Podcast appearances and mentions of Monica H Kang

On this week's episode of Inside Outside Innovation, we sit down with Monica Kang, Founder and CEO of InnovatorsBox and Author of Rethink Creativity. Monica and I talk about some of the obstacles and opportunities around creativity. And how individuals and companies can benefit from enhancing their curiosity, creativity, and courage. Let's get started.Inside Outside Innovation is the podcast to help the new innovators navigate what's next. Each week, we'll give you a front row seat into what it takes to learn, grow, and thrive in today's world of accelerating change and uncertainty. Join us as we explore, engage, and experiment with the best and the brightest innovators, entrepreneurs, and pioneering businesses. It's time to get started.Interview Transcript with Monica Kang, Founder and CEO of InnovatorsBox and Author of Rethink CreativityBrian Ardinger: Welcome to another episode of Inside Outside Innovation. I'm your host, Brian Ardinger. And as always, we have another amazing guest. Today we have Monica Kang. She is Founder and CEO of InnovatorsBox and Author of Rethink Creativity. And also has a children's book called Have You Seen My Friends? So welcome to the show Monica.Monica Kang: Thank you for having me. Brian Ardinger: One of the things that we do in our Inside Outside community is ask our audience out there, who should we be talking to? And what are some of the interesting things that you're seeing out there? And somebody said, hey, you should talk to Monica. I think the first question I want to ask is probably a softball for you, but why does creativity matter. And why does it matter more today than ever before?Monica Kang: I'll start with maybe the notion of, I feel creativity is one of the words that we don't realize how much of a jargon it is. Because we use it so much. We say like, oh, you're creative. You're not creative. Or like, that was creative. That was innovative. We put in our marketing materials. We put in our campaigns. We put it in how we describe things.But if you really break it down, like, do people really understand or live the value that what it is. I think that was part of the reason why when you go back to why it's so important to talk about this is actually because of that. Because we use it all the time, but so many people don't realize the root and the nuances. And hence, don't realize this is jargon, that we're just keep throwing it around without the full intention. And so, I first fell into it because of that very situation. I was originally in nuclear weapons security. Government work. Wanted to be a diplomat all my life. That having grown up in DC and in the States, as well as in Korea and worked in Europe. And, you know, hey, I'm not comfortable with science and math. So, this sounds like the perfect path. And like, I love people and building relations. And so, I was good with a lot of things, but like creativity, wasn't really a thing that I would describe I was good at. Even though now looking back, I realize I had. And only until when I find myself really getting depressed and stuck in a dream job where I realized that I was finding myself literally crying to work, feeling upset, not knowing what to do in a job that I fell in love with. And I'm like, what is wrong with me? Like I'm solving a very important mission. Mission-driven. Preventing bad guys from having nuclear weapons. We're working in the government. It's really hard to get into this industry too. And yet feeling stuck. And what helped me gave the courage of, you know, walking to work instead of taking the bus to work. Getting curious about all these different surroundings. And realizing how one life decision can make a huge difference. Because now I felt so curious in the office got even more energetic. Even though the work description hasn't changed at all. It got me curious about understanding about, well, what happened. And people did ask me like Monica, whatever you're doing, you seem happier. And that's where I realized creativity was one of the key elements.I didn't know back then, but it was the mindset of simply doing something different. Finding the courage to take different things. Try different things. Ask different questions. Even organizing my process of the project differently because as I looked at the traffic in the fourth street every day, I'm like am I creating traffic in the way I do things unconsciously. Just like how there's always traffic here. Like at this time? What do I need to do differently? And getting curious about it. And that's where I learned that comment that I started the beginning. That question of creativity, innovation. There's so much history and research behind it. That I had no idea. And because we throw around the word and use it so much, that I misunderstood what it meant.And I didn't know that it was for everyone. I didn't know that something that we can all do more. And regardless of where we are, it expressed differently. And I think it's even more needed now because of the pandemic. Brian Ardinger: Oftentimes I think the perception of creativity is it's some kind of magic. Or it's something that other people do. Or, you know, some, other people can possess that, but I can't do that. So, this idea of creativity not being magic. That being every day and available to anybody to possess or use, talk about how you identified that little nugget and what are some of the tactical things that you do to bring out that magic. Monica Kang: So, I love that you said it. Because immediately one book that I'm remembering, it's about daily habits. And I was mindful because I'm like, wow. So, all these creative, innovative historical people around the world, like they had to work hard to be a better writer. What, like, they didn't just magically write that book. And like became a best seller. And like, no, they had to write every day. The musicians had to write music every day. And I'm like, wait, if that's how it is.Like I wonder in the traditional non art industry, how they do creative. Of course, same thing. I think of new ideas every day. They had to try new things every day. Get rejected every day. And I'm like, oh my gosh. I mean, even the story of how WD40 product came about. Are you familiar with the WD40 products? So, it's that spray, right. You know why that name is called WD40. Brian Ardinger: I do not. Monica Kang: The reason why they named WD40 for that product was not a coincidence. It means water displacement, right? 