We All Look Alike

We All Look Alike Podcast
  • 5.0 (16)
  • Society & Culture
  • Updated Biweekly

We All Look Alike is a real, unfiltered conversation about life as Asian American small business owners, blending humor, hustle, heartbreak, and hope into one unforgettable story. 

  1. Apr 3

    Endings, Expansion, and What Comes Next

    In the Season 2 finale, Joyce and Han reflect on parenting, generational change, and the realities of building small businesses in Portland. They talk honestly about debt, downtown challenges, growth, and the emotional complexity of closing one chapter while preparing for another. Han shares news about the return of Kim Jong Smokehouse, and Joyce opens up about Goodies’ second location and the likely final summer in NW. An honest conversation about pressure, resilience, and what comes next.

  2. Mar 20

    Spring, Sick Days, and Snack Drawer Discoveries

    Joyce and Han talk through the final drag of winter as small business owners, from getting sick at the worst possible time to pushing through slow months, staffing stress, and the fragile realities of running lean operations. They reflect on how spring changes everything, especially for Goodies as cherry blossom season brings the waterfront back to life. The conversation also moves into kitchen culture, chef ego, abuse in fine dining, and the mental toll of staying relevant in high-pressure industries. They close with a lighter snack segment featuring premium sesame oil, pizza chili crisp, matcha peanut butter, and a very unhinged product idea involving flavored communion wafers.Chapter Markers00:00 Recovering from being sick02:00 Small business during late winter03:40 Being sick while owning a business with a baby06:00 Staffing fragility and scheduling stress08:00 Counting the days until spring09:20 Taxes, paperwork, and training for a fight13:20 Cherry blossoms and Goodies’ spring reset17:30 Chef culture, abuse, and industry power24:00 Longevity, pressure, and surviving in food29:00 Portland business archetypes32:00 Seasonal confidence and self-doubt35:30 Weather closures, power outages, and survival stories40:40 Retail chaos and neighborhood unpredictability41:40 Snack drawer: sesame oil, chili crisp, matcha peanut butter53:30 Flavored communion wafers as a product idea56:20 Outro

  3. Mar 6

    Lunar New Year, Olympics, Small Business Lessons

    Spring is starting to show up in Portland, and Joyce and Han are feeling it. In this episode, they catch up on what’s been happening around the city, from early cherry blossoms and busy restaurant pop-ups to the realities of running a small business. Han shares stories from cooking at the Timbers season opener and reflects on how supporting other entrepreneurs builds stronger communities. Joyce talks about celebrating Lunar New Year with friends, raising baby Tycho, and the constantly evolving routine of running Goodies while balancing family life. The conversation moves through Olympic highlights, Asian American representation in sports, the idea of “legacy businesses” in Portland, and why showing up for your community matters more than any award. And of course, the episode ends with another snack test of one of the strangest drinks the show has tried so far. If you enjoy honest conversations about food, business, culture, and life in Portland, this one’s for you.

  4. Feb 20

    The Mom Club, The Grind, and the Samples Drawer

    Han and Joyce talk hotdog fundraising wins, newborn sleep deprivation, parent identity shifts, and the strangest product samples to hit Goodies. “There’s always been something worth fighting for here.”Han and Joyce catch up on Hotdog Week fundraising, the reality of newborn sleep deprivation, and the identity shift of becoming parents while running a small business. Then Joyce pulls out two truly wild product samples to taste and debate: functional RamenAid packets and “Milkish” watermelon seed milk. Innovation or trying too hard? You decide.

  5. Feb 6

    Rumors, Real Estate Wolves, and Winter Portland Ghost Town

    January in Portland feels cold, quiet, and weirdly heavy. Joyce and Han catch up on six-month baby life, “axer” immigrant-kid efficiency, and how small business owners learn to live out of boxes and routines. From there, the conversation turns toward real talk: neighbor politics in food pods, rumor spirals about leaving Chinatown, and the reality that developers and landlords often treat small businesses like disposable props for their pitch decks. They dig into what it means to be “political” as a brand, how fear and confusion get weaponized, and why some businesses can’t afford to close even when they support the cause. They end with a philosophy that hits hard: a business doesn’t die when it runs out of money. It dies when the founder gives up.

