Building unapologetic confidence in AAPI professionals Through systematic training Jeanny, Founder of BambooMyth.com will outline step by step how to transform overwhelm and burnout to taking ownership of your leadership and career design. Tapping into her experience coaching over 300+ AAPI women and speaking at dozens of Fortune 500 companies, including Amazon, Uber, KPMG, Salesforce, and Cisco, she reveals the strategies needed to overcome ingrained cultural norms that have become a roadblock to greater success. Many of us grew up with cultural norms like shaming, perfectionism, and filial piety that no longer serve us. We might look successful on the outside, but lack confidence to advocate for ourselves. We end up invisible and over-worked. That changes today. Jeanny will share with you how to finally unleash your confidence, how to speak up, and live your leadership potential in your career and life. Whether you want a promotion, new role, or the courage to start your side-hustle, you'll be empowered from within. This podcast has been a decade in the making. It all started when I got Stage 2 breast cancer as a 40 year-old single mom and career woman. I had not 1, but 3 tumors and my doctor said it was stress-induced. She asked me why. I said, "I'm Asian." The amazing medical team saved my life and this was my wake-up call to start living differently. Over the next decade, I learned to stop burnout through managing self-doubt, constant guilt, and debilitating people-pleasing habits. New episodes are released every Sunday night at 5pm Pacific. Most will be solo episodes with occasional guests and livestreams to include audience interactions. Full Transcripts availble for every episode at AsiansBreakingCeilings.com
In shame-based cultures, when a parent doesn't like something the child is doing, often times they discipline the kid's behavior but the child herself feels like she is a bad girl. She takes on guilt, embarrasment and feels like she has "failed" her family. Unless this is undone, she will carry all the anxiety of just being "herself" into adulthood.This episode connects the dots on why so many Asians have a hard time just being "themselves" and how to stop the cycle of being afraid of others' opinions of us.*Freed to Lead 3 Day VIRTUAL EVENT: June 7, June 8, June 9*Super Early Bird tix through May 19th!*[00:00] Teaser[00:47] Episode 14 Intro[02:00] Expecting the Worst[02:48] What happened to your podcast?[06:23] How Shame Started[08:47] Before Shame Stole Our Joy[11:09] When We Don't Meet Our Own Expectations[13:11] Self-Sabotage[16:19] Yoga and Meditation won't fix it[18:42] BREAK[19:19] Cycles of Shame[22:11] What Does Shame Look Like?[25:48] Jeanny's Journey to Weed Out Old Shame[33:05] Shame Assessement[34:42] Affirmation[39:17] Preview of Season 2Theme Song: Imagine by ZooMid-roll Song: Making Progress by Dan PhillipsonAffirmation Song: Sky High by AKPost-roll Song: Clarity by Zoo*Freed to Lead 3 Day VIRTUAL EVENT: June 7, June 8, June 9
Asian women experience shame as little girls. We start feeling not good enough all the way into our career. This habit negatively affects us in all aspects of work and personal relationships. We end up knowing what we want. So we don't ask and get what we want. In this episode Jeanny shares examples from her past in she learned she was not good enough. Included in this session is an extra-long affirmation in Part 2 of the Episode for you to gain your confidence back!Jeanny Chai Bio here*Take the FREE ASSESSMENT My Personal Roadblock to Success Book A Free Confidence Igniter Call with Jeanny if you want to overcome stress and imposter sydrome and propel your career forward with confidence and certainty.Theme Song: Imagine by ZooMid-roll Song: Clarity by ZooAffirmation Song: Sky High by AKPost-roll Song: Clarity by Zoo
We are trained to unconditionally respect our elders. But this creates problems for us as adults. What if our supervisor is not setting us up for success? Unconditional deference to our boss can result in overworking, anxiety, unfairness, and being stalled in your career.This episode connects the dots on why so many Asians feel this way, and more importantly how to stop the cycle of being afraid of our supervisors and not advocating for ourselves.*Write a Review on Podchaser.com*Take the FREE ASSESSMENT My Personal Roadblock to Success [00:00] Teaser[01:16] Episode 12 Intro[02:44] Scary adults?[04:30] Social Anxiety[05:42] Fear of authority figures[08:18] Remembering adults in your past[11:01] Bullied for not speaking English well[11:58] Stern Chinese School Teacher[14:14] Yelled at for being sick[16:19] Feeling like a bad daughter[19:29] Fear of disappointing our parents[20:38] BREAK[21:17] Filial Piety Gone Wrong[21:30] Afraid to Disappoint Your Boss[23:37] Afraid to Speak up with Your Boss[25:16] Looking to Your Boss for Approval[28:38] Thinking You are Not Enough[28:38] Thinking You are Not Enough[29:26] The Key to Freedom[32:21] Affirmation[36:34] Preview of Episode 13 Looking for a coach? Book a Confidence Igniter call with JeannyTheme Song: Imagine by ZooMid-roll Song: Clarity by ZooAffirmation Song: Ghost by Piano YetiPost-roll Song: Clarity by Zoo