40. Which indicates that it took 40 times to perfect that formula. Brian Ardinger: Ah. I hadn't heard that story. Monica Kang: How often are we willing to try 40 times. Hear 40 nos. Before we get to that yes. Not a lot. And I think that brings a weight. Hence to that question of what can we do every day, is that it's building the routine. As I learned about these daily routines of all these famous people of what they've had to do every day. Learning about stories like WD40, that how many attempts that people had to try.And my day-to-day activity, that means that I need to just make it a routine of constant learning and trying new things. And so, one activity I always share as a recommendation is like, what's a five minute time that you can always block to do something different. Or to do something intentionally differently.So maybe it's that, okay, if you always commute somewhere, could you try a different commute, maybe at least two or three times when you're not in a rush hour. Maybe you take a different path. Maybe it's that you take the same commute, but you'll listen to different music. Or maybe you'll listen to different podcasts. Maybe you're going to listen to this one time and then another podcast. Maybe it's that you actually take a silent ride sometimes. Just like Pink. Even though that looks like a naive, like how is that going to make me more creative? By making that simple decision, you're letting your mind wander in different ways. And explore different things. Which gets into the practice of thinking differently. Which is the essence of creativity to get to innovation and all these new ideas.So, to get to that WD40 product, they probably had to do a lot of that, somewhat unorthodox, like somewhat unexpected things that led to that 40th idea and innovation. And so, the key of those different elements is that you have to make it a habit. And it has to also be celebrated and enjoyable, but that's why I shared the tip with like, find a routine in your day.That you can do easily. That it doesn't feel like I don't have time to do that. I don't have time. Think about your exercise. Think about your sleep hours. Hopefully everyone's sleeping well. Sleep routine, like things. When it's built-in routine, it's a little bit easier, but then you can commit and see the change over time.Brian Ardinger: I use a similar technique called Scheduling Your Senses. So, each week you think about what sense do I want to focus on? So, this week I'm going to focus on taste. And I'm going to really focus, you know, a particular time period on what I'm tasting. How does that make me feel? And so, each week you pick a different sense that you want to do, and, you know, it comes down to, like you said, changing your environment. And getting you out of the normal rut that you have. You mentioned one of the obstacles to creativity is this idea of fear. And you know, when you think about WD40, having to try 40 times. You know, I'm sure they didn't go into it saying, hey, we're going to fail 40 times. Or going in with the mindset of I'm scared that I'm going to have to try this 40 different times to get to a solution. Talk about fear and the role of creativity. And how we can overcome that fear. Because I think that's one of the major barriers to creativity. Monica Kang: I think fear is unavoidable. But I think some of the mis-notion we have is that everything always has to be fearful. And I think that's where we miss the chance to celebrate what that growth stage looks like.The act of doing something different, sometimes doesn't always have to be fearful. Me listening to a different podcast, not a fearful thing. But I'm learning new insights. Me focusing on different senses might not be fearful. As it gets to certain decision-making of like, oh, because now I focused on the taste, I realized the way we're cooking right now in this kitchen is actually not good.And I need to tell my boss about it. If the customers are unhappy. That's where the fear encourages decision is. And so, I think when we asked that question, I think we see innovation, creativity in this box of like, okay, we got to think of this new idea, and we have to present it. But actually, even before we get to that stage of fear, there's all these other elements that we built resilience and skills of thinking differently that got us there.And so, the tip that I often share is like first recognize that being creative is you got to pass the fear bridge. But when you're there, remember that, hey actually even the parts to get there, there was a lot of courage into that. And you might not have realized. It might just not have looked as scary as that bridge you're about to cross, that looks really scary. But it wasn't as easy as you thought. And actually, that street that you look back, if you turn around and literally look back at those moments, that became not as scary, because you actually built resilience. There's hemisphere of how much you can experiment has grown so much that it becomes less scary. And in fact, when you cross this bridge, now I'm going to have to tell my chef and my boss about this big, scary decision. Now, the next time you need to do that, it's no longer being as scary. So, our horizon of what we feel we can continue to do will change and evolve, which I think is the part that is so fun to realize that creativity innovation mindset, just like our physical health and muscle is not a static thing. It's going to continue to evolve. Right. Just because I exercise every day, doesn't mean that I'm healthy and I'm done. I can be even healthier. I can be more cautious and same thing with my creative thinking muscle. And think those are the nuances that we miss. Brian Ardinger: I like where you're going. You know, it's almost about how do you reframe the journey from if you think about a particular project and you think about this big project is going to make or break my career. Versus approaching it from the standpoint of like, hey, I'm going to try and experiment. Or I'm going to do this side project. And positioning it in such a way that it frames it differently so that the things that you do learn and