Back At It

"You're gonna get into every space that you want in this life, but you're gonna get in through the backdoor"These are the words that Anna Gordon heard from her high school guidance counselor, which ended up being the cornerstone of her life.Tune in on the newest episode of Back At It as David digs deeper into Anna's roots from the Soviet Union and how that shaped her growing up in America, to embracing her unique path and becoming a successful storyteller and content creator for small businesses and nonprofits.TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Intro(01:02)  Being born during the final years of the Soviet Union and migrating to New York(04:49) Assimilating into America(10:39) Being raised by a single parent(15:44) Growing up with no direction, not understanding the "why"(19:34) The impact of her high school guidance counselor in shaping her outlook in life(25:20) Fighting comparison with others who are in the same age(30:59) Be honest with yourself(33:11) How her partner complements her personality and inspires her(36:43) What does it mean to "make it" in life?(44:57) Reflecting on how she was unmotivated to living her ideal life(47:16) The toll of the Russia-Ukraine conflict over her own life and her family dynamic(53:44) Scenarios in the past where she could've responded with joy and not anger(57:17) Does being authentic always mean being joyful?(1:03:44) Embracing the human more than the skillset in a professional environment(1:07:17) Tips on how to use the internet to empower yourself and others, compared to doom scrolling(1:11:10) What she wants to be known for in the later years of her life(1:13:53) What is the last thing you want to do before you die?(1:15:21) Showing off her doodles drawn during the recording(1:16:33) Wrapping Up

Being introduced to art by his grandmother at the age of 4, Robert ended up finding his passion very early in life. However, being an artist wasn't synchronous with his life journey; being exposed to constant changes as he grew up. Tune in on this new episode of Back At It as David unravels the various circumstances he was placed in, and how it all led to his thriving art gallery in NYC.  TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Intro(01:15) Upbringing and Thought Process Into Making Art(10:30) Reflecting as an Artist by Travelling(15:50) Making Better Art vs. Trusting Your Own Process(21:00) Realization That He Wants to be an Artist Along with his Assimilation in New York(34:57) Navigating his path between finance and art in New York(53:28) Finding his right community(1:05:44) Community leading to his art gallery opening(1:15:17) Maintaining and growing his community(1:23:16) The Mandarin word for chaos is the exact same word for opportunity(1:30:15) Going through the 10,000 hour process to have fun in chaos(1:35:59) The perspective of always being a student(1:44:40) What a 4 year old Robert would think of the current Robert(1:46:40) What he would currently make with a blank space(1:49:38) Robert's socials and his art gallery

Still in denial that it's already February of 2024? Don't worry, we are too.  Tune in on the newest episode of Back At It as Anna, Miriam, and David reflect on the recent phases of their lives, and talk about what's in store for them in this new year. TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Intro (00:51) Anna's 2021 - 2023 reflection (03:13) Miriam's 2021 - 2023 reflection (06:44) David's 2021 - 2023 reflection (09:13) Anna's word or phrase for 2023 (10:26) Miriam's word or phrase for 2023 (13:56) David's word or phrase for 2023 (17:11) Anna's themes for 2024 (21:19) Miriam's themes for 2024 (26:51) David's themes for 2024 (29:04) Miriam's new interests to try out (29:45) David's beatboxing fail (I swear it was the mic - David) (32:37) What's Anna looking forward to in 2024 (35:03) Anna's rapper name (35:55) Miriam's desire to make comics (36:57) Conclusion

On June 14, 2021, Jing Lin, the sister of Anna Lin, passed away to suicide. Tune in on this special episode of Back At It as Miriam and Anna celebrate the life of Jing Lin, and how Anna has dealt with this unexpected loss and tried her best to live courageously everyday. P.S. September is National Suicide Prevention Month. If you ever feel that your struggles are overwhelming and you have no one to turn to, please contact the suicide and crisis hotline at 988. No matter how dark it may seem, you are never alone. There will be better days ahead. TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Intro (01:26) Who Jing Lin is (04:00) Her experiences with mental health issues (07:14) The family dynamic before and after Jing's passing (10:11) The importance of having a support system (13:43) Living in Staten Island as an Asian American woman (15:38) Jing's faith in God (16:44) How Anna was able to cope immediately following her death (18:40) Destigmatizing suicide and depressive thoughts (25:32) Anna's view of purpose and faith (28:25) The making of the film about Jing Lin (30:11) Celebrating Jing Lin (35:56) Advice on remaining positive while being vulnerable (43:11) Tips on making friends, being proactive, and final thoughts

