Tuesdays With Andrea Podcast

An inspiration station for everyday people guiding humanity forward. Tuesdays with Andrea is a smart entertainment podcast focused on treasuring life itself and the relationships we make at each phase. Find commonality, certainty and comfort in an ever-changing world as working people of all ages and backgrounds share life lessons and glimpses of the person behind the profession.

#64 “Pain tried to break me, but I turned it into purpose” with Abbey Tiu, owner, Leilani Asian Fusion 02/25/2025

#64 “Pain tried to break me, but I turned it into purpose” with Abbey Tiu, owner, Leilani Asian Fusion She had every reason to quit—grief, financial struggles, and the challenge of protecting her late partner’s dream. But instead of giving up, Abbey Tiu built Leilani Asian Fusion, a restaurant that honors Jason Morales’ legacy. She also runs a successful mental health practice dedicated to helping others heal. How did she turn tragedy into success, and what can you learn from her journey? Watch until the end to find out. Abbey Tiu is a restaurateur and entrepreneur based in Aurora, Illinois. She is the owner of Leilani Asian Fusion, a dining establishment located in the historic Hobbs Building at 2 N. River St. in downtown Aurora. The restaurant, which opened on August 9, 2024, offers a diverse menu featuring inventive takes on sushi, steak, vegetarian dishes, boba (bubble tea), and signature cocktails. Leilani Asian Fusion also houses an underground lounge called Forbidden City, inspired by Southeast Asian nightclubs, offering rum-inspired craft cocktails, beer, and wine. The name "Leilani" honors Abbey's daughter and serves as a tribute to her late partner, Jason Morales, an exceptional restaurateur, entrepreneur, and engineer who was a longtime supporter of Aurora's revitalization. His giving spirit and zest for life are integral to the restaurant's ethos. Outline 00:00 Kicking Off Season Four of Tuesdays with Andrea 1:00 Abbey Intro and Bio 5:22 From the Phillipines to the United States 7:06 Joining a gang 10:24 Transition from Gang Life to Mentorship 14:06 Dropping out of high school 19:05 Dealing with a troubled marriage 20:12 Building a Mental Health Practice 26:26 Leaving an unhealthy relationship 32:49 Meeting Jason Morales 34:39 Building Leilani Asian Fusion 36:59 Jason's Passing and the Impact on Abby's Life 42:00 Balancing Personal and Professional Life 45:46 Not Missing an Opportunity 49:27 Leilani Asian Fusion 1:02:45 Advice and Insights for Listeners 1:11:08 Faith in the Universe and Vision Board Goals 1:13:00 Connection and Support from a Distance /episode/index/show/tuesdayswithandrea/id/35417880

#63 “Everything I Create Sounds Badass To Me” with Tony Guerrero, lead vocalist for legendary Tejano band, La Sombra 06/21/2022

#63 “Everything I Create Sounds Badass To Me” with Tony Guerrero, lead vocalist for legendary Tejano band, La Sombra Grammy-nominated Tejano musician and home-town legend: You're just as good The evolution of a major recording artist in the 80s- 90s and his present influence on Tejano music. In this episode, Tony Guerrero, lead singer from the legendary Tejano band, La Sombra, shares his experience being a Tejano superstar in the 80s and 90s, singing from the heart, creating his own musical style, and his mother's inspiration. Watch: Listen: About La Sombra: La Sombra, known as “The Windy City Boys” because of their hometown of Aurora, Illinois near Chicago, released over twenty full-length studio albums featuring songs in both Spanish and English. The group has been credited with influencing the Tejano and Cumbia music fields in terms of musical style, dress, and concert performances as well as a generation of newer artists including the , according to . This episode was recorded on May 28, 2022. The Tuesdays With Andrea Podcast can be found at Podcast YouTube Channel: . NIGHTLIGHTS She Could Sing La Sombra’s lead singer on his musical inspiration You’re Just as Good What every artist needs to know Making One of a Kind Music La Sombra's unique contribution to Tejano music The Mexican Michael Jackson La Sombra's crossover into Mexican markets QUOTES I see myself as an ordinary person My mom would sing to me You are nobody’s shadow I loved music I was playing music out of heart I did it out of love It just happened You’re just as good as they are Let’s just record something just out of love for the music We took a chance with the music Nothing was out of luck I believe in God Take that first step keep going forward Everything I create sounds badass to me Create your own style of music Be yourself /episode/index/show/tuesdayswithandrea/id/23470907

