Geena Rocero, a public speaker and trans rights advocate, shares her inspiring journey from the glamorous world of Filipino beauty pageants to the modeling scene in the U.S. She reflects on the struggles of living with a secret about her identity, the liberation she felt after her powerful TED Talk in 2014, and the significance of embracing her nickname, 'Horse Barbie.' Geena also discusses the intersection of gender, spirituality, and self-acceptance in her life, highlighting the emotional challenges faced in the fashion industry.
33:21
forum Ask episode
web_stories AI Snips
view_agenda Chapters
menu_book Books
auto_awesome Transcript
info_circle Episode notes
question_answer ANECDOTE
Horse Barbie Origin
Geena Rocero's pageant competitors called her "horse" due to her long neck, profile, and dark skin.
Her manager reframed it, saying she looked like a "Horse Barbie," which became a source of strength.
insights INSIGHT
Horse Barbie's Significance
"Horse Barbie" represents an inner spirit of dignity, strength, and self-belief.
It helped Geena stay grounded during challenging times.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Connecting with Inner Strength
Identify and nurture your inner "Horse Barbie" or source of strength and certainty.
Meditation, especially loving-kindness meditation, can help access this inner strength.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Published in 1937, 'The Hobbit' is a children's fantasy novel that introduces readers to the richly imagined world of Middle-earth. The story follows Bilbo Baggins, a home-loving hobbit, who is persuaded by Gandalf to join Thorin and his twelve dwarves on a quest to reclaim their treasure from the dragon Smaug. During the journey, Bilbo encounters various creatures, including trolls, goblins, and the mysterious Gollum, and discovers a magical ring that renders the wearer invisible. The novel is a prequel to 'The Lord of the Rings' and explores themes of personal growth, courage, and unexpected heroism[2][4][5].
Horse Barbie
Geena Rocero
Horse Barbie is a memoir that chronicles Geena Rocero's life from her early days as a trans pageant queen in the Philippines to her rise as a model in the United States. The book explores her journey of self-discovery, the challenges of living a double life, and her path to reclaiming her true identity. It is a story of survival, love, and joy, offering insights into the experiences of trans individuals.
Chatter
The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters, and How to Harness It
Ethan Kross
In *Chatter*, Ethan Kross delves into the silent conversations we have with ourselves, examining how these internal dialogues shape our lives, work, and relationships. Kross, drawing from his own lab research and real-world case studies, explains how negative self-talk (referred to as 'chatter') can have detrimental effects on our health, mood, and social connections. However, he also provides tools and strategies to manage and harness this inner voice positively. These tools include techniques such as zooming out to gain perspective, using the second person to increase psychological distance, and leveraging the power of nature and placebos. The book is a comprehensive guide on how to transform negative self-talk into a constructive and supportive inner voice.
New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers.
We’re going to start experimenting with these Friday episodes. Historically on Fridays, we’ve dropped guided meditations – and we will still do that – but we’re also going to try some different formats, including some shorter episodes with guests that might not be a fit for our traditional Monday and Wednesday shows.
Today we’ve got Dan’s new friend Geena Rocero. She has an incredible story about what it’s like to live with an all-encompassing secret.
Geena was born and raised in the Philippines. There, she became a star on that country’s thriving transgender beauty pageant scene. Then she moved to America to launch her modeling career. But here, in this new country, she was justifiably very worried about letting anybody in the fashion world know that she was transgender. So for many many years, she lived with a secret -- one that could destroy her livelihood at any moment. In 2014, she decided to come out publicly in a TED Talk that now has more than 4 million views. She’s now a public speaker, trans rights advocate and an award-winning producer/writer/director.
She is also an author, just out with a new memoir, called Horse Barbie. You’ll hear her explain what that title means. We also talk about the cost of living with a secret, why she decided to come out, and the overlap between gender and spirituality.
10% Happier with Dan Harris 
