All The Things

Triggers, responses and patterns w/ James Culver

I met today's guest, James Culver, through a training program he was providing to corporate employees. As a professional guide to others' unlearning, I knew that James would have a lot to say.
Consider this episode as a masterclass to unlearning. James shares models and frameworks as well as personal experiences to show how we can interrupt and reset a chain of behavior. After all, we cannot keep doing the same things and expect different results. 
In the conversation, James also touches on the importance of self care (framed in a way I haven't heard before),  the power of the breath and how to bring about cultural change. Be sure to listen to this episode with a notebook and pen!
Resources mentioned:
SCARF model - founded by Dr. David Rock - neuroscientist, co-founder of NeuroLeadership Institute
The Fifth Discipline by Peter M. Senge
 
About the guest
James Culver (he/him/his) is a trainer/coach who has been training for over 30 years. An American expat living in Germany since 2002, James has interacted with participants from around the world in topics ranging from change to the Miles Davis guide to high performing teams. As a performance coach, James focuses on working with clients preparing for or experiencing career changes. He’s a professional musician, songwriter, writer and storyteller who enjoys Latin dancing and long walks in the woods.
You can connect with James on LinkedIn or email him directly at James.culverjr[@]gmail.com
 
About the host
Lisa Chin (she/her/hers) believes that knowing ourselves is central to being happy and fulfilled. This podcast is about the observation and examination of self - exploring all the things that make us who we are. Why? Because the better we understand ourselves, the more good we can do in the world.
Lisa creates and podcasts from the traditional and unceded land of the Nipmuc and Massachusett tribes in a town outside Boston, MA.
To learn more about Lisa, her writing as well as opportunities to work with her, visit www.lisaforreal.com. Feel free to send her an email or DM her on Instagram @reclaimingmotherhood with your thoughts of an inspired life.

Ego, genius and the middle path w/ Anna Tsui

One of the first things that Anna shares in this episode is our dual relationship of student and teacher with each other. It perfectly encapsulates our conversation which touches on ego, genius and being able to hold two extremes/opposites (being a teacher and being a student) and find the middle path.
In this episode, Anna shares:
what holds adults back from learning
how to manage polarization internally and in society
what genius is and how it is not just IQ
why genius is often kept compartmentalized
her approach in writing her new book
why we as changemakers, creators and wise humans feel like outsiders
her definition of success
the question to ask yourself in order to make a decision free of your ego
This episode is chock full of wisdom for those looking to living a more abundant, compassionate and full life.
 
About the guest
Anna Tsui (she/her) is a genius coach and writer, speaker and serial international entrepreneur. She is the founder of The Intuitive Business School and her bestselling book, Shadow Magic: Turn your Fear Into Fuel and Create a Prosperous Coaching Business, shows readers how to overcome their personal self-sabotage and build a thriving career and business.
Learn more about Anna and get half of her book for free here: https://www.annatsui.com/book. You can also find and connect with Anna on Instagram @ms.annatsui.
 
About the host
Lisa Chin (she/her/hers) believes that knowing ourselves is central to being happy and fulfilled. This podcast is about the observation and examination of self - exploring all the things that make us who we are. Why? Because the better we understand ourselves, the more good we can do in the world.
Lisa creates and podcasts from the traditional and unceded land of the Nipmuc and Massachusett tribes in a town outside Boston, MA.
To learn more about Lisa, her writing as well as opportunities to work with her, visit www.lisaforreal.com. Feel free to send her an email or DM her on Instagram @reclaimingmotherhood with your thoughts of an inspired life.

Trauma, embodiment and resilience w/ Mira Rao

One of my biggest unlearnings has been understanding what trauma is. Being able to see my experiences through that lens has been invaluable in better navigating the world.
Today's guest, Mira Rao, is an embodiment and resilience coach. In this episode, we dive into how she defines trauma, embodiment and resilience - words that are often taken in without an understanding of what they truly are. 
We touch on the mechanistic culture we live in, the importance of in person connection, belonging and safety. I walked away from this conversation with a new understanding of what has shaped me. I think you might too.
People mentioned:
Arielle Schwartz, PhD. - Child and adult psychotherapist specializing in EMDR and body-centered trauma therapies
Dr. Candace Pert - a neuroscientist and pharmacologist who contributed to “mind-body” medicine as an area of legitimate scientific research and author of Molecules Of Emotion: The Science Behind Mind-Body Medicine
 
About the guest
Mira Rao (she/her) is an embodiment and resilience coach. She is on a mission to contribute to building a world in which people are confident in the wisdom of their bodies, consciously and intentionally resilient with the ups and downs of life and empowered to live the lives they actively choose rather than reactively inherit.
She does so by teaching them practical ways to develop routines and rituals for embodied resilience that help them deal better with challenges and stress so they can start moving towards what they truly want in their lives.
You can learn more about Mira and her work at www.mirarao.com.au. Connect with her on Facebook and Instagram (@miraraocoaching). 
 
