S1E11. Stefanee, Filipino and Spanish American - I had a Michael Jackson Childhood

In the Season 1 finale of Cultureful, host Jess Lin talks with Stefanee Clontz, a 44-year-old Filipino and Spanish American working mom and Director of Operations at Hydra+, a medical spa in Atlanta.

Stefanee shares what she calls her “Michael Jackson childhood,” her evolving connection to her Asian American identity, and how that connection has grown over time.  She also opens up about the balance of not only work and family, but also finding time for herself.

Thanks for listening to Season 1. Stay tuned—Season 2 is coming soon.

Watch the video on Youtube https://youtu.be/WL2T5pvHkt8

Follow Stefanee on instagram @stefaneeclontz or Hydra+ @thehydraplus

Her podcast is called “Does this Podcast Make Me Sound Fat”

Thanks so much for listening! Follow, review, and share to help us grow.

Episode trailers on Instagram: @thecultureful https://instagram.com/thecultureful

Chapters

• 0:25 Intro
• 14:48 Michael Jackson childhood
• 19:30 Family reunions
• 33:00 Philippines Trip
• 49:30 Wanting more in life
• 59:03 Closing

Transcript

Transcript generated by AI and may contain errors

Jess: . [00:00:00] So we're gonna make it snappy, which I think is like your vibe anyways, so I was like, it's not gonna take that, you know, you're very, you're, you're snappy gal.

Stefanee: Because I'm always late for something. I was looking through my planner last night to see what I had going on for today, and my husband was like, what is that? Is like, that would give me an anxiety attack to you because it's so funny. 

Jess: You are listening to Cultureful. I'm your host, Jess Lin. I had the pleasure of interviewing Stefanee Clontz, a 44-year-old Filipino and Spanish American woman from a suburb of Dallas, who now lives in Atlanta. She's the director of operations for Hydro Plus a medical spa in the Atlanta area.

. Her life is incredibly fast-paced, juggling professional projects, family and personal pursuits. In this conversation, we explore her evolving relationship with her Asian [00:01:00] American identity, the role of family reunions,

her quote, Michael Jackson childhood and her approach to raising her daughter Stefanee was at work during the interview, so you might hear some background noise from the medical spa. a quick note about the show. This is the last episode of season one.

Season two will be dropping later this month. I've interviewed some fascinating guests for season two, including a Pakistani American feminist writer, born in Uganda, a third generation Mexican American sharing about her family history, a queer and polyamorous, Colombian, and many other beautiful humans.

I can't wait to share these conversations with you. My goal is to release a new episode every other Tuesday. Follow the show to stay tuned and remember, you can watch video versions of episodes on YouTube. alright, here's my [00:02:00] conversation with Stefanee. 

Hey Stephanie. Welcome.

Stefanee: Hi,

this is so exciting. you.

know what, it's like podcast again, but the, the tables are turned,

Jess: Yeah, exactly.

Stefanee: so now you get to grill me.

Jess: I hope it won't be a grill. I'm going for a casual hang. Um, but yeah, I'm glad we met at the Asian American Advocacy Day,And we were just chatting over breakfast and we're like, wait a minute. We both have podcasts.

Stefanee: I do a podcast

like that. 

Jess: And you were so, okay. I've been meeting 'cause I'm new in Atlanta, right.

And I have been meeting a lot of people for the first time. And I really wanna say, you were so warm and down to earth, 

Stefanee: Thanks. 

Jess: were just like super easy to talk to and you immediately were like, let's interview each other on our podcast. And I was like, oh, that's so exciting. Like last week one of my friends was just telling me to manifest that I should try to, you know, also be interviewed as a guest.[00:03:00] 

Anyway, I really appreciate how warm you were. And we're talking about like Botox, all that. You were just, just so real and I really appreciate that about you.

Stefanee: because I didn't know why I was there, so I was trying to find somebody to like mean. What are we doing today?

Jess: Yeah, I know. Me too. It was also my first time. So, tell the listener, um, about your podcast and like what it's about, where they can find it?

Stefanee: Ours is called, does this podcast make me sound fat? And I created it for our work, uh, hydro Plus. And I really just wanted to showcase the dynamic personalities of our. Weight loss clients and our testosterone patients. And like I have the privilege of, you know, interacting with these clients and patients on a daily basis.

