For today's Spotlight Episode, I'm excited to have high-achieving Bing Chen joining me. Bing Chen is the President & Co-founder of Gold House, the premier nonprofit collective of Asian founders, creative voices, and leaders dedicated to unifying the world's largest populace–Asians and Pacific Islanders–to enable more authentic multicultural representation and societal equity. Gold House is why many API-led films see success in Hollywood, which has opened up opportunities for other similar films to have a fighting chance. Aside from Gold House, Bing Chen was one of the original architects behind Youtube's multi-billion-dollar Creator Program, enabling creators to get paid. He was also the mastermind behind the iconic Youtube Gold Play Button awarded to creators who reach the 1,000,000 subscriber milestone - the list goes on and on. In this episode, we discuss the following:- Wanting to be the next Walt Disney- Parents coming from abject poverty to achieve the American dream- Reciting the first five minutes of "Beauty and the Beast" during a job interview at Disney- The most significant power is letting something you love go- His involvement with Youtube's Creator Program and helping creators get paid- The birth of Gold House & Gold Open (The reason why many API-led films have been successful)- First people to hate Asians are other Asians- Understanding that media plays a massive role in shaping our perception of others. - Crazy Rich Asians was the only API lead film fully back by a studio in the last 25 years. - How much is Gold Open to thank for the success of Crazy Rich Asians?- Playing a factor in the renewal of Warrior Season 3- Learning to do things because you know it's right, even if it creates enemies- Bing shares his proudest moment- Bing sharing his best piece of advice- Where Bing sees himself in the next five yearsYou can follow Bing Chen on Instagram at @bingchen.----------------------------------------------------HOW TO SUPPORT ASIAN MENSWEAR:https://www.patreon.com/asianmenswearSOCIAL MEDIA:The Asian Menswear Podcast -- @asianmenswearpodMike Tran -- @asianmenswearLeo Chan -- @levitatestyleCONTACT US:asianmenswearpodcast@gmail.comJOIN THE OFFICIAL ASIAN MENSWEAR COMMUNITY ON DISCORD:The Official Asian Menswear CommunitySupport the show

For today's Spotlight Episode, I'm excited to have Harry Yuan joining me today. Harry Yuan is a director, adventurer, traveler, and television host working for National Geographic, who also happens to be the son of a famous actress. He's had the opportunity to host shows such as "Kung Fu Motion," "Route Awakening," and "Day of Gluttony." This episode explores how Harry Yuan joined a shortlist of Asian Americans to host a TV show in the U.S. In this episode, we discuss:- First time hearing about Harry Yuan - Harry talks about what's it like to be the son of a famous actress (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon)- Growing up in LA and going to military school at the age of 12- Growing up as a troublemaker - His mom gave him a once in a lifetime opportunity to travel the world - His experience traveling to over 28 countries and four continents with his best friend - How he got his start as a television host for National Geographic - How it felt to see himself on TV- Coming up with the idea of "Day of Gluttony" show- The logistical nightmare he had to deal with to film the show- Working conditions in the U.S. being vastly different compared to China- Conflict between Tastemade and contract problems - Best piece of advice - Where do you see yourself in the next five years?You can follow Harry Yuan on Instagram at @harryhyuan.----------------------------------------------------HOW TO SUPPORT ASIAN MENSWEAR:https://www.patreon.com/asianmenswearSOCIAL MEDIA:The Asian Menswear Podcast -- @asianmenswearpodMike Tran -- @asianmenswearLeo Chan -- @levitatestyleCONTACT US:asianmenswearpodcast@gmail.comJOIN THE OFFICIAL ASIAN MENSWEAR COMMUNITY ON DISCORD:The Official Asian Menswear CommunitySupport the show

For today's Barbershop Talk, Leo and I talk about Asians coming together due to Covid and the violence against the Asian American community. In this episode, we discuss:- Living in a unique time with Covid and rise in violence against Asians- Everyone doing their part to represent the Asian American community, whether they like it or not- From the western perspective, we're all seen as Chinese. - Lacking representation in all areas. - A rise in activism during the #stopasianhate movement- Social media has allowed Asians to get their news from a few sources - Will things go back to the way it was pre-covid?----------------------------------------------------HOW TO SUPPORT ASIAN MENSWEAR:https://www.patreon.com/asianmenswearSOCIAL MEDIA:The Asian Menswear Podcast -- @asianmenswearpodMike Tran -- @asianmenswearLeo Chan -- @levitatestyleCONTACT US:asianmenswearpodcast@gmail.comJOIN THE OFFICIAL ASIAN MENSWEAR COMMUNITY ON DISCORD:The Official Asian Menswear CommunitySupport the show

