Shows
Thrive SpiceTurning Trauma into Purpose: Michelle Li's Journey as a Korean Adoptee and TV JournalistHow do you turn trauma into purpose? This AAPI Heritage Month, get ready to be inspired as Michelle Li, TV journalist and Co-Founder of the #VeryAsian Foundation, opens up about her healing journey as a Korean adoptee and author. She's faced the "double shame" of not feeling Asian enough or American enough, and dealt with the trauma of racism both in and out of the newsroom. But Michelle didn't let those struggles defeat her. Instead, she turned them into purposeful action through the #VeryAsian Foundation and her children's book, A Very Asian Guide...2023-05-241h 02
Thrive SpiceModern, Ambitious Women Unsubscribing from Self-Doubt with Neha Ruch | AAPI Heritage Month & Maternal Mental Health Awareness WeekIn honor of Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week and AAPI Heritage Month, host Vanessa talks with Neha Ruch, Founder of Mother Untitled, about choosing yourself, unsubscribing from judgements and self-doubt, and finding growth and clarity in times of transition. As modern, ambitious, Asian American women raising mixed-race families, Neha and Vanessa share their perspectives on nonlinear career journeys and deconstruct the narratives behind the “stay-at-home” vs. “working” moms debate. We discuss redefining success metrics, "having it all," and healing racial and intergenerational trauma. Neha shares her personal journey as an Indian-American mother nav...2023-05-0154 min
Thrive SpiceAAPI Healing Session | Monterey Park and Half Moon BayJoin Vanessa Shiliwala and special guest Leslie Lew as we hold space for AAPI community healing in the aftermath of Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay shootings. It's a raw, honest session as we struggle to process grief alongside joy during Lunar New Year, which is supposed to be a time of celebration, community and joy. We talk about the intersections of anti-Asian violence and mental health, self-worth, and why we will not be silenced as Asian women. Plus: we want to hear from you. Send us your voice memos or audio clips to info@thr...2023-01-2746 min
Thrive SpiceAsian Women Rising: Nancy Luong on Breaking Bamboo Ceilings in Tech, Immigrant Dads, and Money Myths in a "Bling Empire" WorldVanessa interviews Nancy Luong, a senior marketing leader at Salesforce, author of "How We Got Here", and recently crowned Ms. Southern California 2023. We talk about why allyship is the key to breaking the Bamboo Ceiling and Glass Ceiling, healing intergenerational trauma with immigrant parents, and busting money and success myths in a “Bling Empire” World. Nancy shares her personal mission to break down walls and barriers - whether it’s the Bamboo Ceiling at work, awkward family dynamics due to intergenerational trauma, or a “lack”/ scarcity mindset when it comes to personal finance and success. We talk about the im...2022-12-1444 min
Thrive SpiceThe “Busy” Trap: Dr. Jenny Wang on Navigating Anxiety, Anger, and UncertaintyWhat happens when society is OK with Asian women feeling anxious - but not angry? Perhaps we find comfort with hyperproductivity - until it leads to anxiety, burnout, and rage. “Busyness is an addiction to urgency,” says Dr. Jenny T. Wang, PH.D, a Taiwanese American psychologist, founder of @asiansformentalhealth and author of Permission to Come Home. Dr. Wang and Vanessa talk about creating healthy spaces for anger, untying our worth from our productivity, and why Dude Tribes might be a step in cultivating positive masculinity and community healing for Asian...2022-11-291h 11
Thrive SpiceBreaking the Stigma: Neurodiversity and South Asian Mental Health “I thought therapy was a hardcore luxury for the rich”, says Mrinal Gokhale, Author of Saaya Unveiled: South Asian Mental Health Spotlighted. Mrinal shares how growing up as a bicultural, neurodivergent and "defiant" kid enabled her to become a game-changer in mental health. We explore what it means to be neurodivergent - which can span autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and even bipolar disorder, and what society can do to be more supportive. Join us as we unpack how stereotypes around gender, the Model Minority Myth and cultural habits like “sweeping it under the rug” may actually intensify mental health conditions and isolati...2022-08-3143 min
