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

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Music Credit:

DayNigthMorning from Pixabayinvitation-no-copyright-music-388387

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

Episode Overview:

In this week’s episode, Lindsay speaks with Alex, Chief ProgramOfficer at LEAP, about how dominant leadership archetypes can cause Asian and Asian American professionals to feel pressured to choose between cultural values and workplace success. Alex describes the “invisible tax” of self-erasure, burnout, and imposter syndrome, and frames LEAP’s impact as helping participants realize they don’t need to fix themselves to fit anarchetype; they can “author” themselves, stop performing, and close the gap between who they are and how they lead.

The conversation explores Asian cultural values and how behaviors tied to hard work and achievement can be both helpful and hindering, including getting stuck in the weeds, missing networking and leadership opportunities, perfectionism, and low tolerance for ambiguity.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Breaking the Leadership Archetype: Why Leaders Don’tAll Look the Same

02:15 The ‘Invisible Tax’: Self-Erasure, Burnout, andImposter Syndrome

03:36 From Fixing Yourself to Authoring Yourself (and FindingYour Voice)

05:35 Meet Alex: The Mentors and Moments That Led to LEAP

11:58 AAPI Cultural Conditioning vs. Workplace Norms: Namingthe Core Values

13:33 When ‘Hardworking’ Backfires: Perfectionism, Ambiguity,and Looking Up

16:25 True North Check-In: Fulfillment, Purpose, and thePrivilege of Reflection

24:05 Being Misread at Work: Model Minority Myths and‘Executive Presence’

26:29 Code-Switching, Validation, and Burnout: Staying YouWhile Translating

29:25 Why We Don’t Celebrate Ourselves: Survival Mode &Upbringing

29:58 Imposter Syndrome, Deferral, and the Lifelong Journeyof Self-Worth

31:25 Turning Cultural Humility Into Strength: Anxiety asFuel & Leadership Relatability

35:08 Does It Get Easier? Leadership Growth, Hardship, andOne Foot Forward

39:18 Inside LEAP: “Keep Your Values, Develop New Skills” +Program Overview

45:43 What LEAP Feels Like: Culturally Affirming LearningEnvironments & Validation

48:48 How to Apply + New Learning Community for Disruptors(and It’s National)

51:14 Final Takeaway: Be Seen—In Any Moment, Choose Courage

What You’ll Learn:

• Why AANHPI underrepresentation in leadershipisn’t a talent gap, but a systems and archetype gap.
• How cultural values like humility and hard workcan be misread in Western workplaces.
• The hidden cost of self-erasure, code-switching,and performing instead of leading.
• Why leadership is a human experience rooted inconnection, not just outcomes or titles.
• How to stop fixing yourself and start authoringyour own version of leadership.
• 
  

About Alex Cena:

Alex Cena is the Chief Programs Officer at LEAP (Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics), where he leads the development and implementation of leadership programs serving AANHPI professionals across nonprofit, corporate, and highereducation sectors nationwide. As a leader with a background in higher education, student affairs, and nonprofitleadership, Alex brings over a decade of experience designing culturally responsive leadership development initiatives. His work centers on empowering leaders to keep their values while expanding their skills, challenging outdated leadershiparchetypes, and building pathways for AANHPI professionals to lead without self-erasure. Alex is passionate aboutcultivating community, amplifying underrepresented voices, and creating spaces where leaders can show up fully and authentically.

Connect with Alex:

LinkedIn

Connect with Courage Class on TikTok,Instagram, YouTube:

@courageclasspod

@drlindsaykwockhu

www.drlindsaykwockhu.com/podcast

Sign up for Courage Class Notes, aweekly newsletter:

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Music Credit:

DayNigthMorning from Pixabayinvitation-no-copyright-music-388387

Memoria – Sadpiano and strings cinematic background, Descript

River Song, Descript

Episode Overview:

Lindsay talks with Amy Furuyama, a certified therapist and AASECT-certified sex therapist, about why sex feels so hard to talk about in many Asian communities - and how to change that without shame. Amy breaks down the cultural roots of silence, then shares practical tools for communicating desire, starting with self-knowledge and moving into teamwork with your partner. You’ll learn conversation scripts, how to reduce defensiveness, and a simple framework for understanding what turns you on (or shuts you down).

