Tradition Breakers

Goldie Chan: The "Oprah of LinkedIn" on Personal Branding for Introverts & Owning Your Voice as an AAPI Creator

What does it look like to take up space authentically — without burning out, performing, or shrinking yourself to fit cultural expectations? In this episode of Tradition Breakers, host Mary Moses sits down with Goldie Chan — keynote speaker, founder of Warm Robots, Forbes senior contributor, cancer survivor, and the creator known as the "Oprah of LinkedIn" after posting 800+ consecutive daily videos. Goldie is also the author of Personal Branding for Introverts, the book that flips traditional branding advice on its head and shows introverts how to build a brand that energizes them instead of draining them. Mary and Goldie dig into what it really means to break tradition in healthy ways — especially as AAPI women navigating cultural pressure to stay quiet, achieve perfectly, and never share struggle publicly. Goldie opens up about the silver linings of her cancer journey, the book event where nobody showed up (and why she posted about it), and how radical honesty has shaped her career. In this conversation: * The "scaling vs. stacking" strategy for building income and opportunities * Why "loud introverts" exist — and how to find your own way to take up space * The Ideal Daydreaming exercise for designing a life that fills your energy * Why the "person" in personal branding is you, not a persona * How to open doors and pull other AAPI, BIPOC, and women's voices through with you If you've ever felt like personal branding wasn't built for people like you — quiet, thoughtful, culturally complex, or simply tired — this conversation is your permission slip to do it your way. Grab Goldie's book, Personal Branding for Introverts, wherever books are sold. Topics: personal branding for introverts, AAPI identity, breaking cultural traditions, LinkedIn strategy, public speaking, Asian American entrepreneurship, loud introverts, surviving cancer, community over hustle. Follow Tradition Breakers for more conversations that inspire AAPI folks to break the traditions holding them back from the life they truly desire. Links: * Schedule a call with Fractional CMO, Mary Moses: https://marymoses.com/ [https://marymoses.com/] * Follow Tradition Breakers on Instagram: https://instagram.com/traditionbreakers [https://instagram.com/traditionbreakers] * Follow Mary on Instagram: https://instagram.com/maryvmoses [https://instagram.com/maryvmoses] * Follow Goldie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/goldie/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/goldie/] * Visit Goldie's website: https://www.goldiechan.com/ [https://www.goldiechan.com/]

AI for Entrepreneurs & Creatives: Practical Steps to Gain a Competitive Edge

Most entrepreneurs focus on solving big problems—what if AI could help you streamline those solutions and genuinely grow your business? Tim Park, an AI expert passionate about empowering real estate professionals and all industries, reveals how you can harness the power of AI—even if you're not tech-savvy—to automate tasks, create personalized tools, and gain a competitive edge in your market. In this episode, Tim shares his inspiring journey from initial AI experiments to building agency tools that generate leads, automate workflows, and revolutionize how small businesses operate. Discover how AI's potential extends far beyond tech-enthusiasts, making it accessible for solo entrepreneurs and established companies alike. You'll learn practical strategies for starting with AI—asking the right prompts, creating custom agents within ChatGPT, and leveraging open-source tools like OpenClaw for autonomous operation. Tim breaks down how AI can improve marketing, streamline hiring, and even build tailored solutions that give your business a unique advantage. Plus, get his insights on navigating security risks, understanding the right models to use, and the future of AI-driven jobs and investments. This isn't just tech talk—it's a call to action for founders who want to stay ahead. If you're ready to move from fear to mastery, this episode is your blueprint for turning AI into your most powerful business partner. Whether you want to automate your processes, create new products, or simply understand what's possible, Tim's insights will inspire you to start small and scale fast. Essential listening for entrepreneurs, real estate pros, or anyone eager to see how AI can unlock new growth. Don't miss out—your AI revolution begins now. Links: * Schedule a call with Fractional CMO, Mary Moses: https://marymoses.com/ [https://marymoses.com/] * Follow Tradition Breakers on Instagram: https://instagram.com/traditionbreakers [https://instagram.com/traditionbreakers] * Follow Mary on Instagram: https://instagram.com/maryvmoses [https://instagram.com/maryvmoses] * Follow Tim Park on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/timpark.ai/ [https://www.instagram.com/timpark.ai/] * Visit Tim Park's website: https://parkailabs.com/ [https://parkailabs.com/] About the Podcast: Tradition Breakers highlights the stories of AAPI's who have stepped off traditional paths to pursue their own creative, entrepreneurial, or unconventional careers. Through candid conversations, the show explores identity, purpose, and what it takes to build a life aligned with your truth and passion.

