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Courage Class with Dr. Lindsay Kwock Hu

Courage Class with Dr. Lindsay Kwock Hu

By: Dr. Lindsay Kwock Hu
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 Courage Class brings Asian American voices to the center of health and wellness. Dr. Lindsay Kwock Hu interviews cultural trailblazers and creatives to explore identity, healing, cultural expectations and emotional well-being. We name the realities mainstream wellness ignores - like the tension of living between cultures - and create space for honest conversations about identity, healing, and success. Together, we’re building a new narrative of wellness, sharing stories, tools, and conversations that reflect who we are – not who we’re told to be.Dr. Lindsay Kwock Hu Personal Development Personal Success
Episodes
  • The Leadership Skill No One Teaches: Learning to Meet the Moment with Courtney Pong

    The Leadership Skill No One Teaches: Learning to Meet the Moment with Courtney Pong
    Mar 10 2026
    Episode Overview:What if the secret to becoming a better leader and communicator wasn’t about performing perfectly - but about bringing all of your skills to meet the moment?In this episode, Lindsay sits down with Courtney Pong, owner of Rozzie Square Theater, Boston’s only AAPI-and woman-owned improv theater, and a leadership trainer who teaches communication and collaboration to Fortune 500 companies.Courtney shares how a career in Silicon Valley - combined with a life-changing medical event - led her to leave techand build a leadership philosophy rooted in improv, community, and human connection.Together, they explore how improv principles can transform the way we communicate, pitch ideas, handle failure, and leadwith confidence. Courtney breaks down practical tools - from the “Yes, And” mindset to storytelling frameworks and the power of listening first - that can help anyone become amore compelling communicator.If you’ve ever struggled with perfectionism, self-doubt, or speaking up in professional spaces, this conversation will show you how to trust your experience, meet the moment, and use your voice with more confidence.Episode Breakdown:02:32 Improv Not Performance03:52 Leaving Silicon Valley09:40 Improv Community Roots10:57 Pitching Starts Listening14:03 Simple Story Framework17:01 Authenticity Through Practice22:02 Yes And In Conflict25:42 Quieting Self Doubt29:41 Iterative Failure Practice31:00 Trust Your Confidence33:29 Danna Introduces Urban Sandbox and Pitch Feedback About Courtney PongCourtney Pong is a nationally recognized speaker, entrepreneur, and leader in applied improvisation with 24+ years of professional experience. As the Owner and General Manager of CSZ Boston, she has been teaching improv as an applied skill and performing improv comedy professionally for over 25 years. From the Bay Area to the Bay State, she has been trusted to design and lead team building workshops and communication trainings across a wide variety of industries and brands, from Ocean Spray, The Boston Red Sox, and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to GE Aviation, Deloitte, and Harvard University. Courtney Pong has been recognized as a Boston Business Journal 40 under 40 Honoree, and featured in Boston Magazine and Inc. Magazine as an AAPI thought-leader in live entertainment and entrepreneurship. Courtney hails from San Francisco, with 15 years of experience in Public Relations and Marketing and is a keynote speaker.Connect with Courtney:WebsiteCSZ Boston WebsiteInstagram (Courtney’s)Instagram (CSZ)LinkedInAbout Urban SandboxUrban Sandbox is a wellbeing-centered platform focused on preventive mental health support for children. Our mission is to close access gaps by connecting families directly to timely, individualized care—with the goal of providing 1:1, on-demand support for every student, regardless of background.Built on the belief that mental well-being is foundational to a child’s ability to learn and thrive, Urban Sandbox supports children in two ways: encouraging creative expression to build confidence and resilience, and connecting families to trusted mental wellness resources early, before challenges escalate.By linking families, schools, and care providers in one streamlined system, Urban Sandbox expands support capacity while combining play, psychology, and digital innovation in a privacy-first platform fully compliant with COPPA, FERPA, and HIPAA.Connect with Urban Sandbox:WebsiteLinkedInInstagramConnect with Courage Class on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube:@courageclasspod@drlindsaykwockhuwww.drlindsaykwockhu.com/podcastSign up for Courage Class Notes, a weekly newsletter:https://dr-lindsay-kwock-hu.kit.com/980fac101aMusic Credit: DayNigthMorning from Pixabayinvitation-no-copyright-music-388387
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    56 mins
  • Confidence, Cultural Identity, and Leadership with John Wang

    Confidence, Cultural Identity, and Leadership with John Wang
    Mar 2 2026

    Episode Overview:

    In this episode of Courage Class, I sit down with leadership coach and Big Asian Energy author John Wang to unpack the internal pressures many Asian American professionals face in the workplace - from perfectionism and people-pleasing to staying quiet in meetings and overworking to prove worth.

    We explore why leadership isn’t about becoming louder or more aggressive, but about unlearning the belief that youhave to shrink to belong.

    John breaks down the 7 adaptive leadership patterns that may be shaping your career - including the Achiever, Fixer, Chameleon, Invisible One, Rebel, and Commander - and explains how these so-called “weaknesses” can become strengths when driven by confidence instead of fear.

