Category: Podcasting

Episode 19 of the podcast CrossWorld Puzzles is now out!

I was so happy to welcome the wonderful Kuriko Wong, a certified coach and the founder of Confidently Clear (a coaching practice helping leaders and mid-career professionals clarify their vision and take confident action toward their own definition of success). With her 20-year international career in public relations and communications at some of the world’s biggest corporations, she has worked with dozens of global professionals to find new perspectives, meaning and progress in their work and life. Kuriko is also a yoga instructor, social science aficionado, perpetual language learner, and active cyclist. She is based in Houston, Texas.

I met Kuriko through the U.S.-Japan Council. I was the Communications Manager there at the time, and she was a Vice President at FleishmanHillard, providing various feedback to us in her personal capacity to help improve our messaging. Knowing how language-intensive communications is as a field, I was amazed to hear that someone who grew up outside the U.S. was so successful that she was already a VP by the time she was 30. I am so thrilled that I got to ask her about that during this interview, as well as her new career in coaching. Even from our conversation, I can tell that she is a wonderful coach who inspires and energizes her clients.

We discuss Kuriko’s upbringing in Japan and how she became determined to study abroad; how she spent a year in high school in Upstate New York and participated in as many extracurricular activities as possible; why she chose to attend college in Houston; her career in communications that spans an amusement park, a major PR agency, and large global consulting companies; why she decided to pivot to coaching; and why she is so passionate about bringing out her clients’ strengths and confidence.

Many thanks to Kuriko for taking the time to talk with me! She is full of energy, and this interview is sure to motivate listeners to leave their comfort zone and try their hand at something new. Her advice on how to build confidence is inspirational but also practical, with steps that can be followed immediately.

The video podcast is below, but for more information on Kuriko, please see photos (and the episode transcript) here: https://crossworld-puzzles.com/episode19-kuriko/.

ポッドキャスト「CrossWorld Puzzles」の最新エピソードです。

今回は、キャリアコーチのウォン栗子さんにご登壇いただきました。リーダーやキャリア中盤の方々が自身のビジョンを明確にし、自分なりの成功の定義に向けて自信を持って行動できるよう支援する組織、「Confidently Clear」の創設者でいらっしゃる栗子さん。その前は、世界有数の大企業で20年にわたって広報やコミュニケーションにおけるキャリアを築いてきました。もとは静岡県浜松市のご出身で、今はテキサス州ヒューストンを拠点に活動されています。

私は米日カウンシルを通じて栗子さんと知り合いました。当時、彼女はフライシュマン・ヒラードのバイスプレジデントで、米日カウンシルのメッセージの強化に向けていろいろなフィードバックを提供してくださっていました。言語能力が極めて重要なコミュニケーションの分野において、米国外で育った方がこれほど成功し、30歳の若さで既にバイスプレジデントだなんて、と感銘を受けたのを覚えています。今回のインタビューで、そういった点や、コーチングにおける新たなキャリアについてお聞きできて大変嬉しく思います。

栗子さんの日本での生い立ち、ニューヨーク州北部の高校での留学経験、ヒューストンの大学を選んだ理由、様々な組織で経験を積んだコミュニケーションのキャリア、コーチングへの転身を決めた理由、クライアントの強みや自信をどのように引き出すか、など、様々なことについてお話しいただきました。

お忙しい中時間を割いてくださった栗子さんに感謝しています。自信をつけるためのアドバイスは、すぐに実践できる具体的なステップが盛り込まれていますし、彼女のかっこいい生き様やエネルギーからは、多くの方が刺激を受けるのではないかと思います。ぜひご覧ください！

Episode 18 of the podcast CrossWorld Puzzles is now out!

I was incredibly honored to welcome the wonderful Glen S. Fukushima. A highly respected and renowned Japanese American leader, he needs no introduction for those of us in the U.S.-Japan space! (I met him through the U.S.-Japan Council, where he is a member of the Board of Councilors.) He is a Visiting Fellow at Stanford University, Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress, and Vice Chair of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation. His previous roles include serving as Director for Japanese Affairs and promoted to Deputy Assistant USTR for Japan and China at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, a senior business executive for five multinational corporations, and President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan. Aside from USJC, he is also active in the Japanese American Citizens League and the Japanese American National Museum, and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and of the Global Council of the Asia Society as well as co-founder of the Asia Society Japan Center. He is a philanthropist to music, art, film, and education, especially programs promoting U.S.-Japan ties.