  6. Jan 23

    The Small Business Reality Check

    Portland gives you January sunshine like it’s a prank, and small business owners feel it in real time. Han and Joyce talk about the fakeout weather, shortening Goodies’ hours for sanity, and what “rest” actually looks like when your work never stops. From fight camp setbacks and sleep deprivation to “start small and test it” business philosophy, they get into the real risks behind entrepreneurship. Then it turns into a deep one: community predators, fake allyship, being used as content, and how gut checks and relationship-based trust help you protect what you’ve built.Chapter markers 0:00 Portland January “fakeout” weather 2:10 Food cart standards and being “grandfathered in” 4:10 Goodies cuts hours for January 8:40 Han’s injury and canceling a fight 13:30 Sleep, sobriety, and recovery 16:30 Parenting exhaustion talk 22:40 The “do you have the stomach?” small business reality check 32:00 Joyce’s business philosophy: start small, test, refine 36:30 Founder archetypes and “delusion” 50:40 Exploitation, fake allyship, and protecting your brand 1:03:10 Podcast growth, sponsors, and equipment

  7. Jan 9

    Still Here. Shedding, Survival, and Betting on Ourselves

    Still here. Still building. Still betting on ourselves. End of the year episode, Han and Joyce reflect on the realities of surviving 2025 as small business owners, creatives, and new parents. From storefront closures and brutal leases to burnout, self-doubt, and redefining success, this conversation is about what it actually takes to keep going when the shine wears off. They talk about shedding expectations, giving yourself credit, the power dynamics between landlords and tenants, Asian American cultural momentum, and why consistency matters more than growth. This episode is about clarity, grace, and making space for what’s next. Chapters 00:00 – End of 2025 & Local Business Closures 03:10 – Shedding, Doubt, and Betting on Yourself 07:00 – Business Reality Checks & Parenthood 11:00 – Consistency, Grace, and Giving Yourself Credit 15:00 – Timelines, Second Locations, and Expectations 19:30 – Gambling on Yourself & Long-Term Vision 21:00 – Why the Podcast Matters 24:00 – Making Space for 2026 27:00 – What Actually Mattered in 2025 31:00 – Bad Leases, Landlords, and Power Dynamics 38:00 – Culture, Food, and Asian American Momentum 47:00 – Snacks, Trends, and What’s Next 55:00 – Gratitude, Community, and Looking Forward

  8. 12/26/2025

    Making Meaning Through the Holidays

    The holidays can be full of joy, but they can also bring exhaustion, pressure, and reflection. In this episode, Han and Joyce talk about the end-of-year push of markets, the realities of running small businesses through winter, and the emotional weight that shows up during the holidays. They reflect on capitalism, convenience, and waste, the tension of being anti-capitalist while running a retail shop, and how immigrant family traditions shape the way we think about money and gift-giving. The conversation moves through childhood Christmas memories, grief and loss, and the shift that happens when you begin creating holidays for your own kids. This episode is about slowing down, letting go of survival mode, and finding meaning in the midst of a heavy season. 00:00 Holiday Catch-Up & End-of-Year Exhaustion 02:10 Markets, Community, and Showing Up for Friends 05:45 Winter Slowdowns & the Restaurant Economy 09:20 Dentist Visits, Healthcare, and Vulnerability 15:40 Capitalism, Convenience, and Waste 19:10 Immigrant Parents, Scarcity, and Survival Mindsets 22:50 Christmas Growing Up: Belief, Loss, and Illusions 28:30 Grief, Nostalgia, and Redefining the Holidays 33:40 Parenting, Traditions, and Intentional Gift-Giving 38:45 Anti-Capitalism While Running a Retail Business 44:30 Looking Ahead to the Year of the Horse 52:30 Gratitude, Community, and Closing Reflections

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5
out of 5
16 Ratings

About

We All Look Alike is a real, unfiltered conversation about life as Asian American small business owners, blending humor, hustle, heartbreak, and hope into one unforgettable story. 

Information

  • Creator
    We All Look Alike Podcast
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    22
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © We All Look Alike Podcast
  • Show Website
    We All Look Alike