When overthinking causes too much stress and indecisiveness, we need to stop. We were taught to not give others "bad news" but instead to SAVE FACE. These norms in turn make it hard for us to make decisions that make us happy but might have a negative effect on others. We don't want to disappoint others so we make decisions to put up with stress, anxiety, busyness, bad treatment and unfulfillment. There's a better way to make decisions that value yourself, your time and propel your career forward with confidence. See full transcipt at AsiansBreakingCeilings.com in Episode 11.Jeanny Chai Bio here*Take the FREE ASSESSMENT My Personal Roadblock to Success [00:00] Teaser[01:05] Episode 11 Intro[02:32] Are you more comfortable with stress or peace?[04:20] Always expecting the worst[05:19] What causes Overthinking?[07:00] Overthinking causes constant Stress[08:31] You can only be as happy as your most unlucky relative[10:51] Feeling guilty for good fortune[11:14] Feeling guilty to leave your department[14:09] Effects of mean Asian relatives[15:43] When guilt become an addiction[17:14] BREAK[17:52] If it's easy, you're probably LAZY[18:32] Asians getting stuck with the sh*tty projects[19:15] Guilt keeps us in toxic situations[19:58] We are guilted into being responsible, instead of following our dreams[22:54] Stress becomes a way of life[24:57] The Key to Freedom[26:11] Let Yourself be happy[29:35] Create you own pschological safety[30:03] Affirmation to help you gain your power back[33:00] Episode 11 TeaserBook A Free Confidence Igniter Call with Jeanny if you want to overcome stress and imposter sydrome and propel your career forward with confidence and certainty.Theme Song: Imagine by ZooMid-roll Song and Post-roll Song: Clarity by Zoo
Most women have a habit of feeling guilty for saying NO. How is this affecting our careers negatively and more importantly, how to we stop this habit?Here's an actionable first step. Start noticing when you are saying YES when you mean NO.Then give yourself permission to make yourself happy.See full transcipt at AsiansBreakingCeilings.com in Episode 10.Jeanny Chai Bio here*Take the FREE ASSESSMENT My Personal Roadblock to Success [00:00] Teaser[00:48] Episode 10 Intro[02:08] Hard to Say No to Assignments at Work[03:35] Guilt comes from trauma in childhood[06:41] Guilt makes us feel like we have no time[07:25] Feeling like a burden to parents[08:39] I almost became a Mormon[07:39] Guilt steals our joy[08:08] The Age that Guilt starts[08:40] No child is born feeling constantly guilty[09:15] Feeling like a burden to parents[11:42] Guilt causes problems in dating relationships[15:17] Afraid to say no to boss ended up really bad...[17:04] Saving Face can cause a guilt complex[17:30] Always worried about being fired from your job?[20:24] BREAK Book a Confidence Igniter call with Jeanny[21:21] Guilt makes parenting really stressful[21:44] Bad babysitters[25:21] Guilt hurts our careers[26:00] The Key to Freedom[29:03] How to have compassion for yourself[30:22] Affirmation to Say No without Guilt[34:36] Preview of Episode 11 (Guilt, Part 3) Theme Song: Imagine by ZooMid-roll Song: Making Progress by Dan PhillipsonAffirmation Song: Ghost YetiPost-roll Song: Clarity by Zoo