How Asian American Parents Can Keep Their Values While Raising Emotionally Confident Kids

What does it look like to honor the values you were raised with — high standards, resilience, hard work — while also raising kids who are emotionally confident, able to express themselves, and free from shame? That's the question at the center of this conversation with Dr. Michelle Chung, clinical psychologist and co-founder of The Modern Asian Parent. Michelle works with Asian American families every day and has seen firsthand why popular frameworks like gentle parenting don't resonate — and what a culturally informed approach actually looks like in practice. Together, Mary and Dr. Chung unpack the real difference between guilt and shame (and why one is actually healthy), why fear-based parenting quietly creates a scarcity mindset, how to set high standards without breaking your child's spirit, and what it truly means to be a cycle breaker — not by abandoning your roots, but by evolving them. In this episode: * Why Asian parents feel caught between tradition and modern parenting advice * The Tiger Mom debate: what it gets right and what it misses * Guilt vs. shame: the critical distinction every parent needs to understand * Two types of perfectionism showing up in Asian kids today — and how to respond to both * How phones, social media, and constant comparison are affecting your child's sense of identity * Teaching kids to find their voice, set boundaries, and advocate for themselves * Small daily acts that make you a cycle breaker This one is for every parent who doesn't want to choose between their culture and their child's emotional wellbeing — because you don't have to. Links: Schedule a call with Fractional CMO, Mary Moses: https://marymoses.com/ [https://marymoses.com/marketing] Follow Tradition Breakers on Instagram: https://instagram.com/traditionbreakers Follow Mary on Instagram: https://instagram.com/maryvmoses [https://instagram.com/maryvmoses] Follow the Modern Approach To Parenting: https://modernapproachtoparenting.org/ [https://modernapproachtoparenting.org/] Follow Dr. Michelle Chung's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.michellechung/ [https://www.instagram.com/dr.michellechung/] About the Podcast: Tradition Breakers highlights the stories of AAPI's who have stepped off traditional paths to pursue their own creative, entrepreneurial, or unconventional careers. Through candid conversations, the show explores identity, purpose, and what it takes to build a life aligned with your truth and passion.

