KIMCHI + CHALLAH

Blake Leeper is an invincible man in motion. He was born with no legs below the knee and became the fastest man in the world on blades. Today he has his eyes on the prize for the next able-bodied Olympic Games.    Blake sees no obstacle as insurmountable -- and looks at every adversity as his advantage.   Don't miss this inspiring conversation. We'll get into fighting the Olympic Committee, Blake's training schedule, coffee habits and his blessed life as a new parent.    

COREY CALLIET (Revenge Body with Khloe Kardashian) went from selling drugs in the South to working as a  mailman to thriving as the nation's top fitness trainer and the go-to guru for actors like Michael B. Jordan and Jasmine Sanders.    In this episode, we'll dive into how Corey never dims his Alpha light, when he turns to God, why the 'motherly instinct' is the first thing he looks for in a partner, and how he keeps his gorgeous pearly whites shining brightly! Corey is a deep soul and it was such an honor to have him on the show. Don't miss it.   "If you don't know yourself, then anyone can say who you are." - Corey Calliet    

Molly Anne Dameron has overcome the harshest of adversities in the name of mental illness, drug addiction and sexual and psychological abuse -- and lives to tell the story. We go into why she skateboarded 812 miles from Maine to New Jersey, why she finds AA meetings triggering, what she does to maintain her sobriety and how she provides a voice to the voiceless today.    We cover a lot in this episode - and you don't want to miss it.    

HAYLEY HERMS is a stunning plus-size model, influencer and entrepreneur -- and is known for her record-breaking weight loss on Revenge Body with Khloe Kardashian. We discuss her former life as a gang member, her profound involvement with the Free Britney movement, overcoming a history of abuse, being flexible with pronouns -- and being the only plus-size model that does one-on-one coaching on how to be a plus-size model. Hayley is a delightful breath of fresh air and an inspiration to all.

It's a solo episode today with Ashley and Elaine ! It starts off a little serious but turns around quickly - so listen up for some good stuff! They talk about cancel culture, career aspirations as a kid, why having junk food in the house as a kid led Elaine to a healthy mindset and how Ashley not having a backup plan has led to her badassery today.

We have ALEX MICHAELIDES on the show today. He is the brilliant British Cypriot NYT bestselling author of THE SILENT PATIENT and THE MAIDENS (out now!).    We go deep and talk about how his dark and emotionally eerie and layered characters are self-composites, how his relationships mimic patterns he had with his father -- and how his secret to success is to not aim to please anyone. But instead, to say F it, focus on yourself and meditate.   He may or may not have told us that his interview with KIMCHI + CHALLAH is his favorite to date!

Today we have world record powerlifter, LISA MAXIMUS, on the show! She is a badass strength and conditioning coach and the invincible survivor of childhood abuse, eating disorders and emetophobia. She reveals in this episode, FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, a very personal medical revelation and the outpatient therapy she has just undergone that is now making her thrive to her greatest heights of all time. Tune in now and find out everything she has never revealed before.

Don't miss our episode with Kim Shapira, THE go-to dietitian in all of LA.  We hear about why she entered her profession in the first place -- and how her severe shopping addiction was her childhood form of self-soothing.    We love Kim's messaging around food and mental wellness -- and how she gives us permission to eat whatever in the world we want, as long as we listen to our bodies. Don't miss this fun hang.

Taj Jackson is a multiplatinum award-winning musician, the co-founder of the DeeDee Jackson Foundation, the nephew of Michael Jackson and the oldest son of Tito. In this episode, we talk about Taj being a sexual abuse survivor, losing his mom to a tragic murder, devoting his waking hours to protecting his uncle's innocence - and why he is always knee-deep in charity.

Annabeth Gish is a gifted and uber-successful actress, devoted activist, mother of two -- and as we know, the beloved star of Mystic Pizza. Be sure to catch her in the upcoming Lifetime movie, Gone Mom and Netflix's Midnight Mass.   This conversation will serve everyone out there who has endured or is currently enduring an eating disorder, an abusive relationship or has fallen victim to the hands of another's narcissism. 