For today's Barbershop Talk, Leo and I talk about life after living through a year of Covid-19. We go over our initial thoughts after the discovery of Covid in Wuhan, China, what went through our minds during lockdowns, how Covid affected work life, what we missed most pre-covid, and our predictions on what life will be like predict post-covid. In this episode, we discuss:- Initial thoughts on Covid- What we were up to right before lockdowns happened in NY and CA (suit walk, work for Leo was picking up big time)- Leo explaining the influencer industry during Covid- Leo's last event before the lockdown was a packed broadway show- Toilet paper being sold out- Covid allowed us to reflect on life- What Mike and Leo did during lockdowns - Making the best out of the situation- Everyone on Instagram doing lives - Having a work-life balance- Leo launching Levitate Collection during Covid - Mike starting the podcast - What we look forward to most post-covid----------------------------------------------------HOW TO SUPPORT ASIAN MENSWEAR:https://www.patreon.com/asianmenswearSOCIAL MEDIA:The Asian Menswear Podcast -- @asianmenswearpodMike Tran -- @asianmenswearLeo Chan -- @levitatestyleCONTACT US:asianmenswearpodcast@gmail.comJOIN THE OFFICIAL ASIAN MENSWEAR COMMUNITY ON DISCORD:The Official Asian Menswear CommunitySupport the show

I have Jason Tobin,  an actor best known for his role in the instant classic "Better Luck Tomorrow" and more recently as Young Jun in the hit show "Warrior" based on Bruce Lee's original writings, joining me for today's spotlight episode. We talk about his struggles making it an actor in LA, getting his big break, how he got the role as Young Jun, Warrior getting renewed for a third season, and more. In this episode, we discuss:-Born in Hong Kong but moved around a bit due to his father's occupation -Went to boarding school where he first picked up the acting bug-How he wanted to be an actor but didn't know how to -Thought acting was for certain people only-Moving to LA to pursue acting full-time-How amazing it is to be a part of Warrior-Debunking the myth that actors need to be extroverted to be successful -One of his favorite things to do is people watch -If he walked around like he was Young Jun in real life, then he would be considered a douche bag- Started at the bottom with acting and struggled a lot-Director Justin Lin thought about Jason Tobin when he first wrote Better Luck Tomorrow -Better Luck Tomorrow for him is the gift that keeps on giving-There's a stereotype in the industry that says Asians can't act -The story behind the role for Young Jun-Realizing the significance of his role as Young Jun -Warrior being renewed for Season 3 -What to expect for Season 3-The best piece of advice -Where he sees himself in the next five yearsYou can follow Jason Tobin on Instagram at @jsntbn.SOCIAL MEDIA:The Asian Menswear Podcast -- @asianmenswearpodMike Tran -- @asianmenswearLeo Chan -- @levitatestyleEMAIL US:asianmenswearpodcast@gmail.comJOIN THE OFFICIAL ASIAN MENSWEAR DISCORD:The Asian Menswear Community (click here)Support the show

I have Tim Dessaint, a men's fashion and lifestyle content creator who helps guys dress better for today's Spotlight Episode, joining me. Tim has been able to amass a huge social media following thanks to his unique approach to content creation in the tune of 500k subscribers, 1.6 million followers on Tik Tok, and 240k followers on Instagram. We talk about his inspiration behind content creation, using fashion as a way to build confidence, struggling early on to gain traction, and more. In this episode, we discuss:- Living a nomadic life as a kid, he moved around a lot due to his parent's profession- How fashion helped him build confidence- How he got into content creation- Getting his first corporate job and realizing it wasn't for him- Realized he needed to find a job he enjoyed - Doing freelance work to make ends meet - Most new years resolutions made at the beginning of the year go incompleted - Making little traction on Instagram- Making the switch to YouTube- Tim talks about his mother having a difficult life- How Tim's mother felt about him jumping into content creation- Giving himself a deadline, and if things didn't work out, then he would get a regular job- Video went viral exactly on the deadline date he established- Seeing money from his content for the first time- How did you feel about your video going viral?- What his first real brand deal was- Being highly competitive - Tim shares his best piece of advice- Where do you see yourself in the next five years?You can follow Tim Dessaint on Instagram at @timdessaint.SOCIAL MEDIA:The Asian Menswear Podcast -- @asianmenswearpodMike Tran -- @asianmenswearLeo Chan -- @levitatestyleEMAIL US:asianmenswearpodcast@gmail.comJOIN THE OFFICIAL ASIAN MENSWEAR DISCORD:The Asian Menswear Community (click here)Support the show

