners when you’re dating, cultural differences in interracial relationships, and why someone should consider using a matchmaker. If you haven’t already, check out the first part of our convo Living Well with Janet: Dating Tips with Elite Matchmaker, Cassindy Chao C...
Feb 28, 2024•36 min
After a difficult breakup, many people often want space to heal, reflect, and forget. But when your ex still lives in the same city as you, it’s difficult to avoid familiar spaces that you used to share together. Your favorite bar might remind you of that person, things can get awkward if you have mutual friends, and you could even run into them at the grocery store. Whether it was a long-term relationship, a situationship, or a hookup, running into an ex can bring up some complicated feelings. ...
Feb 23, 2024•39 min•Season 22Ep. 260
As I approach my 33rd birthday this week, I find myself reflecting on the significance of this milestone. In many ways, turning 33 is the age that, in my adolescent mind, symbolized "being an adult", a time when I thought I would have life all figured out. It is also the age I thought I'd be married. However, the contrast between childhood expectations and the realities of adulthood has become abundantly clear. As I sit down to reflect, I can't escape the feeling that 33 is a new chapter in my l...
Feb 21, 2024•29 min
Today we’re fighting for survival and searching for love on Inferno Island. Yes, we are diving deep into Season 3 of Single’s Inferno, the Korean reality dating show that had us on the edge of our seats from start to finish. Of course, we couldn’t discuss all the gasp-worthy moments without our good friend & Korean entertainment expert Mimi Ahn! Together we discuss the nuances of Korean dating culture, what it means to have “nunchi”, and most importantly, which contestants would we choose if...
Feb 16, 2024•58 min•Season 22Ep. 259
Helen shares the highs and lows of the Wang family’s first-ever vacation with a 25-month-old toddler. From flying with a potty-training tot to exploring the beautiful island of Oahu, Helen spills the details of surviving a longer than 5-hour flight and her top 3 must-visit places on the island. Helen also delves into her takeaways and hot tips for family vacations, including a controversial yet ingenious hack for a parents' night out. Whether you're a parent, parent-to-be, or just curious about ...
Feb 14, 2024•33 min
Mel recently traveled to Japan & Taiwan to visit family… but she didn’t go alone! She went with her boyfriend Ray, exploring new cities like Tokyo and Kyoto together, and yes, bringing Ray to meet her extended family for the first time. During ABG’s latest Asia trip, Mel was chasing someone we have now lovingly deemed “The Fuckboi” – so going from that to bringing your S.O. to meet Grandpa?! That’s a big deal. In this episode, Mel shares the highs & lows of her vacation, helpful tips for...
Feb 09, 2024•43 min
On a recent episode of ABG, I shared that I had a conversation with a matchmaker who offered me the tip to practice flirting more in 2024. Given we are about a week away from Valentine’s day, I’ve invited her to the pod for an extensive chat about dating. We talk about what makes two people compatible, common hang-ups that I (and probably other Asian American people) struggle with in dating, managing shifting gender role expectations, romancing versus womanizing, how a man’s relationship with hi...
Feb 07, 2024•36 min
We’ve had several amazing conversations with licensed therapists over the years, but today’s episode will focus on our own personal journeys with therapy. All three of us have gone to therapy at some point in our lives, and it’s given us many tools to reframe thoughts, better understand ourselves, and view the world with a more positive outlook. Today we’ll share what led us to therapy, tips for finding a therapist that will work with you & challenge you, and how therapy taught us that vulne...
Feb 02, 2024•58 min•Season 22Ep. 257
Today's topic is one I received a lot of votes on for a poll on Instagram. How does one maintain their independence or identity while in a romantic relationship? I've been with my partner for almost 2 years now, and while we are still learning a lot about our preferences, one thing we both learned quickly is that we both highly value our own independence. I share through the WHY aspect of this (*hint hint we both were single for a couple of years & that solo time taught us a lot) & talk ...
Jan 31, 2024•23 min
For the Asian diaspora, Lunar New Year is the best time of year to reconnect with our family heritage and cultural traditions, while also creating new traditions that are unique to our experiences. Today, we’re focusing on the intersection between American and Chinese & Taiwanese cultures, drawing from our parents’ stories of how Lunar New Year was celebrated in the Motherlands. What did celebrations look like when they were growing up? Which traditions did they choose to pass to the next ge...
