In this deeply moving episode of Tradition Breakers, host, Mary Moses, sits down with Alice Kao — an Asian American woman who went from being a 12-year-old "parachute kid" raising herself in the U.S. to becoming the CEO of one of Southern California's largest indoor climbing gyms, Sender One.

Alice opens up about the raw, often unseen journey behind her success. She shares how being sent to the U.S. alone as a child forged a resilience and independence that later became essential in building a multi-location climbing gym and leading through crises like the COVID-19 pandemic.

Her entrepreneurial story began with heartbreak. After a devastating breakup left her in depression, Alice discovered rock climbing — a sport that grounded her, healed her, and connected her to a community that would eventually inspire her to build something far bigger than she ever imagined.

As one of the few Asian women CEOs in the climbing industry, Alice talks candidly about the weight of cultural expectations, what she calls her "Asian woman backpack," and her lifelong dance with imposter syndrome. She shares why emotional vulnerability is core to her leadership, how asking for help became her superpower, and why community — not strategy — is truly what sustains entrepreneurs.

This conversation is for anyone who has ever felt like an outsider, carried the pressure of immigrant-family expectations, or built something while healing themselves at the same time.

• How being a "parachute kid" shaped Alice's survival instincts and leadership style

• Why rock climbing became the gateway to her emotional healing

• How a passion project grew into one of SoCal's largest climbing gym companies

• What it means to lead as a vulnerable, emotionally honest Asian American woman

• The truth about imposter syndrome and the "Asian woman backpack"

• How asking for help became Alice's defining leadership strength

• The loneliness of entrepreneurship and the power of community

• The lifelong work of self-acceptance, breaking traditions, and redefining identity

Links:

• Schedule a call with Fractional CMO, Mary Moses: https://tastydirectives.com/contact
• Follow Tradition Breakers on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/traditionbreakers
• Follow Mary on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/traditionbreakers
• Visit Sender One's website: https://www.senderoneclimbing.com/
• Connect with Alice on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alice-kao-ca