“I’m preparing to have my heart broken again.” After a grueling 7-8 week audition process for the role about to change his life, Justin Chien receives a text from the casting director saying, “Can we talk?” He goes into the conference call, fully bracing for bad news to break. After what felt like a painful eternity of cordial thank yous, the project’s writer Byron Wu, and director Kevin Tancharoen finally tell Justin, “You got the part.” Justin stars alongside the incomparable Oscar-winning actress Michelle Yeoh as a ruthless killer in the upcoming dark comedy gangster Netflix series (it’s quite a mouthful), “The Brothers Sun.” The show features an all-Asian writers' room and a primarily Asian cast. Join Justin and me in discussing pursuing creative careers as Asian Americans (and the difficult talks we have with our Asian parents because of that), persevering during dry seasons, and knowing your “why” as an artist. Cheers 乾杯 🍵,Melissa 以欣 Keep up with Justin's work on ⁠Instagram⁠. Follow hAAPI hour on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ for episode highlights and guest reveals. Have someone you want featured? Email ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠ or send a message on Instagram @haapihourpod. Music from ⁠Epidemic Sound⁠. Like the music? Find the hAAPI hour playlist ⁠here⁠. And if you sign up for Epidemic Sound through the playlist link, you'll get 1 month for free. Hosted/created by ⁠Melissa Cho --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/haapihour/support

no one has ever made me laugh as hard as my good old friend brendan, one of the first-ever friends i made when i transferred to a new school during junior year. we have quite a special bond because we played husband and wife three times on stage throughout high school (and siblings the fourth time, which is kinda messed up). i’m thrilled that more people will be able to cackle alongside me during the newest episode of hAAPI hour (i kept crying when i was editing this episode). brendan worked in taipei for a couple of years and recently moved to LA to start law school at UCLA, so i planned for us to have the most epic catch-up session. we talk about what he’s been up to, his impulsive decision to start busking on the streets of taipei, why the two of us are still chronically single, and the top 3 things we look for in a partner (but who knows, brendan and i may just become husband and wife in real life). come be a fly on the wall for hAAPI hour today 🪰. cheers 乾杯 🍵,melissa 以欣 Follow hAAPI hour on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ for episode highlights and guest reveals. Have someone you want featured? Email ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠ or send a message on Instagram @haapihourpod. Music from ⁠Epidemic Sound⁠. Like the music? Find the hAAPI hour playlist ⁠here⁠. And, if you sign up for Epidemic Sound through the playlist link, you'll get 1 month for free! Hosted/created by ⁠Melissa Cho --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/haapihour/support

Hello new listeners from Instagram, TikTok, and wherever in the online multiverse! I'm glad you're here. Reintroducing myself to those who are new, sharing some hAAPI hour milestones from the past week, and sharing with you another cool podcast I was featured on. Enjoy! Follow hAAPI hour on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ for episode highlights and guest reveals. Have someone you want featured? Email ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠ or send a message on Instagram @haapihourpod. Music from ⁠Epidemic Sound⁠. Like the music? Find the hAAPI hour playlist ⁠here⁠. And, if you sign up for Epidemic Sound through the playlist link, you'll get 1 month for free! Hosted/created by ⁠Melissa Cho --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/haapihour/support

There’s a high chance you’ve seen Danny’s pottery-making videos floating around the online content stratosphere, so you might already have an image of who he is: he’s an LA-based potter who’s captured thousands of [sometimes overly effusive] followers’ hearts with his one-of-a-kind pottery style, awkward charm, and kind personality. But Danny didn’t officially start his pottery business until last year. Our conversation is split into two sections: pre-potter Danny and potter Danny. Before ceramics, Danny wore several other hats: a line cook at Izakaya, the beverage director at a swanky restaurant in Toronto, Canada’s best young sommelier in 2019, and a managing restaurant partner, to name a few. And spoiler alert, he’s not Canadian. It’s important to bring up these past experiences because they’ve molded (pun intended) Danny into the friendly neighborhood potter he is today. We spent the morning talking in his garage studio. Flies constantly attacked us, but it was an honor shooting in the place where he affectionately chats with his adorable elderly neighbors and does what he loves. And, of course, this interview would not be complete if I didn’t ask him what everyone is thinking: how does it feel knowing that all the girlies and gays are obsessed with you? I look forward to you joining Danny and me for hAAPI hour. Cheers 乾杯， Melissa 以欣 Follow Danny on Instagram and TikTok. Check out his online shop and subscribe to his newsletter here. Follow hAAPI hour on ⁠Instagram⁠ for episode highlights and guest reveals. Have someone you want featured? Email ⁠[email protected]⁠ or send a message on Instagram @haapihourpod. Music from ⁠Epidemic Sound⁠. Like the music? Find the hAAPI hour playlist here. And if you sign up for Epidemic Sound through the playlist link, you'll get 1 month for free. Hosted/created by Melissa Cho --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/haapihour/support

time for a catch-up sesh seggzies. i took last week off from hAAPI hour so i could spend some happy hour outside my hAAPI hour editing bubble. i spent last week celebrating both my close friend's and i's birthdays (i swear, why are all of our birthdays in july?), so it's been a pretty jam-packed month of social events—the most social i've ever been. can't wait to loop you in on all that's happened recently in this episode—i'm planning on doing more solo episodes in the future so i can catch up with y'all on a more personal level. but we got some amazing guests lined up, y'all aren't ready. they're so good. keep tuning in and thanks for the support <3, cheers 🍸. Follow hAAPI hour on ⁠Instagram⁠ for episode highlights and guest reveals. Have someone you want featured? Email ⁠[email protected]⁠ or send a message on Instagram @haapihourpod. Music from ⁠Epidemic Sound⁠. Like the music? Find the hAAPI hour playlist here. And, if you sign up for Epidemic Sound through the playlist link, you'll get 1 month for free! Hosted/created by Melissa Cho --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/haapihour/support