Thrive SpiceWork-Life Balance, Doomscrolling, & Social Media: BIPOC Mental Health in a Hyper-Digital AgeAs busy BIPOC professionals, parents, and partners who often WFH or do remote work, is it possible to put our phones (and anxiety) to bed? Vanessa is interviewed by our guest host, CEO & Founder Linda Ong of Cultique, a Seacrest global group agency for businesses in media, entertainment, tech, and consumer spaces. We talk about why the Model Minority Myth and cultural stigmas are a "double whammy" for AAPIs, and how to cultivate work-life balance by creating space for productivity, mindfulness, and rest. Plus: how to stop doomscrolling, the mental health toll of being a new mom, “monotasking” vs. multit...2022-07-1130 min
Thrive SpiceStepping Into Our Power with Ira Briones | Queer Asian Identities & Mental HealthHappy Pride Month! Vanessa talks to special guest Ira Briones (they/them), a Filipinx business empowerment and energy coach based in New York City. Ira shares their multifaceted journey as a queer nonbinary immigrant leader and activist, their healing journey with PTSD, depression, and anxiety, and how they help marginalized entrepreneurs overcome limiting beliefs to step into their power. We process the collective racial trauma of Anti-Asian hate crimes, and discuss how safety gives us the freedom to take up more space in the world - for queer, transgender, nonbinary and gender nonconforming people, and across the API diaspora. Plu...2022-06-1442 min
Thrive SpiceTop 8 Mental Health Lessons from AAPI Leaders | Best of AAPI Heritage Month & Anniversary SpecialThe best mental health tips from AAPI Leaders, creators and activists, including how to navigate anxiety and depression, self-care, imposter syndrome, social media, body image issues, and hate crimes. PLUS: Thrive Spice was featured on Apple Podcasts' home page for the Best of AAPI Heritage Month! Vanessa celebrates Mental Health Awareness Month and the 1 year anniversary of Thrive Spice, and our mission of normalizing mental health for the Asian American and Asian diaspora across the world. #apahm #aanhpi #aapiheritagemonth #mentalhealthawarenessmonth #mentalhealth #asianmentalhealth #mentalhealthpodcast #asianpodcast #asianentrepreneurs #mompodcaster #womenempoweringwomen #lgbtqallyFollow us on Instagram for mental health tips and...2022-05-231h 11
Thrive SpiceAparna Shewakramani of Netflix's "Indian Matchmaking" On Fame, Fate, and Freedom from People-PleasingAparna from Netflix’s hit TV show “Indian Matchmaking” opens up about her new book, She’s Unlikeable: And Other Lies that Bring Women Down. The author and reality star shares what it’s like to go from a life of normalcy and privacy as a lawyer looking for love in Texas, to a life over-examined and hyper-edited for the entire world to see. We talk about reshaping gender roles in South Asian culture, girl bossing vs. girl resting, and navigating fate and agency in our love lives and careers. Plus: Bollywood movies, gratitude, and setting boundaries.Book Review...2022-05-0434 min
Thrive SpiceOn Self-Love, Starting a Business, and Raising Kids who are Proud to be AsianSamantha Ong is on a mission to Stop Asian Hate and colorism, and Start Asian Love with Joeydolls, the first inclusive collection of Asian dolls for kids. The Founder/CEO, Mom and Entrepreneur gets real about juggling mom life and starting a business, creating a more inclusive world that celebrates all Asian cultures and skin tones with Joeydolls, and raising confident kids who are proud to be Asian. Plus: we drool over curry laksa and a real-life run-in with Shang-Chi celebrity Simu Liu.Check out the full video podcast, quotes and the full transcript on www.thrivespicemedia...2022-03-0929 min
Thrive SpiceThe Success Trap: How to Overcome Perfectionism and Live AuthenticallyIn the pursuit of success, do we lose ourselves? As a recovering perfectionist, I spill the tea on my own personal journey going from corporate life to mom to podcaster to Lillian So, fitness entrepreneur and co-author of the new book FitCEO, and share the incredible lessons I’ve learned along the way on parenting, career and relationships. We dig into the ways I’ve had to be vulnerable, brave, and listen to my intuition, while observing my inner critic with compassion and curiosity. Do you dream of living an "Authentic Life" but feel trapped by social media...2021-11-1054 min
Thrive SpiceAlyce Chan on Mental Health for Moms: Comedy, Postpartum Depression and the Glass CeilingMom by day, comedian by night, Alyce Chan (@MomComNYC, @Scary Mommy) is ready to smash two glass ceilings - the one at home, and the other in the male-dominated world of comedy. Alyce is a modern-day Marvelous Ms. Maisel who entertains and uplifts thousands of moms with her stand-up comedy while offering parenting insights with deadpan humor, spot-on impersonations of her husband and Chinese-Canadian mom, and hilarious vulnerability that slays on stage, on Instagram, and on TikTok.Alyce and Vanessa talk about the many faces of Postpartum Depression based on their lived experiences with PPD, intergenerational Asian m...2021-10-271h 07
