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...

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) &...

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...

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...

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...

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 -...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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?...

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...

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 -...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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,...

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...

We’ve done many Q&A episodes with listener-submitted questions, but on today’s episode, we’re going to be asking questions for each other! These are Q’s that listeners might be curious about (How do we feel about being called influencers?), things we’ve always wanted to ask (When was the last time you were truly happy?), and questions about ABG specifically (What new team members do we need?) - all “anonymously” submitted and picked randomly from a...

What is Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and who can benefit from it? Is trauma limited to single-event experiences? How does Gen Z approach mental health versus previous generations?  To help me answer these questions is Dr. Monica Band, an award-winning practicing mental health therapist and educator, specializing in providing trauma-informed care for Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), with an emphasis on Asian American Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) and LGBTQIA+...

Today’s topic of aging is more somber than usual. Walking through many stages of life with our parents is a blessing for us, but it’s still difficult to come to terms with the passage of time. As physical changes become more apparent, aging is not an avoidable subject. How do we navigate these conversations with our parents and siblings, particularly if it’s taboo to talk about? How will we address life’s natural processes with our own kids in the future? Though it may be challenging to bring...