OFF THE WOK

Cece Chow (@thetransplanter) wears many hats. She is a model, a visual artist, a kokedama guru (if you don't know what that is, check out @official_kokedama), but most importantly, an advocate for positive Asian trans representation. Cece's journey has not been easy, growing up in a traditional Asian household, taking the usual path of getting a degree, getting married, having kids, but always thinking that something was missing or needed to change. In this episode, Cece shares her life story, from her earliest recollection of wanting to be different, to her eventual gender change at the age of 42. This is going to be an episode you do not want to miss! You can follow Cece on Tiktok @thetransplanter as well! Throughout the episode, Cece mentions a few resources you can reach out to for more information including skippingstone.ca and pflagcanada.ca

Our guest today has done some hard time...literally. Charged with the possibility of 25 to life, Tom was looking at a life much different than what he has presently. Today, we have the pleasure of sharing his story. From his first encounter with the police, to his time at the remand centre, to his eventual sentence and time in jail. Tom shares his experience with us, in an area where not many have ventured. This is gonna be a good one!

Video marketing, it's something that we over here want to get into but for whatever reason have not been able to take that first step. But video marketing is a powerful tool that can boost your business up significantly, and Felix Chan of Live Inner City (https://liveinnercity.com/) uses that tool to gain more business success. Felix is a realtor and team lead at Live Inner City and leverages video marketing to expand their reach with the ultimate goal of doing more business. His high-quality videos on Youtube (liveinnercity) are consistent and with almost 10K subscribers and over 320K in revenue generated, they are also a vital part of his business. If you're thinking about maybe getting into videos to supplement your existing business or even just making videos for fun, this episode's for you! You can find Felix's business (@liveinnercity) on Insta which is catered towards buyers, sellers and investors. His personal Insta (@felixchan.me) contains content for real estate agents, tips and tricks and more

And here we have the conclusion with Su's post date experience! Is it similar to what Trevor experienced? Or completely different? Do their stories clash or are they the same? Here's your chance to tune in and discover just that! And if you are interested in being a part of the series, send us a DM and we'll be in touch!

Here we go! Date is done and I'm sure all our listeners are anxious to hear about it. We've got Trevor back in the hot seat as he chats about what happened, where it happened, and how it ended which I'm sure many of you are curious about. So sit back and enjoy Trevor's take!

Here's episode 2 where we ask Su some IMPORTANT pre-date questions to see what she's looking for :) Check out episode 60 for her date's interview and maybe you can predict if there's gonna be a match...

We heard you folks! Due to popularity, here is another blind date episode that Lance and I have had the pleasure of hosting. If you want to get a feel for how these work, check out episodes 54 to 57 for our first set of dates! We will be releasing one episode per day so stay tuned! We know you won't wanna miss this!

If you've ever tried just having (or more like attempted) a conversation with your parents to get a little bit of an insight into their lives before being shut down, this episode's for you. Heck, If you've ever really just tried to ask them a question before being shut down with a one-word response, this episode's for you. You might think it's them, but maybe, you're just not asking the right questions. This is where our guest, Amy Yip comes in. Amy is the author of Unfinished Business: Breaking Down the Great Wall between Adult Child and Immigrant Parents. In our conversation, Amy takes us through her thought process on developing the idea for the book, the why, the "experiment", the discovery, and the eventual resolution between her and her parents. Our discussion goes deep and touches upon the subject of intergenerational trauma, where instances or issues that affected our parent's past lives transcend through the generations to us, which, if left unaltered or unrepaired, will continue through to the next generation. For all of us out there who have had trouble talking to our parents (which is probably about 99% of us), this is a definite must-listen. For more information on Amy's book and to reach out to Amy, please visit amyyipcoaching.com. Her book is available at all major outlets including Amazon and Barnes and Noble. You can also find her on Linkedin under amyyipcoaching

For our first episode of 2023, we sit down and have a chat with Sharon from Her Simple Sole (@hersimplesole). Sharon focuses on clothing sustainability, which includes clothing made from natural fibres like cotton, linen, wool and cashmere vs. processed fibres. Sustainability is looking at what a company is doing, how they are producing, are fair wages being paid etc. vs. fast fashion, which is mainly to chase trends and make money which in the end leads to more waste. Sharon gives us a rundown of how she first started...then re-started with a clearer vision to become the success it is today. Making a conscious effort to buy sustainable clothing allows you to have less with more, and this mentality can cross over to your general lifestyle as well. We touch briefly on minimalism with references to the documentaries "Minimalism" and "The True Cost". If you haven't seen these, they are definitely an eye opener! For those of you who want to make a more conscious decision when purchasing clothes, this episode's for you! Check out Sharon's site at hersimplesole.com Sharon also references a few stores she shops at including Encircled (encircled.ca) and Kotn (kotn.com).

