Beyond Survival: Dyanna Volek's Call for Collective Action Against Apathy and Anti-Asian Hate (Ep. 191)
Career Unicorns - Spark Your Joy
Release Date: 10/08/2025
Decolonizing Healing: Reclaiming Our Narrative, Resisting Erasure And Healing Trauma With Dr. Grace Poon (Ep. 197)
Career Unicorns - Spark Your Joy
Welcome back, Career Unicorns! This week, we are honored to host the incredible Dr. Grace Poon Ghaffari: a motherscholar practitioner, proud daughter of Chinese immigrants, and embodied healer. Grace is an Assistant Professor at San Jose State University, where she focuses on healing and harm among student survivors of sexual and relationship violence, examining how these experiences are intertwined with broader systems of oppression. In this deep and vital conversation, we discuss why the traditional justice system often fails to be a source of healing, the critical importance of...
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Breaking Free From Hustle Culture: How to Leave Prestige, Redefine Success, and Build Your Dream Career with Ann Sheu (Ep. 196)
Career Unicorns - Spark Your Joy
As a former lawyer, business expert, and founder of Mpowered Families, Ann Sheu has gone through her own journey of achieving society's definition of success only to realize it wasn't her own. She uses her unique background to help high-achieving leaders move past the "hustle culture" and design a career and a life that is deeply rooted in personal alignment. In this episode of Career Unicorns - Spark Your Joy, we tackle the pressure to prioritize prestige and money over happiness. Key Career Strategies You'll Learn: How to Pivot: The steps to take when you realize the hustle...
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The Mirror Effect: Dr. Sheila Gujrathi on Finding Your Voice, Overcoming Imposter Syndrome, and Using Gratitude To Own Every Room You Walk Into (Ep. 195)
Career Unicorns - Spark Your Joy
As a physician, biotech CEO, and champion for women in leadership, Dr. Sheila Gujrathi, MD, has spent her career breaking ceilings and teaching others how to do the same. In this powerful episode of Career Unicorns - Spark Your Joy, we dive deep into the real-world barriers—from childhood racism ("Indians Go Home") to professional microaggressions—and how she reframed the pain of shame and doubt. We discuss: The devastating impact of FIDS (Fear, Insecurity, Doubt, & Shame). Why self-compassion is the key to silencing your inner critic. Battle-tested strategies for...
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Navigating Systemic Bias and Finding Our Shared Humanity with Kori Carew (Ep. 194)
Career Unicorns - Spark Your Joy
Welcome, Career Unicorns! How do we lead with courage and heart when the system is stacked against us? Join us for a deeply moving and vital conversation with Kori Carew, Chief Catalyst Officer and Founder of Bridge 68 LLC, lawyer, TedX speaker, and former Chief Inclusion and Diversity Officer. Kori challenges us to move beyond "a moment" to a true movement, urging us to reflect deeply on our values and courageously design the world we want to see. In this episode, we dive deep into: Courageous Leadership: Discover how to show up as leaders in our ordinary daily...
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Gaslighting And Narcissists At Work: How To Leave A Toxic Job with Sarah Cottrell, Founder of Former Lawyer LLC (Ep. 193)
Career Unicorns - Spark Your Joy
Are you in a toxic job, but feel stuck? Making great money but feel absolutely dead inside? If yes, then this episode of Career Unicorns - Spark Your Joy is for you. Join us as we welcome Sarah Cottrell, founder of Former Lawyer LLC, who helps unhappy lawyers ditch soul-crushing jobs for fulfilling alternative careers. Sarah shares her expertise on the unique pain of leaving a high-prestige career. We dive deep into how to recognize the signs of an abusive workplace and the importance of prioritizing your mental health. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why the...
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Reclaiming Your Power: How Trauma, Social Justice, And Systemic Gaslighting Impact Your Career And Self-Worth with Rosie Yeung (Ep. 192)
Career Unicorns - Spark Your Joy
Ready to shatter the old-school corporate rules? In this powerful episode of Career Unicorns - Spark Your Joy, host Samorn Selim welcomes back Rosie Yeung, a Certified Trauma Recovery Coach, HR Leader, and Chartered Professional Accountant. Rosie, a Chinese-Canadian, immigrant, cis-het woman living with mental illness and recovering from cPTSD (complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), shares her deeply personal journey of navigating identity, assimilation, and complex trauma. In this episode, we dive deep into: The ripple effects of trauma, including gender bias, systemic racism,...
