My Day Job

How do you grow a business people already love and choose the right people to grow it with? Celine Bacani, co-owner of Lee’s Donuts and a real estate professional, joins me to share the experiences and decisions behind both careers. Growing up in Vancouver, Lee’s was part of her family’s visits to Granville Island. Years later, she and her husband, Allan, became the people helping shape its next chapter. We talk about protecting what makes Lee’s special as it expands, learning to trust others with what you’ve built, and working with the person you come home to. Celine opens up about growing at different speeds in a relationship, giving each other room to make mistakes, and why love alone isn’t enough to make a business partnership work. Along the way, we get into her competitive ballet years, the first boss who gave her a chance, and how her real estate career connects with growing Lee’s. A conversation about taking risks, choosing your people, and figuring out what success needs to leave room for. In this episode, we explore: • How competitive ballet shaped Celine’s discipline—and the all-or-nothing thinking she’s learning to loosen • What helping open a Dairy Queen taught her about leadership and trusting people before they’ve proven themselves • Growing Lee’s Donuts while protecting its community roots • Choosing business partners who share your values • Working with your spouse when you don’t always agree or grow at the same pace • How real estate helped create a foundation for her other businesses • Redefining success through family time, self-acceptance, and decisions she can feel good about Explore Celine’s businesses: Lee’s Donuts IG: @leesdonuts.ca YVT Real Estate IG: @yvtrealestategroup Super Me. IG: @besuperme Enjoyed the conversation? Follow My Day Job Podcast, leave a review, or send this episode to someone you think would enjoy this conversation. Find us on Instagram: @mydayjobpodcast

Jay Kiew has helped more than 50,000 leaders navigate change, but he's been living it his whole life. Over lychee Hi-Chew, we talk about guiding his blind dad through Singapore, moving eight times before age 12, surviving eye cancer as a baby and betting on himself with a mortgage on the line. Jay also gets real about losing his confidence on stage, being one of the few Asian speakers in the room and raising daughters who know they can figure things out. Connect with Jay • Book: Change Fluency: A Playbook for Leading Through Disruption • Website: changefluency.com • Instagram: @changefluency • LinkedIn: Jay Kiew • YouTube: @ChangeFluency Mentioned in this episode • Shawn Kanungo, innovation strategist and keynote speaker • Jerry Won, speaker coach and founder of World Class Speakers

What happens when your day job is helping tech startups grow and your night job is making strangers laugh? Meet Bradley Fung, Education Program Manager at New Ventures BC and stand-up comedian who won Canada's Next Best Comic at the Sorry Comedy Festival. From growing up as a shy kid in East Van to performing at Just for Laughs Vancouver, Bradley shares how he balances two very different worlds, lessons he’s learned along the way, and the one flop that still haunts him today. I don’t think I’ve laughed so much interviewing a guest before. Hope you’ll get some chuckles listening to this episode! Bradley’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bjfung3/ Buds and Suds Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/budsandsudscomedy/

This week's guest, Lisa Nakamura Durrell, has spent her career finding the human story hiding inside every industry – food, TV, brand work, you name it. In our conversation, she takes me back to her childhood in Calgary, split between Vietnamese, Japanese, and Canadian worlds, and walks through the unlikely chain of events that got her a spot on a national cooking show. We also talk honestly about ambition after motherhood, what she's still trying to figure out now, and why she'd rather measure her life day by day than chase one big legacy.

In this episode of My Day Job, I sit down with Vanny Whitchelo — host of Khmer Voices podcast, and co-founder and director of the Cambodian Cultural Centre in British Columbia. Vanny arrived in Canada from a refugee camp at just three years old. Her journey since then has been anything but linear. From navigating identity as a Cambodian-Canadian teenager, to a winding career through communications, nonprofit work, social media, and eventually finding her way back to her roots through cultural advocacy and storytelling.

Nhu is the founder of Nhu Design Studio, where she helps mental health coaches, somatic healers, and wellness practitioners build brands rooted in real story. But before any of that made sense, she was a sixteen-year-old exchange student landing in California with a new American name, a fearless attitude, and zero plan beyond wanting to see a bigger world. Her path from there was anything but linear. From community college in San Jose with some twists and turns that made a pandemic-era logo challenge on Instagram into a business. In this episode, we talk about what it feels like when purpose arrives before you're ready for it, the loneliness of entrepreneurship nobody warns you about, why branding is really about listening, starting therapy as an Asian woman, and why she stopped going by Nina and reclaimed her Vietnamese name. We also get into what success actually means when you strip away the highlight reel. And for Nhu, it has nothing to do with designer bags.

