Shoes Off Inside with MKT
Shoes Off Inside with MKT
Shoes Off Inside with MKT
Three trailblazing Asian American women in TV journalism and Hollywood join forces to rattle some cages and dismantle tired old stereotypes about race, age, sex and culture. Award-winning journalist May Lee and actresses Kelly Hu and Tamlyn Tomita (a.k.a. MKT) take on topics that aren't often discussed in the most open, authentic and, sometimes, hilarious way because they are unafraid to be fully themselves. They're all 50+ and fabulous so they got nothing to hide and they are beyond the point of caring about what other people think! So take your Shoes Off Inside and join MKT to engage, contribute, challenge and, most importantly, have fun! Lots and lots of FUN!
EP 39 - Crossroads in the Year of the Fire Horse
This podcast has been chugging away for six years, which is a lifetime in the world of podcasting. First as "The May Lee Show" when Covid-19 was raging and Anti-Asian hate was exploding. Then the show evolved into "Shoes Off Inside" with May Lee, Kelly Hu and Tamlyn Tomita. The trio of bold, outspoken and entertaining Asian American women did what they do best...speak openly and honestly about anything and everything. In this unusual episode, May is solo and speaks from the heart about the pa...
Feb 16
23 min
Ep 38 - Our Favorite things with a Twist
It's that time of year again when May, Kelly and Tamlyn share their "Favorite Things" for the holidays, BUT this year they took a bit of a turn given how challenging 2025 has been. Instead of focusing on things, they're sharing how experiences like travel, new puppies and our mothers, which have brought us both incredible joy and profound heartbreak. MKT also have a rather salty conversation about a certain kind of dog treat and what it's potentially made of. To say the chat goes off the rail...
Dec 8, 2025
1 hr 3 min
EP 37 Our Girls Matter! Better Breast Screening
October was Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but honestly, breast health is something we need to stay aware of all year. Regular screenings are key—but here’s the shocker: traditional mammograms can miss up to 50–60% of breast cancers in women with dense breast tissue. And dense breasts are common—about 40% of women in the U.S. have them, and around 80% of Asian women do. But there is a better option. In this episode, we talk with Brendan Foley, President and Co-Founder of Eve Wellness, about a...
Nov 6, 2025
57 min
EP 36 - Navigating Grief and Love: A Candid Conversation
In this heartfelt episode, May, Kelly and Tamlyn discuss the emotional journey of dealing with loss, particularly May's experience with her mother's cancer and recent passing. They explore the significance of expressing love, cultural differences in communication, and the impact of grief on personal identity. MKT also touch on the complexities of hospice care, the importance of preserving family legacies through storytelling and the unique presence of Asian mothers in the lives of their daugh...
Jul 22, 2025
53 min
EP 35 - Everything and the Kitchen Sink (including the madness of Trump)
In this episode of "Shoes Off Inside", we attempt to talk about everything and the kitchen sink because there is so much happening every week, every day, every hour. May, Kelly and Tamlyn recorded this episode before protests against ICE raids in the Los Angeles area were inflamed by Trump's order to send in the National Guard and threats of U.S. military intervention. But make no mistake, MKT do NOT hold back when it comes to their thoughts on Donald Trump and his policies, Elon Musk and his...
Jun 9, 2025
48 min
EP 34 - Tariff Confusion and Small Business
The trade war between the U.S. and the world isn’t just an abstract concept. It’s something very real and painful for small businesses, especially those that rely on products from China. In this episode, we talk to two Asian American female small business owners who are fearful about their future because of the wild swings in tariff policy. First it was a 145% tariff imposed by Donald Trump on all Chinese imports to the U.S.. China responded by slapping a 125% tariff on U.S, imports. But on M...
May 12, 2025
1 hr 11 min
EP 33 - Battle Royale, China vs. U.S.
The current trade war between the U.S. and China has already sent shock waves around the world and this is just the beginning IF an agreement can't be reached. But there are some giant obstacles that stand in the way of any peace...Donald Trump's lack of understanding when it comes to China's global reach and influence AND Xi Jinping's need to show strength against a perceived western bully. Xi is already shifting from American reliance and cutting new deals with other nations. But it's not j...
Apr 18, 2025
48 min
EP 32 - Muting the Voice of America
On a daily basis, Americans and the world are being overwhelmed by the Trump administration's decisions that are deeply consequential politically, economically, socially and constitutionally. Since Trump's first term, the press has been under fire often being called the "Fake News". In this second term, the attacks are growing stronger. On March 15, the U.S. President signed an executive order to shut down the Voice of America, a government funded network that has provided news and informatio...
Apr 4, 2025
40 min
EP 31 - Collective Effervescence
What happens when we take ACTION to find joy, connection and inspiration? From taking a vacation to going to see live theatre to getting emotionally invested in the livelihood of a bald eagle family (May is obsessed!), these are just some of the ways we are finding light in the darkness. But that's not to say May, Kelly and Tamlyn are ignoring the reality of what's happening around us. The key is to find the humanity in our stories, in art, in history, in nature, in life. And when we come tog...
Mar 17, 2025
50 min
EP 30 - Erosion of Journalism
One important pillar of a functioning Democracy is the press and the ability to freely report truth and fact to the public. But has been a steady erosion of journalistic efforts due to the current political chaos in the U.S. and that is leading to genuine fears that journalism, as we know it, will soon vanish and, instead, a type of propaganda will take its place. This is textbook dictatorial behavior. May is joined by fellow journalist, Rebecca Sun, to talk about how their industry has chang...
Mar 8, 2025
1 hr 1 min
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