Curious Monica Podcast Highlights, Wrapping Up Season 2 – Part 1
Another season of curiosity has come your way! The Curious Monica podcast features candid conversations with innovators in thriving organizations across various industries. In each episode, host & founder of InnovatorsBox, Monica Kang interviews her friends in diverse fields about what they do and why they love what they do. If you’re curious too, you’ll gain incredible insight into the workplace patterns that can change the way you think about work, no matter what industry you’re in or who you are.
We have taken the time to intentionally share the summaries of our podcasts because we know the life of an innovator is busy. These summaries are great post-listen reflections to help the information sink in. They are also a way to get a sneak peak of what you missed if you got caught up mid-listen. Or, they can even just help you decide what episode to watch next!
This first podcast reflection blog covers the first 5 episodes (plus a teaser) and our next reflection blog will covers episodes 6 to 10. Each summary goes a little bit into what each episode is about and includes a guest list and some of their key quotes to gain some insight into why people love what they do.
What To Expect From Season 2
Published: Nov 4, 2021 – 4:20 Minutes
In the first episode of Season 2, Monica welcomes you to join in on her latest conversations with professionals in interesting jobs and industries. And yes, many of these industries are ones that are not traditionally seen as “creative.” And this podcast comes at a great time, a time where so many people are asking, “Is it too late to start my dream career?” And of course the answer is no! Come along for the audio ride as we visit friends in different industries to learn how they fell in love with their jobs and industries. Whether you are already in your dream job or not, you can have a career that you love and enjoy growing in. Welcome back to Curious Monica!
"As we’re having more time to deeply reflect about how we feel about work and life during the pandemic, many of us are facing an even bigger wake-up call.”
Key Question: What profession/industry are you excited to learn about?
Episode 1: Writing Stories for The Future: Children’s Book Authors
Published: Nov 18, 2021 – 29:34 Minutes
Who says children’s books are just for children? Children’s books inspire us and reimagine how we think and live. In this episode, Monica explores how caught up with three friends who took different paths to bring their children’s books to life and share their journey to being a children’s book author. As a newly published children’s book author herself, Monica shares a bit about her journey in creating the fantastical land and characters in “Have You Seen My Friends? The Adventures of Creativity.” Through these conversations, we discover all of the decision-making, thoughtfulness, and innovation that goes into creating a children’s story: from ideation, to writing, to publishing, to marketing.
“The marketing part is actually the hardest part, the writing part is the easy part. You constantly have to be engaged in marketing.”
Key Question: What’s your favorite children’s book? Why?
Guests from Episode:
- Helena Ku Rhee, Children’s Book Author
- Heather Davis, Children’s Book Author
- Tamara Haque, Children’s Book Author
Episode 2: Making Movies: Working In the Entertainment Industry and Telling Inclusive Stories
Published: Nov 24, 2021 – 30:23 Minutes
Good movies make us cry, reflect, celebrate, laugh, and remind me how beautiful and meaningful life is. In this episode, we dive into all the aspects of working in the film industry, especially for those whose voices are often underrepresented. We speak with experts in the field who share their stories about why they entered in the industry, what they love about it, and how they’re using their voice to amplify other voices in the process. We also are delighted to hear a bit about how the industry has recently evolved as the pandemic has released movies and pieces of creative content that would have been unthinkable before! Even if you aren’t in the film industry, this episode gives incredible insight into inclusive, creative storytelling as a whole.
“As you’re sitting in that theatre and the lights go dark and you’re watching that big screen … you get to live the life of somebody else for a couple of hours and I feel like that leads to empathy.”
Key Question: What story do you have to tell?
