What We Made Possible

What do you do when you don't want the role handed down by your family? This week, I sat with a story I came across on Reddit. A young adult is expected to take over their parents' spring roll and boba shop, even as their heart (and their degree) pull them toward a completely different career in web development. On the surface, it reads like a familiar family business succession story, b...

In this episode, I share about what it means to lead, heal, and make change at the family, team, and organizational level. I invite you to step into the sometimes messy, always powerful world of systems coaching with me. Lately, I've been deepening my practice by exploring the relational dynamics that shape how we move together. Whether it's a family navigating a layoff, a team supportin...

In this episode, I explore what it truly means to step into succession within a family business—especially when those transitions aren’t just about operational handovers, but are deeply woven with questions of dignity, legacy, and belonging. Growing up watching my mom run a baby store in Staten Island while my dad commuted across boroughs to Brooklyn, I witnessed firsthand the sacrifices that buil...

In today's episode, I invite you into a raw and nourishing conversation about burnout—what it really looks like, how it creeps up on us, and most importantly, the hope and clarity that can emerge on the other side. This time I am the guest and I sit down with Samantha to share my own story on her show Self Care Oasis : the moment when, after months of pouring myself into mission-driven work d...

On today’s episode, I sit down with Misty Marquam, powerhouse fundraiser, auctioneer, and founder of Marquam Agency—the nation’s only fundraising auction agency led by and for minorities. As we unpack her remarkable journey, we talk about what happens when possibility shifts: Misty never imagined auctioneering (or fundraising) was even an option, let alone something she could build as a woman of c...

In this episode, I sit down with Malia Wright , an incredible trauma-informed embodiment expert, to talk about riding the waves of uncertainty, transition, and collective change. These days, it can feel like everything is chaotic: there’s burnout, heaviness, and a pressure to do all the things for our communities and the world. But what if that slow, steady ember inside us is actually enough? We g...

In today’s episode, I get to sit down with Heidi Quenga, a cultural leader, advocate, and the driving force behind Kutturan CHamoru Foundation (KCF) , the oldest Chamorro dance house outside the Mariana Islands. We talk about what it means to sustain a grassroots, tuition-free community for 33 years and counting, and how that journey is so much more than just keeping the doors open. Heidi shares h...

On today’s episode, I sit down with Isa Sasi of SoCal PICRT for a heartfelt conversation about healing, leadership, and what it really looks like to build community from the inside out. Together, we dig into the journey of stepping from volunteer work into paid activism, and all the growth and vulnerability that comes with finally getting to serve your people and make a living doing it. Isa shares...

On this episode, I step into an incredibly moving conversation with the remarkable men of the FOU Movement, a brotherhood that is living proof that change is possible, no matter how long your journey has been or where it began. We talk story about the power of transformation, from lives shaped by gangs, violence, and incarceration, to new paths of faith, purpose, sobriety, and service. Valentino,...

On today’s episode, we get to the heart of healing, resilience, and the radical warmth needed to build community that lasts. I sit down with Phyllis Ngauamo and ‘Ainise Isama’u, the powerhouse duo behind MĀFANA—a space where Tongan culture, ancestral wisdom, and advocacy come together to create real-world impact across generations. We talk about what it’s like to find yourself doing work your youn...

On today’s episode, I’m sitting down with my longtime friend, Noilyn Mendoza. We dive into what it really looks like to listen to your spirit when the work you’ve poured yourself into starts to become unsustainable. What's it like when burnout, duty, and big moments (like the 2016 election) force you to ask: are you living in alignment, or just going through the motions? Noylin shares so open...

On today’s episode [spoiler alert], I imagine what it would be like if Michael the Architect from “The Good Place” walked into a coaching session—clipboards, bow tie, and all. If you’re a fan of the show, you’ll appreciate the twist: Michael starts out as a demon running a torture-based neighborhood but, through a winding journey (and plenty of resets), finds himself wanting to change and lead wit...