Thrive SpiceLillian So on Bossing Up as the CEO of Your Own LifeIf you've ever felt the urge to escape your life and "Eat, Pray, Love" your way to a yoga ashram in India or Bali, please listen to this podcast episode instead - it will save you a lot of time, money and heartache. Lillian So, a life coach, fitness entrepreneur, and co-author of the new book FitCEO, gets personal and shares everything: her moment of panic after getting her hand tattoos, reclaiming her energy and worth by leaving toxic and emotionally abusive relationships, and what she learned from starting her own business and writing her first book, FitCEO, in...2021-09-291h 18
Thrive SpiceHow to Manage Anxiety & Panic AttacksIf you feel like your anxiety and stress have intensified since COVID-19, you're not alone. Nearly half of Asian Americans have reported anxiety during the pandemic, according to a recent report by Stop AAPI Hate. This is a mini podcast episode focused on panic attacks: what they are, where they come from and what we can do about it. I'm also going to share my own personal recent experience with panic attacks as a mom, wife, entrepreneur, daughter, sister, and human.Let us know if you want more of these Thrive Spice Guides - simple, p...2021-09-2211 min
Thrive SpiceGregory Cendana on Reclaiming Joy through Dance & Pandemic Self-CareCan leaning into something you were previously ashamed of actually become your superpower? We find out when Vanessa talks to Gregory Cendana, a dancer, political strategist and entrepreneur who has been named one of Washington DC's most influential 40 under 40, about dancing for social justice. Gregory reflects upon his upbringing in a conservative Catholic Filipino family and his own coming-out journey, and why his life mission is to help others bring their full, true selves to any space they are in to engender cultural, social and political change. We discuss why prioritizing mental health creates more sustainable communities, and how th...2021-09-0857 min
Thrive SpiceLyn Liao Butler, Author of The Tiger Mom's Tale: Asian Family Drama. Adoption. Food as a Love Language.Lyn, author of The Tiger Mom’s Tale, speaks out on her own personal mental health journey as a Taiwanese-American writer, mother, designer, and fitness trainer. Lyn tells us how she found peace and healing in her writing and Taiwanese heritage, and how fate led her to adopt “the happiest little boy in the world.” We talk about the effects of racism and Tiger parenting, why food is the original love language in Asian culture and unpack why mental health issues are seen as so shameful in our families and communities - and what we can do about it. 2021-07-2852 min
Thrive SpiceMayuko Okai on Intuitive Eating, Body Acceptance and Mindful LivingMayuko and Vanessa unpack myths about our mental and physical health in diet culture and discuss the allure of the abundance trap in many areas of our lives: our bodies, our self worth, our relationships, and our careers. Mayuko shares her own journey of self-discovery after uprooting her life in Los Angeles, CA and moving to Japan. We talk about finding freedom, healing and peace in our relationships with food, our bodies and our minds. Mayuko shares why it's so important to lean in to compassion when rewiring our minds to identify and let go of falsely idealized expectations tha...2021-07-141h 00
Thrive SpiceLGBTQ+ and BIPOC Mental Health Advocacy with James Coleman, City Council Member, South San FranciscoBiracial. Bisexual. Unapologetically Progressive. At 21 years of age, James Coleman is the youngest and first openly LGBTQ+ member to be elected to South San Francisco's City Council.We talk to James about the remarkable journey he's had - from growing up biracial as a child of a Taiwanese immigrant mother and Caucasian father, to having to care for and lose his father after a spinal cord injury, to finding healing and purpose in social equity and environmental justice while studying at Harvard University. We explore how being bisexual and biracial have shaped James' view of...2021-06-3058 min
