807: Race And Beauty With Olivia Wong

Olivia Wong is an entrepreneur, award-winning humanitarian, and Miss Asian Global 2020. She Race And Beauty With Olivia Wongcurrently leads Prototype Thinking Labs, an innovation consultancy that trains Fortune 500 companies in a revolutionary method born at Google X.  Formerly as a humanitarian aid worker, Olivia worked in Fukushima, Japan and at Zaatari, the world’s largest Syrian refugee camp. Her nonprofit work has been recognized by the Clinton Foundation, the United Nations, and the US State Department.  As Miss Asian Global, Olivia promotes various social causes, including Black Lives Matter, women’s rights, and the protection of refugees, and is most passionate about her advocacy work as a Goodwill Ambassador to Miracle Messages, an award-winning nonprofit organization helping people experiencing homelessness rebuild their social support systems.

Olivia shares how western media affects Asian women in a negative way.  She also shares the moment when she realizes that she is beautiful in her own skin and does not need the standards of western media to define her beauty and worth.

Bio

Olivia Wong is an entrepreneur, award-winning humanitarian, and Miss Asian Global 2020.

Cultural Background

Olivia is of Chinese descent.

Favorite Self Confidence Quote

Before you conquer the world, you must first conquer yourself.

Before you conquer the world, you must first conquer yourself.

Definition of Self Confidence

Self-confidence means trusting, loving, and accepting yourself for who you are. When the makeup comes off, can you look at yourself in the mirror and say, “Damn you are gorgeous and I love you, you badass magical woman.” If you can, that is the epitome of self-confidence and I salute you.

Her Life Before the Discovery of Self Confidence

Before Olivia discovered her sense of self, she suffered from what we call, “Little Miss Perfect” and “Nice Girl” syndrome. She constantly wanted to please and be liked — a character flaw she developed from her Chinese upbringing. If someone asked her where she wanted to go for dinner, she would say, “Where ever you want!”. When asked if she would collaborate on a project, her response would be, “I’d be so honored, I’ll do it for free!”. If someone who she had no interest in asked me on a date, she would begrudgingly say “Sure!” and then grin and bear the rest. She struggled to voice her opinions and centered her life around creating comfort for other people. (very typical good Chinese girl!)

Olivia also suffered from “comparisonitis”. She looked at other women who were killing it in their careers, winning awards, traveling to Bali to lead retreats, and doing things she wished she could do and she despised them for it. She would go out for dinner, see hot women wearing fashionable clothes with bodies curvier than her and feel shame inside. She thinks a lot of women can relate to this. We can be our own worst critics and saboteurs.

The “AHA” Moment

Olivia has this memory and although it happened over 5 years ago, it’s as clear as day. She was in a crowded club in Los Angeles with a friend after returning from Burning Man. Everything feels new and fresh. She had just gone to her first burn alone and she remembers standing on the second floor balcony overlooking a famous EDM DJ thinking, “I will only have myself in this lifetime. My friends, family, even partner will come and go but I, only me, this consciousness in this body, will be forever. If I am the only person I will have in this lifetime, I need to be someone I can count on. I am going to be my own best friend. I will never let you feel lonely. I will never put you down. I’m going to be here for you and I will never leave you again.”

Who knew that clubbing in LA would bring out the best in Olivia and a life-changing epiphany!

Simplecast Banner

 

Her Life After the Discovery of Self Confidence

Olivia is in love. She is in love with her life, her heart, her joy, her freedom, her passion. She feels completely and utterly free of pain. This is a remarkable experience to be alive. She now enjoys the liberation that comes from not having to prove herself to others or depend on others for her self-esteem.

The One Self Confidence Tip For the Listener

Olivia encourages all women to study the “Queen” archetype. We all have an inner Queen inside us waiting to be summoned. A Queen is so much more than crowns, sashes, and robes. A Queen is a leader who embodies the perfect blend of masculine and feminine. She is smart, feminine, powerful, spiritual, generous, visible, prosperous, and benevolent. She lives a life worthy of her calling. Being a Queen is about becoming the best version of yourself, never denying your ability or your worth, and making excellent decisions quickly and easily without sacrificing her boundaries. If you want to learn more, I recommend reading “The Audacity To Be Queen: The Unapologetic Art of Dreaming Big and Manifesting Your Most Fabulous Life” by Gina DeVee.

Interview Links

Would you like to make a donation?

Click here to make a donation to support the podcast.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.