that when you do fall down, which are inevitably going to happen. It changes the way you perceive that falling down as part of the journey rather than the journey and the outcome of the journey. Monica Kang: And one thing, Brian, if I can piggyback on that. I share this actually my book Rethink Creativity as well. That, you know, the thousand shades of fear, because one thing that I think is also key is just because I might not be scared of a certain decision, does that mean another person will feel the same way. And I think that's what's actually part of the fear. We need to talk more. And especially as leaders, many of those who's probably listening. You might actually already be here and listening to this episode because you're already pre actually pretty good with it. You're like, no, I've got a good handle of fear. What might be actually harder is actually encouraging your different people. Encouraging your different colleagues. Noticing that like wait, checking ourselves to let when that person says that that's a scary decision, am I actually empathizing and sitting with them. Or coming from the nose up and say, look, yeah, no, don't worry friend. You're going to be fine. That's not scary. And amplifying actually how we feel. And so, fear comes in different shapes, sizes, different times. Actually, the very thing that I might not be scared with one person could be the very thing I'm scared with another person or in another situation. And so it's ever changing.And so, by us having aware. Having fear simply means that we have the alertness. There's a reason why as human beings, we survive, right? We were fearful of the weather conditions. The animals attacking us. Got to protect ourselves. That's actually how we were able to thrive and still exist as an, you know, a being. So, fear isn't just always a bad thing. It's helping try to kick in to protect you. So, look out for these different cues. And I think especially as leaders, it's so key that we don't just simplify. Get rid of your fear. And like stop being fearful. Can we take the time to process it? We need to actually acknowledge all of that and actually ourselves too. Brian Ardinger: So, let's dig into that a little bit, you know. How do you design this creative workplace or workplace for all? You know, how does diversity affect creativity and how are you seeing some companies tackling that problem from an organizational perspective versus the individual perspective?Monica Kang: Well, let's first start with diversity. I think I'm really excited about going back to your very first question. Why so timely to be more creative. And I think the time is even better. We are now seeing more research. People are more aware. People want to learn. More honestly, as somebody who's specializing creative workplace building, it is an exciting time because more people are wanting to have those conversations and say help. I do want to do this. I don't know how. And so, I want to know that this is really timely because no matter what stage you are as a leader, wanting to do this. That you making a commitment and taking one step at a time is part of the thing that will help change the company. So even if that simple decision is that we're going to start doing some one-on-ones. Or we're going to start doing some team building activities at the very beginning and check-in. Actually, that might be the change in itself. That might actually be the kind of activity that your people are missing to feel the courage, to speak up. To feel psychological safety. Which is very key to ignite and creativity and opening up people's mind and feeling that what they can bring up. But if I come into the meeting room and I feel like, okay, Brian's going to be a little upset if I bring this up. Then it's one idea that I don't share. It's one problem. And Brian might be like, well, Monica might frown next time I share this, and he doesn't share one thing. Guess what? We're going to actually see, not only business consequences, but a lot of people, of course, who's going to be impacted because we stopped sharing.And so even that simple decision of like opening up could feel simple. Everyone is testing out right now. So, this good time, this is another example of the fear stopping you. Start with what you're comfortable with, which might be that simply, maybe let's read this article and talk about it. Or, hey, I learned this cool thing from this podcast that Brian and Monica were talking about. I'm inspired. Let's try this out. That could be the starting point. It doesn't always have to be like this big, humongous thing. That's going to lead to culture organization changing. So that's actually the very first tip I share with leaders to make it tangible relatable. And then two, as a result to know that this is a marathon. Yes, we want results as soon as possible for order something. I wanted to get the delivery, right. There was time and effort put in to make that process happen. And I love Simon Sinek's video, where he talks about the intensity versus consistency. He talks about the people development in the workplace. And the beautiful analogy he shares about is our brushing our tooth. If you asked me like, you know, what's the perfect formula to brush the tooth in life versus not to like prevent your mouth from having cavities. Like, I will not know the answer because, you know, maybe I skipped one day. Maybe I skipped three days. Like with that impact, is that the cause like, maybe, but we won't know. But it's the consistent that I brush my teeth every day that I keep my teeth healthy. Same thing on organizations. It's the simple moments of like, let's turn off their phones. Hey, Brian, how are you really doing. Like, oh, Monica actually, this is how I feel now that we've connected. We now open up. You know, Brian, I know we're done with the meeting, but I have this really question I want to ask you. Can I bring this up? I feel would really appreciate cause you just shared about, you know, how you feel. Now, okay. Brian, he's already right now, you're listening, but like he already stood up and like, oh, tell me more Monica. Right? The body language already brings up unconsciously. And I think he shares how it's the consistency that's key. And so again, the second tip I recommend for everyone is that no matter what, or