Bag consignment, bag rental and bag spa, these are just some of the services available at Luxe Du Jour, a Canadian high-end luxury consignment company focusing on handbags but with other offerings including accessories, shoes, and (newly introduced) men's items. Founded in 2016, the company has grown exponentially and now has offices stateside as well. Tammy chats with us about her early lessons leading up to LDJ's success today and where it's headed. One particular highlight was the whole unauthentic "authentic" aspect of luxury bags nowadays where you could potentially be purchasing a fake bag at a retail store. You'll definitely want to check that one out! Reach out to them at: luxedujour.ca @luxebagrental @luxebagspa tiktok: @shopluxedujour

The moment you've all been waiting for is here! Part 4, the final part of our blind date series, where the guy in question is none other than our very own Eric! Check out episodes 54-56 if you haven't already so you can get a sense of the full story. And if you are interested and want us to do more episodes like this, please let us know! Or if you wanna participate...

Here we go! The post-date interview! I'm sure some of our listeners who have listened to the first two episodes (episodes 54 and 55) have maybe made some inferences as to how the date might go, well now's your chance to test your theory! In this episode, Lance gets into the nitty gritty with Christine and breaks down the date; how it went, were there dealbreakers, how the guy's wardrobe was...if you wanna know more, be sure to check this one out!

Welcome to part 2 of a four-part series of an actual blind date experiment that has occurred! In this episode, we hear the "mystery" man's side pre-date to see what his interests are, dealbreakers, and more. Listeners can compare this episode to episode 54 where we interviewed the woman's side pre-date and perhaps could draw some conclusions on how the date could go. If you liked these two episodes, wait till you hear the post-date discussion! Stay tuned for that soon!

***DISCLAIMER*** Lance's audio in this episode was muffled as he was using the wrong microphone. After a scolding, he promises he won't be doing that again. Welcome to a four-part series of an actual blind date experiment that has occurred! We set two people up, with pre-date interviews with each, followed by post-date interviews with each, to hear each person's side of how the date went. This is a complete blind date in every sense, where both people have not seen nor spoken to each other prior. We thought that this would be an interesting experience for both our listeners and the two guests, to see how different or similar viewpoints can occur at the same time. And also it would be fun just to hear about how a date went as well! Stay tuned for our next episode!

Summer is here and with summer comes...camping! And a big part of camping is the food! Whether you're camping out on a site or backcountry camping out in the wilds, food is an important element to it and for some, it's what they look forward to the most when camping. That's where Melanie comes in, she is the owner of Off the Path provisions (@offthepathprovisions), a company dedicated to providing people with delicious, dehydrated, plant-based (vegan and gluten-free friendly) meals in minutes. The bags themselves are also eco-friendly being 100% compostable. By far the coolest thing though are the Asian-centric flavours of the meals, with Chinese, Thai, and Korean offerings. Join us as we discover the "path" Melanie took from being a marine biologist to becoming the entrepreneur she is today! For those interested in purchasing, please check out https://offthepathprovisions.com or if you're in the Calgary local area, at Breathe Outdoors located at 7208 Macleod Trail SE.

Jenny Toh had a successful legal career spanning almost 3 decades in Malaysia and Singapore. Yet today, she is a life coach with River Life Coaching, a company she created back in 2020 that helps individuals who are seeking answers to the missing element in their lives. The how and why though, of this career change between these two different industries is a conversation Jenny was able to share with us. Throughout the chat, we get into her inspiration in starting, her moment of calling, and in particular, how she helps introverted clients have a voice while still maintaining their inner self. A definite listen not just for those asking the why in their lives, but also for those who may be looking into a career change. If you'd like to learn more about Jenny Toh's coaching programs, please visit www.riverlifecoaching.com

Being a disabled female from an ethnic minority, Yehee Son has most definitely experienced roadblocks in her life. And yet through it all, she's persevered. In today's episode, Yehee tells her life story about growing up in an abusive home, going through high school not knowing whether she would be able to make college due to her status as an alien, and how certain influential people in her life made her want to be the teacher she is today. She talks about the advantages and disadvantages of teaching with cerebral palsy and her reasoning behind starting a TikTok channel (heyms.cp) which has already accumulated over 4500 followers since December. Along with all this, she also mentions the emotional significance behind some of her tattoos. This one's a definite listener for everyone out there! During the episode, Yehee mentioned some influential people she's been listening to, here they are: Zach Anner - https://www.cerebralpalsy.org/inspiration/artists/zach-anner Nick Vujicic - https://nickvujicic.com/ Yeonmi Park - https://www.youtube.com/c/YeonmiParkOfficial/videos

I can't believe we made it to episode 50! Considering we weren't even sure if we were gonna make it past 3 episodes, 50 is definitely a win. Today, we reflect on the last year and how we did, some of our favourite episodes, what some of our goals are, and stuff we need to keep working on. Also joining us in a rare appearance is our editor Ken! Off the Wok thanks all our listeners for your continued support and we hope you will keep wok'ing with us on our journey. If you enjoy our episodes, please consider rating us on Spotify!

