Why You No Doctor: An Asian-American Podcast
Dominic Zhai
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We are a non-for-profit podcast that documents stories from established Asian professionals to empower young Asians around the globe to pursue unconventional career paths. Hosted by Dominic Zhai. New episodes every Friday. Learn more about the show at whyyounodoctor.com/podcast and follow us on social media @wyndpodcast!
Available episodes
Newest first
Oldest first
Nov 5, 2021
Malinda Lo: Telling Stories of Queer Love through Literature
Episode 53: Malinda Lo is the bestselling author of the National Book Award finalist Last Night at the Telegraph Club, which received eight starred reviews and was named by Oprah Magazine as one of the 50 Best LGBTQ Books That Will Heat Up the Literary Landscape in 2021. Malinda's debut novel, Ash, a Sapphic retelling of Cinderella, was a finalist for the William C. Morris YA Debut Award, the Andre Norton Award for YA Science Fiction and Fantasy, the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award, and the Lambda Literary Award for Children's/Young Adult, and was a Kirkus 2009 Best Book for Children and Teens.
Before she became a novelist, Malinda was an economics major, an editorial assistant, a graduate student, and an entertainment reporter. She was awarded the 2006 Sarah Pettit Memorial Award for Excellence in LGBT Journalism by the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association for her work at AfterEllen. She is a graduate of Wellesley College and has master's degrees from Harvard and Stanford Universities. She lives in Massachusetts with her partner and their dog.Support the show (http://whyyounodoctor.com/podcast)
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Oct 29, 2021
Dr. Kristen Choi - Advocating for Minorities through Mental Health Policy
Episode 52: Dr. Kristen Choi is a pediatric psychiatric nurse and an assistant professor at UCLA whose research focuses on mental health policy for vulnerable populations. She has published more than 30 academic articles, including several commentaries in the past few months on how the Covid-19 pandemic is affecting mental health. She was also an alumni of the Forbes 30 Under 30 List under Healthcare.
In this episode, she shares her experience on pursuing a career in mental health despite the stigma in Asian communities, what drives her behind her work, and advice she would give to young audience.
Support the show (http://whyyounodoctor.com/podcast)
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Aug 27, 2021
Ragini Bhasin: Being a Filmmaker as an Immigrant from India
Episode 51: Ragini Bhasin (@bhasinragini) is an award-winning film director from New Delhi, India* *who is currently working as a director at Jubilee Media, a Youtube channel with over 5M subscribers. She studied her Masters In Film Directing from Chapman University. She is the recipient of the Meredith MacRae Award in 2018 sponsored by Women in Film for telling diverse stories. Her first short film ‘The Deafening Silence’ was picked up by India’s biggest short film distributor Pocket films and has garnered almost 3M views. She then went on to make 3 short films that won awards, played festivals worldwide and 2 of them found distribution online. Her next short film, Ghazaal which she developed in the prestigious Aotearoa Short Film Lab in New Zealand revolves around a young refugee experiencing her period in a refugee camp.
Support the show (http://whyyounodoctor.com/podcast)
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Jul 2, 2021
Kulap Vilaysack: Running Shows as A Woman of Color
Episode 50: Kulap Vilaysack (@iamkulap) was born in Washington D.C. and raised in Eagan, Minnesota. She* *is the child of Lao refugees. Her debut documentary, Origin Story, chronicles a road trip into her complicated past to meet her biological father and understand her mother. Vilaysack was also the creator, showrunner and sometimes director of the 4-season semi-scripted comedy series Bajillion Dollar Propertie$ (Seeso). She served as showrunner and co-executive producer of A Legendary Christmas With John & Chrissy (NBC). Kulap also directed the Emily Heller Comedy Special, Ice Thickeners (Comedy Central Digital). She currently co-hosts Add To Cart with SuChin Pak --a podcast about what we buy and what that says about who we are for Lemonada Media.
In this episode, Kulap shares her experience being a showrunner as a woman of color and the challenges that come along with that. Support the show (http://whyyounodoctor.com/podcast)
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Jun 25, 2021
Dr. Jenny Wang - Advocating for Women's Mental Health
Episode 49: Dr. Jenny Wang, also known for @asiansformentalhealth, is a 1.5 generation Taiwanese American and licensed psychologist in Texas and North Carolina. Dr. Wang works exclusively with women’s mental health issues across the lifespan with a specific focus on racial identity and trauma, social justice, and cultural reverence.
In this episode, Dr. Jenny Wang talks about the stigmatized relationship between mental health and Asian culture, the doubt expressed by her parents in pursuing social work, and how she is trying to bridge together her psychological practice and her own Asian American identity. Support the show (http://whyyounodoctor.com/podcast)
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May 14, 2021
Eric Sze: Opening A Restaurant Amid the Pandemic in NYC
Episode 48: Eric Sze (@esze.e) is the chef-owner of 886 (@eighteightsix), a Taiwanese cuisine restaurant in Manhattan, and soon to be Brooklyn too! Eric was born and raised in Taiwan, and recently featured on the Forbe 30 under 30 list. In this episode, Eric shares his journey trying to expand his restaurant against all odds, mainly a global pandemic. Support the show (http://whyyounodoctor.com/podcast)
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Apr 23, 2021
Kylie Ying: Coding Content Creator Paving the Way for Others
Episode 47: Kylie Ying (@kylieyying) is a computer engineer currently earning her Master's at MIT and creating content about coding & programming on Youtube. Kylie has always loved math, science, and engineering; her focus is working on applying machine learning to particle physics and improving the dynamical model of a self-driving car! Kylie also started her Youtube channel out of pure love and the intention of sharing her knowledge with anyone with a desire to learn about coding/programming, especially women of color.
In this episode, Kylie talks about her love for machine learning, her upbringing as an Asian woman, her experiences of being in a space dominated by white men, and her mission to create more space for women of color in her field.