the house solution you have for your culture and people development, the key is the consistency. Not just a one-time retreat of hurray and we're done. But what's the everyday routines that you want to embed.And so, when you even do a retreat or innovation workshop, or you invite a speaker, the question that I hope you always ask yourself, if this is what you're really committing to and what to do, because I know what you do, that's why you're listening to this episode. Think of something that you can do consistently.That is low hanging fruit. That is budget friendly, you know, got to be realistic, right? I'm not saying that you have to spend a lot of money, budget friendly. Implementable as well. And you might be surprised even in that five-minute activity in simply having rows of like no phones in the meeting. Log off. Something like that. So those are kind of tangible places I recommend.Brian Ardinger: That makes great sense. The last topic I want to talk about is the world of work is changing. Obviously. You've been in this space for pre pandemic and now through pandemic. What are some of the trends and things that you're seeing? What are some of the best practices, especially as we kind of move into this new hybrid environment that you're seeing when it comes to creativity.Monica Kang: So many, a particular point I want to highlight is actually generational. And I want to say this because when we see us wanting to express more creatively and we feel we can't. We like to figure out the cost. Right. And our consciousness is that, oh, it's because they're young. Oh, it's because they haven't worked in the company long enough.Oh, it's because they don't get my industry. There's always a, because of. I want to give the courage to recognize that instead of channeling that voice of why don't they get it the way I do. I wonder why they feel that way. I wonder why they say they don't want to get back to the office?I wonder why they say that? I feel fine. I can share all my ideas. I wonder why they say they don't feel comfortable sharing ideas? We got this fancy new office. We're doing all these breakout sessions. Instead of saying like, why are they not. Reframe that to I wonder why. And focus on the lens of listening and wanting to understand.Maybe they're going to share some stuff that you realize, whoa, like we were not ready for it. We don't know how to solve it. And that's okay too. It's not about always needed to have immediately all the answers, but let's problem solve this together. Thank you for sharing that. I had no idea that's how you feel.And part of this is them wanting to be acknowledged or appreciated and heard. And hey, ask them what they think is the best idea. They might actually have a really good idea that we completely missed out. And Brian to your question of what's changing is that more people are wanting to now finally try this. Which has always been important before. But not doing the consequence. Great resignation and even more has been greater. I think it's great that we're finally, hopefully seeing more workplaces where we make this the norm. That, of course we should understand what people want. And of course, this is hard because everyone wants something different. And sometimes we say what we want, but we don't really maybe need it.I might say I want ice cream, but maybe I shouldn't have ice cream today. Cause I already had my chocolate earlier. Right. Like we're people. It's going to be messy. But that's part of the beauty of it. Of feeling like we can bring out all our different insights. And sometimes the choice is that because we feel safe sometimes, I don't want to share out. And might just be like, okay, I just want to do work and that's it.And that's okay too. And I think part of it's like, what's the choice that you're going to make each day as a leader. As a creator. And as an innovator in your workplaces. Even if you're not in leadership for those who's listening like Monica, Brian, that's great, but what if I'm not a leader. You start with setting your boundaries. And where you want to start planting the seeds of where you can do this. So, I hope that gives an encouragement of a starting point. For More InformationBrian Ardinger: This has been fantastic. And I appreciate you giving these tactical tips that anybody within the organization can start making progress when it comes to creativity and innovation. So, I want to thank you for coming on Inside Outside Innovation. If people want to find out more about yourself or your books or your company, what's the best way to do that?Monica Kang: Find me in any of the platforms. I'm on most of the social media platforms, but you know, connect with me on LinkedIn at Monica H Kang. K A N G. And then also follow us at InnovatorsBox. I also recommend the book as well. I think you'll enjoy it. And if you go actually to my book's website, for both of them, we have a lot of free worksheets and tools. Also because of our mission to make creativity, culture, and leadership accessible, we have a lot of free resources and tools. Including some of these topics. So, if you can't find it just simply email me, let me know. And also in some tools in Korean and other languages as well, because we want to make this globally accessible. So, we also make music as well, because not everyone's a reader or workshop person. You can find us at InnovatorsBox studios, where we create music to inspire creativity. Brian Ardinger: Thanks, Monica. I really do appreciate you coming on the show and look forward to continuing the conversation in the years to come.Brian Ardinger: That's it for another episode of Inside Outside Innovation. If you want to learn more about our team, our content, our services, check out InsideOutside.io or follow us on Twitter @theIOpodcast or @Ardinger. Until next time, go out and innovate.FREE INNOVATION NEWSLETTER & TOOLSGet the latest episodes of the Inside Outside Innovation podcast, in addition to thought leadership in the form of blogs, innovation resources, videos, and invitations to exclusive events. SUBSCRIBE HEREYou can also search every Inside Outside Innovation Podcast by Topic and Company.  For more innovations resources, check out IO's Innovation Article Database, Innovation Tools Database, Innovation Book Database, and Innovation Video Database.  