Kevin Hart, Chrissy Teigen, Sean Chu and Kris Wu, all people from various backgrounds and various industries with one trait in common, they were all canceled. Cancel culture is the act of calling someone (or company) out, usually via social media as a form of group shaming based on certain things they may have said or done in the past. The question is, has cancel culture gone from a place of good intentions to a now toxic environment? Our guest @kalliepham joins us today and provides her answer to this question and much much more... and not just in North America, but China as well. Make sure to check this one out! Kallie's also on TikTok! You can check her out @tk.tok_

From humble beginnings to being a founding member and president of wealth management platform Zelos Capital (@zelosglobal), Gilbert Bong has had quite the journey. He gets into the details of growing up to immigrant working parents and how they helped shape a sense of work ethic that Gilbert would later use in his own career path. He also talks about how he got his first taste of the industry starting in university and the sacrifices he had to make in his early years working 90-100 hour weeks to get to where he is today. Along the way, Gilbert has encountered both failure and frustration but it's his determination and work ethic that has allowed him to enjoy success at Zelos Capital. Join us as we get into another episode of dat Asian hustle! To learn more about Zelos Capital and their services, please visit https://www.zelosglobal.com/

Richard Lee-Thai (@excusestoconnect) recently did a Tedx Talk called "Finding Excuses to Connect" where he addresses the difficulty in connecting with people and which is the subject for this episode. We go into the inspiration behind his talk and why he started it. From adapting the "Humans of New York" theme into his own University of Lethbridge project to starting his own podcast (Excuses to Connect) and now also moving into personal coaching, Richard has turned his "excuses to connect" model into a lifestyle. For anyone who has ever wanted to connect with someone but stopped themselves, this episode's for you! To learn more about Richard's "Excuses to Connect" model or to book him as a speaker, check out his website at www.excusestoconnect.com 

A term coined in the 1960's describing a status ranking among minorities, it's disguised as a positive stereotype, but according to Florence Hwang, a journalist with CBC, it's anything but as it pits minorities against each other. Florence is no stranger to model minority, she's written an article detailing her experience with it growing up and the mental toll it took on her. In this episode, we share stories of model minority and the bookful of stereotypes that accompany it. If you're interested in checking out Florence's article, check it out here: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/first-person-florence-hwang-model-minority-myth-1.6043978 We are always looking to share other people's experiences with us! If you'd like to be a guest on our show, email us at offthewok.info@gmail.com and let us know! Give us a follow @offthewokpodcast on Instagram so you don't miss out on any new episodes! Thank you and we appreciate you wok'ing with us.

Tabletop role-playing has been around for a long time, with Dungeons and Dragons being the name most synonymously associated with it. D&D has been around since the 70s and has gotten increasingly popular over the decades (and even more so during the pandemic), which counts tens of millions of active players. So when we heard that Daniel Kwan wrote a Chinese themed D&D adventure in Candlekeep Mysteries, an adventure anthology, we had to reach out to him and get the lowdown on it! Daniel (@aznsrepresent), a long time D&D player, gives us a top down overview of what D&D is, how he got started, how playing it has changed his life, and how he passes on that knowledge to the newer generation of D&D players. He addresses the racism within D&D and how it still persists even today, which is one of the main reasons why he decided to write this adventure. We encourage everyone out there who has never tried the game or are interested to take a listen to this episode. We hope that it allows you to take that first step into tabletop gaming. Daniel also has his own long running podcast called Asians Represent! which delves further into Asian representation within tabletop gaming. They are also active on Twitch (@AznsRep) and Twitter (@aznsrepresent). Check them out! If you'd like to purchase the Candlekeep Mysteries book, It's currently available on Amazon or you can try your local game store. We are always looking to share other people's experiences with us! If you'd like to be a guest on our show, email us at and let us know! Give us a follow @offthewokpodcast on Instagram so you don't miss out on any new episodes! Thank you and we appreciate you wok'ing with us.

After a quick break, we are back with another episode! This one is with Veronica (@veronisaurousrex) and her specialty within the motorsports scene, drifting. Based in San Francisco, Veronica details the drift culture, how she got (back) into it, her current inspirations, the (multiple) cars she's driven, her race events, and how she "drifts" through a predominantly male industry. "There's people who like to make their cars look nice, put them into car shows, bring them to car meets, I on the other hand like to put my cars to use." We are always looking to share other people's experiences with us! If you'd like to be a guest on our show, email us at offthewok.info@gmail.com and let us know! Give us a follow @offthewokpodcast on Instagram so you don't miss out on any new episodes! Thank you and we appreciate you wok'ing with us.

Working out ain't easy, it takes time, dedication, and patience, and as such, usually falls to the bottom of a to-do list for people. Further to that, instead of working out, many Asians tend to invest more in weight loss machines/weight loss drinks with sometimes mixed results. This is where Jenny Lam (@trainwithjennyhk) comes in, a certified personal trainer and kickboxer with over 20 years of experience. Currently based in Hong Kong, she helps answer how she keeps her clients on track, the routines and exercises she incorporates, and most importantly, how to eat healthy in a city where you can walk downstairs and easily get a bowl of congee with fried noodles. Join us as we have a conversation about those gimmicky weight loss machines, vitamins, and what Lance's workout regimen looks like! For our HK listeners out there, if you'd like more info on Jenny's services, check out her website here: https://www.trainwithjennyhk.com/ We are always looking to share other people's experiences with us! If you'd like to be a guest on our show, email us at offthewok.info@gmail.com and let us know! Give us a follow @offthewokpodcast on Instagram so you don't miss out on any new episodes! Thank you and we appreciate you wok'ing with us.

