I need your help! My book comes out next week!

1. Recommendations and resources for April are at the end of this post! I didn’t forget :)

2. Book club will be postponed tonight and in May due to book launch related things! Thanks for your patience!

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Hi all,

I am taking over this “last day of the month” post to get a little vulnerable with you. I am so nervous about my book coming out! There are so many insecurities popping up — what if it doesn’t sell? What if people don’t like it? What if it’s not as impactful as I hoped it would be? What if no one comes to book-related events?

Even more, I have been thinking a lot about the tension of wanting to promote this book while also acknowledging what is happening in the world.

I want to be earnest here because asking for help and support is incredibly hard for me. I, like many of you, struggle with my own narratives around asking for support. But here’s the truth that I am scared to admit out loud: I want to get a on a bestsellers list. I don’t know if it’ll happen, and maybe it won’t. But it certainly won’t if I don’t tap into community and ask for help.

So, I am asking for your help.

If you have ever been touched, helped, or seen by my work, I hope you will consider pre-ordering and buying the book. It would mean so much to me!

To be direct and realistic, pre-orders specifically are so important to set the stage for this book’s publicity, shelf life, and reach. They tell the world this book matters – that our voices matter. In a field and industry that doesn’t usually center marginalized voices and stories– I want to be an exception to further my mission: infuse culture into our wellness conversations and build bigger tables for our community members to sit at.

I have always aimed to center accessibility and now is the time that I am asking you to help me get the word out.

I hope you will consider pre-ordering a copy before May 7. You can do so anywhere you like to buy your books – but here’s some easy links for access. If you pre-order now, you can also get a guaranteed signed copy through Yu and Me Books, my partner bookstore that is Asian American and woman owned and centers immigrant stories. And you can get an e-book version, or the audiobook version that I narrate!

If you preorder, you get access to an exclusive Substack community, you enter a raffle for an influencer box with a book, biscuits, bookmark, and a handwritten note, and you can win 1/30 spots for a private book club with me in the Fall! Just fill out the form!

Other ways you can support me:

You can also support by sharing this pre-order link (it’s available in 12 countries!) on social media, in your newsletter, and/or with anyone who you think might be interested in this book; and consider leaving a Goodreads and/or Amazon review after 5/7, or ordering a copy for your local library. 

You can also join one of the many book events happening in Brooklyn, NY, New York City, Washington DC, Richmond, VA, Somerville, MA, Austin, TX, Houston, TX and more! I am also working on adding Toronto, London, SF, LA, and Seattle to the list – you can join a mailing list here to stay up to date, or you can check out the above link, or my Instagram pages for more info and updates. I'd love to see you there.

Finally, I wanted to share that bulk buys (25+) are offered at a discounted price! LinkedIN, The Asian American Foundation, and Athena health are all buying books to giveaway to employees, for a corporate book club, and/or in lieu of my full speaking fee for a corporate workshop (I offer many, check them out here and consider bringing me into your company/higher ed institution/agency!). Please consider sharing my information or LinkedIN page with your colleagues!

Thank you so much for your support. I am so endlessly grateful for each of you. Truly.

April Recommendations and Resources

News about my book: The book has been featured on national television, garnered a review in Publisher's Weekly, labeled a “must read” by The Next Big Idea Club – a book club curated by Adam Grant and Malcolm Gladwell – and listed as one of the “most buzzworthy listens” by Audible. It has also received high praise from writers and editors I admire, including Layla Saad, who called the book "a must-read," Erika Sánchez, who wrote, "This wonderful book is a compass, a blueprint, a mirror, and a friend” and Valarie Kaur, who shared that this book “breaks the traditional self-care model for community care, returning us to true belonging rooted in love.”

I had a lovely interview with Cleo Wade and Goop where Cleo called me “a natural educator.” And I can’t wait to share all the other press and podcast interviews I’ve done once they’re released. 

Other recommendations: I love this piece by Esther Perel on bettering your listening skills. And this piece on burnout. And this one on managing your dysregulated nervous system (something I think many of us are dealing with right now!). Also as women, silencing ourselves or being silenced can actually make us sick. And I loved this essay on recovering from parentification. And this important, important piece about Trader Joe’s approrpiating, co-opting, and downright stealing small business and ethnic products and recipes.

Recently, I read a few thrillers I loved, including Listen for The Lie and First Lie Wins. I also received a few gifted copies of books I’m so excited to dive in to, including Practical Optimism, As Long As You Need, and Exhibit.

I recently tried these Confusion Snacks, including the black truffle masala popcorn and chili chaat popcorn, and they are both delicious! I found them at a local boba joint and can’t wait to get my hands on more (not an ad!).