Podcast & Newsletter

Podcast & Newsletter

Podcast & Newsletter

  • A minimalist holiday scene with beige gift boxes tied with black ribbons stacked beside a small green fir tree. Text reads “The Korean Vegan 2025 Holiday Gift Guide.”

    The Korean Vegan’s 2025 VEGAN Holiday Gift GUIDE.
    By Joanne Molinaro • November 23, 2025
    Wow! How is 2025 nearing its conclusion already?!?! It feels like it just got started! Regardless, we can’t say goodbye to 2025 without bringing to…
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  • Joanne sits by a large window in a city high-rise, smiling at a tablet on her lap, while two small dogs rest their heads on her knees. Tall buildings are visible in the background. Black and white photo.

    Do you have hyper-empathy syndrome?
    By Joanne Molinaro • July 28, 2025
    And I could visualize it, feel the sticky, sweet syrup staining my fingers, finding its way beneath my fingernails. I could see my brother’s face,…
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  • A young Joanne in a pink dress and her little brother Jaesun, in a striped shirt and light pants, sit side by side on a wooden bench, smiling in a warmly lit room with patterned wallpaper and a framed picture in the background.

    An ice cream truck and my little brother.
    By Joanne Molinaro • June 23, 2025
    And I could visualize it, feel the sticky, sweet syrup staining my fingers, finding its way beneath my fingernails. I could see my brother’s face,…
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  • A person holds up a large American flag at a political rally, surrounded by others with signs and flags, as the vibrant scene is captured against a backdrop of a blue sky and traffic light.

    Should influencers get political??
    By Joanne Molinaro • June 16, 2025
    Those who seek justice? Will their stories be tarnished by the bleak levers of the “creator economy”? What happens to them when they are left…
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  • Joanne smiles and makes peace signs while running in three different races, wearing various running outfits and race bibs, surrounded by other runners and outdoor race settings.

    Can you be a runner if you hate running?
    By Joanne Molinaro • June 2, 2025
    You see, the operative question isn’t what made me start running. It’s what makes me keep running.
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  • A woman in a black gown stands beside a sleek black Genesis SUV with Gold House branding, exuding mental toughness as she poses confidently before a grand staircase and building, while people gather in the background.

    Mental toughness: “Shifting the line” of your distress tolerance.
    By Joanne Molinaro • May 12, 2025
    “You see,” she concluded, “there was a line I didn’t think I was strong enough to cross. But,” she paused to gesture with her hands,…
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  • A social media post from thekoreanvegan reads: There is nothing more toxic and more hurtful than toxic jealousy from another woman at your success—especially when it’s from a fellow Korean American woman.

    Toxic Jealousy.
    By Joanne Molinaro • May 5, 2025
    Having arrived at this breakthrough, I concluded that the answer could not be running over my fellow Korean American women, but running with them. In…
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  • A woman in a black dress enters a home holding a phone and bag, then sits at a table eating from a bowl while reading. Text reads: I am a Non-Trad Wife. Before I became a writer.

    The “Non-Trad Wife.”
    By Joanne Molinaro • April 21, 2025
    My mother was a non-trad wife. She worked as a nurse our entire childhood. As a result, my grandmother and later, even my father, did…
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  • A small white dog with its eyes closed rests its head on a table in sunlight. The background has a textured beige blanket, and a plate of seaweed is on the table in the foreground.

    These pics of Lulu are GUARANTEED to make you smile!!!
    By Joanne Molinaro • March 31, 2025
    Yesterday, a woman stopped me while I was walking backing to my car from an event to introduce herself. She was a follower on Instagram,…
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  • A cracked brown eggshell floats against a blurred gray background, its jagged edges a testament to its fragility.

    The Eggshell Skull
    By Joanne Molinaro • February 3, 2025
    Note: This week’s musings relate to my struggle with disordered eating and body dysmorphic disorder. If you find this topic unsettling or otherwise uninteresting, you…
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  • An elephant and a giraffe, like everyday friends, sit together on a branch of a tall, leafless tree, overlooking a sandy landscape beneath the clear blue sky.

    Do You Have An “Everyday Friend”?
    By Joanne Molinaro • January 27, 2025
    Recently, I started having monthly Zooms with a friend who lives on the opposite side of the country. I don’t normally schedule these types of…
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  • Joanne sits at a cluttered desk, surrounded by books and office supplies, speaking into a microphone on a video call with BBC displayed on her laptop.