Gogo dancing, we've all heard the term before, but chances are many of us either don't know what it actually is or tend to incorrectly associate it or group it with a bunch of other dance forms. This is why we have Carole and Pola from @thecommietearoom to help us clarify and educate. Along the way, we discuss the cultural stigma associated with the profession and how Carole and Pola have navigated this issue. Some of the highlights mentioned in the episode include the difference between gogo dancing and other forms of dancing like pole dancing and stripping, a rundown of how a Gogo event works, and most importantly of all, what is the meaning of The Commietearoom? We are always looking to share other people's experiences with us! If you'd like to be a guest on our show, email us at offthewok.info@gmail.com and let us know! Give us a follow @offthewokpodcast on Instagram so you don't miss out on any new episodes! Thank you and we appreciate you wok'ing with us.

What does it mean to be vegan? As our guest Rose Lee (@cheaplazyvegan) describes, it is a way of living where you seek to exclude as much animal exploitation in your life as possible. This can include diet or fashion (think Canada Goose) or even entertainment (like going to the zoo). Rose details her beginnings with being vegan and what got her started (make sure to check out the book Skinny Bitch and film documentary Earthlings), her process for gradually reducing animal-related products in her life, and how she turned it into a full-time career as a Youtuber. Along the way, she helps debunk certain myths, like how expensive it is to be vegan (which just by seeing her Youtube channel Cheap Lazy Vegan, should be enough to debunk that), or that you need meat in your diet in order to be healthy. For anyone out there who's curious, this episode is for you! For more information on going vegan or vegan recipes you can visit Rose at: http://www.thecheaplazyvegan.com, likewise, you can search up Cheap Lazy Vegan on Youtube for her channel. We are always looking to share other people's experiences with us! If you'd like to be a guest on our show, email us at offthewok.info@gmail.com and let us know! Give us a follow @offthewokpodcast on Instagram so you don't miss out on any new episodes! Thank you and we appreciate you wok'ing with us.

What do you get when you cross two beer-loving buddies (Boaz Leung and Jacob May), amazing food, and a great creative mind? Two Pillars Brewery (@twopillarsbrewery). With a small commercial brewhouse allowing two kegs per brew, it gives Two Pillars a chance to constantly innovate and create different unique and exclusive beers. Boaz and Jacob give us their background story on how they started, the process behind the brew, and some of the quirks (like haikus printed on the beer cans showing a description of the ingredients) Two Pillars has to offer. If you're ever in the Calgary area, you can check them out at 910 Centre St N. For more information on Two Pillars and their menu, visit their website at http://www.twopillars.ca We are always looking to share other people's experiences with us! If you'd like to be a guest on our show, email us at and let us know! Give us a follow at offthewokpodcast on Instagram so you don't miss out on any new episodes! Thank you and we appreciate you wok'ing with us.

When you think of boudoir photography, what do you think of? Many of us who haven't experienced it before or are not part of the industry tend to make certain generalizations or misconceptions about boudoir photography, misconceptions that our guest Rex Szeto (@rexszetophotography) is happily able to clear up. Rex is a boudoir photographer based in Calgary and among other things, he talks about what boudoir photography really is, a celebration of yourself. We are always looking to share other people's experiences with us! If you'd like to be a guest on our show, email us at and let us know! Give us a follow at offthewokpodcast on Instagram so you don't miss out on any new episodes! Thank you and we appreciate you wok'ing with us. Check out Rex's website for more info and booking opportunities https://www.rexszeto.com/

Sorry in advance for my horrible intro singing but although my singing might be horrible, this episode is not as it talks about a popular topic among our listeners, and that is love! Joining us today is Sahib Gill (@sahib_gill), who immigrated to Canada when he was 13. Sahib gives a breakdown of his experience with dating (hint: you need a strong beard game), relationships, wedding traditions (including his own!), and more associated with Sikhism. And if you've never attended an East Indian wedding, after this episode, you're most definitely gonna want to! We are always looking to share other people's experiences with us! If you'd like to be a guest on our show, email us at offthewok.info@gmail.com and let us know! Give us a follow at offthewokpodcast on Instagram so you don't miss out on any new episodes! Thank you and we appreciate you wok'ing with us.

How does one go from a 9 to 5 to tattooing full time? Al Chu (@alchutattoos) of Flipside Tattoos knows, and he gets into details of how he (with a little bit of luck) got into the business. Drawing has always been in him since he was young, it just never registered as a potential profession until much later in his life. Al chats about how his training started, the type of art he specializes in, what clients should do when getting their first tattoo, and more, and along the way he sprinkles in some awesome tattoo stories too. It's always great to see someone turn their hobby into a profession and for all those potential artists out there looking to become tattoo artists, Al's also got some advice as well! We are always looking to share other people's experiences with us! If you'd like to be a guest on our show, email us at offthewok.info@gmail.com and let us know! Give us a follow at offthewokpodcast on Instagram so you don't miss out on any new episodes! Thank you and we appreciate you wok'ing with us.

