In this episode of Tradition Breakers, host Mary Moses sits down with Michelle Florendo — a Stanford-trained Decision Engineer, executive coach, and Filipino American mother of two — to unpack the exact 3-part framework she teaches leaders to make decisions with clarity, confidence, and intention.

If you've ever felt overwhelmed by choices, stuck in analysis paralysis, or pressured to follow the "safe" path you were raised to pursue, this conversation will feel like a breath of fresh air.

Michelle breaks down the proven decision-making model taught at Stanford — Objectives, Options, and Information — and explains how to use it to move through life with less stress and more alignment. She also shares deeply personal insights about being raised by immigrant parents, unlearning the old rulebook for success, and navigating the fear and risk aversion common in the AAPI community.

You'll learn:

• The 3-part framework that simplifies even the most complex decisions

• Why smart, successful people still get stuck in overthinking — and how to stop

• How to integrate emotion + logic for choices that "feel right" and make sense

• The difference between a maximizer and a satisfier mindset

• How children of immigrants can redefine risk and choose paths that honor both heritage and individuality

• Why making intentional decisions is not only a skill — but a privilege and a gift

Whether you're navigating a career pivot, entrepreneurship, parenthood, or simply trying to make better choices with less stress, this episode gives you the tools and language to move forward with confidence.

If you're an AAPI creative, founder, or leader working to break tradition and build a life on your own terms — this conversation was made for you.

Links:

• Schedule a call with Fractional CMO, Mary Moses: https://tastydirectives.com/contact
• Follow Tradition Breakers on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/traditionbreakers
• Follow Mary on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/traditionbreakers
• Visit Michelle's website, Powered By Decisions, where her information, courses, services, and podcast link live: https://www.poweredbydecisions.com/
• Connect with Michelle on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelleflorendo

In this deeply moving episode of Tradition Breakers, host, Mary Moses, sits down with Alice Kao — an Asian American woman who went from being a 12-year-old "parachute kid" raising herself in the U.S. to becoming the CEO of one of Southern California's largest indoor climbing gyms, Sender One.

Alice opens up about the raw, often unseen journey behind her success. She shares how being sent to the U.S. alone as a child forged a resilience and independence that later became essential in building a multi-location climbing gym and leading through crises like the COVID-19 pandemic.

Her entrepreneurial story began with heartbreak. After a devastating breakup left her in depression, Alice discovered rock climbing — a sport that grounded her, healed her, and connected her to a community that would eventually inspire her to build something far bigger than she ever imagined.

As one of the few Asian women CEOs in the climbing industry, Alice talks candidly about the weight of cultural expectations, what she calls her "Asian woman backpack," and her lifelong dance with imposter syndrome. She shares why emotional vulnerability is core to her leadership, how asking for help became her superpower, and why community — not strategy — is truly what sustains entrepreneurs.

This conversation is for anyone who has ever felt like an outsider, carried the pressure of immigrant-family expectations, or built something while healing themselves at the same time.

• How being a "parachute kid" shaped Alice's survival instincts and leadership style

• Why rock climbing became the gateway to her emotional healing

• How a passion project grew into one of SoCal's largest climbing gym companies

• What it means to lead as a vulnerable, emotionally honest Asian American woman

• The truth about imposter syndrome and the "Asian woman backpack"

• How asking for help became Alice's defining leadership strength

• The loneliness of entrepreneurship and the power of community

• The lifelong work of self-acceptance, breaking traditions, and redefining identity

Links:

• Schedule a call with Fractional CMO, Mary Moses: https://tastydirectives.com/contact
• Follow Tradition Breakers on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/traditionbreakers
• Follow Mary on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/traditionbreakers
• Visit Sender One's website: https://www.senderoneclimbing.com/
• Connect with Alice on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alice-kao-ca

In this powerful episode of Tradition Breakers, host Mary Moses sits down with Ingrid Hu Dahl, leadership coach, consultant, and author of the memoir, Sun Shining on Morning Snow, for an intimate conversation on identity, grief, belonging, and the evolution of "humane leadership."

Born into an interracial household and navigating life as a mixed-race, queer Asian woman, Ingrid grew up straddling cultures, expectations, and the feeling of being "othered." After the loss of her mother to cancer, she felt an urgent calling to preserve her family's stories and confront the deeper layers of identity she'd long carried.

In this episode, Ingrid shares:

• How grief cracked her open and transformed her relationship with purpose

• What it means to "become" when you've grown up mixed, underrepresented, or invisible

• Why she walked away from big tech to create more human-centered leadership spaces

• Her critique of cortisol-driven hustle culture and how leaders can detox from burnout

• The truth about authenticity, belonging, and choosing your own bold path

• Why mixed-race representation is one of the fastest-growing cultural needs today

Listen in for a story that reminds us: we get one life. Choose boldly. Choose yourself. Choose humanity.

Links:

• Sign up for the Growth Reset Audit (only 5 spots): https://tastydirectives.com/
• Follow Tradition Breakers on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/traditionbreakers
• Follow Mary on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/traditionbreakers
• Visit Ingrid Hu Dahl's website: https://www.ingridhudahl.com/
• Order Ingrid's book, Sun Shining on Morning Snow: https://www.sunshiningonmorningsnow.com/
• Catch Ingrid on stage in 2026: https://criticalmixedracestudies.com/cmrs2026-conference-theme/