In the final episode of Curious Monica Season 2, I reflect on all the conversations I've had this season to create a special advice column for innovators. The past few months have been about transition - transitioning into new workplace norms, new careers, and new ways of innovating. And my guests continued to remind me that greater purpose and intention are the heart of what we do. But what exactly does it mean to create and live for tomorrow? This episode summarizes some of the best answers to that question, and serves as an extra dose of inspiration (and curiosity) as the year closes. Thanks again to all my guests and the InnovatorsBox team for making Season 2 happen. See you in the New Year with Season 3! Subscribe today. Curious Monica is hosted by Monica H. Kang and InnovatorsBox. Learn more at curiousmonica.com. Find summary notes here.

After interviewing innovators from across the world in countless industries and in countless roles, one thing stuck out - we all have the power to design the life we want. It takes courage, intentionality, and trial and error but it's so key to have that protagonist mindset. And again, thank you so much again for joining us on this journey together. So are you ready for it? Here let's dive into the key insights from our guests from Season 2!  Subscribe today. Dear Workplace is hosted by Monica H. Kang and InnovatorsBox. Learn more at dearworkplace.com. Find summary notes here.

I'm curious. What are you curious about lately? How can we transform what we're curious about into actionable intention? In this very special edition of Curious Monica, I invite you to pause and be mindful with me as I lead you through an interactive reflection on curiosity. Yes! Instead of the usual guest interviews, I'm going to share various resources we developed to create an immersive experience for you to use this time to reflect, pause, and be curious. My hope is that you'll walk away from this special episode with new questions, and use this time to reflect, pause and set your intentions as you are mapping out your 2022 goals and intentions. Subscribe today. Curious Monica is hosted by Monica H. Kang and InnovatorsBox. Learn more at curiousmonica.com. Find summary notes here

In these past years, while some of us were furloughed or let go, many others have also transitioned, got promoted, or resigned to start their dream jobs. In this episode, I want to dive deeper into the stories of people who have created their own jobs and opportunities both in organizations, and outside on their own, to see what we can learn as we continue to build our own careers and growth opportunities. I sat down with two friends - Ellie Kim and Youngmoo Kim - who carved their own path professionally and explored what challenges and “aha” moments they encountered, as well as what made them do what they did. Their stories and insights are valuable whether you're looking to start a new career, build a new opportunity where you are, or even want to build something of your own on the side! Subscribe today. Dear Workplace is hosted by Monica H. Kang and InnovatorsBox. Learn more at dearworkplace.com. Find summary notes here.

Good writing and speeches inspire you, motivate you, and make you feel heard. That's powerful and a skill to hone! So, I was always curious. What would it be like to do this full time, and how does one decide to want to become a speaker or a writer? I mean do you start wanting to become a speaker to have a career as a speaker and writer? No, not necessarily. Having deep curiosity and drive to learn can be the start to how you find yourself as a speaker or a writer. In this episode I speak with authors, speakers, and workplace communicators Don Khouri and Saleema Vellani about their journey into this profession and how others can be successful at it too.  Subscribe today. Curious Monica is hosted by Monica H. Kang and InnovatorsBox. Learn more at curiousmonica.com. Find summary notes here.

Designing for inclusion - whether it's technology, a workflow, a product - is incredibly important as we move into the new normal of working. Creating a workplace for all is not an overnight journey, which is why constant care and development is there, but so is our workflow. In this episode, I dive deeper into the aspects of inclusive design with inclusivity experts Richard Reiman and Margaret Park. How do we design a workplace for all in what we create, how we serve, and what we do each day? Well, it doesn't happen overnight, but doing so will help you attract incredible customers, team members, and more that could've been overlooked.  Subscribe today. Dear Workplace is hosted by Monica H. Kang and InnovatorsBox. Learn more at dearworkplace.com. Find summary notes here. Below are some helpful resources in your journey of inclusive design: Inclusive Design Toolkit  Video: RSA Short: Empathy  Rethinking Inclusive Design Beyond Technology  Disability Inclusion In the Digital Workspace, An Actionable Guide Imagination Video Books

The pandemic gave us all a taste of what it's like when health challenges derail our business models and careers. Some people have already had to overcome health challenges in order to succeed, and for the guests on this podcast today, we were able to transform their pain into inspiration for their lives and career changes. Being able to overcome challenges, especially health challenges, takes an incredible amount of resilience. And it takes creativity to be able to apply the lessons we've learned from those challenges into our careers. In this episode, we highlight the incredibly inspirational stories of Michelle de Matheu and D. Anthony Evans who pushed through their darkest health moments to find inspiration and a career. Subscribe today. Curious Monica is hosted by Monica H. Kang and InnovatorsBox. Learn more at curiousmonica.com. Find summary notes here.

Did you get a full night's rest last night? Are you eating well? When was the last time you took a true break away from your work? As we reach the end of the year and two years of working in the pandemic, these questions on wellbeing at the workplace are becoming even more important and timely. But it's one thing to know about how we take care of ourselves, it's another to think about our team. Our team has multiple people with different feelings, interests, communication styles, and needs. Where do you start with how you support them? How do we know what will work well? In this episode, I asked key leaders, Jacqueline Leeker and Bonnie Kim, how they take care of themselves and their team. And they reminded me how important the intention is, and gave some incredible, actionable tips on how to do better for ourselves and our team.  Subscribe today. Dear Workplace is hosted by Monica H. Kang and InnovatorsBox. Learn more at dearworkplace.com. Find summary notes here. Some Resources: https://blog.innovatorsbox.com/rethink-series/ https://blog.innovatorsbox.com/how-to-get-deep-sleep-and-recharge-as-an-innovator/

Is it possible to do business and do good for society? At first, I wasn't sure but now as a social entrepreneur, and working with other friends who are also doing business for good, I know my answer will be, yes all the time! Still, how does one do it and what is their journey like doing business and doing something good for society? In this episode, I speak with social entrepreneurs Amy Malin and Rachel Svetanoff about their journey into a field of doing good for the better of the world and running a successful organization at the same time. And if you're new to the world of social entrepreneurship, tune in for some great first steps in getting started.  Subscribe today. Curious Monica is hosted by Monica H. Kang and InnovatorsBox. Learn more at curiousmonica.com. Find summary notes here.