Follow us on Instagram for more content at @wyndpodcast!Support the show (http://whyyounodoctor.com/podcast)
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Apr 9, 2021
Esther Moon: Actress from Minari on Finding Joy
Episode 46: Esther Moon (@esthermoonstagram), plays Mrs. Oh in Minari, the Oscar-nominated film. Born in South Korea, she immigrated to the United States with her parents at the age of two. Esther decided to pursue acting later in her life and is relatively new to Hollywood. She spent the last two decades as a licensed mental health clinician; it was not until a battle with breast cancer in 2015 that she finally decided to pursue her American Dream. In this episode, Esther shares about her upbringing, reflections on her career change after her cancer diagnosis, and the importance of finding joy. Support the show (http://whyyounodoctor.com/podcast)
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Mar 26, 2021
Vanessa Pham: Food as A Love Language
Episode 45: Vanessa Pham (@vanessatpham) cofounded Omsom, an emerging Asian pantry staple brand that makes cooking favorite dishes with uncompromised flavors and hard-to-find ingredients possible in any home kitchen. A former consumer packaged goods management consultant at Bain & Company, Vanessa and her sister Kim, first-generation Vietnamese-Americans, created Omsom to reclaim the cultural integrity of Asian cuisines that are too often diluted in the grocery aisle. Their sauces span flavors from East Asia to South Asia, including Vietnamese lemongrass barbecue and Korean spicy bulgogi. Kim, a former head of platform at Frontline Ventures in London who was named to 2017's 30 Under 30 Europe list.
In this episode, Vanessa shares her origin story, her connection and relationship to her culture through food, and the difficulties faced by growing up as a child of Asian immigrants.
Support the show (http://whyyounodoctor.com/podcast)
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Mar 23, 2021
Jason Y. Lee: A Mission on Empathy & Being Asian American
Episode 44: Jason Y. Lee (@jasonylee_) is the Founder & CEO of Jubilee Media, a platform that thrives to provoke a new culture of empathy. With a mission to push people to feel more, think more, and see more in others, Jubilee has garnered over 1B views and 6M+subscribers on Youtube. In this episode, Jason shared more about the core of his mission on empathy, the challenges that come along with it, and what it means to be an Asian American to him. With the recent rise of violence against the AAPI community, we felt that it was important to touch upon topics such as racism, mental health, and political progress.
Join the community! Follow us on Instagram @wyndpodcast and find all of our socials at whyyounodoctor.com/podcast. Support the show (http://whyyounodoctor.com/podcast)
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Mar 12, 2021
Jurassiq: Breaking Stereotypes within the Gaming World
Episode 43: Jurassiq (@jurassiqlol), also known as Clarence Mabansag, is a Professional League of Legends Player and Content Creator. Born in Manila but raised in Chicago, he is breaking stereotypes within the gaming world. During this competitive gaming career, he was a part of Team Gates and Golden Guardians Academy, making his way to the NACS 2017 Summer Qualifiers and NA Academy League. Jurassiq made the transition to content creation in partnership with Twitch, you can find his content on YouTube.
In this episode, Jurassiq talks about the negative stigma surrounding gamers, dropping out of college, growing up with video games, and how they played an important role in his personal life.
Join the community! Follow us on Instagram @wyndpodcast and find all of our socials at whyyounodoctor.com/podcast.Support the show (http://whyyounodoctor.com/podcast)
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Mar 5, 2021
Maggie Lee: Creating Diverse and Imaginative New Worlds
*Episode 42:* Maggie Lee is a playwright based in Seattle who aims to create diverse, imaginative new worlds in genres like science fiction, horror, and action-adventure. Her works have won numerous awards and prizes, produced in Seattle, New York, Seoul, Chicago, and San Francisco. Maggie is currently a board member of Rain City Projects, an organization that supports playwrights in the Pacific Northwest, an Artist Associate with Macha Theatre Works, and a member of the Dramatists Guild. You can find selected plays by Maggie on Amazon!
In this episode, Maggie Lee shares the expectations of being raised by Asian parents, how her journey led her to be a playwright, and some of the most rewarding moments as a playwright.
Join the community! Follow us on Instagram @wyndpodcast and find all of our socials at whyyounodoctor.com/podcast.Support the show
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Feb 19, 2021
Dan Tran: Dancing as a Way of Expression
*Episode 41:* Dan Tran (@dandantran) is a professional ballroom dancer and dance instructor. Growing up, Dan never identified himself as a confident individual until he stumbled upon a dance class in college. Discovering dance meant he was able to find his own voice and an outlet of expression. Dan's interest in dance eventually led him to a competitive career, and ultimately won him two National Titles. Aside from being a performer, Dan holds multiple top teacher & studio awards as an instructor.
In this episode, Dan shares how dancing became a way of expression for him, his struggle to find support from family for his dance career, and how he is coping with the pandemic.
Join the community! Follow us on Instagram @wyndpodcast and find all of our socials at whyyounodoctor.com/podcast.Support the show (http://whyyounodoctor.com/podcast)
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Jan 29, 2021
Zach Benson: Founding Assistagram and Traveling the World
*Episode 40:* Zach Benson (@zachvacay) is living the dream many of us fantasize about: traveling the world and making money while doing it. But it wasn’t always that easy. He grew up in Iowa as a Korean adoptee, had a speech impediment, and suffered a back injury that cut his dancing career short. Yet Zach’s fighting spirit kept him going, and now he has reconnected with his birth mother in Korea, he has overcome his speech impediment to become a keynote speaker, and he has built an incredibly successful Instagram marketing agency.
In this episode, he talks about his incredible journey, from his volunteering work to his professional development, and the lessons he’s learned along the way.
Join the community! Follow us on Instagram @wyndpodcast and find all of our socials at whyyounodoctor.com/podcast.
Support the show (http://whyyounodoctor.com/podcast)
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Jan 15, 2021
Alex Lee: Making History as a Gen Z Politician
Episode 39:* *Alex Lee (@alex_lee) just made history by becoming California’s first Gen Z, first openly bisexual and youngest Asian American lawmaker -- all at the age of 25. While Alex claims he had just been an average student, he definitely isn’t your average politician. He’s about half the typical age of his colleagues, he lives at home with his parents, and in order to make it through his campaign, he had been a part-time gig worker for an app delivery company.
When it comes to Asian representation, he’s taking it to the next level. He now politically represents one of the most heavily Asian districts in California. In this episode, he shares how he turned his weaknesses into his strengths, how he won a campaign as an underdog, and what his job actually entails.
