Episode description

When it comes to planning a vacation, I am very thorough. In preparation for any trip, I spend hours going through blogs and other travel websites to find interesting things to do. I find recommended restaurants and make reservations in advance. I have a long, detailed checklist I use to pack. But my conversation with Ada Chen, the guest on this episode of Unseen Battles, made me realize that I have not brought the same rigor to something way more important—end of life planning. I don’t have a will. I have not done estate planning, even though I believe it is available through Employee Assistance Program at almost everywhere I have worked. I don’t think I even have beneficiaries listed in my 401k and other investment accounts. It has always felt morbid and uncomfortable thinking and talking about it.

But Ada’s experience of being a caregiver for her dad while working full time made me change my mind. I realized that by going through a few administrative steps to take care of these details, I will take the burden off of those I leave behind. In this touching and heartbreaking episode of Unseen Battles, Ada shares her story and offers practical advice on topics such as having crucial conversations at work as well as end of life planning.

Ada Chen is the CEO and Founder of Chuan Skincare, an affordable, handcrafted skincare line, made from all natural ingredients. Her mission in life and work is to make the world a better place through leadership, empathy and driving cultural change. She was inspired to start her business while she was caregiving for her late dad, who always preferred natural remedies and had a true entrepreneur's spirit. Prior to founding her business, Ada led product marketing for Atlassian's Confluence Server & Data Center products and built the marketing and sales functions out for early stage HR tech startups. Ada holds degrees in Finance and Economics from NYU’s Leonard N. Stern School of Business, and in her free time she shares marketing tips on her blog, The Cultivate Method, and co-hosts the Asian Sewist Collective Podcast.

You can read more about Ada’s journey as a caregiver, and her learnings on her personal blog posts on caregiving & parental loss: Parenting your parents: What to do when your parent is hospitalized (Part 1, Part 2) and Parenting your parents: What happens when your parent dies.

I am a customer of Ada’s all natural skincare products and would highly recommend them. You can learn more about the products on the website, Pinterest , TikTok and Instagram.

If you have any comments about the episode or would like to share your own story, you can share them here.