A Seat at Our Table

We're talking about everyone's favourite topic - travel! Between us, we've travelled to over 20 countries and 60 cities, and we have A LOT to share. We talk about the quirks and perks of travelling as an Asian Australian, scary stories from overseas, and our best and wildest travel memories.  Episode outline: 1. What type of traveller are you? 2. Travel lessons from our upbringing and childho...

Damson is the owner of local food truck, Rice and Rolls. After 15 years of banking, Damson left his corporate job to explore his entrepreneurial side right before the pandemic hit. We talk about the corporate grind as an Asian Australian, taking risks as an entrepreneur, innovating as a small business, and becoming more than just a food truck. Episode outline: 1. Growing up on the rougher side of...

Mike Yee, Writer at AAP, is a consultant, writer, wrestler and rapper, of Fijian Chinese descent. He is also the founder of coffee micro-roastery 'Sleepy Bloc'. We do a whistle-stop tour of Mike's creative pursuits and the ways he personally advocates and champions ethnic diversity within Sydney's suburban fabric. From anime to comedy to politics, we discuss the multitudes of ways we can support t...

Charlene Behal, Writer at AAP, is an Asian Australian of Indian, Vietnamese and Filipino heritage. We chat to Charlene about her upbringing, the conflicting dialogues she has about her identity, the impact of not seeing ourselves represented in media, and how she learnt to embrace her mixed Asian Australian identity personally and professionally. Episode outline: 1. Growing up as a mixed Asian Aus...

Happy holidays, friends! 2022 has been a massive year for us, for the podcast and personally. We reflect on how far we've come this year compared to where we were last year (spoiler: we've come leaps and bounds). Sit down and catch up with us as we get vulnerable and talk through our lowlights, highlights, learnings and growth. Episode outline: 1. Highlights from our Spotify Wrapped 2. Favourite m...

Lina Ali, AAP's Lead Editor, is a Muslim Indian-Australian writer. She has been published by ABC, SBS Voices, Meanjin Quarterly and Sydney Opera House. We chat to Lina about Asian Australian representation beyond East Asian stories, her drive to write about the topics people don't talk about, and what our media landscape can do to better support diverse voices. Episode outline: 1. Writing about th...

Carrie Feng (Marketing Director) and Robin Lao (Design Director) talks us through the process of rebranding AAP as a not-for-profit, and how design is leveraged to create a distinct brand identity for social impact. We chat about why AAP’s brand stands out, being controversial, and community building.  Episode outline:  1. The importance of accessible design  2. AAP's brand: before,...

Michelle Lim, President of AAP, joins us in a conversation about leading a not-for-profit organisation, working as a social worker, her identity as a third culture kid, and everything we need to know about AAP. Episode outline: 1. Being Asian Australian and a third culture kid 2. AAP's role in our community 3. Balancing the 9-5, AAP and other volunteer work 4. AAP's initiatives  5. How AAP ha...

What does love and emotion look like in an Asian household? When "I love you" is not a part of our vocabulary, how is love expressed in an Asian family? We take a look at loving through food and service, the roundabout ways we say "I love you" to our parents, and all that's left unsaid.  Episode outline: 1. Why saying 'I love you' is so difficult 2. How we process and express emotions in an A...

How inclusive is your industry? The Create Space census is Australian advertising's first-ever industry-wide diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) survey by Advertising Council Australia and Kantar. As creative professionals passionate about this area, we dive deep into the findings, what they mean, and our experiences with DE&I in multiple areas within the industry. Episode outline: 1. T...

Ilin Ho is a multidisciplinary artist who explores the reinvention of old materials and the founder of Artists' Apparel. Artists' Apparel opens the opportunity for more conversations surrounding mental health as many designs were created with a focus on depression and anxiety. We chat to Ilin about her personal experiences with mental health and art, her 'failures' and lessons leading up to Artist...

From YouTube to music to TV, who were our Asian idols growing up? We unpack the Asian media landscape that shaped us, pay homage to the OG trailblazers, and analyse the current state of Asian representation in media.  Episode outline:  1. The Asian idols we grew up with  2. The different types of Asian stereotypes in media  3. Why it matters to have authentic stories in mainstr...

