The Quest Pod with Justin Kan

Wellbeing in the workplace starts with transparency, vulnerability, and empathy. Mathilde Collin is the co-founder and CEO of Front App, where her mission is to help people everywhere find meaning and happiness with their work. I met Mathilde when she was going through Y Combinator back in 2014, and she has since raised over $138 million in venture capital funding. Mathilde took a leap of faith - she came all the way to San Francisco to pursue her start-up dream from France, despite never having travelled outside of Europe before her interview at YC. Mathilde is one of the most aware founders I know of. We discuss the importance of viewing founders and CEOs as people, showing vulnerability as a leader. We also discuss accepting change within ourselves and in other people, and its importance in framing ideas of happiness. What I admire the most about Mathilde is how she has been able to challenge the workplace status quo with honesty, empathy and radical transparency.  You can find Mathilde on Twitter and read her musings here.  📺 Experience The Quest Pod in 4K: https://youtube.com/c/TheQuestwithJustinKan🍎 iTunes: https://apple.co/3lU3fZs🎵 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3srzJwq✍️ The Quest Pod in print: https://thequest.media🌎 Everything Quest: https://bio.thequest.media

Could you imagine what it would be like to suffer a panic attack in front of five million people on live television? Journalist, author, and co-founder of 10% Happier, Dan Harris, was subjected to this terrifying experience as a news anchor on Good Morning America. Since this ordeal, he has embarked on a mission to encourage us to ask an important question: what is happiness, and how can we work towards it?  I've been following Dan's journey for a long time. His work really resonates with me and I have applied a lot of similar ideas in my own journey to happiness, specifically his advocacy for meditation, exercise, and developing healthy social habits to increase mindfulness. We dive deep into Buddhist concepts, the dangers of extrinsic comparison, the Hedonic Treadmill, rescuing the idea of ‘love’, and dealing with depression and anxiety. Despite a world of growing excess, we often still feel like we are missing something. Dan’s mission of encouraging more people to seriously consider happiness is something we need now more than ever.  His book, 10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works, is available on Amazon and everywhere else. You can also find his meditation and wellness app, 10 Percent Happier, on the App Store and Google Play Store. 📺 Experience The Quest Pod in 4K: https://youtube.com/c/TheQuestwithJustinKan🍎 iTunes: https://apple.co/3lU3fZs🎵 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3srzJwq✍️ The Quest Pod in print: https://thequest.media🌎 Everything Quest: https://bio.thequest.media

This is a story about redemption, pain, forgiveness, and love. Jewel is a four-time Grammy nominated singer, songwriter, actress and author who has sold over 30 million albums worldwide. Behind her incredibly successful career, she has lived an inspiring story filled with spirit and perseverance.  This is one of the most powerful conversations I’ve ever had, and I am grateful that she was willing to be so vulnerable. In this episode we discuss her rough childhood, resorting to stealing when she was homeless, confronting trauma, and learning to love and forgive. I learned a lot from our conversation, particularly that our pain does not define us, it is how we choose to confront it that shapes us. 📺 Watch this episode in 4K: https://youtu.be/WWgxyrB1BpQ🍎 iTunes: https://apple.co/3lU3fZs🎵 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3srzJwq✍️ The Quest Pod in print: https://thequest.media🌎 Everything Quest: https://bio.thequest.media

Eric Nam is one of the most exciting powerhouse talents in entertainment. The Atlanta-born talent is a singer, songwriter, TV host, entrepreneur, and K-pop icon, garnering over 300 million streams. Alongside his two brothers, he also runs one of the top podcasts in the industry. I was told that Eric is one of 'the most loved male artists' in Korea, and now I understand why. While most K-pop idols seem out of our reach, I really appreciate Eric for his down-to-earth personality and authenticity. In our conversation, we discuss his experience growing up as an Asian American, his international non-profit work, struggles with depression, quitting his job, and getting an email the next day to start his K-pop career.  Eric is an inspiration for me to seize the media space as an Asian American creator. Whether or not you're a K-pop fan, this is an amazing story about finding your calling, chasing after experiences while you're young, knowing when it's ok to quit, building a business with family, and becoming one of the most beloved creators in the world. This episode was done in collaboration with Subtle Asian Traits, a Facebook group dedicated to Internet discussion surrounding the Asian experience in the West. The Quest team would like to express our gratitude to SAT for helping to source our episode fellow Wooseok, a law student and author of an Amazon Bestseller on K-pop.  📺 Experience The Quest Pod in 4K: https://youtu.be/Ol5nu0yw42s🍎 iTunes: https://apple.co/3lU3fZs🎵 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3srzJwq✍️ The Quest Pod in print: https://thequest.media🌎 Everything Quest: https://bio.thequest.media

On the big screen, the stars of Netflix-hit, Bling Empire, seem larger than life. I was fortunate enough to see the more human side to executive producer Kelly Mi Li, who also stars in the show.  From living with walls full of rats, to becoming a successful entrepreneur and Hollywood producer, and having $168 million confiscated by her ex-husband in their divorce, Kelly has gone through a lot. She might be known in public by her extravagant personality on-screen, but her lesser-known journey has been one defined by perseverance and hustle.  I have been a fan of Kelly for a while, and this is the first time I got to hear about her come-up story. Kelly has been a very vocal leader for the Asian community, and I find her especially inspiring as an Asian-American creator myself. In this episode, we discuss the purpose of our work, and what it means to pave the way for others and be inspired by those who came before us. You’ll also hear advice on how to learn to be alone with yourself, and cutting your burn rate to make better financial decisions. 📺 Experience The Quest Pod in 4K: https://youtube.com/c/TheQuestwithJustinKan🍎 iTunes: https://apple.co/3lU3fZs🎵 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3srzJwq✍️ The Quest Pod in print: https://thequest.media🌎 Everything Quest: https://bio.thequest.media

