Sakura, Sikhi & Strength

AAnand
  • 5.0 (8)
  • Relationships

Welcome to Sakura, Sikhi & Strength - a podcast about finding strength in the space between cultures and thriving through life's constant changes. I'm Asees Sethi Anand, your host, and as someone born in Japan, raised in Los Angeles, educated globally and now living in New York City, I understand what it means to navigate life between worlds. This podcast is for anyone building careers, starting families, caring for loved ones, and writing their own definition of success - all while honoring the beautiful complexity of multicultural identity. Whether you're a third-culture kid, second-generation immigrant, or simply someone who feels caught between cultures, this show is your space to feel seen, understood, and empowered. Join me for honest conversations about resilience, growth, and finding your strength in the spaces that make you uniquely you.  New episodes coming weekly. Subscribe now so you don't miss a single story. Connect with me:  Instagram: @sakurasikhistrength  Email: hello@sakurasikhistrength.com

  1. 2d ago

    Nobody Taught Me About Money - Debt, Budgeting & Student Loans with Yanely Espinal (Ep 5, Pt 1)

    What happens after the bills are paid? Yanely Espinal was a teacher with a master's degree and $20,000 in debt because no one had taught her about money. She paid it off in 18 months, started a YouTube channel as Miss Be Helpful, and now works to get financial literacy into every high school in America. In Part 1 of this two-part series, I speak with Yanely about what parents want kids to know about money and what young adults need to figure out before living independently: credit cards, student loans, budgeting, and your first paycheck. Key themes explored: How a credit card from a table on campus started her $20,000 in debtWhat her immigrant parents couldn't teach her, and why she doesn't blame themWhy money is emotional at every income levelTwo essentials before living independently: earning your own income and managing cash flowWhy she says "credit card loan," and what to know before a first credit cardThe 1x rule: how much student debt is too muchHow to start budgeting: track every dollar, with paper and penHow to show kids where a paycheck goesMemorable insight: "Every single time a penny leaves my possession, I have to write down where it went." About Yanely Espinal: Brooklyn-born daughter of Dominican immigrants, Brown University graduate, author of Mind Your Money, and Director of Educational Outreach at Next Gen Personal Finance. This conversation is especially relevant for parents of teens, for first-generation families, and for anyone starting their first job or their first credit card. This episode is for education and general conversation and is not financial advice. Rules of thumb and examples are the guest's own. 0:00 Introduction 1:25 How a credit card on campus led to $20,000 in debt 4:05 What her immigrant parents couldn't teach her 5:15 What happens after the bills are paid 6:30 Financial literacy in every high school 6:50 The psychology of money: shame at every income level 8:10 Two essentials before living independently 9:55 Her favorite budgeting app 10:40 Before saying yes to a first credit card: call it a loan 12:30 Student loans: the conversation before anyone signs 14:10 Run the numbers: the 1x rule for student debt 15:55 Where to start with budgeting: track every dollar 16:55 Cash, groceries, and learning to stretch a budget 18:15 Death by a thousand cuts, and spending you can't feel 19:15 Why kids need to handle physical cash 20:25 Your first paycheck: understanding taxes 21:25 The pay stub activity: show kids where a paycheck goes 22:35 Spending personalities, siblings, and what parents can do 23:20 Closing and what's next in Part 2 Connect with Sakura, Sikhi & Strength 🌸☬️💪:  🎧 Available everywhere you listen to podcasts: https://linktr.ee/sakurasikhistrength  Instagram: @sakurasikhistrength  Tiktok: @sakurasikhistrength Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@sakurasikhistrength  Send your thoughts: hello@sakurasikhistrength.com #financialliteracy #personalfinance #studentloans #budgeting #teachkidsaboutmoney

  2. Oct 27

    High Achieving, Still Struggling - Adult ADHD & Burnout with Dr. Michelle Chung (Ep 4, Pt 2)