Jan 26, 2024•41 min•Season 21Ep. 256
Pause for a moment and ask yourself, what is your one word for 2024? Today, Helen shares her chosen word of the year. Reflecting on the challenges of juggling work, family, and personal aspirations, she candidly discusses societal pressure to achieve and fulfill checkboxes, realizing the need for a shift towards a more intentional and focused life. Her word for 2024 is "LESS," symbolizing a desire to prioritize meaningful experiences, creative projects, and connections over a hectic and busy lif...
Jan 24, 2024•21 min
This January has been busy at ABG, both in our work and personal lives, so we actually haven’t had a chance to really catch up since the Holidays! Mel spent time in the Bay Area with a packed social calendar along with her partner; Helen enjoyed celebrating her son’s 2nd birthday and seeing him get into the Christmas spirit. But in between these busy schedules, they still found time to catch up on some TV shows. In particular, they got heavily invested in Squid Game: The Challenge. Who were thei...
Jan 19, 2024•53 min•Season 21Ep. 255
Play is the act of doing something purely for enjoyment. More often than not, we prioritize the practical. Our adult lives are filled with responsibilities to people at work, to our partners, to kids, parents, extended family, etc. And when it comes to ourselves, there is no shortage of tasks, activities, and engagements that we stack onto our to-do lists for personal and professional development. But play, the act of doing something purely for enjoyment, is so beneficial - essential even - to a...
Jan 17, 2024•22 min
How did a full-time attorney become a New York Times best-selling cookbook author, James Beard Award Winner, and marathon runner? Through her work as The Korean Vegan, Joanne Lee Molinaro proves that you can accomplish anything by simply starting. She’s best known for her powerful visual storytelling – connecting food with her family’s history and sharing important lessons with vulnerability. We’re so excited to have her as a guest to talk about staying connected to her culture with a plant-base...
Jan 12, 2024•1 hr 12 min•Season 21Ep. 254
The topic of reflection and goal setting is pretty popular amongst our generation. Around this time, whether you're looking through some self help podcasts or books, "setting intentions" and "goals" are everywhere. We actually did an episode recently on the main show (ep 252) talking through these topics. After preparing for that episode & being back at home, it made me think about my mom. I wondered “what are her goals for the new year?” and it sparked an interesting dinner conversation wit...
Jan 10, 2024•27 min
2023 was a busy year for ABG, both professionally and personally. We started simulcasting on YouTube, Helen had her wedding, Janet moved several times, and Mel traveled to Japan & Taiwan! So since this is our first episode of 2024, we thought it’d be a good opportunity to sit down and reflect on 2023 so that we can set intentional goals for the new year. What are significant lessons we learned last year? What are our top priorities for this new year? What words/phrases would we use to define...
Jan 05, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Season 21Ep. 253
As a follow-up to the last Spill the Baby Tea episode, Helen invites her husband, Philip (@wongfuphil), to share his perspective on the highs and lows of parenthood. They revisit the cons discussed in the previous episode, adding new insights such as the challenges of maintaining a sense of self, the struggles of making time for each other, and the unexpected lifestyle shifts. They also explore additional pros, including the opportunity for personal growth, healing from past trauma, and the unex...
Jan 03, 2024•40 min
Happy Holidays from AsianBossGirl! This is our last episode of 2023, and we hope that everyone is enjoying time with loved ones, eating good food, and appreciating some well-deserved rest & relaxation. We’d like to take a moment to look back on one of our favorite episodes, where our parents speak about how they incorporated Western holiday traditions into our upbringing as 2nd-generation Asian Americans. Whether it was an effort for assimilation, or a convenient way to gather extended famil...
Dec 29, 2023•1 hr•Season 21Ep. 252
It's the last episode of 2023! In celebration of making it through one full year of continuous episodes, I'm answering some questions from listeners who submitted to my callout on @janetdoubleu (thank you!). How do I get back on track when I fall off of a healthy habit? What do I emphasize in my dental health? How do I calm myself before sleep? Do I stalk my ex on social media? I talk about all of these things and more. If you're excited about making it to the end of 2023, leave a 🥳 in the comm...