Garry Tan is a very close friend of mine. The co-founder of Initialized Capital is a veteran entrepreneur, investor, and online content creator. We share a familiar story: a couple of young Asian guys from a family of immigrants in America, building a career in tech, and eventually partnering at Y-Combinator. He also runs a popular YouTube channel, which has inspired me to create my own online content.  This episode is particularly special to me because of how vulnerable Garry was willing to be, and how deeply connected I felt to him after our conversation. It was his trust in me that allowed us to discuss topics he hasn’t revealed anywhere else – growing up with an alcoholic father, going through therapy, learning to pull back the mask, and recognizing when expectations can be self-destructive. I am incredibly grateful for the amount of trust Garry has placed in me as a friend.  This episode is a reminder for me personally that everyone is fighting their own battles. Conversations like this one with Garry represent why I started this podcast: to bring these stories to you. 🎥 Watch this episode in 4K: https://youtu.be/y9ARFwBxz00🍎 iTunes: https://apple.co/3lU3fZs🎵 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3srzJwq✍️ The Quest Pod in print: https://thequest.media🌎 Everything Quest: https://bio.thequest.media

Moses Lo is a survivor. But the co-founder and CEO of Xendit didn’t get there by chance – he engineered his own luck. I first met Moses through Y Combinator in 2015, and he’s still as scrappy now as he was back then. He had just stepped foot into Silicon Valley, coming all the way from Australia to pursue his ambition. The six week program changed his life forever.  From an office filled with flying cockroaches, Moses and his team would go on to raise over $80 million and cement themselves as an integral part of payments infrastructure in Southeast Asia.  I admire Moses a lot, especially his attitude to life. In our conversation, we discuss intentionality and the importance of making choices with conviction. We also talk about what founders can learn from cockroaches: their ability to adapt and survive. You’ll hear about how to make tough decisions, move forward, and design your own luck.  One more thing: the Asian-American community has recently experienced a surge in discrimination and violence fuelled by hate. Elders have been viciously attacked, murdered and killed on the streets. For this month, we will be highlighting AA community and leaders on this podcast. If you want to help, you can donate here.  📺 Experience The Quest Pod in 4K: https://youtube.com/c/TheQuestwithJustinKan🍎 iTunes: https://apple.co/3lU3fZs🎵 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3srzJwq✍️ The Quest Pod in print: https://thequest.media🌎 Everything Quest: https://bio.thequest.media

Molly Bloom started out as a freestyle skier, but somehow found her way into Hollywood through a poker game. Molly had to give up on her Olympic aspirations after sustaining a serious back injury in 2002. During a gap year before law school, she moved to LA and ended up running one of the biggest high-stake poker games in the world (first in LA, then later in New York). Her clientele came from Hollywood’s top 1%, including Tobey Maguire, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Matt Damon. If you've watched the Oscar-nominated movie Molly's Game, you know what happened next: she got robbed at gunpoint and raided by FBI. They seized all her assets, and she became a convicted felon.  In this episode, we dive into the bigger story: how Molly found her path to redemption, giving up her wealth and status in pursuit of happiness. We talk about the real story behind the movie, her battles with substance addiction, reconnecting with her family and finding closure from her past. 📺 Watch this episode in 4K: https://youtu.be/STlLk1dC5XE🍎 iTunes: https://apple.co/3lU3fZs🎵 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3srzJwq✍️ The Quest Pod in print: https://thequest.media🌎 Everything Quest: https://bio.thequest.media

While many of us were drinking our youth away, Cameron confronted one of the most difficult battles in life: death. He devoted himself to a decade of spiritual pursuit from the age of 20, working at a hospice and preparing for his own death ritual. He then became a coach, sharing the lessons he learned with business executives in Silicon Valley. He later founded Torch, a leadership development platform teaching empathy, which has raised close to $40 million to date. I first met Cameron at his clinic. I watched him grow into a startup founder, as I transitioned from building Atrium to beginning my inner journey. In this episode, we sit down to talk about our learnings from both ends of the spectrum: what it’s like to lose a dear friend, being a leader who can empathize with the pains of others, and coming to terms with our own death. 🍎 iTunes: https://apple.co/3lU3fZs🎵 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3srzJwq✍️ Newsletter: https://thequestpod.substack.com🎧 Transcripts (soon): https://justin.quest​🌎 Everything Quest: https://listen.justin.quest​

‘I don’t know why everything has to happen in f***ing biblical proportions in my life, but it does.’ I resonate with Sophia's story a lot. After bootstrapping her Ebay vintage store Nasty Gal to $28 million in revenue, she was named by Forbes as one of the richest self-made women in America. But in a sudden swing, both her marriage and career fell apart within 3 months. The ultimate dagger: the divorce and bankruptcy news broke while the Netflix show about her life, Girlboss, was aired. But Sophia didn’t give up. She launched her book, podcast, media company and business class. As a community-college dropout with no pedigree, she proved everyone wrong by going on to start many more businesses, including her newest one, Business Class, which she bootstrapped to a million in revenue in under a year.  In this episode, we talk about the highlights and lowlights: what happened during that fateful year, how she dealt with the pain and moved forward. Sophia exemplifies what The Quest is about - I am excited and humbled to share our conversation with you. 🎥 Watch The Quest with video: https://www.youtube.com/TheQuestwithJustinKan🍎 iTunes: https://apple.co/3lU3fZs🎵 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3srzJwq✍️ Newsletter: https://thequestpod.substack.com🎧 Transcripts (soon): https://justin.quest​🌎 Everything Quest: https://listen.justin.quest​