Shoes Off Inside with MKT

For three decades Kelly Hu has blazed a trail as an Asian American in the bright and, sometimes, brutal world of entertainment even though she actually never intended on becoming an actor. But a combination of timing, luck and a bit of curiosity led Kelly down a long and lasting path in TV and film. When not acting, she focuses on activism especially for Asian American causes and in light of the r...

We cap off our celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month with a special episode honoring heroes of COVID-19. In every community, there are people who are answering the call to help those in need during this time of crisis. You’ll meet a Chinese American doctor on the frontline of the war against COVID-19 in New York City, who has felt both celebrated and villainized by the public, but h...

Going barefoot, climbing trees and caring for animals in Hawaii was part of every day life for a young Maggie Q. She never thought her idyllic, simple life would turn into one that eventually led her to Hollywood where she would become an A-list star with roles in blockbusters films including “Mission Impossible 3” with Tom Cruise. But to this day, Maggie’s true passions are her love of animals an...

We continue to celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month with a special interview with Adele Lim, television and film writer and producer who is best known as the co-screenwriter for the blockbuster hit “Crazy Rich Asians”. Adele was tapped to write the sequel to the film, but then walked away from the project when she discovered her writing fee was a fraction of what her white, male co-writ...

“Does it Spark Joy?” That’s the question professional organizer Marie Kondo made famous. She poses this question when clients need to decide whether to keep something or let it go. But there’s much more to this exercise than just purging material things. It goes deeper into what a person truly NEEDS versus what they WANT. That same approach is used in Kondo’s new book “Joy at Work: Organizing Your...

May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and “The May Lee Show” is dedicating the month to highlight the identity, contributions and challenges experienced by Asian Americans. To kick off the celebratory month, this episode previews the upcoming documentary series “Asian Americans”, which will air on PBS May 11 & 12. The series covers the 150 year history of Asians in America including the...

Imagine being one of the fastest growing boba tea outlets in the country with 17 stores and counting, employing 400 people and a scheduled coast-to-coast book tour about to kick off, but then in just one day, it all comes to a screeching halt. That’s what happened to Andrew Chau and Bin Chen, co-founders of "Boba Guys", an artisanal boba tea business that started in 2011 as a pop-up. As...

On Monday in his daily press conference, Donald Trump declared that as president he has “total authority”. This was in response to the moves that state governors were making to deal with the pandemic on their own. The comments made by President Trump should alarm everyone who still cares about democracy and what the United States of America stands for. And for Asian Americans, this bent towards a...

Even in the darkness of the COVID-19 crisis, there is light in the form of acts of kindness and compassion all over the world. From Asian nail salons to billionaires, people are stepping forward to help in whatever they can. In this episode, May highlights the efforts of everyone from ordinary private citizens to restaurants to fashion designers who are all using their skills to make a positive di...

After the last episode of “The May Lee Show” when May and Benny Luo, founder of NextShark, called out the Asian community, especially those with influence, about not being more vocal about xenophobic attacks against Asians, more voices are now being heard publicly condemning racism and supporting the Asian American community. There are also a growing number of grassroots campaigns to raise awarene...

For several weeks, “The May Lee Show”, a co-production of Lotus Media House and NextShark, has been covering the COVID-19 crisis from all angles, including the disturbing growth in racist attacks against Asians. They have been working tirelessly to monitor all developments using many sources in order to bring listeners and viewers the best information about the disease. Because of their commitment...

As the seriousness of the Coronavirus pandemic continues to rise, so, too, does racism against Asians and Asian Americans. This isn’t the first time Asian Americans have been targeted and used as a scapegoat. In 1982, Chinese American Vincent Chin was brutally murdered by autoworkers who blamed Japan for factory closures in Detroit. Helen Zia was a young journalist at that time and this crime furt...