Most women have a habit of feeling guilty for actions that benefit herself. How is this affecting our careers negatively and more importantly, how to we stop this habit?Here's an actionable first step. Start noticing when you are guilting yourself.Once you master this strategy, you'll notice your confidence returning and you start making decisions with more ease and freedom.And most importantly, you'll find happiness. Which, I know, is not talked about or cultivated in the Asian culture, but certainly the key to becoming a good leader and breaking the bamboo ceiling.See full transcipt at AsiansBreakingCeilings.com in Episode 9.Jeanny Chai Bio here*Take the FREE ASSESSMENT My Personal Roadblock to Success [00:00] Teaser[00:29] Episode 9 Intro[02:02] Have your experienced unconditional love?[03:29] Guilt creeps in when we are alone[04:28] Adults afraid of disappointing our parents[05:07] Do you start your day in a mini-panic?[05:46] Why guilt is not a good motivator[07:39] Guilt steals our joy[08:08] The Age that Guilt starts[08:40] No child is born feeling constantly guilty[09:15] Feeling like a burden to parents[11:22] Missing the bus gets us in trouble[13:09] Why We Never Blame our Parents[14:09] The Accidental Shoplifter [17:30] Always worried about being fired from your job?[18:32] BREAK[19:08] Letting your team down (more guilt)[21:23] Guilt as a Hobby[22:43] Guilt Ruins Our Relationships[23:25] Guilt Stalls our Careers[26:01] Guilt is root cause of many Trends from Episode 1[27:04] Affirmation to end Guilt[32:31] Preview of Episode 10 (Guilt, Part 2) Looking for a coach? Book a Confidence Igniter call with JeannyTheme Song: Imagine by ZooMid-roll Song: Making Progress by Dan PhillipsonAffirmation Song: Sky High by AKPost-roll Song: Clarity by Zoo
Asian women tend to apologize unnecessarily. This habit negatively affects us in all aspects of work and personal relationships. In this episode Jeanny shares examples from her past in which an apology was warranted. Included in this session is an extra-long affirmation in Part 2 of the Episode for you to gain your confidence back!See full transcipt at AsiansBreakingCeilings.com in Episode 7.Jeanny Chai Bio here*Take the FREE ASSESSMENT My Personal Roadblock to Success [00:00] Teaser[00:36] Episode 7 Intro[01:59] How To Benefit from this podcast[02:23] The Truth about People who Apologize[04:35] Story 1[07:50] Story 2[09:13] Story 3[11:40] Story 4[14:35] My parent apologized. It was underwhelming.[21:10] BREAK[21:46] Unnecessary Apologizing[23:52] Din Tai Fung[26:28] The Key to Freedom[29:42] Affirmation to help you gain your power back[39:04] Episode 9 TeaserBook A Free Confidence Igniter Call with Jeanny if you want to overcome stress and imposter sydrome and propel your career forward with confidence and certainty.Theme Song: Imagine by ZooMid-roll Song: Making Progress by Dan PhillipsonAffirmation Song: Ghost Piano by Yeti MusicAffirmation Song: No Eye Has Seen by Caden ChaiPost-roll Song: Clarity by Zoo
Do you have no time to yourself? The root cause might be your Inner Critic. But how do you even silence this voice, when we've been practicing self-criticism for 30 or 40 years?Here's an actionable first step. Start noticing when you are "shoulding" yourself.Once you master this strategy, you'll notice your confidence returning and you start making decisions with more ease and freedom. Which means you'll find work-life balance.See full transcipt at AsiansBreakingCeilings.com in Episode 7.Jeanny Chai Bio here*Take the FREE ASSESSMENT My Personal Roadblock to Success [00:00] Teaser[00:45] Episode 7 Intro[01:40] Shoulding myself day and night[03:03] We used to live guilt-free[03:51] The connection between low confidence and shoulding yourself[07:27] How to Silence Your Inner Critic[08:22] The Limitations of Talk Therapy[09:14] How to Start Taking Ownership of Your Career[10:47] Childhood shoulding [16:21] Being too responsible means no fun[18:58] When Work Becomes Your Parent[19:53] BREAK[20:28] Managing conversations with ourselves[21:14] The Pressure of Taking Care of our parents[23:08] Going no contact with my Mom[25:12] Getting Shoulded at Work[29:26] No Bonus for you[30:23] The Key to Freedom[32:09] Stop Shoulding Affirmation[33:59] Preview of Episode 8 (Sorry, not Sorry) Looking for a coach? Book a Confidence Igniter call with JeannyTheme Song: Imagine by ZooMid-roll Song: Making Progress by Dan PhillipsonAffirmation Song: Sky High by AKPost-roll Song: Clarity by Zoo
Asian culture teaches us grit, suffering, resilience and to tolerate A LOT of stress. However, when we live in "De Nile" that our we are tolerating too much abuse and suffering, things don't get better. Many of us suffer from anxiety, burnout, and depression and we don't feel fulfilled in our relationships or work. It is through acknowleding "a**hole behavior" and protecting ourselves that we begin to have agency and experience authentic success in our careers and live with freedom and abundance.Jeanny Chai Bio here*Take the FREE ASSESSMENT My Personal Roadblock to Success [00:00] Teaser[00:50] Episode 6 Intro[02:19] De Nile blocks our Success[03:26] Private vs Public life[05:30] Abuse is normalized in Asian families[06:12] We start to bully ourselves...