    Last week, Dr. Michelle Chung explained why a child who forgets a water bottle every day is usually missing a skill, not trying less. This week, the same questions turn to adults. Why are so many women first diagnosed with ADHD in their 30s, 40s, and 50s? And what happens when years of appearing successful catch up? In Part 2 of this two-part series, I speak again with Dr. Chung, a clinical psychologist in New York City and founder of InPractice Psychology and The Modern Asian Parent, who works with children, adults, families, and Olympic-level athletes. In Part 1, we covered ADHD, executive functioning, anxiety, and perfectionism in high-achieving kids. Now we look at how these show up in adults, and what to do about it. Key themes explored: Why many women are diagnosed with ADHD later in life, and how a child's evaluation can be the triggerWhat ADHD looks like in adults: intense focus at work, then late bills and a messy homeBurnout as "a long-term loan on your health," and how to tell burnout from a choiceWhy adult perfectionists resist letting go, and how to be excellent without being perfectOne daily question that helps prevent burnoutPerformance psychology: healthy pressure versus crushing pressureThe model minority myth, guilt, and cultural identity as a resilience factorWhat parents can watch for in their own expectationsMemorable insight: "Burnout happens because there is so much effort that goes into appearing and succeeding… it's almost like taking a long-term loan on your health." About Dr. Michelle Chung: Clinical psychologist in New York City, founder of InPractice Psychology and The Modern Asian Parent. She works with children, adolescents, adults, and families, and brings a culturally informed lens to her work with Asian and multicultural families. Learn more at drmichellechung.com. This conversation is especially relevant for women who have always been "the capable one," for parents of high-achieving children, and for second- and third-generation families bridging immigrant expectations and modern life. This episode is for education and general conversation and is not a substitute for professional mental health care. 0:00 Introduction 0:30 Why more women are diagnosed with ADHD in their 30s, 40s, and 50s 2:20 Is ADHD genetic? What is learned and what can be unlearned 3:10 What ADHD looks like in adults 4:35 Hyper-focus at work, chaos at home 5:40 When undiagnosed girls become women: the burnout point 6:40 What burnout looks like, and The Body Keeps the Score 8:15 Burnout or a choice? 9:20 How anxiety shows up in adults versus kids 10:55 Letting go of perfectionism: "Do you want to let this go?" 12:50 Recovering perfectionists and the freedom of letting go 13:45 Praised for achieving: how to see the pattern 14:55 One thing for yourself every day 16:15 Performance psychology and Olympic-level athletes 17:10 Healthy pressure vs. toxic pressure: relieved or happy? 18:30 When there's something to lose 19:10 Bridging cultures and the model minority myth 20:15 Core values and the guilt of choosing differently 21:30 Cultural identity as a resilience factor 23:15 The one thing she'd tell every parent 24:40 Cutting people out and culturally informed therapy 26:00 What she'd tell her younger self 26:40 Closing Connect with Sakura, Sikhi & Strength 🌸☬️💪:  🎧 Available everywhere you listen to podcasts: https://linktr.ee/sakurasikhistrength  Instagram: @sakurasikhistrength  Tiktok: @sakurasikhistrength  Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@sakurasikhistrength  Send your thoughts: hello@sakurasikhistrength.com #adhd #burnout #perfectionism #womensmentalhealth #performancepsychology

  3. Oct 20

    High Achieving, Still Struggling - ADHD & Parenting with Dr. Michelle Chung (Ep 4, Pt. 1)