What You’ll Learn:

• Why sexual shame is so common for Asian women (purity narratives, silence, hypersexualization, history).
• How to start communicating about sex by firstbuilding comfort with your own body and desires.
• Practical ways to bring it up with a partner - timing,curiosity, and “putting it on a resource” (therapy/podcast/book).
• How couples can co-create a better sex lifeusing “sexual brakes and accelerators” instead of blame.

About Amy Furuyama, LCSW, Certified Sex Therapist

Amy Furuyama is a licensed therapist and AASCT-certified sex therapist based in Irvine, California. She helps individuals reduce sexual shame, reconnect with their bodies, and build confidence around desire and pleasure.

Growing up in the Korean community, sex was rarely discussed beyond risk and morality, leaving little space for conversations about autonomy, consent, or enjoyment. That silence - and itsimpact - led Amy to pursue sex therapy.

With over 15 years of experience as a social worker, Amy approaches her work as a form of resistance: helping clients unlearn harmful narratives and cultivate more compassionate, affirming relationships with their sexuality. Outside of therapy, she enjoys time with her husband and daughter, running, R&B, cozy coffee shops, and reading.

Connect with Amy:

https://www.amyfuruyama.com/

IG: @therapywithamy

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

Episode Overview:

This week, Lindsay sits down with Dr. Yishan Xu, founder of Mind & Body Garden Psychology, an adjunct clinical faculty member at Stanford University School of Medicine, and a board-certified Behavioral Sleep Medicine specialist (DBSM). Together, they dismantle the myth of the “perfect” sleep routine - especially in high-achieving, hustle-conditioned cultures.

They explore why chronic sleep deprivation is so common (and even celebrated) in our community, plus the real short- and long-term costs it carries - from cognition and work performance to mood, empathy, and relationships.

Dr. Yishan breaks down the difference between sleep deprivation vs. insomnia, explains how different sleep stages support memory, emotional stability, and creativity, and shares simple, evidence-based shifts you can start today.

Most importantly, this conversation is a permission slip: your sleep isn’t broken, and you don’t need a one-size-fits-all routine. The goal is learning what your body needs and building a sustainable rhythm that supports the life you’re trying to create.

What you’ll learn in this episode

• How hustle culture in Asian communities normalizes sleep deprivation - and the hidden physical, emotional, and relational costs we often underestimate.
• Why rest can feel “lazy” or irresponsible in cultures that prize endurance, sacrifice, and achievement - and how to reframe sleep as an act of courage.
• How chronic sleep loss shows up in high achievers as perfectionism, irritability, anxiety, and strained relationships - even when life looks “successful” on paper.
• How to honor your body’s natural rhythm (instead of forcing early mornings or rigid routines) without betraying your values, family, or ambition.

About Dr. Yishan Xu:

Dr. Yishan Xu is a licensed clinical psychologist and an adjunct clinical faculty member at Stanford University School of Medicine. She is the founder and director of Mind & BodyGarden Psychology, one of California’s largest multilingualmental health clinics, with over 20 clinicians and satellite offices in New York City.

Dr. Yishan is a Board-Certified Behavioral Sleep Medicine Specialist (D-BSM) with specialties in sleep disorders (including insomnia and circadian rhythm disorders). She integrates evidence-based therapies - including CBT, CBT-I, ACT, DBT, and mindfulness-based approaches - with a holistic, lifestyle-medicine perspective.

Fluent in Mandarin and English, Dr. Yishan brings a culturally attuned approach to helping clients navigate stress, life transitions, relationships, and lasting personal change.

Connect with Dr. Yishan:

Website: https://www.mindbodygarden.com/

Instagram and TikTok: @dr.yishan

Deep Into Sleep Podcast: https://www.deepintosleep.co/

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 fromPixabay invitation-no-copyright-music-388387