Tradition Breakers

What does it look like to take up space authentically — without burning out, performing, or shrinking yourself to fit cultural expectations? In this episode of Tradition Breakers, host Mary Moses sits down with Goldie Chan — keynote speaker, founder of Warm Robots, Forbes senior contributor, cancer survivor, and the creator known as the "Oprah of LinkedIn" after posting 800+ consecutive daily vide...

Most entrepreneurs focus on solving big problems—what if AI could help you streamline those solutions and genuinely grow your business? Tim Park, an AI expert passionate about empowering real estate professionals and all industries, reveals how you can harness the power of AI—even if you're not tech-savvy—to automate tasks, create personalized tools, and gain a competitive edge in your market. In...

What does it look like to honor the values you were raised with — high standards, resilience, hard work — while also raising kids who are emotionally confident, able to express themselves, and free from shame? That's the question at the center of this conversation with Dr. Michelle Chung, clinical psychologist and co-founder of The Modern Asian Parent. Michelle works with Asian American families e...

What does it really take to build a life as a writer? In this episode of Tradition Breakers , Mary sits down with award-winning Filipino-American writer and journalist, Ryan Riddle, to talk about the creative process, finding your authentic voice, and building a sustainable career as a storyteller. Ryan shares how he transitioned from pursuing a traditional career path to writing professionally, t...

What does it mean to design the invisible systems that shape our everyday lives? In this episode of Tradition Breakers , Mary sits down with Lee-Sean Huang —artist, service designer, educator, and Co-Executive Director of AIGA—to unpack how the systems we move through every day are intentionally designed, and why centering real human needs in those systems matters more than ever. Lee-Sean's work l...

In a world that often demands we follow a pre-written script, how do you find the courage to write your own? This week on Tradition Breakers , Mary Moses sits down with Tara Parsons , Vice President and Deputy Publisher at HarperCollins , and one of the few AAPI women leading a major global publishing group. Tara opens up about her journey as a "tradition breaker" born to a mixed-race couple—a Jap...

In this episode of Tradition Breakers , Mary Moses sits down with the brilliant and wickedly funny Jonah Nigh — a queer Korean adoptee raised by a Jewish mother and a Southern Baptist father, former opera singer, and now one of comedy's most intriguing new voices. Jonah's story is anything but typical. From growing up in Minnesota with no idea what being Asian "meant," to discovering his identity...

In this solo episode of Tradition Breakers , Mary tackles a pervasive issue in the AAPI community: the tendency to stifle our voices to keep the peace. Mary opens up about her own journey of learning to speak her truth and explores the high price we pay when we stay silent. We dive deep into the data, looking at why suicide is the leading cause of death for Asian American young adults (ages 15–24)...

In this episode of Tradition Breakers , host Mary Moses sits down with  Michelle Florendo — a Stanford-trained Decision Engineer, executive coach, and Filipino American mother of two — to unpack the exact 3-part framework she teaches leaders to make decisions with clarity, confidence, and intention. If you've ever felt overwhelmed by choices, stuck in analysis paralysis, or pressured to follow the...

In this deeply moving episode of Tradition Breakers , host, Mary Moses, sits down with Alice Kao — an Asian American woman who went from being a 12-year-old "parachute kid" raising herself in the U.S. to becoming the CEO of one of Southern California's largest indoor climbing gyms, Sender One. Alice opens up about the raw, often unseen journey behind her success. She shares how being sent to the U...

In this powerful episode of Tradition Breakers , host Mary Moses  sits down with Ingrid Hu Dahl, leadership coach, consultant, and author of the memoir, Sun Shining on Morning Snow, for an intimate conversation on identity, grief, belonging, and the evolution of "humane leadership." Born into an interracial household and navigating life as a mixed-race, queer Asian woman , Ingrid grew up straddlin...

Every founder feels the pressure this time of year. Ads everywhere. Deep discounts. Competing voices shouting "Do more! Sell more!" But does your brand really have to follow the same playbook? In this solo episode of Tradition Breakers , host Mary Moses — Fractional CMO for growing brands — shares how to approach Black Friday and Cyber Monday differently. You'll learn how to turn short-term sales...