No matter where you work, learning how to manage your time, projects, and workflows is such a key skill. I often attributed my early success in my business, InnovatorsBox, to having strong project management skills. And no, I'm not just talking about the PMP - project management professional certifications - as a way to manage projects. And yes, organization and project management skills are crucial even as an executive - probably even more so as an executive. In today's episode, I am not speaking with all certified project managers, but rather with a group of friends who have developed their own strategies around learning how to manage multiple projects, deadlines, and priorities effectively - Meet Saleema Vellani, Dr. Bob Nelson, and Jerry Won.  Subscribe today. Dear Workplace is hosted by Monica H. Kang and InnovatorsBox. Learn more at dearworkplace.com. Find summary notes here.

Education is highly appreciated and respected yet a lot of teachers in school are underappreciated, underpaid, and very overworked. Why are the people who play such a key role in our lives and future are overworked and underpaid? And why do teachers start their career even if the work is demanding? It's because they deeply care. They care about the students, their journey, and the future they will build. In this episode I speak with educators Margaret Park and Ellie Kim on their experience with teaching, empowering the younger generations, and of course, innovating in the new normal.  Subscribe today. Curious Monica is hosted by Monica H. Kang and InnovatorsBox. Learn more at curiousmonica.com. Find summary notes here.

Imagine a good leader. What do you think of? Has that changed over time? For me growing up, it was the person who was the loudest, tallest, boldest, and oftentimes the most “masculine.” But this view of leadership is changing, and it's changing for the better. What does good leadership look like now? What is working and what isn't working in leadership culture? And how can anyone work towards being a better leader? In this episode I chat with Zina B. Sutch Ph.D and Patrick Malone Ph.D together about their research into leadership development and how it is changing for the better of ourselves and our employees. I also got a chance to talk with Phil Jung, who manages hundreds of employees, about how being a leader can take on several forms. Subscribe today. Dear Workplace is hosted by Monica H. Kang and InnovatorsBox. Learn more at dearworkplace.com. Find summary notes here.

We've talked about the profession of coaching before, but what really makes a coach a great leader? Why is coaching an important skill for everyone? And what are some of the key characteristics of a good coach, no matter what field or location? As a coach myself I know that behind every great coach is someone who believed in them, a leader who held them accountable. In this episode I talk with three close friends, who are all coaches in different fields and from different countries, about what it's like dedicating a career to coaching others to become leaders as well. I found three, key characteristics in all of them. And these characteristics are essential to anyone listening in becoming a better leader in their life and work. Subscribe today. Curious Monica is hosted by Monica H. Kang and InnovatorsBox. Learn more at curiousmonica.com. Find summary notes here.

Are you happy? How often are you genuinely happy at work? What makes us really happy at work and why is understanding the science of happiness at work important for us as individuals and for organizations? Turns out not a lot of people can't quite put their finger on what happiness is, but it's because it's different for everyone. And research shows that happiness is not only great for team wellbeing, but leads to higher company success. In this episode I talk to Dr. Kathryn Owler and Amani Roberts about their journey to workplace happiness, but how you can harness happiness for yourself. Subscribe today. Dear Workplace is hosted by Monica H. Kang and InnovatorsBox. Learn more at dearworkplace.com. Find summary notes here.

When was the last time you consumed something that was translated? Maybe it was a business report or Squid Game or even a video game! The translation industry makes things accessible, but it also helps businesses grow, reach new markets - and more! In this episode I speak with Marina Illari and Colleen Beres  of Terra Translations, a company who has been solving problems in this industry for over 25 years. What is it like to be in the translation business?  What is changing? And why shouldn't you compare online translation tools like Google Translate to a human translator?  Subscribe today. Curious Monica is hosted by Monica H. Kang and InnovatorsBox. Learn more at curiousmonica.com. Find summary notes here.

Hybrid connection is the name of the game lately. As I start to attend my first in-person friends' gathering and speaking events in two years, I'm having butterflies. While I love the ease that remote experiences have to offer, I do miss in-person connection. Hybrid and remote are here to stay so how do we use this time to really rethink about how we connect and share experiences together in a more meaningful way? In this episode, I speak with Amanda Ma and Mo Hamizan who are experts in connection to discuss how we can rethink hybrid events.  Subscribe today. Dear Workplace is hosted by Monica H. Kang and InnovatorsBox. Learn more at dearworkplace.com. Find summary notes here.

