Low to Grow

Annie Yu Wenmiao
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For the ambitious, third culture young professional. Where extraordinary people with migration in their life path, open up about how they navigated identity, non-linear careers and relationships. Hosted by Annie Wenmiao Yu (Oxford/ForbesU30/HurunU30) "I believe that asking the right questions is a productive way to navigate uncertainty and hope that the insights here will be useful to the thoughtful listeners of Low to Grow!"

  1. 5d ago

    Bayo Adelaja: From Benefits to MBE Building Black Equity

    Bayo Adelaja MBE, founder and CEO of Do It Now, Now, joins Annie Wenmiao Yu to trace her journey from LSE researcher to redundancy, life on benefits, and rebuilding as a freelancer before founding a London-based organization that has granted over £3.5 million to Black-led organizations across the UK. She discusses structural racism in funding, the difference between intrapreneurs and entrepreneurs, autonomy and mental health at work, receiving an MBE, and how she learned to rest and set boundaries as a leader.

    Bayo Adelaja: From Benefits to MBE Building Black Equity

  2. Sep 17

    Courtney Kocak: Girl Gone Wild Memoir, Reinvention & Owning Your Story

    Writer, podcaster and comedian Courtney Kocak joins Annie Wenmiao Yu to unpack her memoir Girl Gone Wild, from her small-town Minnesota roots to reinventing herself as a writer at 27 after leaving acting. She opens up about shedding shame around sexual assault, an abortion at 23, and selling t-shirts on the Girls Gone Wild tour, plus the long road to publishing with a small press. Courtney also shares her flow-state productivity approach, the power of journaling, and why it's never too late to chase a creative dream.

    Courtney Kocak: Girl Gone Wild Memoir, Reinvention & Owning Your Story

  3. Sep 3

    Alice Sibelli, PhD: Gut-Brain Health, Digital Therapy & Living With Chronic Illness

    Psychological researcher Alice Sibelli, PhD joins Annie Wenmiao Yu to share how her own long medical journey with digestive symptoms reshaped her work in digital health. She unpacks the biopsychosocial model and brain-gut connection, how disorders of the gut-brain interaction are diagnosed, and how evidence-based digital therapies like gut-directed CBT and hypnotherapy can speed access to care. Alice also reflects on helping bring the first FDA-cleared digital therapeutic for IBS to market at Mahana, moving from academia to startups, and launching her own consultancy.

    Alice Sibelli, PhD: Gut-Brain Health, Digital Therapy & Living With Chronic Illness

  4. Aug 20

    Eva Kerschbaumer: Turning her Grandma's jewellery into Pittsburgh Spa Empire

    Eva Kerschbaumer arrived in New York from Hungary on a one-way ticket in 1996 with just $50, no English, and no family. In this candid Low to Grow episode, she shares how she learned English from reruns of Gilligan's Island, opened her first day spa in a renovated walk-in cooler, and built ES Spa into a 7,000 square foot Pittsburgh sanctuary serving celebrities and executives. Eva talks immigrant resilience, people-pleasing, building a brand from nothing, and why mental health belongs in every conversation about beautiful skin.

    Eva Kerschbaumer: Turning her Grandma's jewellery into Pittsburgh Spa Empire

  5. Aug 6

    Creanna Dodson: From Homeless at 22 to Barrister and Founder

    Barrister Creanna Dodson joins Annie Wenmiao Yu to trace her extraordinary journey from being homeless at 22 with a newborn to becoming a probation officer, qualified social worker, founder of Soaring Heights Care, and a practicing barrister in criminal and family law. She shares hard-won lessons on resilience, deferred gratification, building a support system, and protecting mental health while raising four children and running a business. The conversation covers career reinvention, poverty and inequality, and adapting to AI in the legal sector.

    Creanna Dodson: From Homeless at 22 to Barrister and Founder

  6. Jul 19

    Kushal Choski on Surviving 9/11 and Goldman Sachs to Life Scanning

    In this episode of Low to Grow, I sit down with Kushal M. Choksi, a survivor of the 9/11 attacks whose life has spanned Wall Street, entrepreneurship, and a deeply influential spiritual path. Once a quantitative analyst at Goldman Sachs who later led portfolios at Ethelium and BlackRock, Kushal shares how that single, devastating morning in Manhattan shattered his sense of control and completely reframed his understanding of success, purpose, and what it means to truly live. Today, Kushal co-runs Elements Truffles with his wife, blending creativity, patience, and purpose into a business rooted in wellness and ethical practice. He also works as an intuitive life scanner and sits on the U.S. board of the International Association for Human Values. We explore the Institute of Absolute Intelligence, a new initiative inviting scientific inquiry into consciousness, and dig into intuition, scanning, and the fascinating idea that time isn't linear at all. This episode is an invitation to anyone who feels curious about the unseen, anyone who suspects life is more than a straight line, anyone yearning to reconnect with the quiet place inside themselves. What you’ll walk away with: A grounded look at how a life-altering event can reshape ambition and identity Practical, compassionate advice for young professionals feeling out of alignment Insight into meditation, breath work, and tuning into your inner voice A thoughtful exploration of intuition, consciousness, and the science behind it An inside look at the joy and patience of entrepreneurship beyond hustle culture Follow Low to Grow ⁠⁠Instagram: @lowtogrowpodcast⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠YouTube: @lowtogrow⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Substack LIFT with Low to Grow⁠ ⁠Newsletter⁠⁠ Connect with our podcast guests via their profile page on ⁠⁠www.lowtogrow.com⁠⁠! Please Note: Low to Grow is for educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional advice. For free mental health resources, visit ⁠⁠https://www.mind.org.uk⁠⁠.