Dec 27, 2023•23 min
We’re back with another Q&A episode with questions that were “secretly” submitted by one another (Check out Part 1 here!) and this time, things are getting a little 🌶️ spicy! We did not hesitate to ask things we’ve always been curious about: Does Mel see herself as the “best friend” character? Why does Helen hate feet so much? Are Janet’s yoga skills useful for sex? We also stirred the pot with some deep questions about our business itself: What parts of ABG work do we enjoy the most? And i...
Dec 22, 2023•55 min•Season 21Ep. 251
Today’s topic is a reflective one. I just came back from my 2023 vacation to Asia & it was amazing. Traveling opens you up to the world, but it also has a way of revealing truths about yourself. I don't know what it is, but I always come back with some kind of clarity or something I need to do. Take a listen and let me know if you share similar feelings! __________________________________________ Host: Melody Cheng Editor: Victoria Cheng __________________________________________ P A R T N E...
Dec 20, 2023•22 min
In the final round of our 1-on-1 conversation series, Janet and Helen share how they went from meeting each other as “a friend of a friend” to the close, protective sisterhood they now share. Their friendship dynamic holds many similarities (they’re always down for a night out or new adventure), but also many differences (having traditional vs. non-conventional life paths, or being extroverted vs. introverted). It’s these differences in particular that make their friendship so meaningful - Helen...
Dec 15, 2023•57 min•Season 21Ep. 250
Buckle up for the ride of a lifetime – parenthood! In this episode, Helen takes you through the ups and downs of motherhood and parenthood, from the unparalleled wonder of seeing the world through your child’s eyes to the feeling of overwhelming responsibility and the very real, and very scary, financial strain. If you're on the fence about having a child and curious about what awaits, join Helen as she lays out a checklist of pros and cons. This episode also captures a 2-year reflection of pare...
Dec 13, 2023•31 min
Today, we’re diving deeper into conversations about mental health and therapy, including questions from our own perspectives, as well as topics we’ve seen others talk about recently. We’re covering a wide range of issues, from letting go of perfectionism and recovering from burnout, to navigating emotional intimacy in relationships. We’re so excited to have Alyssa “Lia” Mancao on the podcast to guide us through these questions. Lia is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and owner of Alyssa Marie W...
Dec 08, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Season 21Ep. 249
When a loss happens (a death, a job, a breakup, whatever) some people experience emotions right away. For me, I usually cry a bit but then soldier on and attend to the To Dos. Only when things calm down do the feelings come. So when I went through a pretty big breakup back in August, while I cried when it initially happened, I became focused on the logistics of moving out, finding a new living situation, and taking care of my car incident (check out Living Well with Janet: How to Keep a Positive...
Dec 06, 2023•18 min
We grew up reading pop culture magazines (like Seventeen and Cosmo) and consuming content through shows (E! Entertainment and MTV). But Asian stars and stories were rarely featured. Today, we’re curating our own pop culture series in podcast format, covering everything that’s new in the world of Asian entertainment, business, fashion, and more! In this episode, we share some celebrity gossip (Daniel Henney is off the market?!), significant news in the Asian community (New York made Lunar New Yea...
Dec 01, 2023•44 min•Season 21Ep. 248
Continuing the topic of college friendships, I chat with my bestie, Sally Le about how this college friendship evolved once we graduated college. How did we go from those innocent, FRIENDS-loving, eager college students to career focused young adults thrown into the real world? How did our friendship stick despite being "long distance"? I also share with Sally why she means so much to me in my 30's & how her role in my life is irreplaceable. I hope you were able to learn a bit more about thi...
Nov 29, 2023•20 min
This season of holiday gatherings with friends and family is a great time to remind yourself of what you’re thankful for. However, with busy lives and so much going on, gratitude doesn’t always come easily. After all, we are built for survival, not happiness. So this week, we wanted to remind ourselves to slow down and reflect on what we’re grateful for, with a replay of one of our favorite episodes. Practicing gratitude is shown to improve physical and mental health, build your self-esteem, and...
Nov 24, 2023•59 min•Season 21Ep. 247
As Helen's world expands with her now-toddler, her relationships with her mommy friends have grown deeper and more significant. Cathy Nguyen is one of those friends! When Helen was pregnant, Cathy thoughtfully dropped off her pregnancy pillow, pack and play, and breast friend and said - “Take this, you’ll need it.” For Helen, it made a world of a difference to feel that level of unasked-for support. In this episode, they talk about how friends have supported them as they go through one of the bi...
Nov 22, 2023•38 min