    Is your child lazy, or missing a skill? In Part 1 of this conversation, I sit down with Dr. Michelle Chung — a clinical psychologist in New York City and founder of InPractice Psychology and The Modern Asian Parent — to talk about ADHD, executive functioning, anxiety, and perfectionism in high-achieving kids. Dr. Chung works with children, teens, adults, and families, is trained in CBT, DBT, ACT, and SPACE, and has worked with Olympic-level athletes. The conversation moves from her own path as the first daughter of Korean American immigrants, through what actually happens in an ADHD-wired brain, to what parents can change at home. This episode explores: Why she left management consulting for psychologyCBT, DBT, ACT, and SPACE in plain languageOne way to reframe an ADHD-wired brain, and why school is often hard for itExecutive functioning as a control tower, and "it's not the will, it's the lack of skill"How to tell laziness from a skill gap, and where screens fit inWhen kids are ready for social mediaPerfectionism as "an armor that shame wears"How parents can use SPACE to encourage an anxious child without reinforcing the fearThe gap that led her to create The Modern Asian ParentEssential insight: "I always say, 'It's not the will, it's the lack of skill.'" About Dr. Michelle Chung: Clinical psychologist in New York City, founder of InPractice Psychology and The Modern Asian Parent. She works with children, adolescents, adults, and families, and brings a culturally informed lens to her work with Asian and multicultural families. Learn more at drmichellechung.com. This conversation is especially relevant for parents of high-achieving children, for anyone who grew up under pressure to be exceptional, and for second- and third-generation families bridging immigrant expectations and modern parenting. The bottom line: Before asking whether a child is trying hard enough, ask what skill is missing and what the result cost them. Part 2 turns the same questions toward adults. This episode is for education and general conversation and is not a substitute for professional mental health care. 0:00 Introduction 1:00 Who is Dr. Michelle Chung? 2:45 Why she left management consulting for psychology 4:15 CBT, DBT, ACT, and SPACE explained 8:45 Why ADHD is being talked about everywhere 9:00 Why an ADHD-wired brain has a purpose 11:00 ADHD is about self-regulation, not attention 14:00 Executive functioning: the control tower 15:45 "It's not the will, it's the lack of skill" 17:00 High achievers who seem to have it together 19:00 Lazy, or an executive functioning challenge? 20:30 Screens and dopamine 22:00 Snapchat, TikTok, and when kids are ready 24:30 "Work harder" and why struggle is supposed to happen 27:15 Anxiety and perfectionism 28:15 The two types of perfectionist 29:15 The armor that shame wears 30:15 Happy or relieved? 31:15 What SPACE is and how it differs from other parenting approaches 32:30 The hardest part of using SPACE 33:15 Why she founded The Modern Asian Parent 36:00 Closing and what's next in Part 2 Connect with Sakura, Sikhi & Strength 🌸☬️💪:  🎧 Available everywhere you listen to podcasts: https://linktr.ee/sakurasikhistrength  Instagram: @sakurasikhistrength  Tiktok: @sakurasikhistrength  Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@sakurasikhistrength  Send your thoughts: hello@sakurasikhistrength.com

  4. Oct 13

    The Mark You Leave - Identity, Purpose & Becoming with Aekem Singh (Ep 3)

