AAPI Healing Session | Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay
Join Vanessa Shiliwala and special guest Leslie Lew as we hold space for community healing in the aftermath of Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay shootings. It's a raw, honest session as we process grief alongside joy during Lunar New Year, which is supposed to be a time of celebration, community and joy. We talk about the intersections of anti-Asian violence and mental health, self-worth, and why we will not be silenced as Asian women.
Plus: we want to hear from you. Send us your voice memos or audio clips to info@thrivespicemedia.com or DM us on instagram @thrivespice.
About Leslie Lew (she/her): Leslie is a trauma-informed self-defense coach, international speaker, and podcast host. You can find her on Instagram @reclaimingyourcourage and listen to her podcast Reclaiming Your Voice. She will be hosting a healing circle this upcoming week. For details, please visit her Instagram.
About Vanessa Shiliwala (she/her): Vanessa is the Founder/CEO of Thrive Spice Media, a mental health podcast and leadership platform that seeks to amplify and empower AAPI leaders, creators, and changemakers. She is also an award-winning DEI advocate, speaker, senior marketing leader, mother, and NYU graduate. You can find her on instagram @thrivespice.
Nancy Luong on Breaking Bamboo Ceilings in Tech, Immigrant Dads, and Money Myths in a "Bling Empire" World
Asian Women Rising series | Vanessa interviews Nancy Luong, a senior marketing leader at Salesforce, author of "How We Got Here", and recently crowned Ms. Southern California 2023. We talk about why allyship is the key to breaking the Bamboo Ceiling and Glass Ceiling, healing intergenerational trauma with immigrant parents, and busting money and success myths in a “Bling Empire” World.
Nancy shares her personal mission to break down walls and barriers - whether it’s the Bamboo Ceiling at work, awkward family dynamics due to intergenerational trauma, or a “lack”/ scarcity mindset when it comes to personal finance and success. We talk about the importance of mental health for men, and why her struggles to connect with her emotionally distant dad inspired her to write “How We Got Here Journal” and how gratifying it is to “see the walls come down” in their relationship.
Plus: Vietnamese food and the common bond of Asian moms never measuring ingredients, the frugal eco-warrior upcycling “immigrant mindset” that we experienced as kids, and unpacking personal finance myths that tie your happiness to your net worth or title.