[09:41] Calling out A$$hole Behavior[11:05] Why Mental Health problems abound in Asian families[14:15] Ending Denial[15:43] Asian Families Denying Mental Health Struggles[20:56] Asian Women Accepting the Fault[22:57] 3-Sentence Template for How to Speak up[23:35] The Physical Effects of Long Term Emotional Stress[25:21] BREAK[25:54] Asian Culture Covers up Problems[27:54] Asian Women Hide their pain[29:11] The Problem with NOT speaking up[30:22] The Key to Freedom[31:52] Creating Psychological Safety for Yourself[34:04] But doesn't God teach us to love everyone?[35:50] Coming Out of De Nile Affirmation/ Meditation[39:30] Preview of Episode 7 Looking for a coach? Book a Confidence Igniter call with JeannyTheme Song: Imagine by ZooMid-roll Song: Making Progress by Dan PhillipsonAffirmation Song: Sky High by AKPost-roll Song: Clarity by Zoo
We are called the "Model Minority" for being hard-working, loyal and reliable. We put everyone else's needs first. But do you ever feel that the sacrifice is too much? That someone being a people pleaser doesn't benefit us, but actually hurts our careers and our lives? Because the root problem of many over acheivers is the feeling that "I'm not enough."This episode connects the dots on why so many Asians feel this way, and more importantly how to stop the cycle of people pleasing and overachieving, when it becomes an addiction.*Take the FREE ASSESSMENT My Personal Roadblock to Success [00:00] Teaser[00:55] Episode 5 Intro[01:55] Why are we talking about our childhoods if this is a career podcast?[04:28] Both Grandmas undervalued, unwanted[07:12] Generational Trauma[11:33] People Pleaser is created[14:31] Why I Became an Overacheiver[15:20] But what happens when it becomes an addiction?[18:24]] BREAK[18:57] Why proving yourself is exhausting?[20:36] We all cope: Asians choose hard work.[21:48] Strategy 1: One surprising cure to proving yourself[25:02] Strategy 2: How to stop proving yourself[28:02] Why Speaking up matters, even if others don't change[29:49] AFFIRMATION[33:49] Preview of Episode 6 Looking for a coach? Book a Confidence Igniter call with JeannyTheme Song: Imagine by ZooMid-roll Song: Making Progress by Dan PhillipsonAffirmation Song: Ghost by Piano YetiPost-roll Song: Clarity by Zoo
Do you struggle with feeling "not enough"? Here's my story on how I finally overcame imposter syndrome and realized I was "approved already." It was the beginning of my transformation from Zero to Hero.Jeanny Chai Bio here*Take the FREE ASSESSMENT My Personal Roadblock to Success [00:00] Teaser[00:45] Episode 4 Inro[01:52] Admitting defeat and failure [04:00] A Decision: The Beginning of Hope[04:50] Awakening[05:40] The End of Comparison[06:32] The Discovery of Clara the Criticizer[07:40] An "Accidental" Career Leap[10:16] I Even Negotiated My Salary![11:26] Crisis in Confidence[12:58] How to Get Out of the Bamboo Jungle[13:32] BREAK[14:07] Medical leave as the ticket to relax[14:49] Measuring ourselves by our accomplishments[15:57] Re-defining Success[16:29] Binging shows and Candy Crush[17:16] Re-discovering music and art[21:15] Re-discovering me and finally living again[21:40] THE Vegas Trip[22:50] Why Asians are all Foodies[24:19] Unlearning Asian parenting tactics[24:35] Checking off my bucket list[26:37] Transforming Anger to Joy[27:57] Getting the Shame Monkey off my back[28:47] Learning to ask for help; oh my![29:34] "Approved Already!"[30:23] The Key to Freedom[31:31] Treating yourself like a friend[33:13] Confidence is the beginning of everything...[35:19] Preview of Episode 5[36:45] Looking for a coach? Book a Confidence Igniter call with JeannyTheme Song: Imagine by ZooMid-roll Song: Making Progress by Dan PhillipsonPost-roll Song: Clarity by Zoo
A shout out to all the individuals who've been an inspiration for me in creating Asians Breaking Ceilings!Jeanny Chai Bio here[00:00] Trailer[01:25] Encouragement to all - pursue your dream business![02:37] Thank you Ascend, Anna Mok, Buck Gee, Denise Peck[03:36] Win Chang, OPAL founder at Oracle[04:20] Jane Hyun, Author Breaking the Bamboo Ceiling[05:00] Renessa Boyle Lane, my coach[05:48] Brene Brown, TED Talk[06:27] Hollywood: Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan[07:50] To "all the little girls that look like me"