On today’s episode of What We Made Possible, I had the privilege of sitting down with Sheila “Shy” Burmistrova, founder and CEO of Narra Collective, the only 100% women and Filipino-owned coworking space in the greater NYC area and Jersey City area. If you’ve ever wondered what it could feel like to belong in a space built around genuine care, community, and Filipino hospitality, this conversation...

On today’s episode, I’m trying something a little different: I dig into what happens when the places and missions we care about most end up breaking our hearts. Inspired by Sarah Wynn Williams’ memoir Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism , I walk through the personal cost of working inside institutions that say they want to “change the world,” but whose actions bet...

Today, I’m inviting you to settle in with me for a heart-to-heart about leaving well. I know so many of us are sitting with big transitions right now, whether we’ve chosen them or not. If you caught the last episode, you know this is a topic close to my heart. And honestly? With everything happening in the world and in our communities, it’s no wonder so many of us are running on fumes. I’m sharing...

On this solo episode of What We Made Possible, I dig deep into an often-overlooked but essential topic: what it really means to leave well in an organization. Leaving—whether you’re a founder, executive director, or team lead—doesn’t have to be fraught with chaos, confusion, or burnout. I share one of the rare instances from my own career where a leadership transition actually felt healthy and who...

On today’s episode, I’m inviting you into a candid conversation with my friend and fellow coach, Betty Chan, all about what we like to call “anti-cringe networking.” If the word “networking” makes you want to shrink into your blazer or bolt from the room, this episode is for you. Together, Betty and I unpack why traditional networking feels so icky and transactional, especially for those of us who...

On today’s episode, I reconnect with my friend and fellow public health grad school alum, Brenda Umana, a true multi-hyphenate: poet, yogi, writer, and communications pro. We dive into her beautifully winding journey from accountant to creative, and the courage it takes to claim all the titles that make you whole. Brenda opens up about what a younger version of herself never thought was possible:...

On today’s episode, I sit down with the incredible Kadjahtou Balde, social entrepreneur, community builder, and founder of Modify, Harlem’s first modest fashion thrift store. Kadjahtou shares her moving journey of taking over her father’s longtime shop and transforming it into a vibrant retail space that's also a living, breathing community hub. We talk honestly about the surprises and challe...

On today’s episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on my own rebrand and inviting you into a deeply personal conversation on authentic leadership, especially in a world where so many of us still feel pressure to fit in, perform, or wear an “emotional support blazer” just to belong. This is the first time I’m sharing the heart behind Malaya Solutions: why I chose freedom over assimilation, how my int...

On today’s special episode, I’m excited to share a heartfelt cross-post from my conversation with the brilliant Didi Paterno on her podcast, Transit Thursdays. This one is truly close to my heart. We explore the dance between finding light in moments of loss, community connection, and what it really means to be rooted as a Filipino American in a world that can feel both unfamiliar and full of poss...

On today’s episode, I sit down with one of my mentors, Carey Peters. She is a powerhouse in coaching and a living example of what’s possible when we lean into healing, transparency, and bold new steps. Carey shares her incredible journey from believing she could only ever be an actor, scraping by, to co-founding and building six businesses and certifying over 40,000 coaches around the globe. Along...

On this episode, I sit down with Daphany Rose Sanchez, the passionate Brooklyn-born climate justice leader behind Kinetic Communities Consulting (KC3). Together, we get real about what it means to build radical, community-rooted change—especially when the old systems don’t make space for us. Daphany openly shares her journey from growing up in NYC public housing, to storming through the world of e...

In today’s episode, I sit down with Dr. Diana Hernández—a trailblazer, advocate, and proud native New Yorker—to unpack what’s truly possible when we challenge the old narratives about wealth, power, and community. Diana and I revisit the moment over a decade ago when she, my professor at Columbia, first cracked open my mind to who gets to claim the words “wealthy” and “homeowner.” We dig into her...

On today’s episode, I’m speaking to my fellow women of color leaders, especially those who know what it’s like to endure toxic work environments or survive in predominantly white institutions. Maybe you’ve found yourself working twice as hard, navigating a maze of microaggressions, and watching others get promoted while you’re left doing the heavy lifting. And now, after finally landing in a posit...