Episode Overview:

In this week’s episode, Lindsay speaks with Alex, Chief ProgramOfficer at LEAP, about how dominant leadership archetypes can cause Asian and Asian American professionals to feel pressured to choose between cultural values and workplace success. Alex describes the “invisible tax” of self-erasure, burnout, and imposter syndrome, and frames LEAP’s impact as helping participants realize they don’t need to fix themselves to fit anarchetype; they can “author” themselves, stop performing, and close the gap between who they are and how they lead.

The conversation explores Asian cultural values and how behaviors tied to hard work and achievement can be both helpful and hindering, including getting stuck in the weeds, missing networking and leadership opportunities, perfectionism, and low tolerance for ambiguity.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Breaking the Leadership Archetype: Why Leaders Don’tAll Look the Same

02:15 The ‘Invisible Tax’: Self-Erasure, Burnout, andImposter Syndrome

03:36 From Fixing Yourself to Authoring Yourself (and FindingYour Voice)

05:35 Meet Alex: The Mentors and Moments That Led to LEAP

11:58 AAPI Cultural Conditioning vs. Workplace Norms: Namingthe Core Values

13:33 When ‘Hardworking’ Backfires: Perfectionism, Ambiguity,and Looking Up

16:25 True North Check-In: Fulfillment, Purpose, and thePrivilege of Reflection

24:05 Being Misread at Work: Model Minority Myths and‘Executive Presence’

26:29 Code-Switching, Validation, and Burnout: Staying YouWhile Translating

29:25 Why We Don’t Celebrate Ourselves: Survival Mode &Upbringing

29:58 Imposter Syndrome, Deferral, and the Lifelong Journeyof Self-Worth

31:25 Turning Cultural Humility Into Strength: Anxiety asFuel & Leadership Relatability

35:08 Does It Get Easier? Leadership Growth, Hardship, andOne Foot Forward

39:18 Inside LEAP: “Keep Your Values, Develop New Skills” +Program Overview

45:43 What LEAP Feels Like: Culturally Affirming LearningEnvironments & Validation

48:48 How to Apply + New Learning Community for Disruptors(and It’s National)

51:14 Final Takeaway: Be Seen—In Any Moment, Choose Courage

What You’ll Learn:

• Why AANHPI underrepresentation in leadershipisn’t a talent gap, but a systems and archetype gap.
• How cultural values like humility and hard workcan be misread in Western workplaces.
• The hidden cost of self-erasure, code-switching,and performing instead of leading.
• Why leadership is a human experience rooted inconnection, not just outcomes or titles.
• How to stop fixing yourself and start authoringyour own version of leadership.
• 
  

About Alex Cena:

Alex Cena is the Chief Programs Officer at LEAP (Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics), where he leads the development and implementation of leadership programs serving AANHPI professionals across nonprofit, corporate, and highereducation sectors nationwide. As a leader with a background in higher education, student affairs, and nonprofitleadership, Alex brings over a decade of experience designing culturally responsive leadership development initiatives. His work centers on empowering leaders to keep their values while expanding their skills, challenging outdated leadershiparchetypes, and building pathways for AANHPI professionals to lead without self-erasure. Alex is passionate aboutcultivating community, amplifying underrepresented voices, and creating spaces where leaders can show up fully and authentically.

Connect with Alex:

LinkedIn

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@courageclasspod

@drlindsaykwockhu

www.drlindsaykwockhu.com/podcast

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Music Credit:

DayNigthMorning from Pixabayinvitation-no-copyright-music-388387

Memoria – Sadpiano and strings cinematic background, Descript

River Song, Descript

Episode Overview:

Lindsay talks with Amy Furuyama, a certified therapist and AASECT-certified sex therapist, about why sex feels so hard to talk about in many Asian communities - and how to change that without shame. Amy breaks down the cultural roots of silence, then shares practical tools for communicating desire, starting with self-knowledge and moving into teamwork with your partner. You’ll learn conversation scripts, how to reduce defensiveness, and a simple framework for understanding what turns you on (or shuts you down).

What You’ll Learn:

• Why sexual shame is so common for Asian women (purity narratives, silence, hypersexualization, history).
• How to start communicating about sex by firstbuilding comfort with your own body and desires.
• Practical ways to bring it up with a partner - timing,curiosity, and “putting it on a resource” (therapy/podcast/book).
• How couples can co-create a better sex lifeusing “sexual brakes and accelerators” instead of blame.