About the host
Lisa Chin (she/her/hers) believes that knowing ourselves is central to being happy and fulfilled. This podcast is about the observation and examination of self - exploring all the things that make us who we are. Why? Because the better we understand ourselves, the more good we can do in the world.
Lisa creates and podcasts from the traditional and unceded land of the Nipmuc and Massachusett tribes in a town outside Boston, MA.
To learn more about Lisa, her writing as well as opportunities to work with her, visit www.lisaforreal.com. Feel free to send her an email or DM her on Instagram @reclaimingmotherhood with your thoughts of an inspired life.

Health, schooling and language w/ Meredith Keith-Chirch

The term "decolonize" is very much a word of the time. When I learned about Meredith Keith-Chirch's coaching practice, Decolonizing Your Health, I knew that we'd have a great conversation about unlearning in regards to health. In this episode, we also touch on schooling, technology, and language.
I appreciate how Meredith lives and breaths her work. She is doing her own unlearning as she guides her clients through theirs. While completely decolonizing certain aspects of our lives may seem unattainable or unrealistic, Meredith shares how we all can take steps to re-evaluate our decisions. 
Ultimately, it is not about perfectionism or being right in our decisions. It is about choosing for ourselves. 
 
About the guest
Meredith Keith-Chirch (she/her/hers) is the founder of Decolonizing Your Health, where she helps unconventional women reject oppressive norms and create the lifestyles that they truly want. In addition to this she enjoys multiple other roles, including that of dancer, vocalist, and self-directed education advocate. She's part of a low-tech, car-free, conventional school-free, conscious living minimalist family.
You can learn more about Meredith's work on her website and sign up to receive a free guide to decolonizing your health. You can also connect directly with Meredith on Facebook.
 
About the host
Lisa Chin (she/her/hers) believes that knowing ourselves is central to being happy and fulfilled. This podcast is about the observation and examination of self - exploring all the things that make us who we are. Why? Because the better we understand ourselves, the more good we can do in the world.
Lisa creates and podcasts from the traditional and unceded land of the Nipmuc and Massachusett tribes in a town outside Boston, MA.
To learn more about Lisa, her writing as well as opportunities to work with her, visit www.lisaforreal.com. Feel free to send her an email or DM her on Instagram @reclaimingmotherhood with your thoughts of an inspired life.

Love, safety and worth w/ JoAnna Bennett

I knew today's guest, JoAnna Bennett, from high school, and our conversation touches on JoAnna's unlearning of what love, safety and worth mean to her.
We repeat patterns that are set in childhood and many times generations before ours. JoAnna shares her experiences growing up in a dysfunctional household and carrying on that pattern in her dysfunctional marriage. She speaks about how motherhood and her kids gave her reason to leave the relationship and get a divorce and and what steps she has taken to heal and redefine love.
I hope that you tune in and take away one of the many nuggets of wisdom that JoAnna shares.
Book mentioned -
Why Does He Do That?: Inside the Minds of Angry and Controlling Men
 
About the guest
JoAnna Bennett (she/her) is a full-time working mother of two wonderful humans, two goofy dogs, four pensive hens, and a fuzzy tarantula. She is also an avid reader, an insatiable learner, and a self-acknowledged survivor. She is a writer and account manager at O’Brien Communications Group, a Columnist at BizCatalyst360, and a committee volunteer for The Center for Safe Futures. 
You can learn more about JoAnna and read her writing on her LinkTree, connect with her on Instagram @joanna_baanana, find her on LinkedIn or email her at joanna@obriencg.com.
About the host
Lisa Chin (she/her/hers) believes that knowing ourselves is central to being happy and fulfilled. This podcast is about the observation and examination of self - exploring all the things that make us who we are. Why? Because the better we understand ourselves, the more good we can do in the world.
Lisa creates and podcasts from the traditional and unceded land of the Nipmuc/k and Massachusett tribes in a town outside Boston, MA.
To learn more about Lisa, her writing as well as opportunities to work with her, visit www.lisaforreal.com. Feel free to send her an email or DM her on Instagram @reclaimingmotherhood with your thoughts of an inspired life.

SEASON TWO Intro: Unlearning

Welcome to Season 2! I'm excited to be back with more amazing guests. This season, we will be focusing on the topic of unlearning. Unlearning is something that is the key to my being a better adult and all the roles I hold - mother, daughter, sister, partner, friend and contributor to society. 
Your version of unlearning will not look like mine. I hope to share with you some ideas of what unlearning means, why it is important and how it may look so that you can see how it can be applied to your life.
The blog reading at the end of the episode can be found here - A Great Unlearning.
Tune into the coming weeks where I will be sharing my guests and what they think of unlearning. See you then!
About the host
Lisa Chin (she/her/hers) believes that knowing ourselves is central to being happy and fulfilled. This podcast is about the observation and examination of self - exploring all the things that make us who we are. Why? Because the better we understand ourselves, the more good we can do in the world.
Lisa creates and podcasts from the traditional and unceded land of the Nipmuc and Massachusett tribes in a town outside Boston, MA.
To learn more about Lisa, her writing as well as opportunities to work with her, visit her blog Lisa For Real. Feel free to send her an email or DM her on Instagram @reclaimingmotherhood. 