*
Show Notes:*
--No Expletives--
00:00 - Introduction
2:30 - What is the District Assembly?
5:28 - State budgets and how they fluctuate during a recession
8:20 - Speaking to the importance of interpersonal s…
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Jan 1, 2021
Julia Saubier: Trusting Your Path Despite an Uncertain Future
Episode 38: Julia Saubier (@Julia Saubier), is a French-Filipina actor, model, martial artist, activist and co-founder of J+J Ventures. In this episode, she tells us how to trust in the process and to take risks. Growing up in the Philippines, she always wanted to achieve the best for herself -- the best grades and the best schools so she could achieve the best career. But after all of her hard work, she found herself with nowhere to go after graduating from college. Rejected from graduate programs and jobless, Julia faced an uncertain future for the first time in her life. She tells us about her unexpected journey from being a scholar, to a martial artist, beauty pageant model, to an actor, an activist and co-founder of J+J.
Join the community! Follow us on Instagram @wyndpodcast and find all of our socials at whyyounodoctor.com/podcast.Support the show (http://whyyounodoctor.com/podcast)
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Nov 5, 2020
Jaeson Ma: Fusing East and West through Serial Entrepreneurship
Episode 37: Jaeson Ma (@jaesonma), the co-owner of Triller, is no stranger to adversity. From running the streets to his close brush with the law, it was hard to imagine where he’d be today. Now, he’s a serial entrepreneur with a string of success stories behind him: He’s the co-owner of Triller, the founder of East West Ventures, and co-founder of 88rising and Stampede Ventures.
His journey began with a thirst to prove himself -- knowing that even though Asians weren't being represented in the media, it didn't mean they weren't worthy. He became committed to the mission of boosting Asian representation in entertainment and fusing the best of eastern and western cultures together. In this episode of WYND, Jaeson takes us through the ups and downs of his story, from the challenges he faced as a teenager, to his first job with MC Hammer, to launching his first company and becoming a venture capitalist.
*Show Notes:*
* 0:55 - Introductions to Jaeson and his work
* 3:15 - Born…
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Sep 25, 2020
Shang Saavedra: Growth Mindset and Financial Independence
Episode 36: Shang Saavedra (@savemycents) is the voice behind the popular financial-literacy blog, Save My Cents. Having achieved financial independence at the age of 31, she aims to share her money expertise with those who need it most, empowering others to change their lives, on their own terms, for the better.
In this episode of the Why You No Doctor Podcast, Shang and Dominic take a deep dive into some of Shang's most treasured pieces of wisdom that shaped her life for the better: the abundance mindset, the act of doing it scared, and of course, the pursuit of financial independence.
*Show Notes:*
* 1:14 - Introduction to Shang and her work on helping others achieve financial freedom with mental health
* 2:53 - Abundance mindset — adopting a growth mindset over a fixed mindset and having agency in your narrative
* 4:39 - Being jealous about other people's success, and revising goals to improve them
* 6:04 - Shang and how she viewed intelligence as fixed, but changed he…
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Sep 19, 2020
Benny Luo: Pioneering Asian-American Media
Episode 35: Benny Luo (@bennyluo) is the founder and CEO of NextShark, a media company that speaks primarily to the global Asian youth. A venture that was started with just $3,000, NextShark has since grown to serve millions of monthly readers, with hundreds of thousands of followers spanning across their social media.
Learn the insights of Benny's entrepreneurial and personal journey in this week's episode of the Why You No Doctor podcast. "It really helped to find other Asians or Asian Americans around me that really had that Asian pride and showed me that I wasn't alone."
*Show Notes:*
* 01:23 - Living in Puerto Rico and its taxes
* 3:03 - NextShark, how Benny is doing, how COVID disrupted some of those plans
* 5:21 - Benny's background, working four jobs in college, and how NextShark evolved into its Asian American niche
* 7:39 - Having Asian pride, running an Asian American blog, and the emptiness
* 10:43 - Elaborating on Asian pride and the diversity of the Asian Ame…
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Sep 14, 2020
Bonus: A Conversation About Digital Marketing and Entrepreneurship
Episode 34: In this bonus episode, Dominic and John Victoria from Polianna LLC (https://www.linkedin.com/company/polianna-seo/) have a conversation about entrepreneurship, future goals, books, and more.*
*
*Show Notes:*
* 1:14 - Introducing John, his work, his goals, and the context of the call.
* 5:08 - Maintaining focus on SEO and discussing work life balance when trying to grow a company.
* 6:56 - Making revenue goals and changing goals once the company is sustainable.
* 10:58 - Dominic's goals 5-10 years from now, focusing on personal goals, and where his time goes.
13:43 - Burnout, hiring the right people, and the importance of sales.
21:15 - The most important elements in growing the company.
24:00 - When to bring in partners, finding A-players, and leveraging the network Dominic already had.
28:45 - Doubtful on cold calling numbers and closing other deals through referrals instead.
34:16 - Rest and recovery, putting in the work for a good relationship with the client.
3…
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Aug 21, 2020
Eugene Kang: Founding Country Archer Jerky
Episode 33: Eugene Kang (@countryarcher) is the CEO and co-founder of Country Archer Provisions, the number one jerky brand in the natural and specialty channels.
Eugene dropped out of college to found Country Archer Jerky Co after tasting the product by chance at Grand Canyon while on a road trip. In 2019, just 8 years after its founding, the company earned an estimate of $35 million in revenue, with its products spread across 25,000 stores in America. He was a part of the 2019 Forbes 30 Under 30 class, under the Food & Drink category.
*Show Notes:*
* 1:25 - Introduction into Eugene's background, buying out a business, and how it led to Country Archer Jerky
* 8:18 - Eugene starting out at 20 years old, his experience, and his thought process on buying the business
* 10:46 - Going to school, hobbies, and other involvements growing up
* 13:19 - Aspirations in Political Science and Law, pivoting interests towards entrepreneurship and disruption
* 16:28 - Convincing his dad a…
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Aug 14, 2020
Jessica Chen: Learning Communications
Episode 32: Jessica Chen (@jessicachenpage) is the founder and CEO of Soulcast Media, a communications and media agency. Prior to founding her start-up, Jessica was a TV news reporter for ten years, working for various stations like Time Warner Cable and ABC 10News. In 2017, she won an Emmy Award for her reporting work at ABC.