As a child of Lao and Black-Italian parents, Ariel's multifaceted identity was always broken down by others into percentages. But my guest offers a new perspective on why she regards herself as 100 percent Asian, 100 percent Black, and 100 percent Italian. And as a successful 24-year-old model who's worked with brands such as Converse, ARE YOU AM I, Wildflower Cases, Huf Worldwide, Baboon to the Moon, Boohoo, and Princess Polly Boutique, we can undoubtedly categorize her as 100 percent Slay. Follow Ariel on Instagram and TikTok. Follow hAAPI hour on ⁠Instagram⁠ for episode highlights and guest reveals. Have someone you want featured? Email ⁠[email protected]⁠ or send a message on Instagram @haapihourpod. Music from ⁠Epidemic Sound⁠. Like the music? Find the hAAPI hour playlist here. And, if you sign up for Epidemic Sound through the playlist link, you'll get 1 month for free! Hosted/created by Melissa Cho --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/haapihour/support

XTINA GG saw a Craigslist ad one day about streaming for a [now defunct] startup, and that's how their streaming career started. At Polygon, the leading platform for video games and entertainment content, XTINA runs point on the company's social media platforms and appears regularly on Polygon's Twitch streams and longer form YouTube videos. You may notice that XTINA is referred to as "they." XTINA goes by she/they pronouns, which may sound confusing, but hear in our conversation how they experienced genitalia dysmorphia as an adolescent and eventually decided on their nonbinary identity. Follow XTINA GG on Instagram and check out their work on Polygon's Instagram and TikTok. Follow hAAPI hour on ⁠Instagram⁠ for episode highlights and guest reveals. Have someone you want featured? Email ⁠[email protected]⁠ or send a message on Instagram @haapihourpod. Music from ⁠Epidemic Sound⁠. Like the music? Find my playlist with the music I've used here. And, if you sign up for Epidemic Sound through the playlist link, you'll get 1 month for free! Hosted/created by Melissa Cho --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/haapihour/support

Less than a year ago, Jisu Kim was working full-time at Trader Joe's. She had decided to not pursue medical school after graduating from USC's pre-med track because she knew her calling was meant elsewhere. After years of struggling with her relationship with family, food, and self, Jisu knew she had to transform her life. In six months, her life completely changed. Her Instagram account grew to over a hundred thousand followers in less than three months, moved out of her family's place, quit her job at Trader Joe's, and officially became a full-time content creator. Jisu's giant leap of faith paved the way for her life's biggest breakthrough (yet). To anyone feeling that their purpose is too late to be fulfilled, I hope this episode tells you otherwise. Enjoy. 🍸 Buy an alarm clock! Here's the one that Jisu recommended (it's under $30). Ready to begin your therapy journey? Find your perfect therapist through this online Inclusive Therapist Directory. Follow Jisu on Instagram Follow hAAPI hour on ⁠Instagram⁠ for episode highlights and guest reveals. Have someone you want featured? Email ⁠[email protected]⁠ or send a message on Instagram @haapihourpod. Music from ⁠Epidemic Sound⁠. Like the music? Find my playlist with the music I've used here. And, if you sign up for Epidemic Sound through the playlist link, you'll get 1 month for free! Hosted/created by Melissa Cho --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/haapihour/support

Our hAAPI hour guest today Gabby Masuda is a successful model and content creator who's worked for major brands with massive cult followings (Nike Swim, Ritual, Rare Beauty, IPSY, Pinterest). But today, Gabby opens up a previous chapter of her life that most people don't know about—getting married at 23, but knowing deep down that she was queer. Terrified of claiming her queerness in spaces that didn't welcome people like her, it took almost Gabby's entire life to finally admit her hidden identity to those closest to her, but most importantly, herself. But once her mindset shifted, her entire life did as well. Ready to begin your therapy journey? Find your perfect therapist through this online Inclusive Therapist Directory (approved by our mental health expert guest!). Follow Gabby on Instagram! Follow hAAPI hour on ⁠Instagram⁠ for episode highlights and guest reveals! Have someone you want featured? Email ⁠[email protected]⁠ or send a message on Instagram @haapihourpod. Music from ⁠Epidemic Sound⁠. Like the music? Find my playlist with the music I've used here. And, if you sign up for Epidemic Sound through the playlist link, you'll get 1 month for free! Hosted/created by Melissa Cho --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/haapihour/support

i have no idea how to encapsulate what this episode is about here. it got pretty chaotic. just listen to it pls. See more of Steven's work here. Follow hAAPI hour on ⁠Instagram⁠ for episode highlights and guest reveals! Have someone you want featured? Email ⁠[email protected]⁠ or send a message on Instagram @haapihourpod. Music from ⁠Epidemic Sound⁠. Like the music? Find my playlist with the music I've used here. And, if you sign up for Epidemic Sound through the playlist link, you'll get 1 month for free! if you're reading this, go buy a lint roller. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/haapihour/support