Magnolia Talks

On the fifth and last episode of this season’s Magnolia Talks, we chat with Hojeong Kim, the founder of BetterSelf.ai, about AI in the coaching world. With her expertise and insight, Hojeong takes us through a dialogue about AI’s rapid growth, its ethical implications on a human-focused industry, and its impact on the transformation of coaching. Together, Diane and Hojeong address some of the misconceptions and fears that surround coaching and AI, as well as provide a positive outlook on how coaching will continue to not evolve alongside the world, but also better the communities within it. About Hojeong: Originally from Korea, Hojeong earned a PhD in Physics and transitioned into the tech industry, leading data science and analytics teams. Witnessing the challenges women face in balancing professional and personal aspirations, she started the Kim Coaching Group, with its flagship program, the Women Leaders Community. As a certified professional coach, Hojeong helps women navigate unique challenges and sculpt their own success. With the belief that "Everybody needs a little help sometimes," she also built Betterself.ai, a free AI coaching app trained by human coaches to offer 24/7 support and allow coaches to train AI in their style, giving potential clients a taste of their coaching without setting an appointment. You can find the entire series of Magnolia Talks on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. For more information about this podcast and AWCC, please visit https://www.awcoachingcollective.org/. Special thanks to the Podcast Director, Sabrina Ku; Podcast Host, Diane Kim; Audio Engineer, Sonia Wong; and our Music Engineer, Chris Fong Chew!

For the third episode of Magnolia Talks, Amy Yip, author of “Unfinished Business”, shares her unconventional journey from working at Google to quitting her job to volunteer to becoming a coach. She talks about the societal pressures she felt to settle down and have children, her struggles with infertility, and her tumultuous relationship with her parents - all while navigating her professional career and life’s purpose. In this candid conversation, Amy and Diane work through some of the ways in which Amy transformed her life and rebuilt a strong bond with her family. About Amy: Amy Yip is a Somatic Life Transformation and Mental Fitness coach, keynote speaker, award-winning author, and self-confidence trainer. She’s also a 2X TEDx speaker. Amy works with women of color leaders to strengthen their mental fitness, heal intergenerational wounds, find their voice and the courage to speak up, and have agency to let go of all the ‘shoulds’ so that they can be the authors of their own life stories. Her mission is to empower women of color to be seen, to be heard, and to f-ing rock the boat. She also received her MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management, and her BS in computer science and BA in communications from the University of Maryland. Amy currently resides in Maryland with Greg, her best friend and husband, and her two sons Logan and Julian, the cutest kids ever. You can find the entire series of Magnolia Talks on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. For more information about this podcast and AWCC, please visit https://www.awcoachingcollective.org/. Special thanks to the Podcast Director, Sabrina Ku; Podcast Host, Diane Kim; Audio Engineer, Sonia Wong; and our Music Engineer, Chris Fong Chew!

To start off this season of Magnolia Talks, we have Mo Lei Fong, the visionary leader, President and founding member of Asian Women Coaching Collective (AWCC). In this episode, Mo shares how her powerful life story of being an immigrant, educator, business executive and coach leads her to co-founding AWCC in the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. In describing the philosophies and guiding principles of AWCC, Diane and Mo bring us through how the organization bridges the gap in representation, support, education and cultural relevance for Asian women coaches in the ever-growing coaching world. About Mo: Mo is an ICF certified coach, CEO and founder of LeiFongCoaching LLC, and has held executive roles at Google and Stanford University. She received her MBA from Harvard Business School, and MA in Education and BS in Chemical Engineering from Stanford University. Mo’s life's purpose is to help individuals and organizations realize their fullest potential in a sustainable and meaningful way. She has learned (and is still learning) the importance of shedding self-judgment and laying down our burdens to rest more often so that we can lead with more confidence, freedom and joy. She would like to be remembered not only for what she has done to make a dent in the universe but also for the friendships that were forged, kindness that was shown, and encouragement that was given. You can find the entire series of Magnolia Talks on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. For more information about this podcast and AWCC, please visit https://www.awcoachingcollective.org/. Special thanks to the Podcast Director, Sabrina Ku; Podcast Host, Diane Kim; Audio Engineer, Sonia Wong; and our Music Engineer, Chris Fong Chew!