Thrive Spice Vanessa Tsang Shiliwala

How do you turn trauma into purpose? This AAPI Heritage Month, get ready to be inspired as Michelle Li, TV journalist and Co-Founder of the #VeryAsian Foundation, opens up about her healing journey as a Korean adoptee and author. She's faced the "double shame" of not feeling Asian enough or American enough, and dealt with the trauma of racism both in and out of the newsroom. But Michelle didn't let those struggles defeat her. Instead, she turned them into purposeful action through the #VeryAsian Foundation and her children's book, A Very Asian Guide To Korean Food. She's bringing diverse AAPI representation to children's libraries and education systems across the US and shares her personal stories of healing racial trauma. You'll also learn about her emotional reunion with her birth family in Korea, the hilarious things mixed-race kids say about being Asian, and why Asian American history matters. Plus, we celebrate some of the best Korean American chefs and Midwest Asian history and culture.

Prefer to watch the podcast? Watch the full interview video on YouTube here.

About Vanessa Shiliwala (she/her): Vanessa is the Founder/CEO of Thrive Spice Media, a mental health podcast and leadership platform that seeks to amplify and empower AAPI leaders, creators, and changemakers. She is also an award-winning DEI advocate, speaker, senior marketing leader, mother, and NYU graduate. You can find her on instagram @thrivespice. To learn more about her Mental Health Masterclasses and Diversity & Inclusion leadership development workshops for AAPI, BIPOC, women, and LGBTQ+ ERGs and corporate groups, please go to ThriveSpiceMedia.com.

About Michelle Li (she/her):
Michelle Lee is an award-winning veteran TV journalist and news anchor, and co-founder of the #VeryAsian Foundation,  a non-profit focused on shining a light on Asian experiences through advocacy and celebration. You may have heard of her when she went viral back in early 2022 after receiving a racist voicemail about her TV broadcast, where she shared that one of her family traditions was eating Korean dumplings to celebrate the New Year.  
Michelle is herself a Korean American adoptee and spent many years supporting adoptees through heritage camps and volunteer tours to Korea. She also launched a program to support Missouri children in foster care. Michelle's journalistic work has been honored with a National Peabody Award, several national Murrows, and multiple regional Emmys, often dealing with race or gender inequities. Michelle has appeared on CNN, NBC, CBS, ABC, and the Washington Post. Michelle currently resides in St. Louis with her family. She is @MichelleLiTV on most platforms. A Very Asian Guide to Korean Food is her first children's book. 
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In honor of Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week and AAPI Heritage Month, host Vanessa talks with Neha Ruch, Founder of Mother Untitled, about choosing yourself, unsubscribing from judgements and self-doubt, and finding growth and clarity in times of transition.  As modern, ambitious, Asian American women raising mixed-race families, Neha and Vanessa share their perspectives on nonlinear career journeys and deconstruct the narratives behind the “stay-at-home” vs. “working” moms debate.  We discuss redefining success metrics, "having it all," and healing racial and intergenerational trauma.

Neha shares her personal journey as an Indian-American mother navigating motherhood, entrepreneurship, and activism, and how she finds joy in purpose and passion. Plus: we nerd out over the best pasta in NYC, interior design, and the most valuable lessons that are NOT taught in business school.

Prefer to watch the podcast? Watch the full interview video on YouTube here.

About Vanessa Shiliwala (she/her): Vanessa is the Founder/CEO of Thrive Spice Media, a mental health podcast and leadership platform that seeks to amplify and empower AAPI leaders, creators, and changemakers. She is also an award-winning DEI advocate, speaker, senior marketing leader, mother, and NYU graduate. You can find her on instagram @thrivespice. To learn more about her Mental Health Masterclasses and Diversity & Inclusion leadership development workshops for AAPI, BIPOC, women, and LGBTQ+ ERGs and corporate groups, please go to https://www.thrivespicemedia.com.

Resources for Maternal Mental Health Week 2023:
The Blue Dot Project
Postpartum Support International - dedicated groups are available for South Asian and AAPI moms and birth parents
Postpartum New York - PPD, PMAD (Perinatal Mood Disorders, the #1 complication related to childbearing)
Research and Resources for AAPI Moms - Motherly
Thrive Spice episode on destigmatizing postpartum depression (PPD) with comedian Alyce Chan
Thrive Spice episode on pregnancy loss and adoption with author Lyn Liao Butler
Research report - AAPI women are at higher risk of PPD than White, Black or Hispanic women
#MMHWeek2023 #apahm #aapiheritagemonth #mentalhealthawarenessmonth #mentalhealthformoms #AsktheQuestionNY #Project62NY #maternalmhmatters #aapimentalhealth #asianmentalhealth #aapimoms #asianmoms
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Join Vanessa Shiliwala and special guest Leslie Lew as we hold space for AAPI community healing in the aftermath of Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay shootings. It's a raw, honest session as we struggle to process grief alongside joy during Lunar New Year, which is supposed to be a time of celebration, community and joy.  We talk about the intersections of anti-Asian violence and mental health, self-worth, and why we will not be silenced as Asian women. 

Plus: we want to hear from you.  Send us your voice memos or audio clips to info@thrivespicemedia.com or DM us on instagram @thrivespice.

About Leslie Lew (she/her): Leslie is a trauma-informed self-defense coach, international speaker, and podcast host. You can find her on Instagram @reclaimingyourcourage and listen to her podcast Reclaiming Your Voice. She will be hosting a healing circle this upcoming week. For details, please visit her Instagram.