For today's Barbershop Talk, Leo and I talk about our experience being Asian American in America. As a result of the #StopAsianHate movement, many Asian Americans have been sharing their experiences on what it's like to be Asian in America, so we decided to share our own experience for today's podcast. In this episode, we discuss:- Our Asian names- Being embarrassed about our names- Mike learning about the meaning behind his name- Mike talks about his experience being bullied- Being called "chino" in middle school - Being the only Asian at school- Having a hard time being proud of your ethnicity because we don't know our history in America- Leo facing discrimination - Leo growing up in an ethnically diverse environment- Dealing with ABC vs. Immigrants - Understanding the importance of unity, especially now- Experience being Asian in the workplace - Having a chip on our shoulders motivated us to become better- Why a majority of Asians take backend jobs- Is Chinese food American as Pizza?SOCIAL MEDIA:The Asian Menswear Podcast -- @asianmenswearpodMike Tran -- @asianmenswearLeo Chan -- @levitatestyleEMAIL US:asianmenswearpodcast@gmail.comJOIN THE OFFICIAL ASIAN MENSWEAR DISCORD:The Asian Menswear Community (click here)Support the show

For today's Barbershop Talk, Leo and I talk about his experience attending the Rally Against Hate In NY, where over 10,000 attendees came out to protest. In this episode, we discuss:- Rally being packed (over 10,000 people came out)- What the atmosphere was like at the rally - Rally provided a morale boost to the people- Seeing influential Asian Americans present at the rally - How someone punched a mother in the face on the way to the rally - Being able to see different perspectives - Addressing the issue with the older generation Asian Americans who are racist- Shaun King posting about anti-Asian hate - Have you seen other Asians attacking elders unprovoked?- Imagining all of the other attacks that haven't been reported or caught on video- Having non-Asian friends checking up on you- What kind of solutions are being created to combat the violence against Asian Americans- Drawing parallels from Warrior show to today's climate - 75-year-old Grandma who fought back against her attacker in San FranciscoSOCIAL MEDIA:The Asian Menswear Podcast -- @asianmenswearpodMike Tran -- @asianmenswearLeo Chan -- @levitatestyleEMAIL US:asianmenswearpodcast@gmail.comJOIN THE OFFICIAL ASIAN MENSWEAR DISCORD:The Asian Menswear Community (click here)Support the show

I have Bart Kwan, the Co-Founder of Just Kidding Films and Barbell Brigade, joining me for today's Spotlight Episode. We talk about the early days of Youtube to creating a dream lifestyle for himself and his family.In this episode, we discuss:- His experience growing up in an ethnically diverse city- Moving from Cerritos, Ca to San Gabriel Valley, Ca and experiencing a culture shock (majority Asian population)- The original goal for Just Kidding Films was to bring Asians together- The start of Just Kidding Films- How getting into trouble in his youth forced him to take a route into the military- Feeling like he has to go harder in everything he does to challenge negative stereotypes- What's the coolest thing that's happened since starting Just Kidding Films?- What were your original aspirations, and have they changed?- The moment he knew he finally made it with Just Kidding Films- Finally seeing some returns after working so hard- How long has Just Kidding Films been around?- First time receiving money from Youtube Adsense- How are you able to maintain balance with so many projects/businesses going on simultaneously?- Why continue working so hard?- Pursuing your passion first then using your passion as a launchpad for other things- What's the one piece of advice you would tell someone?- Where do you see yourself in the next five years? You can follow Bart on Instagram at @bartkwan.SOCIAL MEDIA:The Asian Menswear Podcast -- @asianmenswearpodMike Tran -- @asianmenswearLeo Chan -- @levitatestyleEMAIL US:asianmenswearpodcast@gmail.comJOIN THE OFFICIAL ASIAN MENSWEAR DISCORD:The Asian Menswear Community (click here)Support the show

For today's Spotlight Episode, I have none other than Bobby "Hundreds" Kim, the Creative Director/Co-Founder of the iconic LA streetwear brand, The Hundreds. In this episode, we discuss the following:- Growing up in Riverside and not quite fitting in- Asian Americans killing it in every industry, but we don't hear enough about them- Being told he would never make it as an artist by his parents and teachers- Deciding to go to law school to make his parents proud- The pivotal moment Bobby decided to forego a successful career as a lawyer to make T-shirts- Having no regrets at 40 years old- How different his life would've been if he didn't go on to go all-in with The Hundreds- How he was able to overcome all the naysayers and those who didn't believe in what he was trying to do- The first time Bobby's father realized how successful Bobby was (book signing)- How vital media is to Korean culture- How becoming a father made him more proud to be Asian American- Retrospection- What's your best piece of advice?- Where do you see yourself in the next five years?You can follow Bobby on Instagram at @bobbyhundreds or visit www.TheHundreds.com.SOCIAL MEDIA:The Asian Menswear Podcast -- @asianmenswearpodMike Tran -- @asianmenswearLeo Chan -- @levitatestyleEMAIL US:asianmenswearpodcast@gmail.comJOIN THE OFFICIAL ASIAN MENSWEAR DISCORD:The Asian Menswear Community (click here)Support the show