Finding Flow Between Discipline and Surrender

What if the most culturally fluent person you know has never left their hometown? In this episode, Mo Fong sits down with Patrick Terrien — President & CEO of the Columbus Council on World Affairs and founder of the Global Fluency Institute. Patrick shares how a French exchange student at age 10 ignited a lifelong passion for cross-cultural connection, why some of the most well-traveled executives still lack cultural intelligence, and what it really means to get out of your bubble. They explore finding unexpected entry points to cultural conversations through food and agriculture, navigating directness across cultures, what allyship looks like from a position of privilege, and why the most important step toward cultural understanding is being comfortable with being uncomfortable.

What does home mean when you've been away for 30 years — and what happens when you step off the plane and it feels like you never left? In this episode, Mo Fong sits down with Khánh Vũ — former CEO of SASE, Vietnamese war refugee, and one of the most respected voices in the AAPI nonprofit space. Khanh shares how coming to the US at age five shaped his drive to mentor the next generation, why the Harvard study on happiness changed how he leads, and what it means to do work that makes your soul resonate. They explore understanding the "tape recorders" in our heads from childhood, navigating cultural habits in the workplace, supporting women in STEM, and why impact — not income — is the real measure of a life well lived.

What does it mean to be the only person in the room who looks like you — and how do you turn that into your greatest strength? In this episode, Mo Fong sits down with Hope Yanling Yin — tech executive turned executive coach, founder of Blueprint Coaching, and proud AWCC member. Hope shares how she chose her English name to spark meaning, why she left a Fortune 25 career after nearly 30 years to coach full-time, and how she reframes being "the one and only" from isolation into advantage. They explore getting closer to your fears instead of running from them, making your work visible when culture says keep your head down, integrating cultures rather than losing either one, and Hope's dream to impact a million women in tech.

What if your greatest fuel has been burning you out? In this episode, Mo Fong sits down with Gloria Synn — executive and life coach, founder of FLOWST8TE, creator of My Radiance, and former marketing leader at Goop, Nordstrom, Dollar Shave Club, and Accenture. Gloria shares how immigrating from Korea to Argentina to America shaped her drive — and how getting fired at the peak of her career became the greatest gift she ever received. Together, they explore the difference between "dirty fuel" (grit, white-knuckling, survival mode) and "clean fuel" (flow, purpose, ease), what surrender really means through a surfing lesson in Baja, why radiance is a noun and not a verb, and how community became the source of energy she never had growing up.

What happens when the life you've been running on autopilot suddenly forces you to stop? In this episode, Mo Fong sits down with Tracy Kreiss — leadership and mental wellness coach, author of 21 Day Shadow Work, ICF Sacramento board member, and someone who has spent 25 years helping professionals develop as leaders. Tracy shares how her husband's diagnosis with Lewy body dementia became the wake-up call that pulled her off the hamster wheel and into a completely different way of living and leading. Together, they explore why so many high performers operate in survival mode without realizing it, what conscious leadership really means, how shadow work uncovers the limiting beliefs we've been carrying since childhood, and why self-love — not the bubble bath kind, but the deep internal dialogue kind — is the foundation for every meaningful relationship, including leadership.

What happens when the company you built to save lives almost breaks you in the process? In this episode, Mo Fong sits down with Jane Chen — New York Times bestselling author of Like a Wave We Break, co-founder of Embrace (whose portable incubator has helped save over a million babies), TED speaker, and Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum. Jane shares how losing everything she thought defined her forced her onto a healing journey that completely changed her understanding of resilience, identity, and leadership. Together, they explore why high achievers tie their self-worth to productivity, how to listen to the wisdom of your body and emotions, the power of Inner Family Systems (parts work) for self-compassion, and what surfing taught Jane about surrendering control. If you've ever pushed past exhaustion and called it resilience, this conversation will challenge everything you thought you knew.

Her book is called Writing an Identity Not Your Own — but swap one word, and it becomes a guide for every coach. In this episode, Mo Fong sits down with Alex Temblador, award-winning mixed Latine author and journalist whose work has appeared in National Geographic, Condé Nast Traveler, and Architectural Digest. Alex grew up in a mixed Mexican and white household with a queer brother and a sister with intellectual and physical disabilities, and she witnessed bias up close long before she had the language for it. Together, they explore how words shape bias in ways we don't even realize, why identity is intersectional and never fixed, the difference between identity-first and person-first language, how to audit your coaching practice and business for unconscious assumptions, and why seeking discomfort is where real growth happens. Alex's advice: expect mistakes, look for them, reflect on them, and keep going.