Have you found yourself watching more films than usual these past few years? I know I have! Good movies make me cry, reflect, celebrate, laugh, and remind me how beautiful and meaningful life is. In this episode I dive into all the aspects of working in the film industry, especially for those whose voices are often underrepresented. Meet David Masami Moriya and Kelly Li who share their stories about why they entered in the industry, what they love about it, and how they're using their voice to amplify other voices in the process. Subscribe today. Curious Monica is hosted by Monica H. Kang and InnovatorsBox. Learn more at curiousmonica.com. Find summary notes here.

Authenticity at work - We want to be our 100% true selves but we also want to respectfully blend in and hear how this room and community work and engage before we do so. What's the right balance of being respectful to the environment versus feeling like I can't show who I am because of the environment? In this episode, we want to navigate these questions as we think about how we bring our full selves to work. Meet Mike Canter and Kristina Francis who share incredible insight into authenticity at work from both a leadership and team member perspective. Subscribe today. Dear Workplace is hosted by Monica H. Kang and InnovatorsBox. Learn more at dearworkplace.com. Find summary notes here.

As a long-time children's books fan, I've always wondered, how does a children's book come together? How is it different from other books and why do authors write what they write? Whether you are looking to write your children's book, or a fan of children's books you're in for a treat. In this episode, I caught up with three friends who took different paths to bring their children's books to life. Meet Helena Ku Rhee, Heather Davis, and Tamara Haque who share their journey to being a children's book author. (P.S. I'm a new children's book author too. Check out my book “Have You Seen My Friends?: The Adventures of Creativity” now available. Discover more creativity-related resources at creativitywithmonica.com.) Subscribe today. Curious Monica is hosted by Monica H. Kang and InnovatorsBox. Learn more at curiousmonica.com. Find summary notes here.

People have said it! Enough is enough! We want to work at a workplace where we feel heard, appreciated, and understood. But why do we really leave or stay in jobs? What can both leaders and team members learn from these experiences? In this episode, I invited a few leaders and friends to get to the root of why they decided to stay in jobs despite challenges and why they left other jobs despite loving them. Thank you for your support in Season 1! Learn more about Colleen Beres, Marina Illari, Julian Saipe, and Cydni Burnett. Subscribe today. Dear Workplace is hosted by Monica H. Kang and InnovatorsBox. Learn more at dearworkplace.com. Find summary notes here.

It's been 2 years since the pandemic started. How are you really doing? What do you do if you are tired of all the changes? In the next few weeks, we'll dive deep into how the way we work, lead, and collaborate is changing. And we'll explore what we can do better to navigate these changes as innovators. I am so thrilled to once again welcome you back to Dear Workplace, Season 2. Subscribe today to get the latest updates when we drop another episode about a workplace trend, challenge, or change. Dear Workplace is hosted by Monica H. Kang at InnovatorsBox. Learn more about our podcast at dearworkplace.com. Don't have time to listen? Review the summary notes of all our episodes here.

Is it too late to start my dream career? No! In the next few weeks, I'm excited to visit friends in different industries to learn how they fell in love with their jobs and industries. Whether you are already in your dream job or not, you can have a career that you love and enjoy growing in. Welcome back to Curious Monica where we learn how different innovators thrive at different jobs. Subscribe today. Curious Monica is hosted by Monica H. Kang and InnovatorsBox. Learn more about our candid conversations with thriving innovators at curiousmonica.com. Too busy to listen? Find the summary notes of all our episodes here.

Welcome to Episode 92 of the Asian Hustle Network Podcast! We are very excited to have Monica Kang on this week's episode. We interview Asian entrepreneurs around the world to amplify their voices and empower Asians to pursue their dreams and goals. We believe that each person has a message and a unique story from their entrepreneurial journey that they can share with all of us. Check us out on Anchor, iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play Music, TuneIn, Spotify, and more. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave us a positive 5-star review. This is our opportunity to use the voices of the Asian community and share these incredible stories with the world. We release a new episode every Wednesday, so stay tuned! Monica H. Kang is the Founder & CEO of InnovatorsBox®, the Author of Rethink Creativity: How to Innovate, Inspire, and Thrive at Work and the Host of two Podcasts—Dear Workplace and Curious Monica. She is an internationally recognized expert in workplace creativity who facilitates culture transformation, leadership development, and team building in a way that is fun, actionable, and relatable. Monica provides consulting, training, facilitation, and keynote speaking to clients worldwide including Fortune 500 companies, higher education institutions, government agencies, and nonprofits. She also supports organizations, professionals, and entrepreneurs through the InnovatorsBox® Academy and the programs she co-creates with her strategic partners including Adapt to Grow and Culture of Analytics. Monica's work has been recognized by The White House, Ashoka Changemakers, National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC), and Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). Prior to founding InnovatorsBox®, Monica was a nuclear nonproliferation policy expert. She holds an M.A. from SAIS Johns Hopkins University in Strategic Studies and International Economics and a B.A. from Boston University. Please check out our Patreon at @asianhustlenetwork. We want AHN to continue to be meaningful and give back to the Asian community. If you enjoy our podcast and would like to contribute to our future, we hope you'll consider becoming a patron. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/asianhustlenetwork/support

Getting comfortable with uncertainty is hard. How can you get better at it when everything is always changing? Welcome to our Rethink series where Monica H. Kang shares bitesize power insights and actionable tips for innovators. In this first Rethink episode, she shares insights on how to rethink ambiguity by shifting the way you think and process information. Learn more at dearworkplace.com.