Now, she works full-time with her clients at Soulcast Media, where she coaches professionals on developing executive presence, communicating effectively, and ultimately, breaking the bamboo ceiling. In this episode, we discuss many of those communications strategies.
*Show Notes: *
* 1:18 - Introductions, adjusting to COVID and remote work
* 3:10 - Tactics on remote communications--body language, and other tricks. The pros and cons of video calls
* 7:41 - Being shy in a professional context and taking it as a challenge to overcome
* 10:57 - The importance of confidence in conveying a message and developing a presence
* 14:41 - How do clients work wit…
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Aug 7, 2020
Shawn Xu: Venture Capital and Startups
Episode 31: Shawn Xu (@shawnxu) is an early-stage investor, product launcher, and growth hacker. After graduating from UCSD in 2012 with three separate degrees - global business, political science, and psychology - Shawn worked in Silicon Valley, managing Square’s and Vungle’s business expansions into Europe and Asia respectively. After five years, he packed his bags and headed to the east coast to pursue an MBA at The Wharton School.
While at Wharton, Shawn joined First Round’s Dorm Room Fund as a partner, eventually becoming their managing partner, making investments in over 20 startups founded by students. While there, he also realized the lack of diversity in the startup ecosystem, vowing to create a more inclusive space for women, people of color, and graduates of schools outside the Ivy League. He now works as a senior associate on the investment team at Floodgate.
Most recently, Shawn was a part of the Forbes 30 Under 30 class of 2020, under the Venture Capital category.…
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Jul 31, 2020
Charlie Chang: Investing in Yourself
Episode 30: Charlie Chang (@charlie__chang) is the owner of his own real estate brokerage, an Amazon FBA seller, and a personal finance YouTuber with over 100,000 subscribers. But before all of this, he was once, like Dominic, a recent graduate looking to get into medical school.
Medical school didn't end up happening, and so Charlie instead opted to become his own boss and work for himself. Now, he's everywhere, doing everything — and at the center of all of his ventures is the desire to become just 1% better each day, to constantly improve himself and learn.
*Show Notes:*
* 0:30 - Introducing Charlie Chang
* 2:03 - Applying to medical school and nurturing his side hustles
* 4:25 - Growing up with parental expectations and background on Dominic and Charlie's history
* 7:51 - Realizing medical school wasn't for him and juggling side-hustles with a vision
* 11:28 - Getting into Ecommerce, and starting his clothing business
* 14:58 - Choosing to take the risk to take act…
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Jul 28, 2020
Riana Singh: Building Community and Empowering Womxn
Episode 29: Riana Singh (@rianasingh_) is the founder and CEO of Boss Women Collective, a community that works to connect and empower womxn in real life through intimate experiences. She graduated from UCLA in 2017 with a degree in Asian-American studies, completing eight internships at various tech companies throughout her college career.
We talk about creating space and opportunity for women in tech, fighting imposter syndrome, defining success, and more in this week's episode of Why You No Doctor.
*Show Notes:*
* 00:00 - Introducing to Boss Women Collective (BWC), their objective, who attends, and what they do
* 2:15 - How did Riana come with the idea? How is BWC expanding?
* 5:25 - Switching majors in UCLA, learning about Asian American identity, and growing up in Socal
* 10:59 - Transitioning into tech and integrating her Asian American studies major
* 13:48 - Working at Headspace and valuing mindfulness
* 15:36 - Starting BWC as a side hustle and the differences be…
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Jul 21, 2020
Kevin Li: Making Magic Happen
Episode 28: Kevin Li (@kevinlimagic) is a professional magician who currently holds the title of the Youngest Returner on Penn and Teller's hit show, Fool Us. With over 200K followers on Instagram, the recent Cal Poly Pomona graduate has dubbed himself the social platform's first magician.
In this episode of the Why You No Doctor podcast, we talk to Kevin about learning his first magic tricks from his grandfather in China, how he turned magic into a career, and why he strives to make his shows modern, meaningful, and memorable.
*Show Notes:*
* 00:00 - Introducing Kevin Li and his earlier background on becoming a magician
* 4:46 - Aspirations to do shows in China as homage to his heritage
* 8:08 - Traveling in China and meeting Lu Chen
* 10:43 - Living in Rowland Heights, having immigrant parents, and learning magic from his grandfather in China
* 14:40 - Kevin's relationship with his parents, changing majors to study Business Management.
* 17:33 - Turning magic into a ca…
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Jul 17, 2020
Margaret Ying: Pursuing The Work You Love
Episode 27: Margaret Ying (@oncemorewithlove) is the owner of Once More With Love, an online shop that started out on Etsy and eventually made its way to Michael's. Margaret's venture into design, however, only came after her friend casually asked her to make a few stickers for an Erin Condren planner...
"I was able to express myself in way that I couldn't before and it made me feel so alive! At that moment, I realized that nothing ever felt right for me because there was no love. I was not in love with my education, my degrees, or my fancy jobs. So no matter how much I excelled at any of them, I was never satisfied. But now, I've decided to try this again.
Once more, with love."
*Show Notes:*
* 0:00 - Introduction to Margaret's work and starting out on Etsy
* 5:40 - Transitioning to Shopify and how to build up a following
* 8:30 - Margaret's science background and dentistry. Navigating different career paths in her twenties.
* 14:05 - Discussions on doctors and their thoug…
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Jul 14, 2020
Patrick Lee: How Do You Value Your Time?
Welcome back to the Why You No Doctor Podcast! We're so excited to kick off our second season. We're publishing episodes twice a week on Tuesday and Friday, so be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get notified of our new content.
Episode 26: Patrick Lee (@rottendoubt) is best known as the co-founder and founding CEO of Rotten Tomatoes. Over the years, Patrick has founded six start-ups across three countries and served as the advisor to several businesses across disciplines.