Migrating from South Korea to America at the age of 10, Juno Roome was struggling to conform to American society while retaining everything that he learnt back in his homeland. Yet despite the difficult transition period and the trials associated with it, Juno found solace through one medium: music. Making music since a formative age, Juno was able to cultivate his own identity despite the cultural differences, and eventually forge his own path. Now as a full-fledged musician specializing in dream pop with a rapidly expanding audience, Juno has a singular objective in his craft: to connect and make others feel at home. Learn more about the journey of Juno Roome in our latest episode of Back At It. P.S. this episode is in collaboration with his own podcast, ryan gosling is gonna die before us, probably. This will also serve as their pilot episode. Congrats on the milestone and welcome to the podcasting space

GET TO KNOW THE PEOPLE BEHIND BACK AT IT: Anna Lin is a creative, passionate individual who has a huge heart to empower people to be challenged and grow in whatever life stage they're in. Born from immigrant parents from Fuzhou, she has struggled with mental health, communication, and cultural barriers within family. From her trials, she has learned that in the darkest times, there is still a silver lining of hope. With Back At It, she desires to get to know and share stories of those who has experienced failure but did not give up.“Courage is not the absence of fear, but the willingness to face it.” Oh yeah, she's also really derpy and loves to laugh

Having a degree in exercise science, Jordan Biason originally started his career in the medical field. However, as many of his peers progressed in their respective careers and livelihood, Jordan found himself stuck and unhappy in his current position; ultimately feeling insecure in his own abilities. But eventually, he was able to realize his true passion in technology, and successfully transition into a career that he loves; serving as a foundation for further milestones in his life. Learn more about Jordan in our latest episode. Subscribe to Back At It to find out how people overcome limiting beliefs and achieve their potential. Timestamps: 0:00: Intro 1:01: Beginning of journey 4:51: Figuring out what to do 7:23: After discovery 10:40: Low points/mental health leave 12:12: Coding as a real interest 14:11: Comparison with others 15:54: Advice for people who are stuck/break into tech 20:26: Validation in what you really want to do 21:31: Favorite part of current job/side hobbies 26:39: Resetting 27:28: What's next

Cera is a full time physical therapist and part-time student born and raised in the Philippines. She moved to NY in 2019 to pursue her career and doctorate degree. Growing up, one of her biggest challenge was being hypersensitive to everything. Now, as an adult living independently, she still carries that burden with her at work, family, relationships and friendships. It's never been an easy process, but regardless of what she's been through, she was able to make it to where she is today. Learn more about Cera in our latest episode. Subscribe to Back At It to find out how people overcome limiting beliefs and achieve their potential. Timestamps:0:00: Introduction1:09: Introduction to HSP journey4:54: Growing up with emotions suppressed7:59: HSP as a factor in physical therapy career10:37: HSP challenges13:06: HSP depression15:17: Black Hole/cause of HSP17:44: Controlling emotions21:04: Migrating into America from the Philippines27:02: Personal transformation from moving out of Philippines to NYC29:19: How the book 101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think changed her mindset33:01: You can only control your own emotions35:30: Comparing other people's lives to feel better and toxicity of social media37:10: Needing to feel validated40:06: Not being able to regulate emotions leading to suicidal thoughts42:36: Outlets to get out of negative HSP thoughts48:05: Still feeling your emotions while not getting into black hole51:47: Get professional help if you're in a black hole55:32: Resources for people with HSP and regulating emotions (grounding techniques: four square breathing, five senses, feeling circle chart, book: Atlas of the Heart)58:24: Looking forward to living life59:29: Last thing you want to do before you die1:00:48: Wanting to be a mother to love someone unconditionally

IMVNI (IMANI) is a genre bending artist born on an unknown Planet, Planet X. Her style is a fusion of experimental R&B, Lo-Fi, Jazz , and Electronic with a sad edge. Her family left planet X in the 90s and moved to Louisiana. Her love for southern Hip Hop influences her sound with heavy bass and robust drums. IMVNI hypnotizing vocal style ranges from soft and angelic to gritty and diabolical. She credits her lively stage presence, which includes vignettes of inspiration, to being brought up in a small southern church. On her upcoming album, The 11th Hour, IMVNI travels to through time with her Grandmother as her spirit guide where she explores love, loss, and heartbreak. You can go here to explore her work. P.S. The intro and outro of this episode is from one of her singles, "Rollin".