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Beyond Survival: Dyanna Volek's Call for Collective Action Against Apathy and Anti-Asian Hate (Ep. 191)
Career Unicorns - Spark Your Joy
Get ready for a profound and powerful conversation with the incredible Dyanna Volek, a quintessential "Career Unicorn" who is using her voice and influence to push for real change. As a first-generation college student and daughter of Filipino immigrants, Dyanna currently serves as the Manager of Government Affairs for the San Francisco International Airport. She’s also a licensed attorney and a dedicated community advocate, including serving on the Board of Directors for Planned Parenthood, Northern California. In this episode, Dyanna issues a call for collective action,...
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From Sunday Scaries To Love Mondays: Ron Monteiro on How to Break Free from Systemic Barriers, Find Your Authentic Voice, and Create the Career You Love (Ep. 190)
Career Unicorns - Spark Your Joy
In this inspiring and candid conversation, we sit down with Ron Monteiro, author of Love Mondays, to discuss his 20-year journey from a shy finance professional to a powerful public speaker and executive coach. Ron shares how he turned a perceived weakness in public speaking into his life's mission. We dive into the challenges he faced as a person of color navigating corporate finance, offering a powerful perspective on how to tackle systemic barriers by focusing on what you can control: your daily growth, your commitment to learning, and the commitment to "put in the reps."...
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Lessons from Bad Bosses: Navigating Workplace Bullying, Microaggressions & DEI With Mita Mallick, WSJ Bestselling Author & DEI Leader (Ep. 189)
Career Unicorns - Spark Your Joy
What if a childhood trauma followed you into the boardroom? In this powerful episode, Wall Street Journal bestselling author and DEI leader Mita Mallick shares the story of her long hair being burned as a “joke” when she was a little girl. She thought bullying ended on the playground, but learned the painful truth that bullies follow you into Corporate America. Mita, a top LinkedIn Voice and contributor for Harvard Business Review, has built her brand by tackling tough topics head-on. She joins us to share insights from her two bestselling books, including her latest, The Devil...
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How to get your first in-house job and advocate for DEI with Lisa Mak, Senior Employment Counsel at Flynn Group (Ep. 188)
Career Unicorns - Spark Your Joy
Are you looking to make a career pivot from private practice to your first legal in-house job? But you’re struggling because most employers already want someone who has in-house experience? Then this episode with Lisa Mak is for you. Lisa Mak shares her journey from how she went from a plaintiff-side litigator to landing her dream job as Senior Employment Counsel at Flynn Group, the largest restaurant franchise operator in the U.S., with a portfolio of brands including Applebee’s, Wendy’s, Taco Bell, and Panera. Lisa also serves as the Northern...
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Get ready for a profound and powerful conversation with the incredible Dyanna Volek, a quintessential "Career Unicorn" who is using her voice and influence to push for real change. As a first-generation college student and daughter of Filipino immigrants, Dyanna currently serves as the Manager of Government Affairs for the San Francisco International Airport. She’s also a licensed attorney and a dedicated community advocate, including serving on the Board of Directors for Planned Parenthood, Northern California.
In this episode, Dyanna issues a call for collective action, getting candid about the despair and apathy she sees in the current political climate and offering concrete ways we can use our spheres of influence to fight back.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this podcast are solely those of Luke Liss and the host, and do not represent the views of any referenced organizations.
In this episode, we dive deep into:
- A guide on how to use local politics to effect positive change and tap into your spheres of influence.
- The trauma, frustration, and emotional labor of dealing with Anti-Asian Hate and being a woman of color in leadership.
- The urgent need to address systemic injustice and the breakdown of civility in public discourse.
- Navigating DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) during challenging political times and what you can do to create a culture of inclusion.
- Key strategies on how to sustain your energy, set boundaries, and find what "fills your cup" so you can continue the fight for decency and justice without burning out.
Connect with us:
- Learn more about our guest, Dyanna Volek, on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/dyannavolek/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/dyannaluna/ - @dyannaluna.
- Follow our host, Samorn Selim, on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/samornselim/.
- Get a copy of Samorn’s book, Career Unicorns™ 90-Day 5-Minute Gratitude Journal: An Easy & Proven Way To Cultivate Mindfulness, Beat Burnout & Find Career Joy, at https://tinyurl.com/49xdxrz8.
- Ready for a career change? Schedule a free 30-minute build your dream career consult by sending a message at www.careerunicorns.com.