    What do we actually teach the next generation about representing their own community? In this episode, I sit down with Aekem Singh — valedictorian of his high school class, a freshman at Brown University, and a filmmaker working with Nishkam Media, a nonprofit using visual storytelling to reframe how Sikhs are portrayed in mainstream media — for a conversation on identity, visibility, faith, and belonging. This episode explores: Why he chose, at around eight years old, to grow out his hair and embrace Sikhi more fully — his own decision, not his parents'; he began wearing a patka to school starting in sixth gradeThe stereotypical comments and questions he's faced for simply looking differentThe media stereotype he's spent years working to counter through filmmaking, and how creators like Diljit Dosanjh are shifting the narrativeWhy "it's never gonna get easier" was the honest answer he needed, not false reassuranceHis advice for parents raising Sikh kids — and kids in general — in the US todayMental health in the Sikh community, and why more young people need somewhere to turnEssential insight: "Grades are not gonna define you. What's gonna define you is what you can leave — what mark you're gonna leave in your school or your community, and what you're gonna do after that." About Aekem Singh: Valedictorian of his high school's Class of 2026 and a freshman at Brown University, where he plans to study filmmaking and business. He has worked with Nishkam Media since 2016, a nonprofit that empowers Sikh youth with filmmaking skills to reframe the Sikh narrative on screen, and is involved with the Brown Sikhs student association. Whether you're raising a Sikh kid, mentoring young people navigating visible identity, or just remember what it felt like to be the only one in the room who looked like you, this conversation offers real, grounded perspective. 0:00 Introduction 1:00 Growing up in a family where religion wasn't a focus 1:30 Finding the Sikh community through a bhangra team 2:15 Enrolling in Khalsa school and choosing it for himself 3:00 Deciding to grow out his hair in third grade 3:30 The awkward in-between phase of growing out his hair 4:30 Starting sixth grade in a bun, then a patka 5:00 How his lifelong friends reacted 6:00 Winning sixth-grade student council president 6:30 "Can I touch your patka?" and other stereotypical comments 7:15 Being the only Sikh kid in school 8:00 Carrying the weight of representing Sikhi 8:45 Questioning his identity and catching up to his peers 9:45 Tabla, community, and what kept him grounded 10:15 Choosing your faith for yourself at a young age 11:00 Heading to Brown and the Brown Sikhs student association 13:00 Dating and being Sikh in high school 15:00 Peer pressure, alcohol, and avoiding situations rather than resisting them 17:15 Advice for a struggling 8th or 9th grader 18:45 The hardest part of being a young Sikh in America 20:00 The best part of being a young Sikh in America 20:45 What he wishes an older mentor had told him: it never gets easier 21:15 Expecting to be exhausted by the end of high school 22:00 Advice for parents: let your kids become independent 23:00 Keeping faith alive and meaningful through the high school years 24:15 Who Aekem is becoming and his work with Nishkam Media 25:30 Reframing the Sikh narrative and the Diljit Dosanjh effect 26:45 What he'd tell his 14-year-old self: find balance 28:30 Mental health in the Sikh community 31:15 Whether the gurdwara is ready to support mental health 32:15 Closing thoughts Connect with Sakura, Sikhi & Strength 🌸☬️💪:  🎧 Available everywhere you listen to podcasts: https://linktr.ee/sakurasikhistrength  Instagram: @sakurasikhistrength  Tiktok: @sakurasikhistrength Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@sakurasikhistrength  Send your thoughts: hello@sakurasikhistrength.com

  5. Oct 6

    Life Isn't a Ladder, It's a Jungle Gym - Raising Global Teens with Dr. Anisha Abraham (Ep 2)

    What's the one conversation you're not having early enough with your kids?  In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Anisha Abraham — board-certified pediatrician, adolescent medicine specialist, former U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel, Chief of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine at Children's National Hospital, and author of Raising Global Teens: Parenting in the 21st Century — for a conversation on teen mental health, substance-use prevention, and raising kids across cultures. This episode explores: Why half of all adult mental health issues take root by age 14 or 15How she talks to her own teenage sons about substance use, fentanyl, and harm reductionWhy identifying three trusted adults in a teen's life is genuinely protectiveWhy asking directly about suicidal thoughts, at any age, opens the door to support rather than increasing riskRedefining "global teens" — why it applies to far more families than just those who move internationallyReframing setbacks as "bounce," not failureEssential insight: "Life is not linear. It is not a ladder... it was more like a jungle gym, and there's many different ways to get to the top." About Dr. Anisha Abraham: A board-certified pediatrician and adolescent medicine specialist, former U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel, and Chief of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine at Children's National Hospital. Author of Raising Global Teens: Parenting in the 21st Century, a TEDx speaker, and 30 years counseling young people. The daughter of South Indian immigrants, she's raised her own two sons across Asia, Europe, and the US. Whether you're raising kids across cultures, navigating tough conversations about mental health, or just want language for talking to your teen about hard things — this conversation delivers. 0:00 Introduction 0:45 Growing up as the daughter of South Asian immigrants 2:30 Mental health stigma in South Asian families 3:30 Moving her family to Hong Kong 5:15 Joining the Army 6:00 Being a parenting expert whose own kids still push back 7:15 The "no pills" conversation and keeping Narcan at home 8:15 What "global teens" really means 9:45 What makes global teens' struggles different 12:15 What's happening in a teenager's brain during puberty 16:15 Setting boundaries kids will still test 17:45 What the Netherlands gets right about talking to teens about sex 20:30 Parenting differently as partners from two cultures 21:45 Teen depression and anxiety in her practice 23:00 Growth mindset and reframing mistakes as "bounce" 24:30 Reflective questions, praising effort, and the power of "yet" 25:45 The biggest parenting mistake: not having conversations early enough 26:45 Building a resilience toolkit 28:00 Normal adjustment vs. needing professional help 29:30 Spotting a struggling teen: early detection and three trusted adults 31:15 Talking directly about suicidal thoughts, at any age 33:45 What she'd tell a struggling teen directly 34:30 The one thing she hopes readers remember 35:30 Life isn't a ladder — it's a jungle gym Connect with Sakura, Sikhi & Strength 🌸☬️💪:  🎧 Available everywhere you listen to podcasts: https://linktr.ee/sakurasikhistrength  Instagram: @sakurasikhistrength  Tiktok: @sakurasikhistrength  Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@sakurasikhistrength  Send your thoughts: hello@sakurasikhistrength.com