NYC based musicians formed by the phrase, “there's enough food on the table for everyone” Banquet uniquely composed of 4 NYC based musicians, who create within the genre of instrumental jazz fusion, with Tim Perkins being the lead singer and Elder Merchant being the lead drummer. Over the years, individually and collectively, Banquet has performed in various venues across NYC; Rockwood Music Hall, The Bowery Electric, and Silvana's. P.S. The intro and outro of this episode is from one of their singles, "Break The Habit".

Darvin Lau is musician, entrepreneur and small business owner based in Brooklyn, NY. After witnessing children living in poverty during a trip to Hong Kong and China when he was 12 years old, he has since committed his life to the calling that God has put on his heart to speak life and truth into the world through music. This led him to eventually teach music to children; starting off with two kids in the basement of a Brooklyn community center. Through his conviction to help children and his personal faith in God, he was able to overcome the challenges that came and eventually opened his own music school studio called the Bay Ridge School of Music. Every Friday night, his music school studio opens up their doors to kids in the community for youth group programs. Kids have a safe place to be away from the streets and learn about faith, hope, and love through music. In addition, they also build free music programs for children in homeless shelters in Brownsville. Their ultimate mission is to be able to bring their students from New York to serve and teach music to children in need to different parts of the world like China and Africa. Currently, the Bay Ridge School of Music teaches close to 300 students every week, with a staff of over 20 instructors. His music school studio recently performed at the world famous Carnegie Music Hall and was awarded the best music school in Brooklyn for 2022.

Crystal Leung is the Event Coordinator at Georgetown University and also works as a wedding and special events planner. Aside from her 9-5 job, she hosts a podcast called “Let's Get Candid” with organic conversations to connect people in isolation while creating a space to uplift ordinary people's voices. She also creates YouTube videos about travel and quarantine life to curate comfortable and therapeutic content.

Miriam Yoo, also known as Staryoo, is a Korean-American artist based in New York. Her passion of storytelling in anime, manga and video games led her into an interesting adventure of events. She creates illustrations, short comics and animations based on her life experiences, her faith and social issues. She also sells merchandises based on her art to raise money for fundraisers and humanitarian related organizations. She engages in activism using her social media like Instagram and Twitch to raise awareness and create conversations within the diverse communities around her. One of her goals is to use her art and share stories with meaningful messages to help unify our communities.

Ayesha Raees identifies herself as a hybrid creating hybrid poetry through hybrid forms. Raees currently serves as an Assistant Poetry Editor at AAWW's The Margins and has received fellowships from Asian American Writers' Workshop, Brooklyn Poets, and Kundiman. Her first book of poetry, "Coining The Wishing Tower" won the Broken River Prize hosted by Platypus Press and judged by Kaveh Akbar, and will be forthcoming in March 2022. Akbar describes her book as: “everything I hope to find when I read a book of poetry—fearless reckoning with unprecedented experience spoken in a singular, deeply and importantly strange lyric voice.” Her VideoPoem "The Memoir.... " was the winner of the Deanna Tulley Multimedia Contest hosted by SlipperyElm at the University of Findlay and has been selected for national and international film festivals including the Midwest Video Poetry Fest & 9th International Video Poetry Festival in Athens, Greece. Ayesha works with a lot of mental health issues. She started a poetry Salon at Asian America Writers' Workshop (which she ran for a year!) to help battle mental health through radical togetherness and active inclusivity.

Antonio Mancini Albano is currently completing his Masters in Food Studies at NYU Steinhardt, and is the Founder & CEO of a mission-driven tech startup called beet & pear. His background is in Environmental Science, Economics, and nonprofit food justice work with Slow Food USA and Grow NYC. Prior to this, Antonio was an apprentice cook in Michelin-starred restaurants throughout NYC. He grew discouraged by the amount of food being wasted and peddling luxury ingredients to the rich every night, so he quit, struggled and carved yet another path forward for himself. His bold move to leave the kitchen and start from scratch marks only the beginning of his difficult come-up to where he is now. Antonio has an uncompromising vision for the future of food; he is super passionate about food justice, innovation, and he's dedicated his career to making meaningful systemic reform with beet & pear.

