First of All

March was a looong year, right? How are you all hanging in there? Well, we are still in the thick of COVID-19 and responding to it in a lot of different ways as the day-months progress. In this episode, Minji gets to sit down for a virtual check-in conversation with her talented and thoughtful friend, filmmaker Wes Chan from Wong Fu Productions. As they provide support for one another (and everyon...

OK fam, by now, we know the drill. Wash your hands, actually practice social distancing (no, don't go to your friend's house because it's less than 10 people. STOP IT. STAY HOME.), get your finances in order, & practice self-care. The dust is settling a smidge in this bizarre new normal, but who even knows what tomorrow will bring??? In this episode, Minji takes a moment to discuss her views on th...

How's everyone's 2020 going? Last we checked, there's been a little bit of a world-changing health crisis going on. BUT no big deal, we just have to power through some prolonged isolation & widespread instability & whatnot, but this is fine.. we're fine.. right? In this episode of First Of All, Minji sits down (in her safe self-quarantined recording studio/closet) to reflect on the state of the ne...

Life, amirite? It's nothing we can't handle, we know this. But sometimes it's like we're really just getting pushed to the edge of our limits. And circumstances arise that make us feel like the Universe is just trolling us. In this episode of First Of All, Minji sits down with her good friend & magnificent singer-songwriter AJ Rafael about his life & his take on navigating its twists & turns. As t...

She's not sure how, but Minji has reached episode ONE-FREAKING-HUNDRED of First Of All. In this milestone episode, she shares some recent groundbreaking experiences that have set a new foundation for the future. She also shares lessons learned from the process of creating this channel, and some encouragement for anyone who is out there trying to find their voice as well. Thank you, thank you, THAN...

OK, here us out. Feelings are important - they're our constant companions and can be a powerful compass and a helpful guide through crazy twists and turns of life. But let's be 100% real, sometimes...they're not the best advisor or the proper captain.  When our feelings single-handedly run the show, we can end up in more trouble than needed. We make bad decisions out of fear, confusion, naivete, o...

OK, we at First Of All just found out that Single Awareness Day is February 15th. Consider this your dating PSA for future reference.  But also, Happy Valentine's Day loves! While it's a beautiful holiday to celebrate all the couples and their flourishing romantic love (and give Hallmark/Flowers.com 1/3 of their annual income), for others it can be a tough one filled with feelings of loneliness, p...

We all know that things rarely go as planned. But how do you deal with changes that happen unexpectedly, or even when you decide that the road you're on is no longer for you? Besides internally coming to terms with your own change of heart, or maybe realizing that the thing you were pursuing is a mistake, there are many other forces at play - outside opinions, expectations, disappointments, & more...

Before diversity and inclusion was ever a trendy topic to back on social media, discussions surrounding what representation really does to a person's sense of identity have been going strong for ages. One of the more underdiscussed and misunderstood conversations is around Asian men and their desirability. Whether created out of jealousy or malice (or both), Hollywood has had a history of spurning...

2020 has begun & we don't know about you all, but it's been a LOT to handle from the get go. However, it's a new YEAR, a new DECADE, and right now it's all about TAKING RADICAL RESPONSIBILITY. As we all reboot our energy, our minds, hearts, & hustles, there is no time better than now to take a good hard look at where we're currently at in life & learn how to deal with uncomfortable changes, painfu...

Things can go wrong and they usually will. As prepared or as positive and optimistic as anyone can be with a professional project, what do you do when plans just fall apart? What do you do when stakes are high, technical difficulties come at you one after another, key players fall through, budgets get strained, relationships get rocky, and your frazzled team is counting on you to help pull through...

The Five Love Languages book was originally published back in '92, but its theories have become a widely analyzed & applied framework to understand how us weirdo human beings give & receive love. Whether we're talking about romance, family, friendships, or even co-workers, we all show affection & feel appreciated in very different ways. The love language paradigm has opened up conversations betwee...

The mental health conversation has opened up so much more in recent years & we are here for it. Still, the process of opening up about our innermost struggles whether with a trusted friend in private, or say, on a podcast, can be a daunting task. When it comes to being honest about inner demons & bouts of hopelessness, sometimes the biggest challenge can be being real with ourselves first & foremo...