And even when I'm not at work, you know, they're texting me, they're calling me and they have such great stories. So imagine me pitching this to the owner, which I'm sure that all of my ideas are like, oh Lord, here we go again. But I am like, hear me out when we have a [00:04:00] podcast, we're gonna call it, does this podcast make me sound fat? And then, and then we're gonna shoot it in the studio. We're gonna have all these guests on. And he was like, okay, if that's what you wanna do. And so we've been four months now, and I counted it yesterday. We've done 33 podcasts in four months. In between all of the patient appointments and all of the events that I go through during the week.

Jess: Which is wild and, and yeah. So you had me on thank thanks for letting me be a guest on your podcast. You had me on. And it was such a fascinating experience because we were in the lobby, people were passing, walking to their appointments or whatever, and I 

Stefanee: totally functioning office space.

Jess: this is a different vibe and I need to figure out how to get my.

Like in home studio together, so I can have guests come and, you know, record like in person.

Stefanee: This is the cool thing about it, is that you get to interview all of these people from around the world.

Like we've had a nutritional therapist from [00:05:00] New Zealand, just had somebody on last week, a life coach, um, who. Was from Portugal

and then he had like a, another life coach and he was from Cape Town. So meeting all of these people and then you follow everybody on your socials and what you find is that like, you know, they're, they're grinding too and

you get to see each other's, you know, hustle throughout the day.

And it, it's, it's so very cool.

Jess: Yeah. and the other really interesting thing that, like you mentioned, right around the time we met at the event was You're kind of in a period right now where you're starting to kind of think more and reflect more about your Asian American identity.

Stefanee: I am trying to 

make up for lost time.

Jess: and I was like, okay, well let's have you on the podcast, talk about that. You know, talk about your background and, and so that's what we're here to do today, right? So, um, let's get into some background and then eventually we'll make our way to present day and, um, how you're reflecting [00:06:00] about your Asian American identity now.

But let's start with, yeah. Tell me about your family. Um, what do you know about your family history?

Stefanee: Well, all I knew when I was growing up is that my parents came over from the Philippines and that we were, you know, Filipino Americans living in Texas. So I was born in California, which there are huge age Asian population over there. We moved to Texas when I was two and then, you know, I was raised there till I graduated high school and then I left for college. But during that time, you know, when we moved to a predominantly white neighborhood, so, and I, you know, and my parents were very like hill bent on, like, we're, were coming to America and we're gonna blend in with the American culture. And so I don't think they put a lot of emphasis on me really getting to know my, my history, the heritage, the background, where they came from. So, you know, I know that my dad was, um, you know, he was working [00:07:00] at a dry cleaners and at some point my parents lived in Canada before. Like right after they, uh, immigrated from, from the Philippines. But I don't know exactly where my dad was raised in the Philippines. I know my mom was from Manila and you know, I've been there once.

So I, I really do have it on my radar to, to go there now that I'm an adult. And, you know, my 10-year-old has some curiosity about going there too. But

I just, I really am so curious now. 'cause I just didn't really know much when I was younger.

Jess: It was mysterious

Stefanee: It's then that's, and then we had a family reunion on my dad's side. This was in Cali of course.

And I was 17 when I learned that, Hey, you know, your dad's mom is from Barcelona. And then whenever I was talking about this with my mom, and she's like, oh yeah. And my dad, so this is my mom's dad. He's from Valencia. And I think, so

I am a quarter Spanish and a [00:08:00] quarter Filipino from each parent. That's unique.

Jess: And so you are 50% Spanish and you didn't know until you were 17.

Stefanee: Yeah.

Jess: Wow. 

Stefanee: so

Jess: how did you take that news? Like what, what, how did that, were you just like, oh, okay, no big deal, or were you like, oh my gosh, I'm 50% Spanish

Stefanee: No, I thought that was a huge deal

because you know, here I am thinking that like, you know, I'm Filipino. Not that I really understand what that means as a teenager. But then how old was I? I think I was 30 when I went to Barcelona and, um, everybody was talking to me in Catlan. And then I'm just looking around at people name, like, I might look more Spanish than I do Filipino. And all this time I

always thought that I had very Filipino features.

So it was interesting to think like, oh, well, like, you know, part of my family is from here.

Jess: to even look in the mirror and like be like, oh, you were seeing Filipino this whole [00:09:00] time,

Stefanee: Yeah.

Jess: but now

everyone, you're like, 

Spanish passing.

Stefanee: Yeah, I got a little catalonian in me,

so maybe not now. 'cause I dyed my hair back to black, so I'm back to looking Asian again when my hair is lighter. You know, you like, especially coming from Texas or whenever I'm down in Florida at our house, um, the first language people approach me with is Spanish.

Jess: Whoa. What is your natural hair color?

Stefanee: It's Jet Black.