CGI is everywhere in film nowadays, and it's something a lot of us take for granted when we watch movies. But there's a huge team responsible for making these amazing scenes/effects/creatures come to life and it's something we're having a chat about today with Cobol Yu, a VFX designer who works in Vancouver. He shares his knowledge and experience in the industry as he has worked on films like The Justice League, Terminator, Spiderman, and most recently, Godzilla vs. Kong. Next time you watch a movie, make sure to watch the end credits as there's a lot more than the actors that make it up! To check out more of Cobol's artwork, check out http://www.artstation.com/cobolyu We are always looking to share other people's experiences with us! If you'd like to be a guest on our show, email us at offthewok.info@gmail.com and let us know! Give us a follow at offthewokpodcast on Instagram so you don't miss out on any new episodes! Thank you and we appreciate you wok'ing with us.

A random topic that came about while we were waiting for Ken to show up to a meeting (he was late again) got us thinking, is Asian lateness a thing? It's something that we've heard of and been guilty of before but is it actually a thing? To help us with that conversation is Cristabel Tan (@xtabelll on Insta), she's from Malaysia and over there, they have what's known as "running on Malaysian time" which I'm sure she will be able to dive deeper into. Get ready for some funny stories as we all try to figure out whether we running on "Malaysian time" or just "Asian time" in general! We are always looking to share other people's experiences with us! If you'd like to be a guest on our show, email us at offthewok.info@gmail.com and let us know! Give us a follow at offthewokpodcast on Instagram so you don't miss out on any new episodes! Thank you and we appreciate you wok'ing with us. PS: Check out our Patreon page at www.patreon.com/offthewok, being a patron gives you access to our "After Hours" bonus content!

Happy Pride Month! We have an especially great episode for you as we are joined by Ricky from his podcast The Gay Narratives (IG @gaynarratives). Ricky shares his story of growing up gay in an Asian family along with his internal feelings, emotions, and uncertainties associated with it. Ricky provides his narrative on when he found out he was gay, how and when he came out to his family, his reaction to the discovery of the larger gay community, how he met his partner, and much much more. For those of us who have never been in his shoes, this is a must-listen! We are always looking to share other people's experiences with us! If you'd like to be a guest on our show, email us at offthewok.info@gmail.com and let us know! Give us a follow at offthewokpodcast on Instagram so you don't miss out on any new episodes! Thank you and we appreciate you wok'ing with us. PS: We have also just launched our Patreon page at www.patreon.com/offthewok, being a patron gives you access to our "After Hours" bonus content!

Picture yourself running with a tiny one-person sled just so you can jump on it and start sliding down a frozen track at speeds of up to 120km/h...head first, that's Skeleton. A sport that's particularly rare in terms of membership, Jon Chu (@chu_jonny on Instagram) is one of a handful of people who have participated and trained for it. He goes into how he got started and dives into the particulars of the sport. Coming from an Asian family, where culturally, academics is preferred over sports, he also talks about how he managed to balance out his parents' expectations versus what he wanted. Join us as we get a chance to learn more about this exciting and awesome niche sport! If you'd like to learn more about Skeleton and even give it a try, you can check out the following website: http://albertaskeleton.ca/drupal/ , there are "Discover Skeleton" days where you can get a chance to try your luck at the sport! We are always looking to share other people's experiences with us! If you'd like to be a guest on our show, email us at and let us know! Give us a follow at offthewokpodcast on Instagram so you don't miss out on any new episodes! Thank you and we appreciate you wok'ing with us. PS: We have also just launched our Patreon page at https://www.patreon.com/offthewok, being a patron gives you access to our "After Hours" bonus content!

Because it's a subject that's often taboo to talk about. Whether it be society's norms, the media, or just an old way of thinking, men are somehow led to believe that it's not okay to talk about their feelings or emotions, that it shows weakness and shouldn't be discussed, even among close friends. The problem is that it's not healthy and if left unchecked, it can lead to potentially serious consequences later. Luckily, for those who don't know where to turn to, there are organizations that can help, one example is Kings of Hearts, a non-profit co-founded by Andy Nguyen. Andy gives men a safe space to talk and be vulnerable with their feelings, to get stuff out of their minds and not be judged. Join us as we have a chat about men's mental health. Follow Andy on Instagram @thekingsof.hearts, while you're at it, check out their podcast too where they delve into deeper conversations related to men's mental health. You can also check out their website at https://kingsofhearts.com We are always looking to share other people's experiences with us! If you'd like to be a guest on our show, email us at and let us know! Give us a follow at offthewokpodcast on Instagram so you don't miss out on any new episodes! Thank you and we appreciate you wok'ing with us. PS: We have also just launched our Patreon page at https://www.patreon.com/offthewok, being a patron gives you access to our "After Hours" bonus content!

Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) is a non-profit organization that dedicates itself to providing one-to-one mentoring relationships between adult volunteers and youths. One of the oldest and largest youth mentoring organizations in the US, it operates in all states and 13 countries around the world. Today, we focus on one member within the Calgary chapter, Henry Luong, who has been with the organization for over 10 years. Henry tells us how he started with BBBS, and shares his knowledge on how the matching process works, the activities he does with his matches, the length of time it takes to mentor, the successes and difficulties, and why he has stayed with the organization for so long. He also gives insight to anybody interested in joining BBBS. For those who do want more information, you can check out bbbs.org. Individual cities may have their own dedicated websites as well. We are always looking to share other people's experiences with us! If you'd like to be a guest on our show, email us at and let us know! Give us a follow at offthewokpodcast on Instagram so you don't miss out on any new episodes! Thank you and we appreciate you wok'ing with us. PS: We have also just launched our Patreon page at patreon.com/offthewok, being a patron gives you access to our "After Hours" bonus content!

