Hot & Sour Soup for the Soul

Andrew Chau Boba Guys The Babe Brigade Podcast

Apr. 30, 2021

Building a Boba Empire, Punching Up, & Confident Vulnerability feat. Boba Guys CEO & Co-Founder, Andrew Chau

We're chatting with Andrew Chau, the co-founder and CEO of Boba Guys, a national boba brand that’s bridging cultures through deliciously disarming beverages. If you live in the Bay Area, LA, or NYC, you’ve probably passed by -- or through -- a Boba Guys store. Today, Boba Guys has 18 immaculately designed retail locations, but as with most start-up stories, it has humble beginnings. We talk with Andrew about his experience growing up Asian American in the ‘80s, the always worthwhile but often painful lessons he’s learned while making Boba Guys a household name, and unconventional ways for driving change in ways that feel authentic to who we are -- whether that be brazenly outspoken, stoically committed, or something in between. Listen in to an unfiltered conversation with one of the most forthcoming CEOs whom we’ve had the pleasure of chatting with, Andrew Chau.

Mar. 04, 2021

When "Me" Meets "We"

It's you and me this episode. We'll be getting interactive as we harness the power of the space between "Me" & "We". Historically, whether we belonged to the school of individualism or the school of collectivism had to do with the cultural context we were brought up around, whether we grew up with more Western or Eastern influence. Today however, between a global pandemic, planetary climate change, and national civic movements that are resurfacing racial disparities which many had previously thought had already been squashed, the “We” -- collective effort and collective gain -- appears to be something we’ll all need to get comfortable with. Out with the notion that individualism and collectivism are mutually exclusive. In with the power of paradox, of holding the tension between “Me” & “We” within ourselves. & > Or all day.

Stanford PhD Tiger Mom Allison Koenecke The Babe Brigade

Feb. 12, 2021

Tiger Moms, Growing Up Hapa, & the State of AI Equitability feat. Stanford PhD Candidate, Allison Koenecke

MIT undergrad. FAANG internships. Antitrust economic consulting. Stanford PhD candidacy. No question Allison Koenecke is an academic force. Beyond impressive institutional associations -- which she seldom spotlights -- what has made her a true force of nature (or shall we say, software?) is the research she's leading to bring visibility to blind spots in software development, and make our daily encounters with AI more equitable.

We chat with Allison about little known secrets about the path to a PhD, tiger mom parenting, and actionable tips to getting more done during the day.

Chop Suey Club Ruoyi Jiang The Babe Brigade

Jan. 21, 2021

Running a Storefront in NYC & Reimagining "Made in China" feat. Ruoyi Jian, Founder of Chop Suey Club

Once upon a time, Ruoyi was a middle schooler living in China, who decided to drop out to pursue a professional golf career. Today, she lives in NYC, has been photographed with Beyonce at the Met Gala (albeit, accidentally!), and has successfully launched a concept store in the LES.

Suffice to say, Ruoyi is a maestro of intentionality and adaptation. We chat with Ruoyi about the business dynamics of Chinatown, untangling appropriation and appreciation, and navigating life’s yin & yang, all while growing a retail business in the midst of a pandemic.

Nov. 25, 2020

Art Directing, Cultivating Creativity, & Committing to a Craft feat. Forbes 30 Under 30, Decue Wu

Freelancers & creatives, this one's for you! Today, we're chatting with illustrator, art director, and Forbes 30 Under 30, Decue Wu.

Decue was born in Shenzhen, China, where she lived and studied into adulthood, and made her way to the U.S. in 2012 to get after her M.F.A at the Maryland Institute College of Art. Since then, she has built her career stateside in illustration and art direction, employed by tech giants like Airbnb and commissioned by clients like Louis Vuitton, Vogue, and The New York Times.

We chat with Decue about hustling as a freelancer, grabbing the attention of Art Directors, cultivating creativity when we’re running on empty, and navigating the nuances of creating content for international audiences.

Oct. 27, 2020

Sextech & Silicon Valley. Forbes 30 Under 30 Anna Lee, Co-Founder of Lioness

Mental health, physical health, and sexual health are inextricably tied. Today, we're talking sextech with Anna Lee. Anna is a former mechanical engineer at Amazon, Forbes 30 Under 30, Paper Magazine's Asian Women Creators You Need to Know, and technical co-founder at Lioness, a women-led startup that’s built the world's first and only ergonomic biofeedback vibrator. Anna is a 1.5 generation Korean American who would have never guessed she’d one day be engineering smart(er) sex toys, but she is, and she’s brought the scientific method with her.

After all, never measured, never improved.

We dive in to deconstructing taboos, the art of marketing sex toys in Asia, and how we can take the driver’s seat in navigating our sexual health. Buckle up, y'all!

Oct. 07, 2020

Harvard, Green Tech, and Chasing Purpose feat. Heidi Lim, Chief of Staff at Opus 12

What do you do when you start feeling like you’re just going through the motions? How do you optimize around your strengths to make the biggest impact? Who are you without your day job?

If any of these questions have ever crossed your mind, this episode is for you. Heidi Lim is a woman who's doggedly chased a career with purpose. She attended Harvard as a first gen college student, where she decided to pursue a career in green tech. Today she's Chief of Staff at Opus 12, a CO2 renewables company, but it was a windy path getting there. We chat about what people don't tell you about the journey to aligning personal purpose and professional work, and how to navigate the process.

Sep. 23, 2020

Tales from Fashion's Front Lines feat. Forbes' 30 Under 30 Creative Director Lisa Qu

From folding origami to pass time at her mom’s Chinese restaurant in Australia, to starting her eponymous clothing label, Lisa Qu was on an academic path until her parents gave her the thumbs up to pursue a career in fashion. That is, so long as she was able to get admitted into a storied design school. That Christmas Eve, Lisa gets the news that she’s been admitted to Parsons.

Since that fateful Christmas Eve, Lisa Qu has launched her namesake fashion label, tallied a quarter million dollars in revenue in her first year in business, and been named Forbes’ 30 Under 30 for Art & Style.

In this episode, Lisa talks about what she wishes she had known before starting her own fashion label, how leaning into humility has helped her propel her career, and the power she’s found in wielding silence during tough conversations.