    Kushal Choski on Surviving 9/11 and Goldman Sachs to Life Scanning

  7. Jul 5

    Sam Smith's IPO Experience and Why She Founded Superscalers

    In this episode of the Low to Grow podcast, Annie Wenmiao Yu interviews Sam Smith, the first female CEO of a City stockbroking firm and co-founder of Super Scalers. Sam shares her journey of building FinnCap into a leading investment bank for growth companies in the UK, emphasizing the importance of inclusivity and empathetic leadership in driving both profit and growth. She reflects on her experiences, including the challenges of leading a company through an IPO whilemanaging personal responsibilities, such as motherhood. Annie and Sam discusses the significance of maintaining a positive mindset, learning from losses, and the necessity of support systems for entrepreneurs, particularly women and underrepresented founders. Chapters 00:00 The First Female Stockbroker in The City of London Samantha Smith 01:56 Who should listen this episode with Samantha Smith 02:20 Samantha's Entrepreneurial Journey in Finance 04:21 Reframing failures 12:17 Gender Representation in Finance 15:22 Creating an Inclusive Culture 18:15 An IPO Before Motorbiking to Her Daughter's Nativity Play 22:32 Giving herself to work and family 25:19 How Sam Smith Teaches Her Daughter About Clarity of Thought 27:40 Leadership Style After Motherhood 29:01 Launching Superscalers 32:27 Samantha Smith reflects on self-awareness in building the Superscalers 36:04 Final Thoughts on Mental Health Follow Low to Grow ⁠⁠Instagram: @lowtogrowpodcast⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠YouTube: @lowtogrow⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Substack LIFT with Low to Grow⁠ ⁠Newsletter⁠⁠ Connect with our podcast guests via their profile page on ⁠⁠www.lowtogrow.com⁠⁠! Please Note: Low to Grow is for educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional advice. For free mental health resources, visit ⁠⁠https://www.mind.org.uk⁠⁠.

    Sam Smith's IPO Experience and Why She Founded Superscalers

  8. Jun 21

    Dr Mitch Abrams on Cultivating Coherence After Open-Heart Surgery and The New Paradigm In Healthcare

    Dr. Mitch Abrams shares his transformative journey from a successful radiologist to a holistic health advocate after undergoing open heart surgery. He discusses with Annie the profound impact of his experiences on his understanding of health, wellness, and the importance of heart coherence. Dr. Abrams introduces the Global Heart Sync project, which aims to gamify the practice of heart coherence, fostering individual and collective well-being. Dr Abrams and Annie debate on the need for a new paradigm in healthcare that integrates both scientific and spiritual perspectives, encouraging listeners to connect with their hearts and embrace their inner potential. What you will gain from listening to this episode: Awakening to consciousness can stem from profound experiences.Coherence is essential for emotional and physical health.The heart's intelligence plays a crucial role in healing.Collective coherence can impact global well-being.The Global Heart Sync project aims to gamify heart coherence.Practicing coherence can lead to significant personal transformation.Integrating Eastern and Western medicine is vital for future healthcare.Follow Low to Grow ⁠⁠Instagram: @lowtogrowpodcast⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠YouTube: @lowtogrow⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Substack LIFT with Low to Grow⁠ ⁠Newsletter⁠⁠ Connect with our podcast guests via their profile page on ⁠⁠www.lowtogrow.com⁠⁠! Please Note: Low to Grow is for educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional advice. For free mental health resources, visit ⁠⁠https://www.mind.org.uk⁠⁠. Chapters   00:00 The Journey of Dr. Mitch Abrams 06:15 Awakening After Open Heart Surgery 10:39 The Disconnect in Western Healthcare 15:17 Understanding Heart Coherence 20:29 Measuring Coherence and Collective Impact 25:47 Global Heart Sync Project 28:02 The Science of Connection and Empathy 29:26 Activating the Heart: Personal Journeys 32:42 The Global Heart Sync Methodology 37:32 Shifting Perspectives in Healthcare 42:38 Bridging Eastern and Western Medicine 47:54 The Path to Coherence and Better Mental Health

    Dr Mitch Abrams on Cultivating Coherence After Open-Heart Surgery and The New Paradigm In Healthcare
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About

For the ambitious, third culture young professional. Where extraordinary people with migration in their life path, open up about how they navigated identity, non-linear careers and relationships. Hosted by Annie Wenmiao Yu (Oxford/ForbesU30/HurunU30) "I believe that asking the right questions is a productive way to navigate uncertainty and hope that the insights here will be useful to the thoughtful listeners of Low to Grow!"

Information

  • Creator
    Annie Yu Wenmiao
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    40
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Annie Yu Wenmiao
  • Show Website
    Low to Grow