Camille Monzon is the founder and CEO of Camila - a minimalist and high-quality activewear brand for women. Camille has a bachelors degree in psychology and went to graduate school to study counseling psychology. But after experiencing hard trials and grief, she realized she wouldn't be able to help others if she couldn't help herself first. So she explored another path and with this choice she hit what she believed to be rock bottom. Jobless and helpless, Camille endured by keeping in mind that, “If this is rock bottom, then there's no where else to go but up.” After teaching herself how to code, she managed to transform a 2 week temp job into the career she has now. Camille is now a successful Automation Engineer which allowed her to be able to start the business of her dreams. Hers is a story about resilience and perseverance. You can checkout Camila at @thecamilabrand and www.thecamilabrand.com

Yuyu Kitamura is an up and coming Japanese actress/poet raised in the bustling city of Hong Kong and moved to New York City. She went to study at NYU Tisch School of the Arts where she studied at the Atlantic Acting School and Stonestreet Studios earning a BFA in Acting. Yuyu has worked on scripted podcasts, theatre, and independent shorts such as Electable (Athena Scriptwriting Lab) and Clique Bait (Featured at the Asian American International Film Festival). After publishing her first poetry book 'Circles and Lines', she continues to write poetry that centers around cultural identity, mental health, and coming of age experiences. The biggest obstacles in her career have surrounded immigration in the US, and the complexities of accepting oneself. Yuyu strives to work with other Asian creative to bolster Asian representation within the industry, not just on-screen but off-screen. You can find her at @yuyukitt or at yuyukitt.com

Sean Liu is the founder and culinary director of My Sweet Grandma (MSG), a food brand focused on changing the way we approach Asian American food through examining immigration, culture, and cuisine. His earliest food memories are in the restaurant standing on a barstool, scooping rice into those iconic foldable Chinese takeout containers. But his fondest are those he shares with his Grandmother. His approach to food is well-thought-out and meaningful, but Sean's main goal is to connect with people through food and make sure they have eaten well, just as Grandma did for him. Sean dedicates his art to creating thought for food, unveiling the stories beyond what's on the plate. Follow his work on Instagram @msg.kitchen.

Author of autobiography, Sweet and Sour: The Life of Bipolar Asian American Woman, Rebecca N Le shares her experience living with a mental illness. One of her lifelong goals is to be an advocate for mental health awareness in the Asian community. Having experienced mental health challenges first-hand, Rebecca hopes she can bring light into this highly stigmatized subject in her community. The daughter of Vietnam War refugees, Rebecca grew up in Houston, Texas, and was diagnosed with Type 1 Bipolar Disorder shortly after her high school graduation. Her book details her experience with being hospitalized at 18 years old, and the struggle her family went through in understanding the reality of mental health challenges. Today, Rebecca lives in Austin, Texas, where she works for a highly successful Fortune 40 company. She is adamant about not letting her illness keep her from being accomplished, and wants others to do the same. You can find her book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other book sellers, and keep up with her blog at rebeccale.com. Instagram: @rebeccanle Blog: www.rebeccale.com

Tony Yi, an LA-raised NYC-based recent college grad struggled with unemployment for half a year after college. After picking up Ryan Holiday's "Stillness is Key" and embracing Greek Stoicism, Tony turned his life around and now advertises for Deloitte US. In addition to working in the advertising industry, he also makes Youtube videos under the channel name "Yiman". Garnering 1.7 million channel views and over 20K subscribers, Tony dedicates this channel to discussing his love for storytelling through the Anime/Manga medium. Obsessed with self-development, He positions both his professional career and Youtube platform to teach people to embrace the concept of "Amor Fati" or a "lover of one's fate". You can discover more of his content here: https://www.youtube.com/yiman

Eddie Lai is making his way through life step by step as he navigates through his early career working in healthcare and hospital administration. Currently based in Atlanta, he was raised and attended college in the Philadelphia-metro area and earned a graduate degree in public health in Boston. Seeking representation and shared experiences in our 21st century digital age of connecting also led him to co-found a grassroots coalition, the Association of Asian Healthcare Leaders, which aims to connect Asian Americans and others in the health administration field to share their experiences, and show others that they are not alone in their journeys. This initiative combines several of his interests in Asian American representation, healthcare administration, and professional development. As the first son of Chinese immigrants, Eddie reflects on how comparison can rob you of your joy, how it's worth considering the path less taken, and how his Asian American and faith identity play into how he sees the world and interacts with others. In his free time, he enjoys hiking, playing video games, trying to play sports, and cheering own his hometown Philadelphia 76ers. Trust the Process!