In this intimate episode, we speak to Patrick about motivations, burnout, being Asian American, and more.
*Show Notes:*
* 00:00 - Introduction to Patrick Lee and his work
* 02:41 - Gauging money and valuing your time in the context of current events
* 5:58 - Valuing legacy and what it means to Patrick specifically
* 11:17 - Asian American Representation and GoldHouse
* 16:00 - Maintaining motivation and avoiding burnout while aging
* 20:47 - Advice you Patrick would give to younger iterations of hi…
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Apr 21, 2020
Cynthia Pong: On Career Changes, Success, and Advice
Episode 25: Cynthia Pong (@embracechangenyc) is an ex-lawyer turned career coach. She received her JD from the NYU School of Law and served as a public defender for six years before founding her own business: Embrace Change. Now, Cynthia works as a career coach and workshop facilitator for navigating career change, negotiation, and more.
While most of our episodes leave off with a motivational, inspiring message to our young audience, Cynthia's note is focused on empathy, and being kind to oneself throughout the process of not only career searching, but also life itself. In episode 25 of the Why You No Doctor podcast, Cynthia and Dominic discuss her transition from lawyer to entrepreneur, how to mitigate burnout, therapy, and more.
*Show Notes:*
* 0:00 - Introduction to Cynthia Pong, her work, and how she became feminist career coach
* 4:22 - On being an introvert: pros and cons in the workplace
* 8:39 - The structure of Cynthia's work: how she works with her clients
* 12:00…
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Apr 12, 2020
Bing Chen: Forming a Life Purpose into a Career
Episode 24: Bing Chen (@bingchen) has a stacked resume. After serving as the Global Head of Creator Development at YouTube, where he spearheaded the now-famous Partner program, Bing founded the start-up Victorious, which was acquired by Headspace in 2018. He's served as an advisor for over 10 top companies, including Google, Snapchat, and Baobab Studios. In 2018, Bing founded Gold House, the largest collective of pioneering Asians across the cultural industries, and continues to lead the non-profit in supporting and connecting the Asian diaspora. And he's still moving - the AUM Group is Bing's newest project, a multicultural film fund that invests in the next generation of storytellers.
But every activity he engages in is intentional, and every step in his career leads him closer to his life's purpose. Listen in on this week's episode of the Why You No Doctor podcast, where we converse with Bing about how he developed Gold House's and AUM Group's missions, figured out the meaning of l…
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Apr 9, 2020
Megan Le: Juggling the Roles of Actress, Martial Artist, and Stunt-woman
Episode 23: Megan Le (@missmeganle) holds many titles. While growing up in Indiana, Megan began dance classes as a toddler, and eventually expanded her creative efforts towards theatre and acting in high school. Now, she lives in Los Angeles and juggles both acting and serving as a stunt-woman - oh, and she also founded her own production company, where she helps produce and direct independent projects.
Most recently, Megan starred in the Netflix series, Medical Police as Agent Tran.
On this episode of the Why You No Doctor podcast, Megan describes her upbringing, and her personal experience with race and ethnicity in the entertainment industry, and what she's learned during her tenure in Hollywood. Plus, learn what the phrase "eating the frog" means.
*Show Notes:*
* 0:00 - Introduction to Megan Le, how she started acting and getting into stunt work + her current role on Medical Doctor
* 6:10 - On downplaying accomplishments, the surreal feeling of being booked
* 9:31 - Megan…
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Mar 4, 2020
Aneesh Chaganty: Taking an Opportunity Makes All the Difference
Episode 22: Aneesh Chaganty (@aneeshchaganty) is the director and co-writer of the critically-acclaimed film, Searching (2018, starring John Cho; winner of the Sloan Feature Film Prize at Sundance), as well as the upcoming thriller, Run (2020, starring Sarah Paulson). He is also a recipient of the 2019 Forbes 30 Under 30 award in Hollywood & Entertainment.
When he first came out of film school at USC, Aneesh took part in the typical recent-graduate festivities: writing scripts at coffee shops in Los Angeles. After eight months, his perfect domino fell when he took up the opportunity to create a film for Google Glass, a project that - after many obstacles and hoops - eventually went viral and kick-started Aneesh's career in the entertainment industry. The short, 2-minute film led to a job at Google Creative Lab, which led to Searching, which led to Run.
Listen in on this week's episode of the Why You No Doctor podcast, in which we converse with Aneesh on his family background, the exa…
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Feb 24, 2020
An Phan: The Story of a Vietnamese-American Actress
Episode 21: An Phan (@anthienphan) is a Vietnamese-American actress, model, and writer who is best known for co-starring on HBO's Euphoria and winning the Miss Talent Vietnam USA crown in 2018 - but her background is anything but easy and glamorous.
An is the second child of two Vietnamese refugees with grueling stories - her father, who was caught while trying to make his escape to the United States, served two years of jail time before reuniting with his wife in Arkansas. But even while facing financial hardships and working multiple jobs, An's parents were able to send her to private schools to give her the best shot at the life they never had. The situation created a fissure in understanding between the two generations, who faced different problems and different desires at different times.
On episode 21 of the Why You No Doctor podcast, listen in on An's story of growing up, navigating her relationship with her parents, and facing the issue of representation in Hollywood.
*Show…
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Feb 16, 2020
Chris Do: Intersecting Business, Design, and Passion
Episode 20: Chris Do (@thechrisdo) is the founder and CEO of two companies: his first being Blind, an Emmy award winning brand design consultancy, and the second being The Futur (thefutur.com), an education platform that teaches creatives the principles of business. He's garnered a huge online following on YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram for the content he produces.
But being a first-generation immigrant refugee, Chris has had to navigate through a multitude of hoops to get to where he is today: from needing to adopt English as his second language, to choosing the creative path as a designer and dealing with the disapproval of his parents, to forcing himself to acquire the soft skills necessary to lead his own companies - it's been a life-long process of learning, of becoming better, day after day.
In episode 20 of the Why You No Doctor Podcast, Dominic and Chris dive into his story, philosophy, and advice for the next generation of Asian Americans.