Have you ever achieved "success" on paper but still felt stuck or unfulfilled inside? In this episode of Tradition Breakers , host Mary Moses sits down with Judy Tsuei — a high-level mindset coach, former agency founder, and certified expert in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) and Mental Emotional Release (MER) — to explore how rewiring the unconscious mind can create lasting transformation. Jud...

What if the fear, guilt, or anxiety you feel about money… isn't actually yours? In this powerful episode of Tradition Breakers, somatic healing practitioner and TEDx speaker Meenadchi reveals how our money beliefs are shaped by inherited survival patterns — passed down through generations that had to fight, flee, and sacrifice to stay alive. We explore how these "money shadows" show up today as:...

What happens when a high-powered Goldman Sachs executive walks away from Wall Street to help people find love? In this episode of Tradition Breakers , host Mary Moses sits down with Cassindy Chao , a proud daughter of Asian immigrants who left a demanding finance career to become an elite matchmaker, author, and speaker . Blending ancient Chinese wisdom with modern relationship strategy, Cassindy...

In this episode of Tradition Breakers, we sit down with Desire Lacap, also known as @lacapturevisuals. She is a filmmaker, content creator, and director of photography for her production company, Lacap Productions. Raised in a Filipino household where careers in medicine were the expected path, Desire chose a different journey — one built on storytelling, creativity, and self-discovery. She opens...

In this inspiring episode of Tradition Breakers , host Mary Moses sits down with Sonia Chand —psychotherapist, speaker, and advocate—whose late autism diagnosis at age 20 transformed her life. Growing up undiagnosed, Sonia faced relentless bullying, social isolation, and misunderstanding from peers, teachers, and even therapists. She opens up about her journey from feeling "othered" to embracing a...

Welcome back to Tradition Breakers , the podcast where we highlight the transformative stories of AAPI individuals who have chosen to break from tradition to follow their own path—be it creatively, spiritually, or in entrepreneurship. In today's episode, I'm honored to introduce Mimi Chau, a Vietnamese-American entrepreneur and Consciousness Exploration Mentor who has created a thriving wellness b...

Have you ever thought to yourself, 'It's too late to write that book,' 'I'm too old to change careers,' or 'Social media is a young person's thing?' If you've ever felt these limiting beliefs hold you back from pursuing your dreams or exploring your curiosities, then you're going to love this week's episode . I'm interviewing my friend, Jessica Chun Williams, who'll demonstrate that there's no age...

"Who do I really want to become?" This is a question that can cause us to either take on the challenge of going into the unknown to find the answer or to retreat to the world we already know. In today's episode, I sit down with Ryan Letada—a dad, serial entrepreneur, immigrant, and human migration futurist. Ryan's story begins in the Middle East, where his family immigrated from the Philippines, d...

Episode five of Tradition Breakers is for those of you who've ever felt like an outsider. If want to learn how to turn that feeling into a powerful force for creating a meaningful career, a thriving community, and a fulfilling family life, this conversation is for you. My guest, Misa Chien, is an experienced entrepreneur who has achieved success across multiple ventures. She built a six-figure bus...

Episode 4 of Tradition Breakers is for anyone who has ever struggled to fully embrace their true self or for those who ever felt split between 2 very different cultures. My guest today is Vasavi Kumar, a first-generation Indian immigrant who has firsthand experience breaking free from societal and cultural expectations. And because of that, she now helps others do the same, empowering them to find...

Today's episode of Tradition Breakers is really going to hit home for those of you who may not have been born into a supportive family dynamic. My guest, Carol, had that experience. But you know what - she proves that that doesn't have to be a setback. She's going to tell us how that lack of family support actually led her to get so good at this one critical life skill that helped her create the l...

Tradition Breakers Episode 2 is for those of you looking to create the relationships you've only dreamed of in both your personal and professional lives. My guest, Christine Chang, is a podcast host and a bestselling author and speaker. She helps high-performing women who are kicking ass in life, but struggling in LOVE, by teaching them self-awareness, boundaries, accountability, and communication...

We launch Tradition Breakers with a powerful episode with Filipina on the Rise founder, Krystl Fabella. As an avid podcast listener, in January 2019, Krystl was desperately searching for Podcasts of Filipino women. Finding none, instead of feeling disempowered, she saw this as her calling to start telling stories about Filipino women to share their hidden histories, impact, and influence in societ...