Jess: Okay.

Stefanee: Yeah. My daughter has lighter brown hair, but mine is naturally this color. You're jet black.

Jess: Yeah.

Stefanee: Yeah.

Jess: But it's funny that you say this because when I'm in Taiwan, people like there's, because everyone's natural hair is like almost black or some variation of black, and people will tell me they think my hair is not that black. It's like kinda on the browner side. 'cause it's like when, you know, it's like different shades of like a very, you know, small range.

Yeah. People are [00:10:00] be like, oh, that's black, or that's not as black, or that's brown or whatever. And then what's also interesting is like in, um, like when I'm in Taiwan, when I'm around Taiwanese people, they consider my hair to be naturally curly because I have a little, because it doesn't just like fall.

Right. Which is what they consider straight. And then so the naturally wavy, it's a little bit

is like, oh, it's curly hair.

Stefanee: Mm-hmm. Like when

I, I fell asleep with it wet. So I have a little bit of the naturally wavy like.

Jess: Okay. I'm very fascinated by how, like, it's not like a distant relative, it's like a grandparent on both sides, on each side. Like how, how did it not come up that they're from Spain? 

Stefanee: I even if they did, and I think this was before the 23 and Me stuff, that somebody did something and they just did a deep dive. I think it was where you could. You pay somebody and they, like, [00:11:00] they dig up your, what is it, genealogy. And so that's whenever they started going further back. And, you know, so like apparently, um, my, my paternal grandfather like this, he fought, uh, for the US as a Philippine citizen on behalf of the US during World War

ii. 

Jess: in 1941, US President Franklin d Roosevelt promised US citizenship and benefits to Filipinos who served in the US military during World War ii. Stefanee's family benefited from this, but most veterans were denied those promises by the 1946 Rescission Act with justice only partially restored in the 1990s and beyond.

Stefanee: So 

my paternal grandfather, um, since he was military, I know that they moved around a lot. So my dad speaks a lot of Filipino dialects. The most common one that they speak at home is Tagalog. [00:12:00] That's the most widely spoken, um, dialect in the Philippines. And that's the one that most people speak in Manila.

And, uh. So I grew up in a bilingual household. English was the first language, Tagalog was the second, and unfortunately I can only count to five.

I understand it 100%. If I'm around family or if I am, you know, if I hear people talking, I totally understand it. But as a first generation, we talked about are we first or are we second generation?

But as you know, just growing up in the us, like instinctively, we just respond in English. So my Tagalog is not good. 

Jess: so you were first generation born in the US

Stefanee: Yes.

Jess: did you spend much time with, have you spent much time with your grandparents when you were growing up?

Stefanee: Oh, unfortunately, no.

Um, you know, my grandparents, my dad's side was in Cali. My, um, mom's side was in the Philippines. So my mom had quite a few, um, [00:13:00] immediate family members who were still living in Manila when I was a teenager.

Jess: So you're, you're in Texas, you're growing up predominantly white neighborhood suburb of Dallas, What was the vibe of your community and like, did you code switch a lot from, you know, at home, what you would do versus like out in the world with your friends and at school?

Stefanee: The vibe with my community was, you know, again, it was predominantly white. There weren't even really many African American kids in our school. I. And, you know, I, I remember being a kid, like in daycare and actually being ashamed that we spoke a different language.

I didn't like it when my, when my friends would come over and my parents were talking to each other in Tagalog.

And I dunno why that was a thing, because like, you know, you think about Europeans and, you know, a lot of Asians and other countries, like, like you grow up speaking at least 2, 3, 4 languages, 

right? And so, um, I hate that I was just, I was not proud [00:14:00] that, hey, I've got like more cognition than you because I can speak other languages. And, um, you know, in raising my daughter, the first thing I did was put her in a, um, a Spanish immersion school.

At 20 months old, she was learning Spanish and English.

And then when she turned three, she was in a school that taught Mandarin in Spanish in addition to English. So. That's the best time to do it is when you're young. And maybe that was part of the thing with my parents, just trying to, you know, integrate as easily as possible was not pushing too much Tagalog down my throat, not pushing

too much Filipino culture down my throat.

Jess: and they would talk to you in Tagalog, but you just respond English.

Stefanee: Uh huh.

Jess: besides the language, were there other aspects where now looking back, you know, Filipino culture showed up in your life as a kid?

Stefanee: Not really

Jess: Food

Stefanee: food. My mom cooked

a [00:15:00] little bit. Um, you know, here's the thing, and I always joke about it. I always say that I had a Michael Jackson childhood.