*Show Notes:*
* 0:00 - Introd…
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Feb 12, 2020
Kevin Wu: How to Optimize Your Job Search
Episode 19: Kevin Wu (@kevintxwu) is the founder and CEO of Pathrise (pathrise.com), an online mentorship program for job searching that focuses on optimizing and systematizing the career hunt. Kevin is also a Y Combinator alum, as well as a Forbes 30 Under 30 recipient in the education category.
In episode 19 of the Why You No Doctor podcast, Kevin goes into how and why his company helps young professionals rise above the grueling aspects of job hunting, what his experience at Y Combinator was like, and his background growing up - with one message ringing clear and constant throughout: assess your own risks, make your own choices, and never be afraid of reaching out.
*Show Notes:*
* 0:00 - introduction to Kevin Wu + his company, Pathrise
* 3:30 - More on Pathrise and the fellow choosing process/criteria, the success rate of the program
* 8:12 - How Pathrise helps you along the job hunting process: systematizing and optimizing the job search
* 11:45 - How Kevin founded Pathr…
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Feb 5, 2020
Peilin Chou: The Asian-American Woman Behind Mulan and Kung Fu Panda 3
Episode 18: Peilin Chou (@peilinchou) is the Chief Creative Officer of Pearl Studio, and has worked behind-the-scenes production roles for various hit films, including Mulan, Kung Fu Panda 3, and Abominable. After graduating from college in the '90s, she nearly went down the law-school route before solidifying her place as one of the few Asian Americans creatives working behind the camera in the entertainment industry.
On episode 18 of the Why You No Doctor podcast, Peilin and Dominic touch upon Asian American representation in Hollywood, promotion tips and career advice for the younger generation, and more.
*Show Notes:*
* 0:00 - Introduction to Peilin + how she got into film/tv production
* 4:11 - What did her parents expect her to study in college? + the pressures she felt as a communications major nearing graduation
* 6:25 - Peilin tells the story of when she skipped taking the LSAT and drove to the Grand Canyon instead
* 9:39 - The outsider feel that prevented Peilin fr…
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Jan 29, 2020
Florence Shin and Athina Wang: Female Founders Breaking Molds
Episode 17: Florence Shin and Athina Wang are co-founders of Covry (@shopcovry and shopcovry.com), a direct-to-consumer eye-wear brand that specializes in elevated fit; the idea that started as a conversation at a climbing gym has turned into a company with over 10,000 followers on Instagram.
Covry launched on Kickstarter in 2015, where Florence and Athina surpassed their initial goal of $18,000 by over $30,000, nearly tripling their project budget. In this episode of the Why You No Doctor podcast, the two Asian female founders take us through their background, Kickstarter dos-and-don'ts, manufacturing tips, and more.
*Show Notes:*
* 0:00 - Introduction to Athina, Florence, and their company, Covry + more on glass-wear for Asians and what makes Covry eye-wear unique
* 2:32 - On Covry's market, audience, and goal
* 5:00 - Florence and Athina's background
* 8:10 - How the initial idea to form Covry began
* 11:14 - Kickstarter: how it works, how to market it
* 18:00 - After…
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Jan 21, 2020
Joy Regullano: Being a Female Asian-American Screenwriter
Episode 16: Joy Regullano (@joyregullano) is a Filipino-American screenwriter and actor who's worked for Netflix, CW, Adult Swim, and more. She's starred in Supernatural, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, and Secret Life of the American Teenager, and held a staff writer role on the Netflix series "The Healing Powers of Dude."
Even though Joy has been writing all her life, she made her dream career a reality when she made the decision to switch majors at UC Berkeley, much to her parents' dismay. After graduating and moving to Los Angeles, Joy has been balancing improv classes, writing gigs, acting opportunities - but above all, she consistently strives to enjoy and appreciate the challenging journey of pursuing something you love.
*Show Notes:*
* 0:00 - Introduction to Joy + what she's currently up to (her musical, supportive white parents), and how she got into theatre
* 4:18 - How the conversation (about switching from pre-med to theatre) with her parents went
* 7:00 - What were Joy's pla…
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Dec 17, 2019
Jacob Fu: Living on a Travel Blog
Jacob Fu (@jacobthefu) is the co-founder of LocalAdventurer.com, one of the top five travel blogs in the US. He and his wife, Esther JuLee (@estherjulee), run their business together.
What started as a side hustle has since turned into a full-time gig and seemingly countless memories in the cities they've traveled to. But Jacob admits that when the couple is not outside exploring, they spend much of their time looking at their computer screens - editing content, trying to strike new partnerships, and more. In episode 15 of the Why You No Doctor podcast, Jacob takes us deep into the back-end of his world of travel blogging, where we dive into the nitty-gritty details of what it really takes to adopt blogging as your job.
Join the community! Follow us on Instagram @wyndpodcast and find all of our socials at whyyounodoctor.com/podcast.
Show Notes
* 0:00 - Introduction to Jacob Fu and LocalAdventurer.com
* 3:36 - The pros/cons of traveling the world and moving constantly
* 6:40 -…
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Nov 29, 2019
Jerry Lee: The Soft Skills Asian Americans Need, Explained
Episode 14: Jerry Lee (linkedin.com/jehakjerrylee) is by day, a Senior Strategy & Operations Manager at Google who’s been promoted twice in just two years at the company. By night, he’s a vocal leader in the Asian American community, most known for his contributions to the Subtle Asian Networking group on Facebook and his own content on Linkedin.
In this episode of the Why You No Doctor Podcast, Jerry and Dominic dig deep into what it takes to be a strong candidate in the race up the corporate ladder, their conversation spanning across subjects like the bamboo ceiling, the soft skills that make or break you in the corporate world, the effect cultural background has on your ability in the workplace, and more.
Check out our corresponding blog post on this episode here.
Join the community! Follow us on Instagram @wyndpodcast and find all of our socials at whyyounodoctor.com/podcast.
Show Notes
* 0:00 - Jerry Lee guest introduction and background (Strategy operations @ Google)…
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Nov 8, 2019
Tanya Zhang: Co-Founding An Asian-American E-Commerce Start-Up
Episode 13: Almost exactly a year ago, Tanya Zhang left a cushy corporate job at Ernst & Young to co-found an e-commerce start-up that fills a gap in dress shirts for slim men, Nimble Made (@nimblemade).