We discuss Glen’s upbringing as a Japanese American growing up in postwar Japan and California; the many different types of Japanese Americans; how he has supported U.S.-Japan relations through his many roles in government, business, and think tanks; and his philanthropy and support for education and the arts.

I am very grateful to Glen for taking the time to talk with me amid his busy schedule of moderating discussions, writing books and articles, and supporting stakeholders in the U.S.-Japan space. I enjoyed hearing the way he embraces his unique identity, and learned that we can be authentic even while being selective of which aspects of ourselves we show to others. I also love how he’s always pursued a wide range of fields that interest him, and enjoyed the anecdotes of his friendship with other well known leaders in U.S.-Japan relations.

The video podcast is below, but for more information on Glen, please see photos (and the episode transcript) here: https://crossworld-puzzles.com/episode18-glen/.

ポッドキャスト「CrossWorld Puzzles」の最新エピソードです。

今回は、大変光栄なことに、グレン・S・フクシマ氏にご登壇いただきました。多くの方にとってご紹介する必要がないほど著名な日系アメリカ人リーダーですが、今はスタンフォード大学の客員研究員、Center for American Progressの上級研究員、証券投資家保護公社の副会長を務めておられます。これまでは、米国通商代表部（USTR）において日本担当部長、その後通商代表補代理（日本・中国担当）を務め、5つの多国籍企業で経営幹部として活躍し、在日米国商工会議所の会頭なども歴任されました。米日カウンシル、日系アメリカ人市民連盟、全米日系人博物館、外交問題評議会、アジア・ソサエティでも活躍されています。音楽、芸術、映画、教育などに大きく貢献されてきたフィランソロピストでもいらっしゃいます。

本エピソードでは、戦後日本とカリフォルニアで育った日系アメリカ人としてのグレンさんの生い立ち、多様な日系アメリカ人の姿、政府・企業・シンクタンクにおける数々の立場から日米関係に行ってきた支援、教育・芸術分野を中心とした慈善活動について伺いました。

大変お忙しい中時間を割いてくださったグレンさんに深く感謝しています！ご自身のユニークなアイデンティティについてどのように考えていらっしゃるのか、とても興味深く伺いました。幅広い分野を常に追求されてきた姿勢や、日米関係の著名なリーダーたちとの逸話も、多くの方の刺激になるかと思います。ぜひご覧ください！

The podcast can be followed on YouTube, Spotify, and (for audio only) Apple Podcasts.

Episode 17 of the podcast CrossWorld Puzzles is now out!

I really enjoyed this conversation with the wise Sam Ushio, Founder of Ikigai Lab. Sam leads the social enterprise’s commitment to human sustainability and societal impact, and designs purpose-driven ecosystems for individuals and organizations around the world. Prior to founding Ikigai Lab, Sam was Director, Practice Management at Russell Investments, where he led the team that coached approximately 1,000 financial advisors per year. He is a Council Leader at the U.S.-Japan Council (and we met through one of its programs, the Advanced Leaders Collective).

We discuss Sam’s upbringing in Nebraska, including the close-knit community he grew up in; his family history, including his dynamic great-grandparents who came from Japan, and a recent reunion where 36 (!) family members visited Fukuoka; his career in finance and how he decided to found his own business; the meaning of ikigai and qualities of a good leader; and the importance of leaving our comfort zone.

Many thanks to Sam for sharing his powerful story with me. His family history is fascinating, with themes that will resonate with many (including the Japanese American struggle during the war) and figures that are uniquely inspiring and unforgettable (especially the women!). Those who are wavering whether to continue in their current career or embark on a new path will likely find Sam’s 18-month journey of self-exploration prior to founding Ikigai Lab–including many lessons learned–particularly inspiring.

The video podcast is below, but for more information on Sam, please see photos (and the episode transcript) here: https://crossworld-puzzles.com/episode17-sam/.