With the rise of movements like Quiet Quitting, the Great Resignation and #TangPing, we reflect on how our Asian Australian values has influenced our relationship with work. When all we've known is to hustle, what do we unlearn and what do we embrace? Join us as we debate the controversies of quiet quitting versus hustle culture. Episode outline: 1. Quiet quitting as the opposite of hustle mentali...

We celebrate the end of Season 1 in true Tracy & Wendy style - we get vulnerable and have a heart to heart. We reveal the hardest parts of running a podcast, shout out to the people who has supported us along the way, reflect on unexpected learnings, gush over some of your comments, and look to what's next. Episode outline: The podcast journey so far The hardest and easiest parts of starting a...

Let's get comfortable with the uncomfortable, and let's talk money. Growing up with immigrant parents, our relationship with money has been interesting and is ever-evolving. We talk about our attitudes and emotions towards money, where our money anxiety stems from, and the ongoing pursuit of financial independence.  Episode outline: 1. Our relationship with money 2. The symbolism of money in...

Van Anh is a part-time school teacher and part-time life coach. With immigrant parents who worked hard to restart their lives in Australia, the values of hard work and finding stability was instilled in Van Anh from a young age. This led to Van Anh's career in teaching, which eventually led to the discovery of her passion in life coaching. Through Kind of Heart, Van Anh is a second generation coac...

From the brands we wear and the slang we use, to the pop culture references and even our local chicken shops, Western Sydney has an identity of its own. For us, being from South West Sydney means community, culture and home. In this episode, we talk about why we're proud of being from "the area", what it means to be a "Westie", and the stereotypes we deal with.  Episode outline:  1. Surp...

Ling and Jace are mixed Asian-Australians living in Sydney. When bushfires tore through the country a few years ago, they decided to change everything and find ways to contribute to the bigger picture. They pivoted from corporate law to photography and policy, and now run a blog @cereal.for.lunch where they share travel stories, landscape photography and conversations around biodiversity and susta...

“Listen to your elders.” Sound familiar? Growing up, this was something our parents drilled into us but what does it really mean? And what has it taught us? We unpack the concept of ‘filial piety’ by reflecting on the lessons our elders have taught us and how they have shaped who we are today. Episode outline: 1. What does it mean to 'Respect your elders'? 2. The history of filial piety 3. How we...

What is your presence in your absence? What do people say about you when you're not around? In this episode, we chat about building our personal brands, being authentic, how we see ourselves vs. how others see us, the importance of storytelling, and redefining our elevator pitches.  Episode outline: 1. Increasing our self-awareness with the Johari Window Exercise 2. The importance of having a...

Kevin, aka, Sydney Food Boy, our local food vlogger is on a mission to find the best food in Sydney, particularly South-West Sydney. We chat to Kevin about life as a food content creator, connecting to culture and community through food, and of course, his top food recommendations.  Episode outline: 1. Sydney Food Boy's origin story 2. Life as an optometrist vs content creator 3. Kevin's jour...

Have you felt like you've been stuck in a rut? Asking yourself, "is this it?" We reflect on our quarter-life crises, the perks and quirks of being in our 20s, the pressures to hit certain milestones, and the highs and lows of transitioning into adulthood.  Episode outline: 1. Recognising a quarter-life crisis 2. Feeling like we're stuck in a rut 3. The transition from university to full-time...

Grab a cuppa and take a seat because we're getting up close and personal with Tracy. Wendy asks Tracy about her milestones, the values that shape her, discovering what matters, her personality traits, and living her best life in London.  Episode outline: 1. A glimpse into Tracy’s childhood 2. Finding the confidence to be yourself 3. How family has shaped Tracy today 4. Geeking out over paper...

Grab a coffee and sit down because today, we're getting to get to know Wendy on a whole other level. Tracy asks Wendy everything she wants to know about Wendy's childhood, personal growth, struggles, friendships, and career as a designer.  Episode outline: 1. What was Wendy like as a child? 2. Being a go-getter and dealing with burnout 3. Lessons from exchange 4. Being a good friend 5. Life a...

Kelly Lam is an Asian Australian mental health counsellor specialising in cultural values. We ask Kelly all our burning questions about the second gen mental health experience, diving deep into intergenerational issues, system issues, overcoming stigma, and how we can take charge of our mental health.  Episode outline: 1. Kelly's journey from personal breakdowns to becoming a counsellor 2. Wh...