In another special episode of “The May Lee Show” May focuses on security and psychology. With the growing fears and anxiety fueled by COVID-19, what can we do to feel safer and more secure especially when assaults against Asians is increasing at an alarming rate? May speaks with a security expert who provides practical tips. And what about the impact of social distancing, isolation and overall dis...

As the Novel Coronavirus crisis continues to grow around the world, the anxiety and panic is increasing exponentially. To this day there is so much misinformation about everything from the virus itself to what precautions to take to what guidelines the public should follow. In this episode, May talks to emergency room doctors on the front lines who are dealing with the pandemic day in and day out....

May has a lot more to say about the growing Corona Virus crisis and the continued xenophobia that Asians around the world are dealing with, but she also has a message of thanks and hope to followers of "The May Lee Show", one of whom is basketball superstar Jeremy Lin. She also shares more practical advice on how to stay safe and healthy physically as well as mentally. Please subscribe,...

As Corona Virus 19 continues to sweep across the globe, the hysteria continues to overwhelm communities from Asia, to Europe to the U.S. Unfortunately, the fear is intensifying verbal and physical assaults against Asians around the world, most of whom have no connection to the the virus. Asians of all backgrounds are being randomly targeted without any provocation and many victims have no recourse...

It was just over a decade when an unknown fitness teacher in Boston, Cassey Ho, made a simple workout video for her students and put it up on YouTube. It was only meant for her 30 pilates students to use when Cassey couldn’t make it to her classes at the gym. But that one video catapulted Cassey into the internet universe and launched what would become an incredibly successful fitness empire. Her...

If you only judge a book by its cover, then Ben Baller with his multiple tattoos, big diamond earrings and dark sunglasses is the epitome of a rebel with a mean attitude. But dig deeper, and you find a phenomenally driven, creative and outspoken Korean American who has succeeded in just about everything he’s tried. Born in Los Angeles, California, Ben Baller, whose real surname is Yang, was one of...

Growing up a Korean adoptee in Philadelphia had more than its fair share of challenges for Kevin Kreider. Although he was fully embraced by his caucasian parents and brother, Kevin knew he was different and his peers didn’t let him forget that. He was constantly bullied and discriminated against for the way he looked. Racial insults were regularly hurled at him…”Hey, Bruce Lee!”, “Ching Chang Chon...

Parasite and director Bong Joon Ho ruled the night at the 92nd Academy Awards! The dark comedy-drama surprised nearly everyone when it swept in some of the biggest Oscar categories including Best Director and Best Film. For the Korean and Asian community, the recognition is a moment of pride and inspiration as well as a symbol of true arrival on the main stage of both entertainment and cultural re...

Since Shiza Shahid was a child growing up in volatile Pakistan, she championed human rights and fought for the voiceless. Her passion led her to work side by side with Malala Yousafzai, the young Pakistani girl who became an activist for girls education and was shot by the Taliban for her beliefs. Shiza co-founded the Malala Fund and helped build it into a powerful force for good. Shiza is carryin...

The Coronavirus is causing a lot anxiety around the world as the number of deaths and people infected continues to rise exponentially, but the virus is shrouded in mystery and that's triggering a lot of misinformation and fear. Not only is the Coronavirus a health threat, it's also setting off xenophobic behavior around the world as Asians are being targeted in racist incidents. In this...

This week, May talks to maverick entrepreneur Toni Ko. Toni’s story of success truly represents the American Dream. Her family immigrated to the U.S. from Korea with only $2000 and opened a budget beauty store. Toni struck out on her own at age 25 when she started NYX Cosmetics. In 2014, cosmetics giant L'Oreal bought NYX for a reported $500 million. In 2019, Toni was on the Forbes list of Am...

In our inaugural episode, NextShark founder Benny Luo joins May Lee as they discuss their unique backgrounds, what brought them together, current issues concerning the AAPI community and the ultimate mission of the podcast.  Please subscribe, rate and review us! And follow us on IG @shoesoffinsidemkt