Guests from Episode:
- David Masami Moriya, Founder and Artistic Director, Strong Asian Lead
- Kelly Li, Director of Creative Content at Walt Disney Studios
Episode 3: Translating World: Translation Business
Published: Dec 2, 2021 – 25:17 Minutes
When was the last time you consumed something that was translated? Maybe it was a business report or Squid Game or even a video game! The translation industry makes things accessible, but it also helps businesses grow, reach new markets – and more! In this episode I speak with experts from Terra Translations, a company who has been solving problems in this industry for over 25 years. What is it like to be in the translation business? What is changing? And why shouldn’t you compare online translation tools like Google Translate to a human translator? Outside of some incredible perspectives into this exciting industry, this episode holds incredible nuggets of wisdom in topics like communication accessibility, leadership, and culture.
“I like this industry because it’s all about helping. Helping people get access to language, to information, to critical things that need to know at a global level.”
Key Question: What surprised you about the translation business?
Guests from Episode:
- Colleen Beres, Director of Business Strategy at Terra Translations
- Marina Illari, CEO of Terra Translations
Episode 4: Building Leaders: Leaders Who Coach
Published: Dec 10, 2021 – 26:22 Minutes
We’ve talked about the profession of coaching before, but what really makes a coach a great leader? Why is coaching an important skill for everyone? And what are some of the key characteristics of a good coach, no matter what field or location? As a coach, Monica knows that behind every great coach is someone who believed in them, a leader who held them accountable. In this episode we hear from coaches in different fields and from different countries, about what it’s like dedicating a career to coaching others to become leaders as well. Turns out there are three, key characteristics in all of them. And these characteristics are essential to anyone listening in becoming a better leader in their life and work.
“Life is a dark teacher. Bad things happen … so that our unconscious can invite us to look for a better way.”
Key Question: The next time you are looking to find the coach you want to work with, ask how they got to be the coach they are. And coaches, to be a better coach ask yourself how you are investing the time to hone your craft?
Guests from Episode:
- Kelly Baddar, Serial Entrepreneur, Coach, Author, and Keynote Speaker in Zurich, Switzerland
- Julian Saipe, Founder Leadership Coach, JAA World
- Bonnie Kim, Serial Entrepreneur, Startup Coach, Founder of Royal Telos Coaching
Episode 5: Empowering Youth: Educators and Teachers
Published: Dec 16, 2021 – 22:57 Minutes
In this episode we learn about teaching – Why are the people who play such a key role in our lives and future are overworked and underpaid? And why do teachers start their career even if the work is demanding? Monica grew up in two education systems – American and Korean, and few things seem to be consistent. Education is highly appreciated and respected yet a lot of teachers in school are underappreciated, underpaid, and very overworked. It’s because they deeply care. They care about the students, their journey, and the future they will build. Join in on conversations about why our expert friends got into teaching and how the pandemic has challenged them to innovate.
“How can we do meetings better? How can we still be impactful with the restrictions that we have? Through this pandemic, it’s really awesome to have these restraints because you’re forced to be creative.”
Key Question: How are you a teacher in your role?
Guests from Episode:
- Margaret Park, Elementary School Assistant Principal, Seoul Foreign School
- Ellie Kim, Former K12 Teacher, and The Founder of Our Happiness
Thanks for listening! Season 2 of Curious Monica was all about thinking beyond the “today” and driving ourselves and our teams through the impacts of tomorrow. We hope these insights remind you that your voice and story matters. This is Part 1 that covers the key highlights of episodes 1-5. We also share key highlights in Part 2 which includes summaries from episodes 6-10 (including a teaser).
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About the Author
Kree Pandey
Kree Pandey is a Content Strategist and Digital Marketer powering growth goals for brands with purpose. Founder and CEO of ShiftCreatives Digital® and Co-Founder of No Names Digital, Kree's work and passion collide at the intersection of 'Brand' and 'Impact'. After working with numerous clients across sectors like Real Estate, SaaS, Education, Retail, Finance, Sustainability, HR and many more, Kree has found that her niche isn't any particular industry, but it's brands that are seriously driven by impact, understand the value of brand equity, and aren't dabbling.
At InnovatorsBox®, Kree's main focus is augmenting its digital presences. Kree is also a mom to a 2 year old, and losing hair fast!