ポッドキャスト「CrossWorld Puzzles」の最新エピソードです。

今回は、「Ikigai Lab」の創設者であるサム・ウシオ氏をお迎えしました。Ikigai Labは、人に焦点を当てた団体で、個人に見合ったパーパスを見つけたり、パーパスを中心とした組織運営の仕方を模索したりすることを支援します。

本エピソードでは、ネブラスカの小さな町におけるサムさんの生い立ち、日系4世としてのアイデンティティや父方の曽祖父が福岡から来た経緯、金融業界でのキャリアと起業、「ikigai」という言葉の意義や優れたリーダーの資質、新しいことに果敢に挑戦することの重要性についてお話しいただきました。

サムさんのご家族の話は本当に興味深く、戦時中の日系アメリカ人の苦難、ひいおばあさまをはじめとするかっこいい女性の活躍など、心に響く点が多いかと思います。また、新たな道へ進むべきか迷っている方々にとって、サムさんが一年半かけて行った自己探求の話は、特に参考になるでしょう。ぜひご覧ください！

The podcast can be followed on YouTube, Spotify, and (for audio only) Apple Podcasts.

Episode 16 of the podcast CrossWorld Puzzles is now out!

I was honored to welcome the multitalented Niharika Chibber Joe, a public diplomat with experience across government, corporate, and nonprofit sectors. She currently serves as Deputy Agency Head of the Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission, an independent federal agency strengthening the U.S.-Japan Alliance through educational and cultural exchange. Previously, she was General Manager at Tata Sons, where she managed corporate sustainability, monitored U.S.-India trade policy, oversaw partnerships, and coordinated public-private initiatives. Earlier, she held leadership roles at the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation. A published poet and writer, she communicates in seven languages and multiple dialects.

We discuss Niharika’s upbringing in India, including the prejudice she’s had to overcome and how she came to command so many languages; how her interest in the Japanese language developed, to the extent that she worked as an interpreter; her move to the United States; increasing diversity in the U.S.-Japan space; and the importance of connecting people. Many will likely find Niharika’s comprehensive view of identities–how we all have multiple identities that are continuously shifting–and kind words for anyone who’s struggling to fit in incredibly powerful.

Many thanks to Niharika for sharing her fascinating story with me. I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation as a fellow language enthusiast–time just flew by, and I couldn’t believe at the end that we’d been talking for two hours! She has watched every episode of the podcast, and I really appreciate how she wove into our talk many of the themes other guests touched upon. She is a wonderful role model who’s passionate about helping the next generation, and I’m sure young audience members will find her advice particularly inspiring!

The video podcast is below, but for more information on Niharika, please see photos (and the episode transcript) here: https://crossworld-puzzles.com/episode16-niharika/.

ポッドキャスト「CrossWorld Puzzles」の最新エピソードです。

今回は、パブリック・ディプロマシーの専門家であるニハリカ趙（じょう）さんをお迎えしました。インドで生まれ育ち、7か国語を話すニハリカさん。日本語と日本研究それぞれの修士号を取得し、インドにおける日英通訳者としての勤務経験もおありです。米国では非営利団体のマンスフィールド財団で日米交流に携わったほか、タタの子会社で北米担当のゼネラルマネージャーを務め、米印貿易政策を追いました。現在は米連邦政府機関である日米友好基金の専務次長を務め、若者や議員を中心とした教育・文化交流を支援していらっしゃいます。

ニハリカさんのインドでの生い立ち、言語の面白さ（ベンガル語と日本語の共通項、様々な英語のアクセントなど）、日米交流を支援する人々における多様性、人をつなぐことの重要性など、様々なことについて話し合いました。実に2時間インタビューにお付き合いくださり、これまで本ポッドキャストの全エピソード（！）を見てくださった観点から、過去のゲストの方々が取り上げたテーマも織り込んで話してくださったニハリカさん。アイデンティティに関するニハリカさんの寛容な視点（私たち全員が複数のアイデンティティを持ち、それが絶えず変化しているという考え）、そして次世代や視聴者に向けた温かい言葉から刺激を受ける方は多いと思います。ぜひご覧ください！

The podcast can be followed on YouTube, Spotify, and (for audio only) Apple Podcasts.