About Amy Furuyama, LCSW, Certified Sex Therapist

Amy Furuyama is a licensed therapist and AASCT-certified sex therapist based in Irvine, California. She helps individuals reduce sexual shame, reconnect with their bodies, and build confidence around desire and pleasure.

Growing up in the Korean community, sex was rarely discussed beyond risk and morality, leaving little space for conversations about autonomy, consent, or enjoyment. That silence - and itsimpact - led Amy to pursue sex therapy.

With over 15 years of experience as a social worker, Amy approaches her work as a form of resistance: helping clients unlearn harmful narratives and cultivate more compassionate, affirming relationships with their sexuality. Outside of therapy, she enjoys time with her husband and daughter, running, R&B, cozy coffee shops, and reading.

Connect with Amy:

https://www.amyfuruyama.com/

IG: @therapywithamy

Connect with Courage Class on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube:

@courageclasspod

@drlindsaykwockhu

www.drlindsaykwockhu.com/podcast

Sign up for Courage Class Notes, a weekly newsletter:

https://dr-lindsay-kwock-hu.kit.com/980fac101a⁠⁠

Music Credit: DayNigthMorning from Pixabayinvitation-no-copyright-music-388387

Episode Overview:

This week, Lindsay sits down with Dr. Yishan Xu, founder of Mind & Body Garden Psychology, an adjunct clinical faculty member at Stanford University School of Medicine, and a board-certified Behavioral Sleep Medicine specialist (DBSM). Together, they dismantle the myth of the “perfect” sleep routine - especially in high-achieving, hustle-conditioned cultures.

They explore why chronic sleep deprivation is so common (and even celebrated) in our community, plus the real short- and long-term costs it carries - from cognition and work performance to mood, empathy, and relationships.

Dr. Yishan breaks down the difference between sleep deprivation vs. insomnia, explains how different sleep stages support memory, emotional stability, and creativity, and shares simple, evidence-based shifts you can start today.

Most importantly, this conversation is a permission slip: your sleep isn’t broken, and you don’t need a one-size-fits-all routine. The goal is learning what your body needs and building a sustainable rhythm that supports the life you’re trying to create.

What you’ll learn in this episode

• How hustle culture in Asian communities normalizes sleep deprivation - and the hidden physical, emotional, and relational costs we often underestimate.
• Why rest can feel “lazy” or irresponsible in cultures that prize endurance, sacrifice, and achievement - and how to reframe sleep as an act of courage.
• How chronic sleep loss shows up in high achievers as perfectionism, irritability, anxiety, and strained relationships - even when life looks “successful” on paper.
• How to honor your body’s natural rhythm (instead of forcing early mornings or rigid routines) without betraying your values, family, or ambition.

About Dr. Yishan Xu:

Dr. Yishan Xu is a licensed clinical psychologist and an adjunct clinical faculty member at Stanford University School of Medicine. She is the founder and director of Mind & BodyGarden Psychology, one of California’s largest multilingualmental health clinics, with over 20 clinicians and satellite offices in New York City.

Dr. Yishan is a Board-Certified Behavioral Sleep Medicine Specialist (D-BSM) with specialties in sleep disorders (including insomnia and circadian rhythm disorders). She integrates evidence-based therapies - including CBT, CBT-I, ACT, DBT, and mindfulness-based approaches - with a holistic, lifestyle-medicine perspective.

Fluent in Mandarin and English, Dr. Yishan brings a culturally attuned approach to helping clients navigate stress, life transitions, relationships, and lasting personal change.

Connect with Dr. Yishan:

Website: https://www.mindbodygarden.com/

Instagram and TikTok: @dr.yishan

Deep Into Sleep Podcast: https://www.deepintosleep.co/

Connect with Courage Class on TikTok,Instagram, YouTube:

@courageclasspod

@drlindsaykwockhu

www.drlindsaykwockhu.com/podcast

⁠⁠Sign up for Courage Class Notes, a weekly newsletter:

https://dr-lindsay-kwock-hu.kit.com/980fac101a⁠⁠

Music Credit: DayNigthMorning fromPixabay invitation-no-copyright-music-388387