Lost at Sea

| stephanie.t.chen

Finance Degree? or Art Degree? Play it safe? or Shoot for the Moon? What’s the right order? When Sculptor, Caretaker, Job seeker, Dreamer, Debbie Vu of Alief, Houston reached out to me on *LinkedIn, a 30 min conversation turned into an episode on why being (only) good at school can leave you (really) lost when it comes to real life.  

Meanwhile, CALLING ALL HOUSTON VIETNAMESE FINE ARTISTS – Connect to Debbie (IG: @art_dtv) to create a community of artists that understand and represent you!

Disclaimer:  I am not a professional coach, therapist, (anything, really) – My opinions in this episode are purely from my own experience and observations working across corporate, small business, consulting, and nonprofit organizations for 16+ years. Listen at your own risk!

Note 1: Editing this episode made me realize where I got “useless potato” from (last episode, recorded after this one). So, thanks Debbie. To us, celebrating potato-ship. Potato-ness?

Note 2: Talking to Debbie made me realize why I call everyone “girllll or dude” indiscriminately – it’s an Alief thing?  I need to update it to be “huumann…” or maybe.. “BeinG”

*LinkedIn = an American job hunting / networking website. They are not paying me to mention them. They should.

Recorded: 1/4/2023, the day after my cousin and I were harassed/chased in NY at a subway station by a man asking if we were from China.

Takeaways:

  1. Spending 90% of your time applying for jobs isn’t efficient or effective.
  2. Aiming for jobs lower than your skill set is actually hurting you.
  3. Your resume should reflect where you want to be, not just where you were.
  4. Rejections should not define you. 
  5. You NEED to know your worth. In everything.
  6. You NEED a passion project outside of your job.

Useless Potato.

| stephanie.t.chen

Sometimes I feel like a useless potato. Sometimes YOU may feel like a useless potato. But you are NOT a useless potato!  I am also NOT a useless potato!

What the heck is going on? What the heck is this episode after 7 months of silence? I guess you will have to listen to find out.

“There’s no such thing as a Useless Potato. Potatoes can be made in so many ways. Fried, scalloped, mashed, julienned, salad-ed, turned into a battery. Just because potato you is sitting in a (sad) sack in the dank cellar right now, wondering what is to become of you, does NOT mean you are not destined to turn into something yummy.”
– Special Potato 🥔 Stephanie

 IG: @getraw_podcast

Thank you to my Patreons – and  Michelle, Terence, Christina, Jennifer, Janet, Tracy, James, Jerry, Lina, pjtadsp (who you be? It’s ok you don’t have to tell me).  Please considering subscribing to my Patreon to get more insider updates! Help me eventually break even!

Defiantly Undefinable

| stephanie.t.chen

Michelle is 20 years old, battling not just Lymphoma and chemo, but her mental health, her friendships, her confidence, her outlook on life and on …. everything.

In a world that fosters everyone knowing everything about everyone, does caring too much what others think ultimately lead to us caring LESS about what really matters?

This episode is deeply emotional, and beautiful – just like Michelle – and a great reminder to all of us of what really matters in life.

“Cancer doesn’t define me, it empowered me to become the best version of myself again”
– Michelle

IG: @ellekcim

Thank you to all my first lucky 8 Patreons – who motivated me to get this episode out today. Michelle, Terence, Christina, Jennifer, Janet, Tracy, James, Gardener – this post is for you. All of it.

38 Years

| stephanie.t.chen

I turned 38 two months ago. I’ve been on anxiety/antidepressant medication for 6 months. I was diagnosed with ADHD 2 weeks ago. I’m finally learning to be comfortable and proud of who I am. It’s hard as fck, but it’s awesome.

This is my first ever non-edited episode!
 
PS: I hope you will follow me on IG @getraw_podcast and consider sponsoring this podcast for $1 a month!

Share Your Grief

| stephanie.t.chen

In this personal episode, Stephanie and her sister Wei Wei (Christine) finally do a podcast … by accident. During a call about their 99 year old grandpa’s passing, they remember his strength, vitality, and courage in escaping communist China – as well as how repressed their family is when it comes to dealing with grief and … all feelings.

Warning: Death, Crying, Cussing, Sad Feelings

The Long White Con

| stephanie.t.chen

What is life like for a biracial, white passing daughter of a mother that chose to erase her Indian heritage? How does looking “ethnically ambiguous” effect an actor when booking jobs?

It’s not enough Sheila is an executive producer, writer, show runner, opera singer, and krav maga-er. On top of it all, she is a role model, philosopher, mental health advocate, and veritable geyser of wisdom and humor.

From creating a safe set on her upcoming project Night, Mother to representing BIPOC and neuro-divergent characters with respect and grace, Sheila could teach Hollywood a thing or two on how it should be run.

The Fault of the Stars

| stephanie.t.chen

According to her eastern and western zodiac signs, Stacy is a riotous combo of a stubborn ox and fiery ram. Just kidding, Stacy hates astrology. And compliments. And parental PDA. And marriage. And Affluent Anti-Affirmative Action Asians.

So how did a painfully shy girl turn into an irreverent, irrepressible illustrator that people just can’t get to shut up? Get ready to hear a lot of opinions, and laugh – a lot.

@stacynguyencreative
StacyNguyen.com

Also check out the video below at timestamp 21:20 to see Stacy’s hilarious & illustrated story of a conversation with her mom and the origin of why she hates astrology so damn much.

Defend Yourself

| stephanie.t.chen

What happens when Stephanie’s neighbor’s dog attacks her dogs for the third time in three months? Does she channel Leslie’s training to defend herself and her pup?

Part 2 of “You are Worth Defending” with Leslie.

Bonus: Listen to the recording between the neighbor, the police, and me.  Fun times.

For those who haven’t checked it out, you really need to let Leslie empower you at reclaimingyourcourage.com

Special thanks to Jerry who taught this podcast host over a decade ago about the “One Party Consent Rule” when it comes to recording conversations, and all the friends and fam who have been supportive while I dealt with this @$$hole.

PS: Jerry says,  “One party consent is only in certain jurisdictions. You should seek legal advice from an attorney licensed in your particular state or territory.”

You Are Worth Defending

| stephanie.t.chen

Love. Freedom. Strength. Vulnerability.

These are the tenets of Leslie Lew, Martial Arts / Female Empowerment / Modern Self Defense Coach & Badass Kung Fu Witch. If you have EVER felt hesitant standing up for yourself at work, at home, or in life, Leslie is the guide and verbal hug we all didn’t know we desperately needed.

From overcoming generational to personal trauma, to being bullied at work, to potentially losing faith in romantic love, Leslie teaches us in this inspirational episode how to distill your deepest pain into the purest form of inner power.

“Sick and tired of being sick and tired?” This episode is for you.

Trigger Warning: Sexual Assault, Suicide


Links

Highlight videos to look for

Skills to build from Leslie

  1. Mindset questions to ask yourself
    1. What do I believe is a worse case scenario here?
    2. What is my strategy to navigate through this?
  2. Vocalization
    1. What is a boundary I have no problem protecting?
    2. What can I say to someone who crosses that boundary?
  3. Movement
    1. When presented with a technique or self-defense advice, ask yourself: “How can this work for me?”