The Creative Process for Writers: Drafts, Feedback & Perfectionism

What does it really take to build a life as a writer? In this episode of Tradition Breakers, Mary sits down with award-winning Filipino-American writer and journalist, Ryan Riddle, to talk about the creative process, finding your authentic voice, and building a sustainable career as a storyteller. Ryan shares how he transitioned from pursuing a traditional career path to writing professionally, the lessons he learned after abandoning his first novel, and why he believes "voice is forged, not forced." The conversation explores the intersection of identity, creativity, and craft—and why living life is essential to writing meaningful stories. Ryan also dives into the genres he loves most, science fiction and noir, and how those worlds allow him to explore deeper questions about humanity, identity, and what it means to be Filipino in the diaspora. Whether you're a writer, artist, entrepreneur, or creative professional, this episode is full of insights about perseverance, storytelling, and the importance of simply doing the work. In this episode, we discuss: * How Ryan knew writing was the path he wanted to pursue * The moment he decided to move away from traditional career expectations * Why sci-fi and noir are powerful genres for exploring humanity * His creative process for writing film, TV, and comics * Why perfection is the enemy of progress in creative work * The importance of authenticity in storytelling * How writers can improve their craft through feedback and community * Why creatives need to live fully in order to create meaningful art * Ryan's upcoming sci-fi project Distant Worlds and future film projects Key Takeaway: "Voice is forged. It is not forced." — Ryan Riddle Creative voices develop through experience, persistence, and the willingness to keep showing up and doing the work. Connect with Ryan: Schedule a call with Fractional CMO, Mary Moses: https://marymoses.com/ [https://marymoses.com/marketing] Follow Tradition Breakers on Instagram: https://instagram.com/traditionbreakers Follow Mary on Instagram: https://instagram.com/maryvmoses [https://instagram.com/maryvmoses] Website: https://RyanThomasRiddle.com [https://RyanThomasRiddle.com] Instagram: https://instagram.com/ryanthomasriddle Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/ryanthomasriddle Ryan mentioned that his DMs are open and he welcomes hearing from writers and creatives who want to connect. About the Podcast Tradition Breakers highlights the stories of AAPI's who have stepped off traditional paths to pursue their own creative, entrepreneurial, or unconventional careers. Through candid conversations, the show explores identity, purpose, and what it takes to build a life aligned with your truth and passion.

Designing the Invisible: How Systems, Power, and Futures Shape Our Lives with Lee-Sean Huang

What does it mean to design the invisible systems that shape our everyday lives? In this episode of Tradition Breakers, Mary sits down with Lee-Sean Huang—artist, service designer, educator, and Co-Executive Director of AIGA—to unpack how the systems we move through every day are intentionally designed, and why centering real human needs in those systems matters more than ever. Lee-Sean's work lives at the intersection of design, social impact, and future thinking. From redesigning financial services for New York City residents, to working with genocide memorials in Rwanda, to advocating for labor justice in higher education, his career challenges the idea that design is just about aesthetics. Instead, it's about power, access, culture, and imagining better futures—plural. Together, Mary and Lee-Sean explore his winding path from political science at Harvard to service design, how growing up as a 1.5-generation Taiwanese American shaped his worldview, and what it means to navigate identity, leadership, and belonging across cultures. They also dive into futures thinking—how leaders, founders, and creatives can intentionally imagine what's coming next instead of reacting to change after it arrives. This conversation is for anyone thinking deeply about how systems are built, who they're built for, and how creativity can be a tool for collective care and social change. In this episode, we cover: * What service design is—and why it shapes nearly every experience we have * Designing systems around how people actually move through the world * Growing up between cultures as a 1.5-generation immigrant * Power dynamics, leadership, and being perceived in professional spaces * Why imagination is essential for founders, creatives, and change-makers * Futures thinking, AI, and navigating between utopia and dystopia * Rethinking labor, community, and collective organizing in modern work About Lee-Sean Huang: Lee-Sean Huang is an artist, designer, and educator whose work focuses on service design, social innovation, and futures thinking. He is the Co-Executive Director of AIGA, the professional association for design, and has taught at Parsons School of Design, NYU, and SVA. His work spans civic systems, financial services, education, and community-centered design, with a deep commitment to equity and human-centered futures. If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who's building, leading, or imagining a better way forward—and don't forget to subscribe to Tradition Breakers for more conversations about identity, creativity, and redefining success on your own terms. Links: * Schedule a call with Fractional CMO, Mary Moses: https://marymoses.com/marketing [https://marymoses.com/marketing] * Follow Tradition Breakers on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/traditionbreakers [https://www.instagram.com/traditionbreakers] * Follow Mary on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/traditionbreakers [https://www.instagram.com/traditionbreakers] * Visit Lee-Sean's website: https://foossa.com/ [https://foossa.com/] * Visit Lee-Sean's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leesean [https://www.linkedin.com/in/leesean]