So today we got ourselves our first joint episode with Jason and David, hosts of their podcast Behind the Business. We are going to be talking about the "behind the scenes" for our podcasts because there is a ton of stuff that goes on in the background before a final product gets pushed out. We get into editing, finding guests, platforms used to broadcast, mics, editing software, social media, costs, time, and a whole lot more. It's going to be especially helpful for some of our listeners out there who might want to start a podcast but also want to know what they're gonna get into. If you wanna see some of the hardware we use on our podcast, you can check them out at kit.co/offthewok. For more episodes from Behind the Business, check them out @behind_the_business_podcast on Instagram for their newest episodes! We are always looking to share other people's experiences with us! If you'd like to be a guest on our show, email us at and let us know! Give us a follow at offthewokpodcast on Instagram so you don't miss out on any new episodes! Thank you and we appreciate you wok'ing with us. PS: If you enjoy our episodes, please consider supporting us at ko-fi.com/offthewok, every little bit counts to keep the lights on and to continue providing you with great and awesome material! We have also just launched our Patreon page at patreon.com/offthewok, being a patron gives you access to our "After Hours" bonus content!

Our conversation today takes us into how we were disciplined growing up versus how we discipline our kids today. Joining us in our chat are Giselle and Harlene, co-hosts of their Hard as a Mother podcast. Being mothers themselves, they share stories about the ways they were disciplined and the "tactics" that were used, and how ultimately it affected their relationship with their parents. Learning from their past, they relate it to how they discipline their kids now and show us that there really is no right formula. All kids respond differently and that the point of discipline is not to instill fear in the child. Please follow Giselle and Harlene on Instagram @hard_as_a_mother for more of their content including merchandise and videos! We are always looking to share other people's experiences with us! If you'd like to be a guest on our show, email us at offthewok.info@gmail.com and let us know! Give us a follow at offthewokpodcast on Instagram so you don't miss out on any new episodes! Thank you and we appreciate you wok'ing with us. PS: If you enjoy our episodes, please consider supporting us at ko-fi.com/offthewok, every little bit counts to keep the lights on and to continue providing you with great and awesome material! We have also just launched our Patreon page at patreon.com/offthewok, being a patron gives you access to our "After Hours" bonus content!

We had such a fun time talking about our life hacks growing up (for those who don't know, it was episode 10) that we decided to do a second episode on it! This one's the web edition version where we chat about internet hacks we do to save ourselves a little money. Joining us again is Johnny, who's got a couple of tricks up his sleeve he's gonna share (if you haven't listened to him before, check out episode 19). Take a listen and share with us any hacks you might know! If you'd like to check out Johnny's Twitch and the games he's currently playing, you can find him at www.twitch.tv/jonnie5. We are always looking to share other people's experiences with us! If you'd like to be a guest on our show, email us at offthewok.info@gmail.com and let us know! Give us a follow at offthewokpodcast on Instagram so you don't miss out on any new episodes! Thank you and we appreciate you wok'ing with us. PS: If you enjoy our episodes, please consider supporting us at ko-fi.com/offthewok, every little bit counts to keep the lights on and to continue providing you with great and awesome material!

Although Asians have been associated in one way or another throughout Hollywood's history, their roles have rarely been significant. Many Asians were typecast to roles like the weak nerd in glasses who helps out the main protagonist, or as an evil mystical person out to get the protagonist and fail. Either way, they were relegated to second-class roles. That, however is finally starting to change with the advent of Asian movies with a wholly Asian cast. Successes like Crazy Rich Asians, Minari, and Kim's Convenience are starting to cement the Asian presence within Hollywood. But, It's only a start and it's still going to take time, and it also won't make up for all the years where Asians have struggled to get in. Our guest Danny Lam can attest to that. Danny moved from Canada to LA to pursue acting opportunities and discusses his struggle with it. We get into topics like stereotypical roles for Asians, the differences in roles between Asian men and women, lack of Asian role models, and acting as a career path. As an aside, for the upcoming academy awards this year, Steven Yuen (Minari) and Riz Ahmed (Sound of Metal) have become the first Asian American and Muslim actor to be nominated for best actor at the same time, which is also a first. Youn Yuh-Jung (Minari) is the first Korean woman to be nominated for any acting award in America. Chloe Zhao (Nomadland) has become the first Asian woman to be nominated for best director, and along with Lee Issac Chung (Minari), is the first time there are two Asian nominees for best director. We are always looking to share other people's experiences with us! If you'd like to be a guest on our show, email us at offthewok.info@gmail.com and let us know! Give us a follow at offthewokpodcast on Instagram so you don't miss out on any new episodes! Thank you and we appreciate you wok'ing with us. PS: If you enjoy our episodes, please consider supporting us at ko-fi.com/offthewok, every little bit counts to keep the lights on and to continue providing you with great and awesome material!