    Do Laws Even Matter Any More?
    By Joanne Molinaro • January 20, 2025
    It’s been a whirlwind of activity in Casa Molinaro the past week. Yes, we are back home, largely back in the groove, and this morning,…
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  • A hand with a magnifying glass zeroes in on a red and black target symbol nestled between the numbers 2025, embodying a New Years Resolution. Set against a light blue backdrop, the numbers rest on wooden circles, emphasizing focus and determination for the year ahead.

    A Note on New Year’s Resolutions
    By Anthony Molinaro • December 30, 2024
    I’ve been thinking about what to write in this space for several days now. As 2025 looms, I feel obligated to write something reflective of…
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  • A variety of colorful dishes, including rice and pickled vegetables are arranged on a dark table. The text overlay reads, Top 10 Recipes of 2024.

    The Korean Vegan’s TOP 10 Recipes of 2024!
    By Joanne Molinaro • December 30, 2024
    Believe it or not, I decided to give actual blogging a try in 2024. Previously, I’d sporadically publish a recipe on this website, here and…
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  • Two hands with colorful bracelets interlocked, symbolizing friendship and connection.

    The Anatomy of Friendship.
    By Joanne Molinaro • December 16, 2024
    My Friend Breakup post generated so much discussion (1k+ comments on social media) that I asked my friend, Nabiha Basathia, to join me for a…
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  • A yellow background with soft, blurred flowers. The text reads: Read it somewhere that says... You grow into the woman your younger self would run to for protection. And that was like the warmest hug I could ever receive.

    Is Therapy Speak Out of Control?
    By Joanne Molinaro • December 9, 2024
    “I’m entitled to protect my mental health.” And though it’s rarely said out loud, the end of that handy defense is “even if it disproportionately…
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  • Silhouette of a person sitting on a swing, contemplating friendship as they face the ocean at sunset. The sun is low on the horizon, casting a warm glow over water and sand, while the sky transitions in vibrant hues of orange and yellow. A second swing remains empty.

    Friend Breakups
    By Joanne Molinaro • December 2, 2024
    I cannot be friends with you anymore. “Hey, can we meet out by the steps in the parking lot after service?” It was Sunday. The…
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  • Gratitude Definition

    Should I Start a Gratitude Journal?
    By Joanne Molinaro • November 25, 2024
    It turns out that gratitude, in general, as well as those things that inspire us to feel gratitude, like a gratitude journal, can have a measurable impact…
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  • Text Message Featured Image

    I Can’t Deal with Text Messages Anymore.
    By Joanne Molinaro • November 18, 2024
    I’ll come right out and say it: I don’t like text messages. I’m upfront about it, though–I tell people who I view as potential friends,…
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  • Did “discipline” become a dirty word?
    By Joanne Molinaro • September 9, 2024
    I’ve always viewed discipline to be a tool, one that helps me reach specific goals. Take, for example, running my first half marathon back in…
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  • Photo Collage of Joanne.

    “Wow, You’ve Lost So Much Weight”: Compliment?
    By Joanne Molinaro • August 26, 2024
    With the exception of the last 10 years, I literally cannot remember a time in my life when I was not told to lose weight….
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  • North Korean, South Korean, and Chinese Athletes celebrate together.

    North Korean Sports Diplomacy and Korean Cold Noodles.
    By Joanne Molinaro • August 12, 2024
    While Simone Biles, Katie Ledecky, and Novak Djokovic dominated the Olympic headlines, percolating just beneath the radar were all sorts of smaller stories, ones that…
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  • Simone Biles flying through the air

    Simone Biles, Mental Toughness, and Hi-Protein Recipes.
    By Joanne Molinaro • August 5, 2024
    On the morning she won the Gold Medal in the Individual All-Around competition, Biles started her day by calling her therapist. Mental health doesn’t need…
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  • Photo of Joanne on her away to Hello Sunshine events.

    Conquering Social Anxiety, Hello Sunshine, & Gluten-Free Pancakes!
    By Joanne Molinaro • July 29, 2024
    Hey everyone! This week I look to keep my social anxiety at bay while visiting Nashville for Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine retreat.  I share my…
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