Candid conversations with friends exploring why and how different people thrive at work and in life. I'm curious. What about you? Subscribe now to learn more. Hosted by Monica H. Kang and InnovatorsBox. Learn more at curiousmonica.com.

Reimagine how you thrive at work by asking the questions you want to uncover. Subscribe now. Hosted by Monica H. Kang and InnovatorsBox. Learn more at dearworkplace.com.

What if creativity took your team from good to great? What if it could transform your business? What if it could transform your life?  Monica H. Kang is an entrepreneur and innovator who is changing the way people think (and learn) about creativity.  Join us on Tuesday for this amazing live Q&A with Monica to find out about a different way to look at creativity, InnovatorsBox, and so much more. More About Monica Monica loves building bridges, relationships, and communities. She believes that change is possible when more people are able to understand and integrate into different worlds simultaneously. That integration is possible with creative thinking and an open mind. For Monica, those two worlds are entrepreneurship and public policy. Prior to InnovatorsBox®, Monica specialized in nuclear nonproliferation as contract support to the U.S. government and a non-resident Kelly Fellow at Pacific Forum CSIS. She has lived and worked abroad at the United Nations in Geneva and Chosun Newspaper in Seoul. She got her M.A. degree in Strategic Studies at SAIS, Johns Hopkins University and her B.A. at Boston University. To satisfy her love for entrepreneurship and creativity, she also sought out to be a StartingBloc Fellow and Mentor, Hive Fellow, Design Thinking in DC member, a Startup Weekend Organizer and Facilitator in DC. She is also in the process of being a certified coach and proud to be part of Coach Diversity Institute based on International Coach Federation standards. Her love for interactive experience, safe space, and vulnerability reflects deeply in the curriculum she builds at InnovatorsBox. Her joy is to create 'aha' moments for the attendees because the best learnings comes by 'being in the moment.' She is a strong believer of 'learning by doing' and focuses on creating a safe space for deep inner search and discovery.  In her spare time, she loves to travel, read, paint, and teach Korean. You'll often see her with a chai latte and chocolate croissant at a cafe. About Association Chat Association Chat (est. 2009) is an online community and weekly chat that takes place on Tuesdays at 2pm ET on https://www.crowdcast.io/kikilitalien. You can connect with the association community throughout the week on Twitter using the hashtag #assnchat or through the Facebook Group.   Find out more about Association Chat at http://associationchat.com/. (*"Cheekily" hashtagged from the beginning! #assnchat – yes, we know what it looks like and no, we aren't changing it.*) KiKi L'Italien serves as host for the chat with regular guests and quarterly live events along with creative collaborations with industry thought leaders.   How people can participate live and watch/listen later: Association Chat provides participants with the ability to register and ask questions live on the day of the event, but it will also be streaming on Facebook Live where people can watch and comment. There is usually a dedicated group of people registered on the actual Crowdcast platform for the episode to participate live (this number can fall in the range of 20-200+, it just depends on the speaker(s), topic, and pre-show marketing) and each show usually has over 1000 viewers on Facebook Live, with episodes later garnering 300-400+ views on the Facebook platform by itself. In addition to that, the episodes are later uploaded to the Association Chat Podcast on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, Soundcloud, and edited video to YouTube. These will be available Wednesday-Thursday of the same week as the live interview. The replay will be available at the same URL as the chat within minutes of the chat's end and the link will continue to take people to the replay once it's over. Website: http://associationchat.com/ Facebook Group (private): https://www.facebook.com/groups/AssociationChat/ YouTube: https://youtu.be/RWiKUrUWxcg iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/association-chat-podcast/id1221431539  Google Play: http://bit.ly/googleassnchat Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/association-chat-podcast Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/kiki-litalien Watch Live: https://www.crowdcast.io/kikilitalien If you want to promote this to anyone in your network, please use: https://www.crowdcast.io/e/rethinking-creativity  (with #assnchat)  

Monica Kang is the Founder and CEO of InnovatorsBox. Monica is a passionate community bridge builder, creative culture educator, and curious researcher. She enjoys finding impactful ways to integrate different worlds, such as entrepreneurship and public policy, to build a more multifaceted community. She founded InnovatorsBox to help professionals tap into their creative potential. Through workshops, coaching, and supportive community, she empowers professionals with confidence and insights in creativity to enhance professional and personal growth. She also continues to pursue her passion in politics and nuclear nonproliferation. In this episode, Monica used to worry about what other people thought of her. When she realized that she doesn't have to take situations personally and not let it affect her, that's when her confidence increased to be the woman she is today. Check out thetaoofselfconfidence.com for show notes of Monica's episode, Monica's website, resources, gifts and so much more.