Mental health has always been a taboo subject among Asians and growing up, you weren't expected to talk about your anxiety, or your stress, or even your feelings to your parents or even anybody because of the stigma attached to it. That you saying anything would somehow bring shame to not only the family but yourself, that it shows weakness or that it's just another excuse where you're complaining. The problem with not having this outlet though, is that it gets bundled inside you, and sooner or later, it's either going to explode in a bad way, or lead to some potentially long-term mental issues that could have been resolved earlier if only someone would have listened. Dr. Stephanie Wong is one of those people who can listen. Stephanie is a licensed clinical psychologist practicing in the San Mateo area of California. She specializes in addictions/substance use, relationships, career and academics, moods, and also cultural concerns pertaining, in our case, to Asians. On top of that, she also has a podcast called The Color of Success (Instagram @color_of_success), which is how we first connected. Stephanie lets us know the importance of sharing your emotions and feelings. We go into the process: why there's a stigma, how you know it's time to seek help, how a session works, ways to cope with anxiety or stress and more. To find out additional info on Dr. Stephanie Wong, you can visit her website here: https://www.drstephaniejwong.com/. We are always looking to share other people's experiences with us! If you'd like to be a guest on our show, email us at offthewok.info@gmail.com and let us know! Give us a follow at offthewokpodcast on Instagram so you don't miss out on any new episodes! Thank you and we appreciate you wok'ing with us. PS: If you enjoy our episodes, please consider supporting us at ko-fi.com/offthewok, every little bit counts to keep the lights on and to continue providing you with great and awesome material!

How does one go from doing accounting at McGill University in Montreal to Dropbox in San Francisco? Our guest Brendan Wong can give you a little insight into that. A native Calgarian, Brendan tells us how he was working in finance in Canada to get his CPA, before checking himself and deciding to move to San Francisco. From there, working at Ernst and Young, his first client was Zynga and that's where his foray into tech began...If you wanna hear more, be sure to listen to the rest of his adventure. I'll give you a hint, it ends in Hong Kong. We are always looking to share other people's experiences with us! if you'd like to be a guest on our show, email us at offthewok.info@gmail.com and let us know! Give us a follow at offthewokpodcast on Instagram so you don't miss out on any new episodes! Thank you and we appreciate you wok'ing with us.

Talk to any Asian parent and they'll tell you that education is the key to success. So when our guest Leanne Lam told her parents that she was dropping out...AFTER she already dropped out, it's safe to say her parents weren't pleased. But it turned into the best decision she ever made as from there she started a very successful events company called Le Lumiere Events. Join us as Leanne gives us the reasoning behind her dropping out of university, how she got into the events space, the hurdles and barriers she's had to overcome, how COVID is affecting her business, and a ton of other topics too numerous to name. On top of that, we delve into her podcast Beyond the Label that she recently started and her vision for it. If you haven't yet listened to it, get on it and start! If you'd like to inquire more about Leanne's events or her podcast, you can DM her on Instagram at either @leanneblu or @theblu.journal. We are always looking to share other people's experiences with us! if you'd like to be a guest on our show, email us at offthewok.info@gmail.com and let us know! Give us a follow at offthewokpodcast on Instagram so you don't miss out on any new episodes! Thank you and we appreciate you wok'ing with us.

We are starting a new sub-series! And we are calling it... dat Asian hustle! It will focus on individuals and their accomplishments, their successes, failures, and how they got to where they are today. We're hoping that these stories break the stereotypical traditional career path of Asians and to let our listeners out there know that if you wanna do something, just fucking do it. And what better way to start than with us. In this episode, Lance talks about starting his bubble tea business Banana Jaks at the tender age of 23 and all the struggles accompanying it including the crazy long days/nights, the literal shit you gotta clean, what doing business with family is like, and just figuring it out as you go. All this and more on today's episode! We are always looking to share other people's experiences with us! if you'd like to be a guest on our show, email us at offthewok.info@gmail.com and let us know! Give us a follow at offthewokpodcast on Instagram so you don't miss out on any new episodes! Thank you and we appreciate you wok'ing with us.

1 year later and finally we are seeing some progress in the fight against COVID. With vaccinations in full swing, our hope is that everyone will be vaccinated by fall. What hasn't seen progress? Racism. According to stopaapi.org's national report, almost 4000 cases of discrimination and racism have been reported between March 2020 to 2021 in the US. And these are the cases that were reported, there are probably thousands more unreported. In Canada, the situation is just as bad if not worse on a per capita basis, with anti-Asian hate crimes rising by 700% in Vancouver alone. As a podcast centered around Asians growing up in western society, seeing the rise in cases every day hit us hard. Although racism has always existed, it's like COVID made it okay to be racist. this needs to stop. We are not a virus. hate is a virus and we cannot let the conversation die on this. Joining us today is Joann, a Texan who moved to the US from Taiwan as a child. Growing up in a "melting pot" neighborhood populated by Asians, blacks, and Latinx, Joann never had an issue with racism. Yet when COVID hit, all that changed. Joann recounts her experiences with racism and shares her view of how it is handled in the US. Among other issues, We also talk about the effect of Trump, the model minority myth, and the effect (or no effect) of law enforcement on hate crimes. To learn more, please visit stopaapihate.org. Read more stories and become more aware of the situation. Let's stand together in this. We are always looking to share other people's experiences with us! if you'd like to be a guest on our show, email us at offthewok.info@gmail.com and let us know! Give us a follow at offthewokpodcast on Instagram so you don't miss out on any new episodes! Thank you and we appreciate you wok'ing with us.