    We also cover:

    • How to speak up in meetings without feeling inauthentic
    • Why your idea doesn’t need to be a “10” to be valuable
    • How to set boundaries at work using practicalscripts
    • Why confidence starts with assuming youbelong
    • The difference between assimilation andintegration in leadership

    If you’ve ever struggled with imposter syndrome, perfectionism, burnout, or feeling pressure to assimilate into Western leadership norms, this conversation will help you rethink your leadership style - and step into it with courage.

    Because if you’re in the room, you already belong.


    Episode Outline:

    01:22 Unlearning to Lead Authentically

    03:06 From Assimilation to Integration

    07:00 Shy Kid to Confident Leader

    08:24 Belonging Builds Confidence

    11:52 Communication Is Learnable

    13:21 Seven Patterns Introduction

    14:49 Achiever and Fixer

    17:34 Charmer and Parts Work

    21:12 Chameleon and Secret Rules

    23:46 Rebel and Invisible Pattern

    25:44 Commander Archetype

    26:12 Gender and Eldest Daughter

    28:19 Listener Q1: Speaking Up

    30:37 Five Is Enough

    35:06 Listener Q2: Burnout

    36:03 Policies Not Boundaries

    42:05 Listener Q3: Asking Questions

    43:06 High vs Low Context

    45:23 Closing and Courage


    About John Wang

    John Wang is the host of the Big Asian Energy Show, a motivational speaker, and leadership coach helping Asianprofessionals break through hidden barriers and unlock their potential.

    After discovering that many successful Asians were being overlooked for leadership roles not because of lack of capability, but because of cultural miscommunication and workplace stereotyping, he started doing research that uncovered why most advice like “just speak up more” oftenfail Asian American employees.

    John has been featured on NBC News Daily, WSJ, CNBC, TEDx, Audible, Amazon, and has clients from Fortune 50 companies like Google, Meta, and Goldman Sachs, blending cultural insight and science-backed strategies to build confidence and visibility. His content on assertiveness and imposter syndrome has reached over 250,000 followers and over 25 million views.

    John’s mission is to inspire a new generation to lead with confidence. His book Big Asian Energy, launched May 2025 (Tiny Reparations/Penguin Randomhouse Publishing), offers even more tools to step into your full power.


    Connect with John:

    Website

    Tiktok

    Instagram

    Youtube


    Connect with Courage Class on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube:

    @courageclasspod

    @drlindsaykwockhu

    www.drlindsaykwockhu.com/podcast


    Sign up for Courage Class Notes, a weekly newsletter:

    https://dr-lindsay-kwock-hu.kit.com/980fac101a⁠⁠


    Music Credit:

    DayNigthMorning from Pixabayinvitation-no-copyright-music-388387


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    49 mins
  • Women & Leadership: Career Lessons, Burnout, and Knowing Your Values

    Women & Leadership: Career Lessons, Burnout, and Knowing Your Values
    Feb 24 2026

    Episode Overview:

    In Part 2 of our leadership mini-series, I’m getting personal.

    This solo episode is about women, leadership, and the lessons I wish I had known at the very beginning of my career - especially as an Asian American woman navigating systems that were not designed with us in mind.

    I share what the research says about systemic bias, burnout, unpaid labor, and the cultural forces that complicate our ascent to leadership. But I also share my own story - chasing title, pay, and prestige, tolerating toxic workplace, and internalizing feedback that shaped my self-worth for years.

    In this episode, you’ll learn:

    • Why knowing your core values is the foundation for aligned leadership and career decisions
    • How to curate mentorship (even if you don’t have a formal mentor)
    • Why rest is not indulgent - it’s strategic and foundational
    • How to trust your internal voice when something feels off at work


    If you’ve ever over performed to prove yourself, confused exhaustion with success, or struggled to say no - this conversation is for you.

    Because perhaps the greatest act of resistance in a world not built for us is to be so anchored in who you are - so proud of your full story - that when someone tells you that you can’t, you look at them in disbelief.

    If no one has told you today: I see how hard you’re working. And I’m proud of you.

    Be well.


    With Courage (and still learning),

    Lindsay


    Episode Breakdown:

    00:00 Resistance and Self Worth

    01:37 Welcome and Why This Matters

    02:31 Research on Systemic Barriers

    04:17 Lesson One Know Your Values

    07:21 Title Chasing Cautionary Tale

    09:51 Lesson Two Curate Mentors

    13:40 Feedback Story and Perspective

    17:01 Lesson Three Rest and Care

    18:51 Lesson Four Trust Your Signals

    19:54 Final Takeaways and Encouragement

    Connect with Courage Class on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube:

    @courageclasspod

    @drlindsaykwockhu

    www.drlindsaykwockhu.com/podcast


    Sign up for Courage Class Notes, a weekly newsletter:

    https://dr-lindsay-kwock-hu.kit.com/980fac101a⁠⁠


    Music Credit:

    DayNigthMorning from Pixabayinvitation-no-copyright-music-388387

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    22 mins
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