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  • EP 22: Phase 1 Roundup + Summer Break Announcement
    2025/06/25

    In this special roundup episode, I take a moment to pause and reflect on where we’ve been so far — from conversations on identity and intercultural communication to episodes on burnout, chronic pain, and language bias. Episode 22 highlights key takeaways from our recent guests and themes that shaped the first arc of WeCultivate: The Pod!

    This episode also marks the start of a short summer break. I’ll be back with new episodes soon — but until then, thank you for listening and growing with us.

    🎙️ Featuring guests from Episodes 5–21
    🌐 Full archive + show notes: https://wecultivate.world/podcast

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    29 分
  • EP 21: Language Learning, But Make It Yours (Christina J, LovetoLingo)
    2025/06/17

    What does "empowered learning" really mean? How can learners AND educators learn to encourage greater agency in the classroom?

    Michelle sits down with Christina J. of LoveToLingo to talk about what it really takes to learn a language: discomfort, curiosity, and ownership. From cultural integration to instructor burnout, writing strategies to shifting systems, this episode is a deep dive into why language isn’t just a skill—it’s a relationship. And how you get to define the terms.

    🌍 identity and cultural friction

    🧠 writing as a thinking tool

    💬 how English becomes a status symbol

    🚫 why traditional teaching often fails

    ✅ and how to build agency instead


    Show notes & more: https://www.wecultivate.world/podcast

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    1 時間 33 分
  • EP 20: Building What Feels Good: On Burnout, Language Bias, and Redefining Success in Tech (Kax U.)
    2025/06/10

    In this episode, Michelle speaks with Kax U., a former tech leader turned startup founder and coach for women in tech, about the layered experience of navigating global workspaces as a multilingual, multicultural professional.

    💬 Topics include:

    • Burnout, misalignment, and why success often feels empty
    • Language bias and the myth of "perfect fluency"
    • Internalized perfectionism in immigrant communities
    • English-first workplaces and cross-cultural communication
    • What it actually means to build a career that feels good

    🎯 Actionable steps:

    ⏱ 12:00 – Redefine what “feels good” means in your work

    ⏱ 25:00 – Notice how language bias shows up in your workplace

    ⏱ 44:00 – Try a culture mapping activity with your team

    ⏱ 53:00 – Reframe "stakeholder management" as building trust

    ⏱ 1:10:00 – Consider how your environment affects your growth

    This one’s for anyone who’s ever felt the weight of expectations and still kept going.

    Listen in for deep insight, humor, and a reminder that you're not alone.

    Bonus episode info coming later this year!

    Visit https://www.wecultivate.world/podcast for transcripts, show notes, etc.

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    1 時間 14 分
  • EP 19: Why Adaptability Is the Hidden Key to Long-Term Professional Success (Trainer POV)
    2025/06/03

    Why is adaptability the most underrated skill in workplace communication?

    In this solo Trainer POV episode, Michelle explores how adaptability helps multilingual professionals navigate complex, high-stakes situations—without losing themselves in the process. You'll learn the importance of reading the room, shifting your delivery with intention, and adapting without burnout. This isn’t about being performative. It’s about communicating with impact and alignment.

    In this episode:
    ▪️ [02:20] Why context is everything in communication

    ▪️ [04:35] What true adaptability looks like (beyond language rules)

    ▪️ [17:30] 5 actionable steps to help you communicate with more flexibility and clarity


    🎯 Key Takeaways:

    1. Read the room before responding

    2. Flex your delivery—not just your vocabulary

    3. Adjust based on context, not just content

    4. Invite and apply feedback

    5. Practice empathy to meet your audience where they are

    Whether you’re navigating team dynamics, presenting ideas, or working across cultures, this episode will help you shift from self-doubt to empowered communication.

    Listen now and start applying these shifts today.

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    28 分
  • EP 18: Whose English Is It Anyway? On Accents, Bias & “Jiggery Pokery” (Damien C.)
    2025/05/27

    What does it mean to “sound native”? And who decides what’s correct? In this episode, Michelle is joined by Damien C., a former archaeologist turned pain coach and kung fu teacher, for a wide-ranging conversation on accents, authenticity, and the layered politics of being a native English speaker.


    Together, they explore:

    • Why the idea of “correct English” is a myth

    • Damien’s story of growing up with an unexpected RP accent

    • How global communication is shaped by subtle (and not-so-subtle) bias

    • The cultural dissonance between what we’re taught and how we live

    • What jiggery pokery has to do with all of it


    From Dorset to Shanghai to Sydney, this episode invites you to rethink how we hear—and who we hear—as we navigate life in the English-speaking world.


    🔔 Follow and subscribe for more conversations at the intersection of language, identity, and communication.

    Find full transcripts, show notes, and more at https://www.wecultivate.world/podcast

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    59 分
  • EP 17: Baking Through Grief, Living Through Layers (Kaylesh B.)
    2025/05/20

    In this moving episode of WeCultivate: The Pod, Michelle sits down with longtime friend, attorney, and baker Kaylesh (@chaikaybakes) to unpack the layered realities of identity, loss, and healing.

    Together, they explore what it means to grow up between cultures — navigating life as a Malaysian-Indian woman in the U.S., code-switching across languages, and wrestling with expectations around career and belonging. In the second half, Kaylesh shares how a deeply personal loss led her to find solace and strength in baking, turning her grief into a space for creativity, connection, and self-expression.

    From summers in Malaysia to courtroom battles and chiffon cakes, this episode reminds us: we are made of many layers — and that embracing each one is a radical act of self-acceptance.

    ✨ Topics explored:• Living between cultures & languages• Code-switching & identity• Career journeys shaped by family & justice• Grieving and healing through creativity• Building community after loss

    For show notes, guest bios, full transcripts, and more, visit https://www.wecultivate.world/podcast

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    1 時間 2 分
  • EP 16: Communication Fatigue: When English Feels Draining at Work (Trainer POV)
    2025/05/13

    Why do so many multilingual professionals feel exhausted—even after a "good" workday? This episode dives deep into communication fatigue, the invisible yet very real energy drain that comes from operating in English at work when it’s not your first language. From decoding unspoken norms to constantly self-monitoring your words and tone, this episode explores the emotional and cognitive load that often goes unnoticed.

    Whether you're writing emails, speaking in meetings, or just trying to stay present, this episode offers practical shifts to help reduce mental burnout and bring more clarity to your communication. If you've ever felt like you're running on empty after a full day of "good" English, this one’s for you.

    Subscribe here and see the full episode library, show notes, and more at https://www.wecultivate.world/podcast

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    33 分
  • EP 15: Shapeshifting With Authenticity & Cultivating Lifelong Healing (Patra N.)
    2025/05/06

    How do you honor all the versions of yourself across languages, cultures, and life stages?

    In this episode, I speak with Patra, a Ugandan-born hypnotherapist living in Australia, about:

    • Self-concept and identity work
    • Healing generational trauma
    • Emotional intelligence and lifelong growth
    • Navigating language and communication across cultures
    • Living authentically as a multilingual, multicultural person


    Tune in to hear how language, healing, and self-awareness intertwine across a lifetime of transformation. 🎙️

    Episode page with show notes at https://www.wecultivate.world/podcast

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    1 時間 12 分