Picture this: you're traveling in Hong Kong and start getting hungry so you're searching for places to eat. Easy right? Hong Kong is like the mecca of food in the east, with everything from fine dining to local food stalls on every street. There's a catch though, you need to eat a gluten-free diet. And in a city where gluten is like the second ingredient after salt, finding a restaurant that offers gluten-free dishes with no cross-contamination, or heck, even finding a place where the waiter will understand what gluten-free means, will be much more difficult than you think. This is a problem faced by our guest speaker Vanessa whenever she travels. Vanessa shares her gluten interactions with us, from when she first got diagnosed to some of her reaction stories. The types of food she can and can't eat, how she manages to eat gluten-free when her partner and her family don't, and more. We are always looking to share other people's experiences with us! if you'd like to be a guest on our show, email us at offthewok.info@gmail.com and let us know! give us a follow at offthewokpodcast on Instagram so you don't miss out on any new episodes! thank you and we appreciate you wok'ing with us.

In 2014, Eric embarked on a journey to Malaysia with his business partner to launch a startup in the dating sphere. For 2 years, he lived there to build Sparka, a dating app specifically aimed at SE Asia before coming back in 2016. Although the app was ultimately unsuccessful, the experiences he lived and breathed while in Malaysia will always be positive and life learning. Join us as we delve into Eric's problems with visa hopping, language barriers, the food he had, the food he missed, run-ins with the law and more. We are always looking to share other people's experiences abroad! if you'd like to be a guest on our show, email us at offthewok.info@gmail.com and let us know! give us a follow at offthewokpodcast on Instagram so you don't miss out on any new episodes! thank you and we appreciate you wok'ing with us.

Gaming nowadays is considered cool. People scramble for the latest sold-out systems or newest hottest games because it's not only fun to play, but is also now socially acceptable. Gaming has evolved into a recreation for both the young and old, and this evolution has turned it into the billion-dollar industry it is today. Esports is now a thing and can be considered a full-time job with the possibility of earning millions from it. But it wasn't always so, esports wasn't an everyday word 10 years ago and was probably non-existent in the 90s (with the exception of perhaps Asia). Back then, there was a negative stigma associated with being a gamer, with images of an overweight nerd closed up at home drinking chocolate milk or pop by the gallon coming to mind. Being Asian, stereotypically, you were put in that gamer category as well, but why? Why are Asians automatically labelled as gamers? If you've ever played against someone in a game and they've said "stop going all Asian on me", then you'll know what I mean. Join us as we discuss this topic with Johnny, a self-professed longtime gamer. Johnny gets into the details of when he started gaming, his own evolution as a gamer (he presently streams his games via Twitch) and how he dealt with the stereotypes surrounding him "growing up gaming". For any listeners that can relate to this, let us know your "growing up gaming" stories at offthewok.info@gmail.com. Follow us @offthewokpodcast on Instagram as well. Thank you and we appreciate you wok'ing with us. If you'd like to check out Johnny's Twitch and the games he's currently playing, you can find him at www.twitch.tv/jonnie5.

Let's talk about the concept of who am I? But not in the context of that awesome 1998 Jackie Chan movie, but more in a cultural context as an Asian born to immigrant parents in Canada. Growing up, we get influenced by two cultures, one from our family, and one from outside our family, a western influence. Both are equally strong and as such, it can be difficult to know what you identify as. Are you Chinese? Are you Korean? Are you Canadian? Or are you both? It's a great conversation to be had and on this episode, we are joined by Angela who herself was born in South Korea and moved here at a young age (so I guess that makes her 1.5 gen lol). She talks about her experiences growing up in Canada and how she identifies herself. Join us as she shares some great memories along with some sprinkles from Lance and I. Be sure to catch Angela on some more conversations on her podcast called The Why Moments! A podcast that details intimate 1 on 1 stories with people and their major turning moments. As well, please tell us your stories at offthewok.info@gmail.com or visit our instagram @offthewokpodcast. If you'd like to speak on our show, please contact us as well!

A very special vday episode for our listeners out there. Today, we talk about looooove and all the many things centred around it. But it's not just gonna be Lance and I talking, helping us with this chat are Kristy and Angie, fellow podcasters from Shit We Don't Tell Mom (insta @shitwedonttellmom). If you haven't listened to their stuff yet, please do cause we guarantee you're gonna like what they have to say! You can find them on every platform you can find us on. Join us as we talk about what we look for in potential partners, first date ideas (coupled with bad date ideas), dating etiquette, a game of Never Have I Ever and the juiciest part of all...dating stories. So give it a listen, and let us know your comments and feedback. If you have any awesome good/bad dating stories to share with us, or have other topics to recommend, please email us at offthewok.info@gmail.com and follow us @offthewokpodcast on instagram.