From learning the ins and outs of an unfamiliar yet saturated fashion industry, to being the literal 24/7 customer service chat response on their website, to self-funding the entirety of the company, chasing your dream and founding your own venture is an experience Tanya can't compare to anything else.
Listen as we discuss Tanya's first year of taking on Nimble Made full-time, advice for any budding entrepreneurs, and more. Check out Nimble Made at their site, https://nimble-made.com.
Check out our corresponding blog post about Tanya here.
Join the community! Follow us on Instagram @wyndpodcast and find all of our socials at whyyounodoctor.com/podcast.
Questions or comments? Email us at nancy@whyyounodoctor.com.Support the show (http://whyyounodoctor.com/podcast)
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Oct 28, 2019
Natasha Jung: Founding a Media Platform For, By, and About Asian Millennials
Episode 12: Natasha Jung (@natashajung) is the founder and executive producer of Cold Tea Collective, a new media platform dedicated to telling the real stories and perspectives of Asian millennials with the means of celebrating their heritage.
But before Natasha found her calling, she worked tirelessly at her corporate marketing job - only to meet the end of the road when she wasn’t performing up to par: her heart wasn’t in it. It took a lot of deep-digging and self-reflection, but with the defining of her core values, Natasha successfully changed her career path to chart towards endeavors she was truly passionate about: career consulting and of course, Cold Tea Collective.
In this episode, Natasha shares how you can find the career path that’s most meaningful to you - along with tidbits of her background, story, Myers-Briggs personality type, and more.
Join the community! Follow us on Instagram @wyndpodcast and find all of our socials at whyyounodoctor.com/podcast.
Question…
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Oct 12, 2019
Nathanael Ren: Developing AI to Advance Health Diagnosis
Episode 11: Nathanael Ren (@nathanaelren) is the Co-founder and Chief Growth Officer at Buoy Health, a start-up that’s leveraging artificial intelligence to create a free, digital health tool that provides consumers with a real-time, accurate analysis of their symptoms. And though he jumped on board because he couldn’t see a future without this tool, carrying out the decision to leave a corporate job for the start-up life isn’t easy.
It not only means sometimes working over 100 hours a week, but also facing instability and insecurity head-on - overcoming new challenges and obstacles every day. In this episode of the Why You No Doctor podcast, Nathanael sheds light on why he chose to become an entrepreneur, what advice he has for the next generation of graduates, and more.
Join the community! Follow us on Instagram @wyndpodcast and find all of our socials at whyyounodoctor.com/podcast.
Questions or comments? Email us at nancy@whyyounodoctor.com.Support the show (http://whyyouno…
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Oct 6, 2019
Nathalie Con: From Hire #2 to VP of Strategy
Episode 10: Nathalie Con (@nathaliecon) is the VP of Strategy at Giant Spoon, a marketing and advertising agency that ranks at #37 on LinkedIn’s 2019 Top Startups list.
She started at Giant Spoon in 2014 as their second hire in the Los Angeles office, and has since been promoted four times to now fill the shoes of a Vice President at a full-scale company that’s expanded to over 200 employees. To add on to her impressive resume, Nathalie was awarded the 2019 Forbes 30 Under 30 award in Marketing.
In episode 10 of the Why You No Doctor podcast, Nathalie sheds light on qualities that she finds are most valuable in a team member, how she manages stress, and her experience as an Asian American woman in a non-traditional field. Get ready to listen and learn.
Join the community! Follow us on Instagram @wyndpodcast and find all of our socials at whyyounodoctor.com/podcast.
Questions or comments? Email us at nancy@whyyounodoctor.com.Support the show (http://whyyounodoctor.com/podcast)
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Sep 27, 2019
Andy Lin: Defining Your Image - The Self-Portrait Project
Episode 9: Andy Lin (@outromundialista) is the founder and creative director of the Self-Portrait Project (@selfportraitp), an experience that aims to empower people to create their own images and ultimately, express themselves through their own means.
Andy has done it all - he’s dropped out of college, been a part of a Christian rock band, founded a non-profit, and somehow along the way… he’s found his own way of helping the world around him in a meaningful way. After 10 years of working to give others a platform of expression, Andy tells his own story on episode 9 of the Why You No Doctor podcast.
Join the community! Follow us on Instagram @wyndpodcast and find all of our socials at whyyounodoctor.com/podcast.
Questions or comments? Email us at nancy@whyyounodoctor.com.Support the show
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Sep 17, 2019
Tuan Ho: Helping Companies Hire Based on Ability
Episode 8: Tuan Ho (@2onhello) couldn’t afford to pay the tuition to the only college his was accepted to. But one summer and 40 scholarship essays later, he accumulated over $500,000 in scholarships and gladly took the full-ride to Northeastern University.
Since then, Tuan has taken his experience and multiplied it by 100. He is now the CEO and Co-founder of ScholarJet, a company that's creating a future where people are rewarded during their pursuit for a career based on their ability; the platform connects diverse talent to tech companies through online, skills-based hiring competitions. ScholarJet has helped many great clients including Wayfair, Rapid7, and Akamai Technologies expand their talent pipelines and show their commitment to diversity and inclusion.
For his work, Tuan was recognized on the 2019 Forbes 30 Under 30 list in Education. Listen to his story on episode 8 of the Why You No Doctor podcast.
Join the community! Follow us on Instagram @wyndpodcast and find all o…
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Aug 31, 2019
Kevin Chiu: From a 2.1 GPA to $15 Million in Venture Capital Funding
Episode 7: When he was attending Cal State Fullerton, Kevin Chiu (@kvn_chiu) barely graduated with a 2.1 GPA. Now, he and his brother have successfully acquired their Series A funding (over $15 million dollars) for their company Catalyst, the first customer success platform built by a team of customer success leaders. At only 27 years old, he became part of the Forbes 30 Under 30 class of 2019.