Thrive SpiceAsians Speak Up | Brian Gao and Arin Siriamonthep on Activism, Allyship and Mental Health under PressureYou're never too young or too old to find your voice. We talk to Brian Gao (incoming NYU Stern '25) and Arin Siriamonthep (Boston University '24) of Asians Speak Up, a New York based AAPI community advocacy group that has been featured on ABC Eyewitness News and Buzzfeed News. Brian and Arin tell us why the pandemic and recent hate crimes inspired them to create Asians Speak Up as high school students, and how sharing your truth and being part of a bigger movement for change can positively impact your mental health and build confidence in your id...2021-06-161h 04
Thrive SpiceJonathan TranPham on the Power of Therapy, LGBTQ+ Pride, and Hustle Culture in Silicon ValleyHappy Pride Month! Our guest is Jonathan TranPham, the CEO and Founder of reflect, a company whose mission is to make mental health more accessible. We talked about his own struggles with anxiety and how finding a therapist inspired him to create reflect. We talked about coming to terms with gay pride at work, toxic masculinity, and the model minority myth. We also explored how therapy can help facilitate trans-generational healing when it comes to our immigrant parents as well as future generations. Exclusive offer for Thrive Spice listeners: $50 off your f...2021-06-0952 min
Thrive SpiceMirfie Chan on Motherhood, Money, and PurposeMirfie Chan, founder of Love, the Chans, a social impact-based artisanal textile brand, shares how her experiences as an Arab Singaporean immigrant, wife and mother raising a mixed-race Asian American family have led her to champion diversity and conscious change in her personal and professional life.We talk about defying barriers to give ourselves the freedom and permission to live an authentic, purposeful life. Mirfie shares how a health crisis inspired her to change her mindset and mission, and why leading with human connection and global compassion makes success inevitable as an entrepreneur.About ...2021-06-021h 00
Thrive SpiceHolly Raña Lim on Confronting Stereotypes, Imposter Syndrome, and Racial IdentityHolly talks about her journey and ever-changing identity growing up as a Pinay immigrant, and how she found her voice as a self-described introvert to become Student Body President at UC-Riverside and the founder of Holly Lim Strategies, a campaign strategy consulting firm that helps BIPOC and young adult candidates win their first election. She also shares what it was like to interview former First Lady Michelle Obama (!!!) about Inclusive Leadership & Diversity. We unpack the stereotypes, sexism and imposter syndrome that can present a challenge for BIPOC and AAPI political candidates, particularly women. Holly shares ho...2021-05-261h 02
Thrive SpiceTherapist Sakina Issa on the Power of Affirmations, Boundaries and Unlocking a Positive MindsetSakina talks about finding balance between both Indian and American cultures, and how it ultimately shaped her personal and career journey as a mother (who just gave birth to her 3rd child 2 days ago - Congrats Sakina!), Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, and Co-Founder of the E.L.O. Deck, a children's affirmation card deck and parent resource. Sakina tells us about escaping an arranged marriage proposal at the age of 18, growing up feeling "different" as an Indian kid, and why it's important to tell our children that they can make mistakes. We discuss cultivating a positive...2021-05-1957 min
Thrive SpiceKimberle Lau on Positive Parenting, Breaking the "Bamboo Ceiling", and Breast CancerKimberle Lau, mother of 2 and founder of Kimmie’s Healthy Treats, talks about her mental health journey as a Chinese-American parent and clean baking entrepreneur, a professional trying to break the “Bamboo Ceiling”, and her family's battle with breast cancer. We discuss how we parent differently than previous generations, why we feel the stigma of “not burdening others” when it comes to mental and physical health issues, standing up against anti-Asian hate speech and violence, and why Kimberle refuses to let breast cancer define her. Also, we may need one of her plant-based cupcakes after this episode.About Kimm...2021-05-121h 04
Thrive SpiceSherene Chou on Asian Joy during a Pandemic, Hate Crimes, Body Positivity, and Suicide LossSherene Chou, an award-winning dietitian and Co-Founder of Food + Planet, is on a mission to advocate for representation for AAPI and BIPOC communities. She talks about her mental health during the pandemic, from anti-Asian hate crimes to a delayed wedding due to COVID and a car accident. We discuss why body positivity is so hard within Asian culture, and what it's like to be a survivor of suicide loss.Mental Health & Wellness Resources:iHollagram: Free AAPI Anti-Harassment and Bystander Intervention Trainings for Allies https://www.ihollaback.orgAmerican Fou...2021-05-0358 min