Jeanette Jenkins is a mogul in the fitness world - training everyone from P!nk, Alicia Keys, Octavia Spencer, Serena Williams and all the amazing badasses in town. Tune into this episode and hear how Jeanette became an entrepreneurial powerhouse, why she doesn't care what people think of her and why she stresses that everyone needs to put on their big girl pants and own their own happiness.

Check out NADYA OKAMOTO on the show today. She is the overachieving 23-year-old Harvard Student who is the Founder of PERIOD.org and the new lifestyle period brand, AUGUST. She has been seen in Forbes' 30 under 30 and Bloomberg's One To Watch. We get personal and discuss Nadya's complicated division of Asian identities, surviving from sexual abuse from her father, living with borderline personality disorder, undergoing PTSD, healing from workaholism and finding self-worth in and of herself. She is such an inspiration.

Don't miss this episode with Coach John Mosley - 2021's "It Man" of the year and the electrifying coach from LAST CHANCE U (Netflix). We talk about poignant and heartbreaking realities that got left on the cutting room floor --and see why he gets choked up when he thinks about the possibility of disappointing the young men he guides.

Tune into this week's episode and eavesdrop on Elaine and Ashley's conversation with one another. No guest. No interview. Just an inside glimpse into their weekly Sunday chit-chat. They delve into Elaine's experience at the Stop Asian Hate March,  Ashley's take on the Tina Turner documentary - and both of their deep devotion to martial arts. They go deep and talk about sexual assault and how both of them were almost abducted by men.

MAZ JOBRANI is a brilliant comedian, actor, podcaster and father – and he has a new standup comedy special called “Pandemic Warrior” streaming now on PeacockTV! We had an absolute blast chatting with Maz – on growing up Iranian American, escaping immigrant parents' expectations and being firm on existing in a world where he and his family live and find their true selves.  

Margaret Cho is an advocate for all under-represented faces -- and the Fairy Godmother of the Awkwafinas and Ken Jeongs we see today. She is a comedian, actor, social activist, musician and 5 time Grammy and Emmy nominee. Tune in and hear why humans need to stop taking things personally, why Asians need to step up and be vocal, how she deals with her past of sexual molestation by a family member and what we need to do about today's ubiquitous climate of Asian hate crime.

Peter Kim is the founder of Hudson Jeans, the son of North Korean refugees, a dedicated philanthropist and father of two. In this episode, we see how the violence and anger he endured during childhood triggered him to go deep with emotional healing and bring him to a variety of pinnacles - in the professional, parenting, philanthropical and martial arts realms.

Dr. Nina Gray is a pediatric dentist, the mother of Nicolette and Blair Gray and most notably a huge YouTuber and influencer with almost 400,000 combined followers. We get real with her and hear how she was emotionally traumatized from leaving her country of Iran at such a young age -- and how that has always influenced her deep gratitude for the small things in life, especially the pride she feels for herself and where she comes from.

Anthony Belcher (aka DoBoy) is best known for his 5 seasons of MTV's WILD N OUT, and uber-successful RIGHTEOUS AND RACKET podcast. We dive deep and discuss how his abusive childhood led him to use food as an emotional stabilizer, weight loss surgery was a contributor to his alcoholism and how he has been using his comedic front as a cover up. Fully exposed - we watch him reach new heights (and human slips) as he heads toward a healthy body and mind. DOBOY is an inspiration to always get back up again.

Korean entrepreneur Ahyoung Kim Stobar is the founder of the uber-successful children's clothing empire, Joah Love. Prior to her Queendom, she worked in retail, costume design and was the VP of product development for The Wayans Brothers. We invited her to come onto Kimchi + Challah to showcase how her entrepreneurial perseverance and savviness brought her to her successes. Instead, we plunged emotionally deep and personal -- and dedicated our time to hear about how her horrifically abusive relationship shaped her into the woman she is today. Ahyoung is an indestructible survivor who speaks up, stands up for others and gives back to domestic violence causes through Joah Love.

