With heavy expectations from family & friends, changing trends, & constantly shifting priorities, how do we handle that lofty ideal of "staying true to yourself"? What does that even mean? The process of growing as a person definitely involves asking some tough questions and making big choices about our time, energy & responsibilities. To unpack this, Minji sits down with her friend, rapper James Han aka UZUHAN during a visit to LA. From shifting career focuses to leaving the nest &a...
Sep 18, 2019•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 84
In this week's episode, Minji sits down with Boba Guys co-founder Andrew Chau for a deep dive on the elements that contribute to culture and how we continue to shape it. Even before he became half of the dynamic duo that made Taiwanese tapioca pearls and milk tea mainstream, Andrew has been fascinated by how things work, how people interact and what makes us tick. He talks about riding bikes in the Jersey suburbs , celebrating college graduation at the restaurant where his parents met as immigra...
Sep 12, 2019•1 hr 40 min•Ep. 83
Did you or anyone EVER actually have "the talk" with their parents? How did you learn what sex was? SexED? Movies + TV? When/how did you discover porn? How did it effect your attitude as a grown up? Sex is a huge driving force and one prolonged mystery to many of us out there. Some people have been wildly fortunate to have nurturing, mature elders who provide a safe entry into the world of intimacy and carnal knowledge, while the rest...were left to our own devices. In this episode, Minji sits d...
Sep 05, 2019•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 82
We’ve talked a lot about how we’ve been doing mentally, spiritually, & emotionally, but what about our BODIES? How do self-care & mental health incorporate physical fitness, daily habits & diet? SO GLAD YOU ASKED! In this week’s episode fo First Of All, Minji sits down with Clinical Nutritionist & YouTube host Autumn Bates to talk about wellness from a holistic & physical standpoint. For some people, researching fitness regimens, understanding our dietary needs, or learning o...
Aug 27, 2019•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 81
Whether it's burnout, tragedy, or just a temporary setback in life, it can feel hard or even impossible to bounce back & carry on. In the middle of chaos or our darkest moments, we can feel tired or lost or just plain helpless. How do you see the light at the end of the tunnel? How to pull yourself up and keep moving forward? In this episode, Minji sits down with her amazing friend, actor & singer-songwriter Megan Lee to talk about finding inner strength & embracing our ability to be...
Aug 21, 2019•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 80
DREAM BIG, they say. GO BIG OR GO HOME, they say. We are here for ALL of it....but it also helps to know what it’s really like for people like us who are actually doing all of the above. Actualizing a grand vision, a lifelong dream, or ambitious goal looks different for everyone, but there are universally shared experiences and feelings that anyone can learn from. In this episode of First Of All, Minji catches up with her dear friend, comedian/host/actor Joon Lee from JoonLeeComedy, as he dives ...
Aug 13, 2019•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 79
It's safe to say that no one likes confrontation. It's uncomfortable, it's scary, it's awkward, & you don't know what the results are going to be. Whether you're talking with a significant other, a boss, your congressional representative, or yourSELF, being 100% open, honest, mature, & constructive with someone else when you're defensive, fearful, or just plain angry can feel like it's just near impossible. So instead of talking it out.. maybe you procrastinate, maybe you play the blame ...
Aug 07, 2019•1 hr 43 min•Ep. 78
We’ve been on a mental & emotional deep diving streak here on First Of All, & this time we’re back on one of our fav topics: DATING. There’s so much from our previous episodes that come into play in this murky, beautiful, maddening world of chemistry & courtship - love, anxiety, stress, self-discovery, the list goes on. Minji invites Steve Lim aka Slim back to FOA to get updates on his dating life since he last sat down to talk about getting into the world of dating apps. If you’ve s...
Jul 23, 2019•1 hr 39 min•Ep. 77
So you took a chance, made a change, & broke away (thanks, Kelly Clarkson) from a past version of yourself - your career, a relationship, a city. And now you’ll spread your wings & learn how to fly, right? Eh.. maybe after an identity crisis, sleepless nights & poorly timed shopping spree or three. On this episode of First Of All, Minji sits down with Traci Lee, a journalist & former Digital Editorial Manager of NBC Asian America. Together they talk through Traci’s recent decisio...
Jul 16, 2019•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 76
Change is inevitable. It can also mean reinvention. Every person is on their own journey with their own timelines, goals, challenges, failures & wins. What happens when you reach a goal & it's as amazing (or not) as you thought, then what? What about addressing new priorities, or life events that prompt unexpected realizations about your career, your love life, your purpose, or all of the above? In this episode of First Of All, Minji sits down with actor, producer & poet Dante Basco....
