Heart Open ConversAsians
A thoughtfully curated space where intentional and honest conversations are had and held for and with a community I hold near and dear to my heart: the Asian collective. Every month, you’ll hear a guest join me in conversation, followed by a solo episode in the same month where I share and weave in my reflections and learnings from that conversation.
Together, we’ll exchange stories of our uniquely hard yet beautiful lives, our journeys, learned experiences and lessons, with the hope that it will encourage and empower you to live out your one precious yet nuanced life that is most true and most YOU. I’m that friend you can count on as we walk together on this journey to learn to embrace and make space for all parts of us. You’re welcome here.
Heart Open ConversAsians
Sheena Yap-Chan: On Representation, Owning Our Unique Stories and Confidently Living
I’m going to try my very best not to fan-girl too much as I introduce today’s guest who’s joining me on the pod today. Bold, resilient, wise, and a heck of a trailblazer are but some of the words that I would use to describe her. Today’s guest is none other than the one and only, Sheena Yap-Chan. Sheena’s a keynote speaker, a consultant, and a freshly minted best-selling author at Wall Street Journal for her first book, The Tao of Self-Confidence. She is also the founder and host of the award-winning podcast of the same name, where she has since interviewed over 700 Asian women to exchange stories on their inner journey to self-confidence.
A combination of an unexpected encounter, or more accurately, a query, and Sheena’s deep desire to better comprehend the Asian dysphoria and the almost born-this-way incapacity to feel confident and own our place and voice were the triggers that started her down the path in search of stories of other who look like her and felt the same way as she did then.
Her stellar accolades aside, what I especially adored about this conversation we shared was how expansive, minus-the-fluff-honest, and validating it was.
We covered:
- The importance of representation and how it affects change
- The creative journey while writing this book (in 3 months)
- The essentiality and impact of stories that are “specific”
- He atypical career path and how she navigated that decision with her family that came full circle in the sweetest way
- Why progress is better than perfection
You know it’s a satisfyingly good one when you hear me attempt to say so much in too little time to the point that I thought I was listening to myself at double speed/tempo. I hope you’ll be able to find time any our day to soak in this one - I promise it’ll be worth it.
Connect with Sheena:
- Website: www.sheenayapchan.com , where you’ll find links to all the social mediums you can find and follow Sheena’s content, buy her book that is already available at all major book retailers to get!
- Access her Free Quiz on uncovering your self-confidence profile here: https://www.sheenayapchan.com/quiz
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