So many of us were told by our parents they wanted a boy. Could this be the reason many AAPI women suffer from imposter syndrome and low self-confidence? Is this why we end up being the hard-working, reliable, bad-ass, get sh*t done awesome women but also feel the need to keep proving ourselves?Today Jeanny shares her story so we can look together at the childhood events and people who shaped our cultural norms. As we become self-aware of how we lost our confidence, we have a good chance of getting our power back. And ending the People Pleasing habit.Jeanny Chai Bio here*Take the FREE ASSESSMENT My Personal Roadblock to Success [00:00] Teaser[00:45] Episode 1 Trailer[02:05] The Origin of the People-Pleaser[8:17] Coming to America[10:54] Not belonging in American school[12:50] Not belonging in Chinese school[14:12] Stress from my family[15:30] Origin of an Imposter[18:23] I Got a B: my parents were upset.[19:32] I Got into Stanford: parents were upsetBREAK[23:23] New life in CA but same old problem[23.30] Getting bad grades[24:17] I didn't go to med school: my parents were upset[25:50] Full blown imposter syndrome[26:49] Proving myself at home, at work, everywhere[32:14] Big wake-up call[33:57] Episode 3 PreviewTheme Song: Imagine by ZooMid-roll and Post-roll Song: Clarity by ZooMentioned in this episode:Outtro
Do you want to know what thousands of AAPI women in corporate America are really experiencing? In this eye-opening episode, Jeanny reveals the Top 10 trends mid-career professionals are experiencing. Spoiler: it's not pretty.Can you relate? You are not alone. We are in this together.Jeanny Chai Bio here*Take the FREE ASSESSMENT My Personal Roadblock to Success [00:00] Teaser[00:57] Episode 1 Trailer[02:20] Bad Ass Immigrants Sacrifice Too Much[04:33] Trend 10. AAPI woman is sole breadwinner[05:20] Trend 9. AAPI woman does the work of 3 people[05:55] Trend 8. No time for herself[06:46] Trend 7. Underpaid by $30-40K[07:19] Trend 6. Feels Unfulfilled[07:45] Trend 5. Tolerates a Toxic Environment [09:08] Trend 4. Exhausted[09:44] Trend 3. Physically Ill[11:46] Trend 2. Constantly Proving Herself[13:33] Trend 1. Not Getting Promoted[14:19] It's not your fault.[14:38] We need to address clash of cultural norms.[15:52] There is HOPE.Take the "My Personal Roadblock to Success" Assessment here:https://asiansbreakingceilings.com/assessmentLeave a written review for me at Podchaser, thank you![17:03] Data from ASCEND report, executive parity lowest for AAPI women[19:43] Three Biggest Asian Cultural Ceilings to Reframe[20:56] First Ceiling: Self-Criticism[22:28] Second Ceiling: Emotional Restraint[24:21] Third Ceiling: Filial Piety[28:02] Goal of Asians Breaking Ceilings[28:33] Episode 2 PreviewTake the "My Personal Roadblock to Success" Assessment here:https://asiansbreakingceilings.com/assessmentTheme Song: Imagine by ZooMid-roll and Post-roll Song: Clarity by ZooAscend Report: The Diversity Equity Gap in the Fortune 500:Mentioned in this episode:Outtro
Who this podcast if for and why you should listen.Multi-cultural female professionals who want to:ignite your confidenceovercome imposter syndromebreak that career ceilingLearn how to decide, create, and ask for what you want in your career without apology or guilt.Whether you are looking to get promoted, searching for your next perfect role, or thinking about starting your side hustle, this podcast will give you strategies to increase your confidence and start living your leadership potential.Authentic success, without the stress!Who is Jeanny Chai?BambooMyth.com Founder, coach & speaker, Jeanny Chai helps Asian American professionals find their worth from within and “Live Their Leadership Potential” by reframing the cultural priorities that have been given to us. She believes that breaking through the Bamboo Ceiling is an internal quest and only by thinking differently that we can create a new norm. She has been invited to speak at companies including Salesforce, Amazon, Netflix, Oracle, KPMG, HP and has been featured in Fortune Magazine, USA Today, and ABC News.Drawing from powerful personal experiences that include “shaming” her family by not attending medical school after graduating from Stanford, raising four children and becoming known as a successful business development professional in Silicon Valley, Jeanny has devoted herself to helping Asian Americans find their confidence from within.It took Jeanny 3 breast cancer tumors and a divorce to come into the realization of how she could flourish, and she is dedicated to saving other women the pain of having to go through great adversity to reach the point of personal transformation.Read more about Jeanny's impact and work at www.BambooMyth.com