Jul 10, 2019•57 min•Ep. 75
In every phase of our lives, the challenges continue to change but one thing stays the same - we are the captains of our ship & the leaders of our own lives. Some people may have additional titles like manager, director, CEO, or mom/dad, but the concept of leadership can be applied to every one of us as we each walk our individual paths. In this episode of First Of All, Minji sits down with host & filmmaker Nicki Sun to unpack how this has applied to her unique path as an entrepreneur, d...
Jul 02, 2019•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 74
Love is love is love...right? YES. And we are here for it. Also, if you are an Asian female who happens to be boo'd up with a white male, you might get an earful, a raised eyebrow, or some classic behind your back shade about it. In 2019, interracial dating/marriage is definitely not a new thing. For some, there are layers of bias, fear, & prejudice that still beg to be unpacked. In this episode, we start unpacking away with the brilliant & hilarious comedian Atsuko Okatsuka. We get to k...
Jun 25, 2019•1 hr 31 min•Ep. 73
It's PRIDE MONTH here & FOA is over the moon to celebrate our LGBTQIA+ friends & family!! The rainbows, the glitter, the dancing, we are LIVING FOR IT all! It's an important time to appreciate the beauty that this community brings to the world & also reflect on the work that lays ahead to achieve true equality, safety & respect. In this episode, Minji sits down with one of her favorite people in the world, comedian & actress Sherry Cola aka Lil Tasty &/or Alice from the h...
Jun 19, 2019•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 72
Time for a heart to heart from Minji about anxiety & her thought process around building a career, maintaining good health & growing fulfilling relationships. All of these things feed into one another & many times feels like there are just too many balls in the air to juggle all at once. What do we do when the overwhelm becomes too much? How do we approach problems that feel like they’re too big or just impossible to solve? Minji finds one way to face the big unknown & level up a...
Jun 04, 2019•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 71
Once upon a time in Spring 2019, Minji went to acting class & witnessed a casting exercise that went a little...racist...& then sexist. Long story short, Minji failed to keep her feelings to herself & called out her classmates in front of everyone. She may have written an angry Facebook post too. And in the following weeks, there were many feelings experienced & insightful conversations amongst the parties involved. To help her discuss the incident & the dynamic state of Amer...
May 28, 2019•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 70
Asian Americans historically suck at voting & are the least politically engaged out of all US minorities. But let's take a second and try to understand WHY, HOW, & WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. In loving honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, we'd be remiss to acknowledge one of the very worst grades on our supposed model minority report card: civic engagement. Why is entering the political sphere so complicated & hard when it impacts the most fundamental aspects of our everyday li...
May 21, 2019•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 69
Ronny Chieng is bold, real, & hilarious. End of description. Just kidding(ish). But really, do we need to say more? In this episode, Minji sits down with comedian & actor Ronny Chieng from The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, Crazy Rich Asians, & International Student deep in the heart of NYC at the amazing Canal Street Radio. In between filming his show & doing a standup comedy tour, Ronny stops by to drop some knowledge on the art of reading a room, maneuvering out of a career in l...
May 14, 2019•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 68
First Of All wishes you all Happy Asian Pacific American Heritage Month! OK, so he West Coast vs East Coast conversation has been the source of many mainstream jokes, memes & rap songs throughout American pop culture. But what about the Asian American perspective? In this episode, Minji sits down with the insightful & hilarious hosts of the NYC-based 6.99 Per Pound Podcast, JoAnn Park & Jaeki Cho right in the heart of Manhattan at Great Big Story during the Tribeca Film Festival. Tog...
May 07, 2019•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 67
Ever had that feeling that old folks are just like SO lame & out of touch & parents just don’t understand? Yeah, we haven’t either. But we’re told that in some parts of the world this sometimes happens. In this episode Minji sits down to talk to the young people (or at least a representative) since she is finally embracing that she no longer is one. She also thinks it might really helpful to connect with the future generation. You know, so they can save our planet, facilitate peace, &...
Apr 29, 2019•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 66
This episode goes deep into discussing the dark underbelly of the K-Pop world & Korean culture. In this episode, Minji calls upon the hilarious insight of comedian Peter Kim, host of the podcast "The Ajumma Show", to talk about the recent K-pop scandal involving celebrities, politicians, police, prostitution, rape, corruption, & all encompassing nastiness that runs rampant in the industry and culture. Together they go all in on their experiences growing up Korean American, dealing with t...