About Vanessa Shiliwala (she/her): Vanessa is the Founder/CEO of Thrive Spice Media, a mental health podcast and leadership platform that seeks to amplify and empower AAPI leaders, creators, and changemakers. She is also an award-winning DEI advocate, speaker, senior marketing leader, mother, and NYU graduate. You can find her on instagram @thrivespice.

Resources:

Stand with Asian Americans x Google x Coqual - "Strangers at Home: Key Findings on Asian and Asian American professionals, and erasure and invisibility of Pacific Islanders"

Lunar New Year Victim's Fund

Stop AAPI Hate Mental Health Resources Guide (San Mateo County and virtual/nationwide)

Asian Mental Health Project

Asian American Journalists Association - verified pronunciation of victims' names in the Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay shootings

Asian American therapist directory
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Vanessa interviews Nancy Luong, a senior marketing leader at Salesforce, author of "How We Got Here", and recently crowned Ms. Southern California 2023.  We talk about why allyship is the key to breaking the Bamboo Ceiling and Glass Ceiling, healing intergenerational trauma with immigrant parents, and busting money and success myths in a “Bling Empire” World. 

Nancy shares her personal mission to break down walls and barriers - whether it’s the Bamboo Ceiling at work, awkward family dynamics due to intergenerational trauma, or a “lack”/ scarcity mindset when it comes to personal finance and success. We talk about the importance of mental health for men, and why her struggles to connect with her emotionally distant dad inspired her to write “How We Got Here Journal” and how gratifying it is to “see the walls come down” in their relationship.

Plus: Vietnamese food and the common bond of Asian moms never measuring ingredients,  the frugal eco-warrior upcycling “immigrant mindset” that we experienced as kids, and unpacking personal finance myths that tie your happiness to your net worth or title.

About Nancy:
Nancy Luong is a Digital Program Manager at Salesforce and Co-President of AsiaPacforce with a background of 15+ years experience in digital marketing. She's a proud first generation daughter to Vietnamese and Chinese immigrants. Nancy is a Long Beach local, and a graduate of California State University Long Beach (CSULB). She is now a successful Fortune 500 senior marketer, financial content creator, keynote speaker, university educator, equality advocate, enthusiastic storyteller, and bestselling published author.

She believes everyone has a story and has created the How We Got Here Journal for you to tell your story. The journal is filled with 50 life changing questions to ask your parents or loved ones. 






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What happens when society is OK with Asian women feeling anxious - but not angry? Perhaps we find comfort with hyperproductivity  - until it leads to anxiety, burnout, and rage. “Busyness is an addiction to urgency,” says Dr. Jenny T. Wang, PH.D, a Taiwanese American psychologist, founder of @asiansformentalhealth and author of Permission to Come Home. Dr. Wang and Vanessa talk about creating healthy spaces for anger, untying our worth from our productivity, and why Dude Tribes might be a step in cultivating positive masculinity and community healing for Asian men.  As children of immigrants and parents, we discuss why AAPI youth suicide prevention is a multi-generational effort - not just about Gen Z.
Plus:  our favorite Taiwanese snacks, traveling with young kids, and daily habits for a brighter morning routine.

About Dr. Jenny Wang, PH.D:
Dr. Jenny T. Wang is a Taiwanese American clinical psychologist and national speaker on the intersections of Asian American identity, mental health, and intergenerational and racial trauma. Her professional mission is to destigmatize mental health within the Asian community and empower Asian Americans to prioritize their own mental well-being. She spearheaded the Asians for Mental Health therapist directory (www.asiansformentalhealth.com) to connect individuals with culturally reverent mental health care for Asian American diasporas. She created the Instagram community Asians for Mental Health (@asiansformentalhealth), where she explores the unique ways in which Asian American identity impacts our mental health. Her first book, Permission to Come Home: Reclaiming Mental Health as Asian Americans was published by Grand Central Balance in May 2022. She is a mental health advisory member of Wondermind and The Mental Health Coalition.
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 “I thought therapy was a hardcore luxury for the rich”, says Mrinal Gokhale, Author of Saaya Unveiled: South Asian Mental Health Spotlighted.  Mrinal shares how growing up as a bicultural, neurodivergent and "defiant" kid enabled her to become a game-changer in mental health. We explore what it means to be neurodivergent - which can span autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and even bipolar disorder, and what society can do to be more supportive. Join us as we unpack how stereotypes around gender, the Model Minority Myth and cultural habits like “sweeping it under the rug”  may actually intensify mental health conditions and isolation. Plus: building confidence through belly dancing, Desi wellness traditions like ayurveda and pranayama breathing exercises, and blending East and West when it comes to health and nutrition.

About Mrinal:

Mrinal Gokhale is an author and speaker with a passion for the human brain. She uses her voice to help shift the narrative around health and wellness. She recently published Saaya Unveiled: South Asian Mental Health Spotlighted , which shares 11 true stories of second generation Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi immigrants and how they navigate mental health in the West.  Topics covered are stigma, identity, trauma, and access, along with the goal of promoting acceptance and knowledge around mental health between generations.

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Thrive Spice Media is a digital media platform and podcast that is dedicated to advancing mental health and social impact for Asian Americans and underrepresented identities. We are now excited to offer Mental Health Masterclass workshops. For more information, please head to www.thrivespicemedia.com.


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