All The Truths Montage (Season Finale)

In this episode, we are wrapping up Season 1 and diving into all the truths. Thank you for listening and sharing your time with me. I hope you enjoy some of my lessons from podcasting the last couple of months as well as what I know to be true deep down in my bones. Lastly is my favorite - a montage of all of the guests' truths!
Thank you to all of my brilliant and remarkable guests who have made this experience worthwhile. 
Best wishes as you enter the new year!
 
About the host
Lisa Chin (she/her/hers) believes that knowing ourselves is central to being happy and fulfilled. This podcast is about the observation and examination of self - exploring all the things that make us who we are. Why? Because the better we understand ourselves, the more good we can do in the world.
Lisa creates and podcasts from the traditional and unceded land of the Nipmuc and Massachusett tribes in a town outside Boston, MA.
To learn more about Lisa, her writing as well as opportunities to work with her, visit her blog Lisa For Real. Feel free to send her an email or DM her on Instagram @reclaimingmotherhood. 

Flipping the script w/ Audrey Ensor

2021 is coming to a close and so is Season 1 of All The Things. This podcast wouldn't have happened without today's guest, Audrey Ensor. Audrey edited the episodes and yes, she made it that happen but it was purely the idea that she would be there to edit the show that helped me finally start producing! 
Today the script is flipped and Audrey interviews me to learn more about the behind the scenes of creating the podcast, why I want to speak to moms specifically and why I haven't been surprised by the truths the guests share in the episodes.
I'd love to hear from you - what have you liked most about Season 1?
 
About the guest
Audrey Ensor (she/her/hers) is a digital content creator. Her main focus is videography and editing, but she also has experience with photography, social media, animation, and graphic design. Audrey works as a freelancer and in her role at Medfield TV, she has edited Season 1's episodes of All The Things. 
To contact Medfield TV email info@medfield.tv or call 508-359-8888. For more on Audrey, visit www.audreyensor.com or instagram @audreyensor.
 
About the host
Lisa Chin (she/her/hers) believes that knowing ourselves is central to being happy and fulfilled. This podcast is about the observation and examination of self - exploring all the things that make us who we are. Why? Because the better we understand ourselves, the more good we can do in the world.
Lisa creates and podcasts from the traditional and unceded land of the Nipmuc/k and Massachusett tribes in a town outside Boston, MA.
To learn more about Lisa, her writing as well as opportunities to work with her, visit www.lisaforreal.com. Feel free to send her an email or DM her on Instagram @reclaimingmotherhood with your thoughts of an inspired life.
 
Special thanks to Medfield TV for editing this episode.

Second generational guilt

Today's solo episode is a continuation of a thread in my conversation with Cindy Kao.
"Second generational guilt" is a term I created to describe a very specific kind of guilt that I experience as a daughter of an immigrant. My feelings are not indicative of how every second generation American feels but it is an example of another layer to the emotions and experiences that children of immigrants feel. If you are one yourself, you have your own flavor of it.
In this episode, I read a blog I wrote five years ago titled "Second Generational Guilt" and then I go into the evolution of my feelings and the value and magic in writing and capturing our emotions.
 
About the host
Lisa Chin (she/her/hers) believes that knowing ourselves is central to being happy and fulfilled. This podcast is about the observation and examination of self - exploring all the things that make us who we are. Why? Because the better we understand ourselves, the more good we can do in the world.
Lisa creates and podcasts from the traditional and unceded land of the Nipmuc and Massachusett tribes in a town outside Boston, MA.
To learn more about Lisa, her writing as well as opportunities to work with her, visit her blog Lisa For Real. Feel free to send her an email or DM her on Instagram @reclaimingmotherhood. 

Purpose beyond motherhood and work and w/ Cindy Kao

Today's guest is my long-time friend, Cindy Kao. Over the years, our roads have wound and crossed and ran alongside one another through various states and stages of life. Now we have the unique experience of raising our children in the same town having known each other since we were children ourselves. 
In this episode, we chat about raising kids as second generation Americans, our respect for our mothers, the traditional Chinese postpartum practice of confinement and the evolution of personal growth and spirituality. Who knew that recording a podcast episode was just what two working moms with young children needed to catch up? 
 
Resources mentioned:
Mindvalley
Michael Beckwith
The Awakened Brain: The New Science of Spirituality and Our Quest for an Inspired Life
 
About the guest
Cindy Kao (she/her/hers) is a full time mama of 2 with a day job in the digital marketing industry as a project manager. She is always seeking opportunities for personal growth and experiences that connect us. 
 
About the host
Lisa Chin (she/her/hers) believes that knowing ourselves is central to being happy and fulfilled. This podcast is about the observation and examination of self - exploring all the things that make us who we are. Why? Because the better we understand ourselves, the more good we can do in the world.
Lisa creates and podcasts from the traditional and unceded land of the Nipmuc/k and Massachusett tribes in a town outside Boston, MA.
To learn more about Lisa, her writing as well as opportunities to work with her, visit www.lisaforreal.com. Feel free to send her an email or DM her on Instagram @reclaimingmotherhood with your thoughts of an inspired life.
 
Special thanks to Medfield TV for editing this episode.