Reza Farahan is a real estate mogul, co-owner of the successful hair care line, Reza Obsessed and the fabulous star of Bravo's Shahs of Sunset. We'll go deep and hear all about his upbringing in Beverly Hills, his deep body image issues, growing up gay in a conservative Muslim/Jewish family - and hear how his appreciation for money and the finer things in life - have all led him down the pursuit of excellence and where he is today.

Kira Stokes is a top master trainer with over 25 years in the business, 12 certifications,  half a million followers and 0 bullshit. She sculpts everyone from Ashley Graham and Candace Cameron Bure -- to people like us. We delve into why she can't sit still, how she reacts to online haters, why she cringes at the term "celebrity trainer" and how her A-type personality has led her to where she is today. 

Master Mason Williams is a 5th Degree black belt in Taekwondo, toymaker at Mattel, and a mental health champion excelling as a Black man living with BiPolar 2. In this episode, we will delve into how Mason uses his martial arts mentality to excel in the corporate world and tackle life's adversities.  

Check out today's episode with Nick Swisher -- a World Series champion, MLB All-Star, special contributor to the Yankees and all-star husband and dad to two beautiful girls. You'll hear about his childhood as the kid of divorced parents, being raised and inspired by his grandmother and how he learned early on that losing at a young age is critical to the success as an adult. His story is an inspiring one for all athletes, entrepreneurs, parents and any human aiming to achieve personal and professional successes. Nick provides invaluable insight on how to retire your inner meathead, how to overcome adversity (such as haters like his former Chicago White sox manager) and articulates why it is a non-negotiable to work for yourself and have no backup plan if you want to succeed. His motto is You Gotta Be You – and after this episode, it will be yours too.

Don't let her beauty distract you from her whip smart brain! Tracy Tutor is a top Beverly Hills real estate agent, cast member of Bravo's Million Dollar Listing and author of, “Fear Is Just a Four-Letter Word”. We dive into the nitty gritty of Tracy living her life on her own terms, and the uncanny ability to navigate just about any business situation. We get into her personal life, her much younger boyfriend, and what it feels like to be in the best shape of her life at 47. Don't miss this one!

Hope and Kadero Watson are a loving and hilarious husband and wife that bring you all positive, funny, emotional fuel on the daily with their social media. 95k faithful followers would agree. You'll hear how they BOTH transformed their body and minds with @ashleybordenfitness, how they keep it hot after 900 years of marriage, and how they keep an IG page going based on their relationship. What happens when it's not positive?. You will feel all of love and hope for humanity after this episode!

CINDY WHITEHEAD has always been a groundbreaker. She is a skateboarding legend and has been inducted into the Skateboarding Hall of Fame (with an introduction by Joan Jett) -- and her skateboards are living in the Smithsonian. Not only has she been featured in Forbes, ESPN, the BBC, Teen Vogue, etc. - but she is a TED TALK speaker and holds the distinction of being the only female to be featured in the centerfold plus 2-page article of a skateboarding magazine. Today Cindy is also the founder of Girl is Not a 4 Letter Word, a female empowerment brand and movement that gives back to girls in skateboarding. She is also an in-demand professional stylist, public speaker and published author. Sit down with Ashley and Elaine as they chat with Cindy about her “can do” badass attitude and learn how she can brainstorm a solution for anything and have all that she touches turn to gold.

Brittany Krystle is a personal branding expert and the host of the top-rated marketing podcast, Beyond Influential.  Her experience includes working with some of the biggest personal brands online to grow their influence and businesses - including Gary Vaynerchuk, Marie Forleo & Tom Bilyeu. Today, she teaches entrepreneurs and business owners how to build an authentic brand online so they can create the real-life results they want in their life and business - effectively, efficiently, and on their own terms. Her podcast, Beyond Influential, is all about giving you no-fluff, deeper-level conversations, behind-the-scenes insights, and inspirational, actionable interviews from the most influential names across industries.   She has been featured on highly-regarded platforms and publications, including Amy Porterfield's Online Marketing Made Easy podcast, The Skinny Confidential Him & Her podcast, Thrive Global, and has also participated in high-level panels, summits, and masterminds.