#35 Surviving to Thriving w/ Sysamone Phaphon
I’m writing this to you right after a huge thanksgiving feast - so my belly’s full and my heart is fuller. My boyfriend Mario met my family and celebrated Thanksgiving for the first time ever. It was sweet to experience this special occasion through his fresh eyes.
I had to explain to him that we do the day a little differently. While we still have a traditional turkey, it’s baked with Asian herbs and spices. And instead of stuffing, we have soup. Normally there are one or two desserts, but because my mom is extra (and an excellent baker), we had a whole dessert section of pies, cakes and cookies.
As a Filipino American, I grew up with both eastern and western customs, and often created new traditions which are a blend of the two.
In my conversation with Sysamone Phaphon, she shares her experiences straddling eastern and western culture. She grew up in the US but her family is from Laos, where polygamy is perfectly normal. Her father had two wives, and she lived under the same roof with 3 parents and 15 brothers and sisters.
Having this kind of upbringing brought on its hardships, but it also contributed to how Sysamone chose to live her life - as a strong female empowerment leader. She’s had multiple career changes, started a variety of businesses, and got her masters degree while raising a family as a single mother.
She shares her inspiring story and the things she learned on her journey on the podcast this week.
Do you have a unique upbringing too? What was it like growing up? Share your story.