What does it mean to create a "third cultural space" where everyone can flourish? In this episode of Magnolia Talks, Christina Burrows shares her journey as a mixed-heritage woman navigating multiple cultures—from growing up with a Korean mother and British father to living across six countries and building a career in intercultural leadership coaching.We explore what cultural agility really looks like, why the dominant culture is often invisible to those within it, and how tools like the Intercultural Development Inventory can reveal our "cold shower moments" of growth. Christina challenges us to move beyond both assimilation and resistance, inviting us instead to stretch toward one another and co-create spaces where differences are recognized, valued, and bridged with intention.About Christina: Christina Burrows is the founder of Jigsaw Intercultural Leadership Coach, which supports individuals and teams in cultivating self-awareness, empathy, and cultural agility to build stronger connections across differences. Drawing from her experiences living in the UK, France, Germany, Canada, and the US, with a professional background in secondary and higher education, pastoral ministry, and global nonprofit leadership, Christina partners with leaders to achieve their personal and professional goals, empowering them to flourish in every area of life.You can find the entire series of Magnolia Talks on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. For more information about this podcast and AWCC, please visit https://www.awcoachingcollective.org/. Extra special thanks to Mo-Lei Fong for directing and hosting this season of Magnolia Talks, Jean Yi for producing, and Gabriel Fong for contributing artwork.

What does it take to step into visibility when everything in your cultural upbringing has taught you to stay small? In this opening episode of Season 3 of Magnolia Talks, Sheena Yap Chan shares her powerful journey from feeling ashamed of her Asian identity to founding the Confidence Through Visibility Movement.We explore the courage it takes to be seen as an Asian woman, the cultural scripts around self-promotion and perfectionism that hold us back, and why "ready, fire, aim" might be the mindset shift we need. From dyeing her hair blonde to reclaiming her authentic self, Sheena's story illuminates how visibility isn't just about personal branding—it's about dismantling stereotypes, building resilience, and creating space for the next generation of leaders.About Sheena: Sheena Yap Chan is a Wall Street Journal and Publisher's Weekly bestselling author, keynote speaker, strategist, and award-winning podcaster. She is the founder of the Confidence Through Visibility Movement and host of the Tao of Self-Confidence podcast, which is ranked in the top 0.5% globally with over 1.3 million downloads. Her debut book, The Tao of Self-Confidence, was named one of the top 20 bestselling self-confidence books of all time by Book Authority, while her latest release, Bridging the Confidence Gap, is a bold call to reimagine leadership by making visibility and self-trust core competencies.You can find the entire series of Magnolia Talks on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. For more information about this podcast and AWCC, please visit https://www.awcoachingcollective.org/. Extra special thanks to Mo-Lei Fong for directing and hosting this season of Magnolia Talks, Jean Yi for producing, and Gabriel Fong for contributing artwork.

What if your coaching tools could help clients reconnect with who they truly are — and release what’s holding them back? In this closing episode of Season 2 of Magnolia Talks, Jen Lin shares how Human Design and Energy Balancing became foundational in her work.We explore how Energy Balancing helps clients move through stress and stuckness by releasing internal saboteurs, while Human Design offers a powerful framework for understanding one’s innate makeup and way of being. At the heart of it all? Supporting clients in embracing and living as their most authentic and unique selves.About Jen: Jen Lin is a career and well-being coach where she has enjoyed empowering hundreds of people to discover and live to their full potential. In her coaching, Jen helps people connect the intelligence of their mind to the wisdom of their body, as a Teacher & Advanced Practitioner of Eden Energy Medicine where she has helped people strengthen their body’s energy. Jen also helps people make authentic decisions to live as their unique self, as a Human Design Professional Analyst where she has guide people in understanding who they truly are. Jen also enjoys training thousands of people in developing their leadership skills, as a teacher and former engineering director at Google.You can find the entire series of Magnolia Talks on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. For more information about this podcast and AWCC, please visit https://www.awcoachingcollective.org/. Extra special thanks to ⁠Diane Kim⁠ who has beautifully directed, hosted and edited this season of Magnolia Talks.