  6. Sep 29

    Every Closed Door Was a Redirection - Reinvention, Faith & Becoming with Sukhi Dhillon (Ep 1, Pt 2)

    What does it cost a woman to speak up in her own community? In Part 2 of this conversation, Sukhi Dhillon — college science teacher, community organizer, and the voice behind One Sikh Mom — joins me to go deep into raising Sikh teens, choosing faith on your own terms, and the real barriers she's faced as an outspoken woman in Sikh community leadership. This episode explores: Why role-modeling faith works better than pushing it onto the next generationChoosing Sikhi rather than only being born into itBeing barred from speaking at the Gurdwara — and reframing it as "not a me issue, a them issue"Running for school board trustee, and the underrepresentation of South Asian and Sikh women in politics and community leadershipWhat it means to genuinely love the version of yourself you're becomingMemorable Insights: "I love who I'm becoming right now. I love my gray hair, and I love creating content, and I love my students so much." Sukhi's reflection on reinvention closes out this two-part conversation perfectly — and it's not just about her. This part of our conversation also got personal for me, as I ended up sharing how this podcast itself started: an idea on a plane, a call to a studio the next day, and no real plan beyond just trying. This concludes our two-part conversation with Sukhi Dhillon. Part 1 covered her career reinvention journey — going back to school at 45 after professional-school rejections and a disability leave — plus the health-literacy gap facing South Asian women around perimenopause and menopause. Essential context for this deeper conversation. Whether you're navigating your own leadership barriers, raising the next generation, or just curious what it looks like to keep becoming at every stage, this conversation offers real, grounded perspective. ⏱️ Episode chapters:  0:00 Raising Sikh teens and teaching faith without pushing it  4:33 Choosing Sikhi, not just being born into it  5:30 Cutting hair and pushback from the community  9:30 Conversations she's having with her kids that her parents never had with her  13:00 Community organizing and 11 years leading Sikh Heritage Month  14:33 Running for school board trustee  16:00 Barred from speaking — barriers as a woman in Sikh community leadership  18:30 Where Sikhi shows up during hard times  20:15 What version of yourself are you becoming?  22:30 There's no harm in trying — reinventing yourself at 45  23:15 How this podcast started: an idea on a plane  23:45 Closing thoughts Connect with Sakura, Sikhi & Strength 🌸☬️💪:  🎧 Available everywhere you listen to podcasts: https://linktr.ee/sakurasikhistrength  Instagram: @sakurasikhistrength  Tiktok: @sakurasikhistrength  Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@sakurasikhistrength  Send your thoughts: hello@sakurasikhistrength.com

  7. Sep 22

    Every Closed Door Was a Redirection - Reinvention, Faith & Becoming with Sukhi Dhillon (Ep 1, Pt 1)