Kathryn Chao is a group benefits consultant with 16+ years in the industry and principal advisor at JM Group Benefits Consultants. In this episode, we're snacking on childhood crackers and getting into the stuff that doesn't make it onto a LinkedIn profile - growing up in Richmond with a strict mom, stumbling into insurance through a summer job, moving to LA during COVID as a self-described introvert, and ultimately coming back to Vancouver to build her own business. Kathryn also opens up about navigating divorce and the practices that helped her come back to herself through therapy, boundaries, solitude, and gratitude. This one's a reminder that your career path and your life path are the same path.

What does it actually mean to be free to be yourself? Alan Yuarata grew up in a rural village in the Philippines, lost his father when he was young, and won a national writing award at 17. In 2010, he moved to Canada and started over. Today, he helps run one of Canada’s busiest airports and he’s also a published children’s book author. In this episode, Alan shares how moving to Canada gave him the space to build a life, embrace his identity as a gay man, and write something he once thought he’d never share.

What happens when the “stable” path starts to feel… unsustainable? In this episode, I sit down with Melissa Ng, a CPA-turned-entrepreneur who went from corporate finance (including mergers & acquisitions) to building multiple six- and seven-figure businesses. She eventually co-founded Amplify, where she helps creator-entrepreneurs scale with sustainable systems and virtual events. Over snacks and plenty of real talk, Melissa shares what actually pushed her to explore entrepreneurship, why she doesn’t recommend quitting your 9–5 too early, and how her upbringing in a traditional Asian household shaped her relationship with risk, success, and self-belief. If you’ve been quietly wondering if there’s another way to build a career and a life that actually fits, this one’s for you! 🎧 Listen now and share this episode with a friend who’s been thinking about starting “the thing.”

In this episode of My Day Job, I sit down with Yat Li, a 2025 Business in Vancouver 40 under 40 recipient, award-winning disability advocate and Associate Director at Open Door Group, for a conversation we don’t have nearly enough at work (or in life really). We talk about disability, not as a checkbox or HR policy, but as something deeply human and personal. Yat shares what it was like growing up as a disabled Chinese Canadian, navigating stigma, silence, and the quiet calculations that come with deciding when (and whether) to disclose his disability to friends and coworkers. We unpack the emotional weight of self-advocacy, the fear of being seen differently, and the relief that can come when workplaces choose understanding over assumption. This conversation moves between personal story and practical reality. Yat reflects on the moments that shaped his path into advocacy, the people who made space for him when it mattered most, and the small changes that can make work feel safer and more accessible for everyone. We also get into what real inclusion actually looks like beyond the buzzwords, and the tangible steps employers and teams can take to create environments where people don’t have to hide parts of themselves just to belong. This episode is not just about disability, it’s also about dignity, representation, and the quiet courage it takes to show up fully as you are.

In this episode, I’m reflecting on the biggest lessons I learned from the guests who joined me on My Day Job this year. These weren’t lessons I set out to collect. They showed up through honest conversations, shared experiences, and moments that made me pause and rethink how I’m moving through my career and my life. Thank you for joining me this year, I hope to see you in 2026. Happy new year!

In this episode, I sit down with Natasha Jung - Founder, CEO, and Executive Producer of Cold Tea Collective. We talk about how she built a platform rooted in honest, community-driven storytelling and what it’s meant for her to create space for Asian diaspora voices in media. Natasha shares the early days of building the Collective, the life experiences that shaped her leadership, and why the power of storytelling and authenticity is so important. Together, we explore what it means to grow a career while staying connected to your own story, how definitions of success evolve over time, and why representation and community matter so deeply. It’s a warm, grounded conversation about creativity, identity, and discovering why everyone's story matters.

Have you ever faced rejection and wondered how to bounce back stronger? In this solo episode, I dive deep into the emotional journey of recovering from setbacks, exploring practical strategies and personal insights to help you turn rejection into growth. Whether you're dealing with a recent disappointment or want to build resilience for the future, this episode offers honest reflections, actionable advice, and a reminder that you're not alone. Tune in and discover how to transform rejection into a powerful catalyst for your next chapter.