For those of us who are blessed to go through life relatively healthy can easily take our ease of well-being for granted. We feel strong, we can skimp on sleep, eat whatever we want, live without much pain or physical limitations. But what happens when your body starts to show signs that it is not fact invincible?/? How do we deal with the mental, emotional, & (duh) physical challenges of getting...

Body issues, amirite? Learning to find love or even a tolerable acceptance of your body as it is can be a lifelong challenge. In an age where we’re more openly talking about body positivity & self-love, HOW DOES ONE ACTUALLY LIVE IT IRL??? Asking for a friend. In this incredibly personal episode of FOA, Minji sits down with Regina Fang from Perfectly Imperfect Podcast to spill the tea on how they...

We’re all in transition from one thing to another, but sometimes bigger changes take hold of us. Whether it’s leaving a job, moving to a new city, letting go of a loved one, starting over is HARD. The self-doubt, the loss, the complete & utter uncharted territory…yeah, it can be a lot. In this week’s episode, Minji sits down with her friend & roommate Kelly, a young woman smack in the middle of ta...

Maybe you're sick of working your 9-5. Maybe you have a brilliant business idea that you're dabbling in on the side that could make you the next Elon Musk. Maybe you're dying to jump ship from corporate life & become a performance artist. You could make films (or a podcast!), start a YouTube channel, or manufacture adorable plushies from your apartment to sell on Etsy after your regular work hours...

In this solo episode, Minji shares updates on her first live event with Perfectly Imperfect Podcast & AsianBossGirl: Off The Mic, some transformational lessons learned throughout the process, and exciting announcements for FOA. She also reflects on where she's at since she lost one of her best friends one year ago, & her ongoing thoughts on weathering life's toughest storms. Sending the FOA audien...

Toxic masculinity has had it's moment in the intense UV-ray beaming sun. We'd like to talk about a lesser discussed topic: toxic femininity. Some people argue strongly that it's not actually a thing, & that conversation gets intense real quick. In this episode, we sit down to at least entertain this real concept & discuss how it can impact our identities no matter what gender we align with. Minji...

So you messed up. You made a big mistake, maybe even hurt someone, & now you just need to apologize. Simple right? Not usually. If you're a normal human being, communicating a sincere apology can be anxiety-inducing, annoying, embarrassing, or just downright terrifying. And even on the receiving end, there's laundry list of non-apologies that people love to throw around, like the super common "I'm...

With heavy expectations from family & friends, changing trends, & constantly shifting priorities, how do we handle that lofty ideal of "staying true to yourself"? What does that even mean? The process of growing as a person definitely involves asking some tough questions and making big choices about our time, energy & responsibilities. To unpack this, Minji sits down with her friend, rapper James...

In this week's episode, Minji sits down with Boba Guys co-founder Andrew Chau for a deep dive on the elements that contribute to culture and how we continue to shape it. Even before he became half of the dynamic duo that made Taiwanese tapioca pearls and milk tea mainstream, Andrew has been fascinated by how things work, how people interact and what makes us tick. He talks about riding bikes in th...

Did you or anyone EVER actually have "the talk" with their parents? How did you learn what sex was? SexED? Movies + TV? When/how did you discover porn? How did it effect your attitude as a grown up? Sex is a huge driving force and one prolonged mystery to many of us out there. Some people have been wildly fortunate to have nurturing, mature elders who provide a safe entry into the world...

We’ve talked a lot about how we’ve been doing mentally, spiritually, & emotionally, but what about our BODIES? How do self-care & mental health incorporate physical fitness, daily habits & diet? SO GLAD YOU ASKED! In this week’s episode fo First Of All, Minji sits down with Clinical Nutritionist & YouTube host Autumn Bates to talk about wellness from a holistic & physical stand...

Whether it's burnout, tragedy, or just a temporary setback in life, it can feel hard or even impossible to bounce back & carry on. In the middle of chaos or our darkest moments, we can feel tired or lost or just plain helpless. How do you see the light at the end of the tunnel? How to pull yourself up and keep moving forward? In this episode, Minji sits down with her amazing friend, actor & singer...