Apr 19, 2019•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 65
Whatever your preference - beer pong at a house party, shots in a club, or a glass of wine (or three) with friends over dinner, alcohol is the widely beloved social lubricant of the ages. But as much as Drake loves to sing about it, sometimes a more in-depth conversation on partying, drinking, & evolving social etiquette can help. For this doozy of a topic, Minji sits down with her friend, Bryan, the quintessential club promoter & partier. Together they walk through their introductions t...
Apr 10, 2019•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 64
"Empower" has become a word used regularly in speeches, mission statements, & personal goals. But it can mean something different depending on who you ask for a definition. In a preparation for Minji's 4th Kollaboration EMPOWER Creative Leadership Conference, she sits down to talk through it all with one of the incredible women who, in her eyes, embodies the word itself - tv/film writer, novelist, comic book writer & hilarious human being, Pamela Ribon. Buckle your seatbelts & get re...
Apr 01, 2019•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 63
As far as we can tell, there aren't that many people that can say they knew EXACTLY what their career would be early on, or had an easy time laying the groundwork to build it. For most of us regular folk, finding a career is much like a baby deer learning how to walk - it's awkward, entertaining, shaky, scary, & an inevitable part of the process. Or as we at First Of All like to call it, "the journey." How does a person take a mix of passion, interest, talent, timing, & good old-fashione...
Mar 14, 2019•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 62
Anyone else find it easy to give solid, loving, practical advice... & also be the worst at taking it, even (gasp) applying it in our actual lives?? A common struggle we all can face at some point is not taking action to improve our own lives, even when it's easy to dish out & implore (maybe even nag) others to just do as we say. Or maybe we're open to hearing advice, perhaps even resolving to make a change, but when it comes down to putting the wheels in motion, we freeze, we procrastina...
Mar 05, 2019•51 min•Ep. 61
Who loves Valentine's Day?! XOXO <333 @}--}----- ..... Kenji & Minji don't. But the holiday does lend itself to a perfect podcast theme for all things dating and romance! So we're going to go ahead and celebrate that! Now, Kenji has already made multiple First Of All guest appearances to discuss long distance woes and how to navigate fights and rough patches while being in a relationship with our beloved host.. but how did all of it start??? In this special Valentine's Day episode, Minji ...
Feb 15, 2019•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 60
The self-care 2019 resolution is in full effect, yall. As a longtime advocate of self-care & mental health, Minji finally puts her money where her mouth is & starts her transformational journey getting therapy with her friend & certified hypnotherapist, Panney Wei. Together they discuss Panney's evolution in finding her calling to become a mental health provider after multiple careers as a star athlete, film producer, & entertainment professional. They peel back the layers about ...
Jan 25, 2019•1 hr•Ep. 59
Minji sits down with her friend, producer, "Perfectly Imperfect" podcast host & life coach Christine Chen to talk about a much discussed and often difficult to understand reality of "mean girls" - being one, dealing with one (or many), and some of the underlying layers that feed into problematic female relationships. In the age of #MeToo and #TimesUp, these elder millennials go down the rabbit hole of bullying, low self-esteem, professional obstacles and sexualization of women, and how it re...
Jan 17, 2019•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 58
Do nice guys really finish last? And um, when & why did being "nice" become such a loaded, problematic thing? What's the baggage of this word & are we just giving it grief for no good reason? WHO WILL DEFEND THE NICE GUYS?? In this inaugural 2019 episode, Minji sits down with her friend Scott to unpackage all this & more. It's time to dive in deep with some funny anecdotes, painfully hard lessons learned, & of course, some very real talk from many perspectives. Welcome to 2019 on...
Jan 04, 2019•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 57
The man, the myth, the legend - Producer Marvin joins Minji for the first time on First of All. After 5 years of working together for the Asian American grassroots organization Kollaboration, 180+ episodes of co-hosting KollabCast podcast, launching First Of All & multiple years of nagging, venting, regrouping, & apologizing...Marvin & Minji are pretty familiar with powering through hard times. In this episode, they reflect on how they've handled getting through tough times, with the...
Dec 30, 2018•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 56
HEY GUYS, it's that time of year again. 2018 is rapidly coming to a close & it's time to reflect, plan, & strategize execution of the most INCREDIBLE, FULFILLING, & ABUNDANT YEARS OF OUR LIVES Y'ALL. You know, to counteract whatever stressful, debilitating, anxiety-inducing nonsense this year may have caused you to lose hope in humanity or.. just simply killed your vibe. Whatever it may be, Minji is with you. Seriously. And figuring out how to protect your energy with good vibes &...
Dec 22, 2018•54 min•Ep. 55