Ever feel like you’re living two lives, one at work and one everywhere else? In this episode, I sit down with leadership coach James Beng Lee to unpack his delicious metaphor: going from bento box (compartmentalized, fragmented) to bibimbap (integrated, whole). We dive into the costs of living divided lives, how unhealthy comparison creeps into our success metrics, and what it looks like to redefine success from the inside out. James also shares deeply personal turning points that led him to this work, and practical steps for anyone ready to show up as their authentic self in every space they occupy. About James Beng Lee: James is a coach and leadership advisor with over 25 years in corporate leadership. He helps high achievers move away from external validation and toward holistic human development. Learn more about James at https://liveholystic.com/

We’ve been taught to work hard, stay composed, and keep our heads down. But what if the key to a more fulfilling career is learning how to feel? In this episode of My Day Job, I sit down with trauma-informed executive coach Amanda Lee of ATTICA Coaching to talk about why emotional awareness isn’t just a “soft skill”, it’s a survival tool, especially for high-achieving Asian professionals navigating layoffs, burnout, and constant pressure to perform. Amanda shares her personal story of overworking, losing herself in the grind (even while managing events for people like Michelle Obama), and what it took to finally come back to herself. We unpack how emotional suppression gets in the way of clarity, confidence, and alignment, and how learning to feel can help you reclaim all three. If you’ve ever felt numb, stuck, or secretly unfulfilled at work… this one’s for you! 🎙️ In this episode: - What emotional awareness really is (and why most of us avoid it) - How cultural values around achievement can disconnect us from ourselves - What happens when you stop performing and start listening inward - Somatic tools and practical ways to name, sit with, and move through emotion - Why feeling might just be the smartest (and most radical) move you make Learn more about Amanda at atticacoaching.com or follow @atticacoaching on Instagram and LinkedIn.

In this solo episode of My Day Job, I delve into the topic of identity and how we often let our job titles define who we are. I discuss the reasons behind this phenomenon, especially among the Asian diaspora and children of immigrants, and explore ways to separate self-worth from professional achievements. Learn about some of my personal experiences, red flags of over-identification with work, and actionable steps to explore one's true identity outside of their career. Tune in for a thought-provoking conversation that invites you to rediscover who you are beyond your job title, all while enjoying a tasty snack!

From Shy Girl to Creative Powerhouse: The Inspiring Journey of Hankyul Oh Join me in this laughter-filled episode of My Day Job as I chat with the dynamic Hankyul Oh, Co-founder and Creative Director of GENE. Get ready for a ride through Hankyul's captivating story—from her humble beginnings as a shy Korean-Canadian immigrant who battled language barriers, to her transformative band camp experience, to eventually making waves in the creative industry. Discover how the pandemic nudged her back to Korea, where she Co-founded a creative agency working with big, global brands. Filled with personal anecdotes, cultural reflections, and career advice, this episode is a treat for anyone looking to break out of their shell and find success. Grab some snacks and tune in for an inspiring, human, and truly relatable conversation.

On this episode of My Day Job, I sit down with Diana Chan, a designer by day and food content creator by passion. Diana shares how a bootleg copy of Photoshop led her to a design career at Vancity Credit Union, how her food blog turned into an influencer brand, and how she juggles it all while raising two kids. We chat about: 👩🏻‍💻 How she landed her design job (without a formal design degree!) 🍕 The moment her food blog turned her into an influencer 👶🏻 Balancing motherhood, career, and content creation Listen in as we snack, chat, and laugh our way through this episode!

With the holiday season in full swing, this episode with Adriana is sure to fill your heart with joy. From Indian Chinese food to teaching in Taiwan, Adriana's journey is anything but conventional. We chat about my experience volunteering at A Better Life Foundation where I learned firsthand about the community Adriana serves in her day job. We also dive into the twists and turns of her career and what brought her into the non-profit space. I encourage you to learn more about A Better Life Foundation and consider donating to this meaningful cause if you're able to this holiday season (and beyond!). Learn more about A Better Life Foundation: https://www.abetterlifefoundation.ca/ Donate here: https://www.abetterlifefoundation.ca/donate/

From scrubbing hubcaps to training technicians at head office, Andrew's journey through the automobile industry is nothing short of a thrill ride. In this episode, we dive into his love for cars, discovering his Filipino roots, and the surprising twists that took him from wielding a wrench to rocking a suit. Curious about how it all came together? Buckle up and start your engines—you won’t want to miss this one!