#62 “Who has Guts?” with Sally Delgado, Vice President of Operations at Realty of Chicago 05/24/2022

#61 "Find Your Happiness” with Ana Tredrea, Spots on the Fox co-founder with a mission to Shop Local & Support Small Businesses 05/10/2022

#60 “I Decided to Skill Up” IT Solutions Architect Johnny Hernandez on using the gift of technology and recognizing moments that spark opportunity 04/26/2022

#59 Creating purpose through passion with women in business, Jen Mendoza, S. Aurora WESOS chapter leader and nonprofit cofounder, Moms4Moms Vendor Events, NFP 04/05/2022

#58 “We All Have Soft Hearts” Connecting People through Art with Eric Lodin, mystery novel author 03/22/2022

#57 Protecting the Vulnerable with Cassandra Ma, founder of Reclaim 13, a safe house dedicated to reclaiming the lives of children impacted by sex trafficking and exploitation 03/01/2022

#56 Breaking Generational Cycles with Health, Education and Travel with Simon Rodriguez, Youth Services Manager, City of Aurora 02/15/2022

#55 Early Web Pioneer: Motivating the World in Moments with Marlene Blaszczyk, MotivateUs.com 02/08/2022

#54 Circuit Judge appointed by Illinois Supreme Court: Why Representation Matters in the Courtroom 02/01/2022

#54 Circuit Judge appointed by Illinois Supreme Court: Why Representation Matters in the Courtroom Judge Bianca Camargo is one of five women, and the first Latina, appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court to serve as a Circuit Judge in Kane County. In this episode, Andrea sits down with Bianca to talk about her experience growing up on the East side of Aurora, Illinois, the trickle-down effect of opportunity, people who shaped her career, being a former prosecutor for the Kane County State’s Attorney’s office and the Latino experience in her courtrooms. Her message: representation in the judiciary matters, flush out the noise and look at the bigger picture of career service and family sacrifice. Watch Full Episode: Listen to Full Episode: Watch Episode Highlights: The Tuesdays With Andrea Podcast can be found at Podcast YouTube Channel: #judge #law #legal #lawyer #leadership #prosecutor #justice #diversity #representation #judiciary #courtroom #career #family #aurora #illinois #women #women #latinos #latina #latinas #hispanics #kanecounty #vote #primaries TIMESTAMPS 01:42 Judges wield an enormous amount of power 03:57 Production Goddess in the background 05:12 Dairy Delite or Banana Split? 06:00 Being the middle child 06:46 Growing up on the east side of Aurora, IL 07:52 The trickle-down effect of opportunity and parent sacrifice, IBEW Local 461 10:31 Attending college and law school and the values of hard work, dedication, and determination 11:51 Flushing out the noise of people telling you, you can't, you won't, you shouldn't 14:00 Majoring in sociology and becoming a victim advocate 15:25 Bianca, you have to go to law school. You need a bigger voice 14:05 The self-talk of applying to the State’s Attorney’s Office 17:07 The first person in my family with a bachelor's degree and the thought of postgraduate. How do I get in there? What do I need? 17:36 The trusted male supervisor every woman needs at work 18:35 Stop being selfish, and look for your kids 20:50 The Person Who Can Propel your career 22:38 Minorities not passing the bar exam and failing out of law school 24:19 Traditionally, there's not a lot of Latino lawyers 26:27 Are we using the Latina plug too much 28:09 The pressure of being the first, the strength to keep going, and moms who show love in different way 33:20 Being a prosecutor in the criminal justice system 38:17 The courage to show mercy and paying college parking fees 42:36 How people get jammed up, why good, elected judges make a difference 46:13 The Latino community in the courtroom. “I understand your realities and Aquí Para Servirle” 49:41 Her appointment to Circuit Judge by the Illinois Supreme Court 54:06 Trial attorneys don’t eat 56:00 Her mentor and people who’ve shaped her career 102:37 What Motivates Someone to Go Vote? Mark Your Calendars, Vote on June 28 106:57 Campaign pillars 1:09:29 What her day as a judge looks like 1:12:58 Sometimes it takes that one person to reroute your entire life 1:17:26 The resources component is the enabling component /episode/index/show/tuesdayswithandrea/id/21953018