Vivian Nguyen, better known as Vivian Teresa, is the Founder & CEO of Innerstate Media, a growing consultancy in the health & wellness space. Vivian is also a confidence coach, and a non-certified professional at keeping it real. Vivian is also coming out with a podcast in 2021 called “The Fake Hippie” sponsored by @byobrevolt, which challenges listeners to break their own judgments by exploring the realms of people living in the world of “taboo.” Having gone through the traumatic experience of being obese as a kid, Vivian is no stranger to facing the insecurities from the judgment of others. At the end of the day, owning who she is as a person is what makes Vivian inspired to serve others to be proud of their true individualities. Plus, she's not afraid to burp and fart everywhere because it's a part of nature. If human beings keep holding in their gas, they can be prone to hemorrhoids or other diseases, which is why Vivian encourages passing gas when truly needed. Same thing goes for mental health - if you hold in your feelings and thoughts, you will naturally become very ill. If there are any takeaways from this, get comfortable with passing gas, because once you're comfortable with doing that, it'll be the first step to getting comfortable with your flaws, and it will also build your endurance to constantly improve.

Do the work of working on yourself. Wanderlusting foodie Angela is closing the global skills gap through her marketing role at General Assembly NYC, a global tech education company. As the oldest daughter of a Chinese immigrant family, she shares with us the importance of boundaries, self discovery, and how her failure has led her to her career change and how it rebuilt her confidence. Nothing makes her happier than to inspire others to be the best versions of themselves. Let's go!

Tong Holzinger is career fulfillment coach under the moniker "lifecoaching4professionals", as well as a business owner in the beauty and wellness space. Ever since she became a coach, she has helped others abandon beliefs that limited their potential and find their purpose, in order to manifest who they want to become. Overall, her goal in life is help ensure that people don't settle to boundaries set by others, and follow their own path to be the best version of themself.

Tony Nguyen, an LA-born NYC-based singer-songwriter and producer who writes music defined by its emotional vulnerability under the moniker “Wind Meets West”. His music has garnered over 30k streams on Spotify and has been featured on playlists such as Spotify's “New From NYC: Pop”. He seeks to write music that helps people feel less alone and can resonate with on a personal level.

Jason Chu is a rising Chinese American rapper and activist. His music has appeared in Warrior (HBO/Cinemax), and Wu-Assassins (Netflix). Jason has opened for Snoop Dogg and Bernie Sanders, performed at the Obama White House and the Getty Center, and been presented at Flushing Town Hall and the Nate Holden Performing Arts Center. His lyrics and videos have been featured in the Chinese American Museum of Los Angeles. An Asian American cultural expert, jason has lectured and spoken on arts, media representation, Asian- Black polyculturalism, and racial history at UPenn, ArtCenter College of Design, the Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival, Stanford, NYU, Yale, and beyond. His work has been covered by the BBC, NBC Asian America, South China Morning Post, NPR Sacramento, and other outlets. He holds a BA (with Distinction) in Philosophy from Yale College and was a contributing writer to the St. James Encyclopedia of Hip Hop Culture.

“If your dreams don't scare you, they're not big enough” is an ethos Michelle loves to share, coming from her early days of competitive figure skating. Following a career ending injury, she reassigned her passion towards design working with celebrated companies such as BCBGMAXAZRIA & AEG. After her time in corporate life & some venture backed trial & errors - Michelle K. Hanabusa bootstrapped a new brand called WEAREUPRISERS. WEAREUPRISERS is a community-driven streetwear brand focused on activists, trendsetters, and warriors of change. Their goal is to inspire change by partnering with like-minded individuals and organizations to give voice to the underrepresented.