    When did you first realize your mom never told you anything about menopause? In Part 1 of this two-part series, I speak with Sukhi Dhillon, a college science teacher, community organizer, and the voice behind One Sikh Mom, whose path to where she is now was anything but a straight line. Sukhi's journey included rejection from dental and optometry schools, a career-ending disability leave from dental hygiene, and reinventing herself by earning her bachelor's in education at 45. On social media, she's breaking stigmas around menopause, alcohol, mental health, and raising Sikh kids — and her Cycle Breaking series is helping women across generations speak up about what they've been told to stay silent about. This episode explores: Reframing career rejection and setbacks as redirection, not failureGoing back to school at 45 — and why she wasn't scared, just excitedWhy South Asian women were never taught anything about menopausePerimenopause starting as early as 35, and the symptoms nobody warns us aboutThe specific cycles she's actively breaking for her kids: financial independence, fair partnerships, emotional opennessHow she navigates consent and digital footprint as a content-creator parentMemorable Quote: "When I got through this stage, you come to a realization that you actually think that it's a white woman thing, because our moms never talked about it." Sukhi's insight into the health literacy gap facing South Asian women is one of the most direct moments of this conversation. Coming Next Week: Part 2 goes even deeper — into raising Sikh teens, choosing faith on your own terms, and the barriers Sukhi has faced as an outspoken woman in Sikh community leadership. Whether you're navigating a career pivot, curious about perimenopause, or just want to hear from a woman who's genuinely unafraid to talk about what nobody else will — this conversation delivers. Connect with Sakura, Sikhi & Strength 🌸☬️💪:  🎧 Available everywhere you listen to podcasts: https://linktr.ee/sakurasikhistrength  Instagram: @sakurasikhistrength  Tiktok: @sakurasikhistrength  Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@sakurasikhistrength  Send your thoughts: hello@sakurasikhistrength.com

  8. Sep 15

    Sakura, Sikhi & Strength - Season 2 Trailer: Becoming

    Welcome back to Sakura, Sikhi & Strength — Season 2 is here, and it picks up right where we left off, exploring what it means to keep becoming who we are, even after we’ve found our footing between cultures. I’m Asees Sethi Anand, your host, and as someone born in Japan, raised in Los Angeles, and now living in New York City, I’ve spent this podcast digging into what it means to navigate life between worlds. Season 1 explored identity, belonging, and navigating life across cultures. Season 2 goes further: reclaiming heritage and choosing faith on our own terms, navigating professional spaces that weren’t built with us in mind, raising children across cultures, and giving our teens and young adults tools around mental health, resilience, and money that many of us never had. Whether you’re in your 20s still figuring out your path, your 40s reinventing yourself, your 60s discovering new depths to your faith, or anywhere in between — this season was built for you. New episodes every Tuesday starting next week. Subscribe now so you don’t miss a single conversation. Connect with Sakura, Sikhi & Strength: Instagram: @sakurasikhistrength TikTok: @sakurasikhistrength YouTube: @sakurasikhistrength All links: https://linktr.ee/sakurasikhistrength Email: hello@sakurasikhistrength.com

See All (23)

5
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

Welcome to Sakura, Sikhi & Strength - a podcast about finding strength in the space between cultures and thriving through life's constant changes. I'm Asees Sethi Anand, your host, and as someone born in Japan, raised in Los Angeles, educated globally and now living in New York City, I understand what it means to navigate life between worlds. This podcast is for anyone building careers, starting families, caring for loved ones, and writing their own definition of success - all while honoring the beautiful complexity of multicultural identity. Whether you're a third-culture kid, second-generation immigrant, or simply someone who feels caught between cultures, this show is your space to feel seen, understood, and empowered. Join me for honest conversations about resilience, growth, and finding your strength in the spaces that make you uniquely you.  New episodes coming weekly. Subscribe now so you don't miss a single story. Connect with me:  Instagram: @sakurasikhistrength  Email: hello@sakurasikhistrength.com

Information

  • Creator
    AAnand
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    23
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Sakura, Sikhi & Strength
  • Show Website
    Sakura, Sikhi & Strength