That sounds glimmering, but it sometimes isn’t. Kevin sheds light on the ups and downs his company has faced since its founding, the mistakes they made, and the overwhelming amount of work they had to put in to get to where they are now. Take a peek behind the curtain of success and hear about the raw hardships, roadblocks, and hard work Kevin overcame as the COO of Catalyst. Hear his story on episode 7 of the Why You No Doctor podcast.
Join the community! Follow us on Instagram @wyndpodcast and find all of our socials at whyyounodoctor.com/podcast.
Questions or comments? Email us at nancy@…
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Aug 13, 2019
Archie Kao: An Asian-American Actor Learns How To Be Bold
Episode 6: Archie Kao (@archiekao) is an American and Chinese actor best known for series regulars roles on Chicago P.D., Power Rangers Lost Galaxy as well as long-running hit CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.
In this episode of the Why You No Doctor Podcast, learn how running for student body vice president during college pushed Archie “throw his hat over the fence” to pursue acting, and hear the genuine advice he has for young students and professionals that want to break into the acting sphere. “I think you just need to be bold, because no matter what, the clock is ticking. We only get so much time, so do it - because all that other stuff will fade away, but it’s your life. Be bold.”
Join the community! Follow us on Instagram @wyndpodcast and find all of our socials at whyyounodoctor.com/podcast.
Questions or comments? Email us at nancy@whyyounodoctor.com.Support the show (http://whyyounodoctor.com/podcast)
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Jul 19, 2019
Kenny Nguyen: Dropping Out of College to Pursue Entrepreneurship
Episode 5: You define your own success - that’s the biggest lesson Kenny Nguyen (@the_kennynguyen), now the CEO of a successful marketing agency, learned when he dropped out of college during his sophomore year.
Since getting fired from PacSun in high school, Kenny has harnessed all the momentum in moving forward with his life: he founded a public speaking consulting business called Big Fish Presentations in college, and is now heading ThreeSixtyEight, a modern marketing and branding agency. On top of that, he has a whole slew of accolades: he’s a board member of Delta Air Lines, an investor in a modern asian restaurant called Soji, author of The Big Fish Experience, Forbes 30 Under 30 recipient in Marketing and Advertising, and occasional stand-up comedian. There is no one correct path to achieving your goals.
Hear about Kenny’s experience and advice on episode five of the Why You No Doctor Podcast.
Join the community! Follow us on Instagram @wyndpodcast and find all of our s…
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Jul 5, 2019
Justin Ching: Leaving Disney to Start an Independent Production Company
Episode 4: Justin Ching (@justinrching) is a producer who has made hit series for many media giants including Disney, YouTube, and Fox.
He’s since left his full-time job at Fox to pursue a different kind of journey; in 2016, he founded his own production company, j-school, through which he works to tell the stories that matter the most: those of all underrepresented groups. What started with a free editing software called iMovie has now brewed into a continuous passion beyond just a career path - and, well, also a Forbes 30 Under 30 award in media.
In episode four of the Why You No Doctor podcast, Justin takes us through it all: from a small city known as San Bernardino, to a ticket to an Ivy League school, to jobs at the largest media companies… to learning how to find Morocco - hear his story now.
Join the community! Follow us on Instagram @wyndpodcast and find all of our socials at whyyounodoctor.com/podcast.
Questions or comments? Email us at nancy@whyyounodoctor.com.
*Sho…
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Jun 8, 2019
Wen Ren: What It’s Like Being an Independent Asian Filmmaker
Episode 3: Wen Ren (@thewenren) is a Chinese-American filmmaker based between Los Angeles, California and Beijing, China.
His latest sci-fi feature film, The Last Sunrise, won the Best Film category at the Fantasporto Film Festival, the same award won by David Fincher, Guillermo del Toro, and Danny Boyle in the past - but that’s just a glimpse of success for Wen in a field tries your passion, grit, and ability to persevere through failures again and again. In this episode of the Why You No Doctor Podcast, Wen speaks to his life journey - of moving to China, of going through the best highs and the worst lows, and ultimately - of the vulnerability it takes to really go after what you love.
Join the community! Follow us on Instagram @wyndpodcast and find all of our socials at whyyounodoctor.com/podcast.
Questions or comments? Email us at nancy@whyyounodoctor.com.
*Show Notes*
* 0:00 - Introducing our first guest, Wen Ren
* 1:10 - What got you into what you do, and what exactly…
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May 30, 2019
Dominic Zhai: From Failing the MCAT to Founding a Million-Dollar Marketing Company
Episode 2: Dominic Zhai (@dominiczhai) failed the MCAT when he was 22, but it was the single most life-changing experience he’s had. Because if you could fail going the “safe” route, why not fail while trying to pursue what you love?
Since then, he’s studied at the Aaron Speiser acting studio in LA, worked as an acting coach for Tang Wei and Zhang Yuqi, traveled to over 40 different countries, founded the first digital marketing agency exclusively for life sciences (www.supremeopti.com)... this list goes on. Most recently, Dominic was inducted into the Forbes 30 Under 30 Class of 2019 in the Marketing and Advertising category.
What seemed like a life-shattering failure at the time proved to be the biggest catalyst to a new life. Hear Dominic’s story and advice on episode 2 of the Why You No Doctor podcast.
Join the community! Follow us on Instagram @wyndpodcast and find all of our socials at whyyounodoctor.com/podcast.
Questions or comments? Email us at nancy@whyyounodoct…
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May 11, 2019
An Introduction: Why Am I Not a Doctor?
Episode 1: Welcome to Why You No Doctor, a podcast dedicated to documenting stories and advice from established Asian professionals. We’re here to empower the next generation of Asians to pursue unconventional career paths.
On this first episode, host Dominic Zhai (@dominiczhai) talks through the grand intention of the podcast and gives insight to his life journey thus far: from being a shy Asian kid raised by a single, immigrant mother in Wisconsin to a world-traveler, 7-figure business entrepreneur, and Forbes 30 Under 30 recipient.
Whether you’re a student seeking career advice, or a young professional feeling a little bit lost making the transition to the “real world,” this is the podcast for you. We strive to knock down the glass barriers and have conversations about the real, difficult experiences and journeys that humanize the CEOs, founders, and leaders you see online - all to inspire you to dream big and chase after what you want.
Join the community! Follow us on In…
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