I grew up in the dance studio. 

I started dancing when I was. Two years old and till I was 15 or 16

Jess: well you were in a dance class when you were two years old.

Stefanee: mm-hmm. And teaching you ballet in your little diaper.

Jess: Wow.

Stefanee: it, you know, and as time went on, I was in the dance studio four and five days a week for four and five hours a day. And so unfortunately I ate on the go. I mean,

I was a fast food kid, even though I do not allow that for my daughter. I mean, I, you know, my mom would grab food on the way home. Our dance studio was in the parking lot of a seven 11 gas station.

And in between classes, all the kids would run to the gas station. We'd get the chili dogs and the nachos and a Slurpee

Jess: Oh my 

Stefanee: to class, you know, so we're like, least we were burning all of those calories.[00:16:00] 

But, um. As far as Filipino food goes, there's not one, I don't think my daughter knows about any Filipino dish because I don't cook it.

Jess: 

Stefanee: for me. Filipino cuisine is very salty and, uh, it eases some meats that I don't really prefer.

You know, it's like I, I, I prefer mostly plant-based. Um, I eat gluten-free. We eat pretty clean in the household, so it was like, it comes time to making punt you, you know what punt is. Have you heard

that? 

Jess: it? 

I'm still learning about Filipino food. It's 

Stefanee: it's like it, like Filipino domain.

Jess: Okay.

Stefanee: And so that's one thing that people always ask for. They always ask for lumpia, which is like, you know, Filipino spring rolls or egg rolls.

And so, um, I know how to make them, but I just, I don't,

Jess: They're not 

your favorite. They're 

not your like, because you didn't grow up eating it. Right. So,

Stefanee: What is that dish called? Adobo?

I'd say one of the famous, um, dishes. And I think my family [00:17:00] would actually like that.

I could do a leaner version of that,

so I probably should make that for my husband sometime. 'cause poor guy from Virginia has never had any Filipino food, I don't think.

Jess: Okay. So, um. Well, if you guys are interested, like, we found this restaurant that we love. We like randomly stumbled upon, that restaurant, like when we were just, we wanted to go to this other restaurant. It was full.

And then we found, um, this Filipino restaurant, Ayaan, and Oh my gosh. I mean, but we love meats, 

so it was 

Stefanee: what Ayaan means? 

Jess: no. What does it mean? 

Stefanee: It 

means to eat with your hands.

So like, is it a food you can eat with your hands?

Jess: It was like a lot of stews, a lot of different kinds of things. There's some like finger foods, um, but that's so fascinating. Like, Filipino food is one of the cuisines that I really want to learn more about, and that's like super fascinating to me because 

I feel like there's so many different influences.

Yeah. And I love that there's a lot of. proteins and [00:18:00] like, there's a lot of animals and seafood, a lot of 

different kinds of stuff 

Stefanee: I 

think that's probably why I don't like it. 

Jess: pals. Yeah, it's a lot of animal protein. 

Stefanee: Yeah, I like it. You know, and like beef tongue

and, 

you know, things like that where I'm like, okay, no, I just, I can't

Jess: maybe we'll just take your husband so he can experience. You don't have to go.

Stefanee: You can try like the, the shrimp paste. My parents used to eat

this 

shrimp paste. You do.

Jess: Yes. That's not, that's not in your palette. You don't enjoy that

Stefanee: No. And it's, it smells awful.

And that's like, Dorian, have you heard of Dorian?

Jess: I don't enjoy Dion, but my, my husband enjoys Dion.

Stefanee: So you know that, that there are like certain airlines that ban, that,

like ban passengers from carrying that because it smells that pungent.

Okay. Like so for, was it, my dad's just, my dad just had a birthday. I sent him some Dion Cakes and some Dion chips, and he was just so excited about that. And I was like, better that you have those over there in Texas than in my [00:19:00] house.

Jess: My husband, he's been training for, well, he just had his first triathlon and one of the like snacks he likes to eat during his training is this durian like jerky thing that they're selling in Costco now. And every 

time 

Stefanee: no. 

Jess: just like, don't kiss me, don't kiss me. Just go, just go brush first. You know?

It is really strong. It is really strong. Um, yeah. 

Stefanee: Where's your husband from? I

Jess: he's from 

Sri Lanka. 

Stefanee: Oh, he's from slo.

Jess: Yeah. So he grew up eating durian.

 when you would see family? Um, so I, I know you were the only child, right? In your 

family 

Stefanee: No siblings.

Jess: and so for like different functions when you would see, um, like cousins, you know, at different events, like what kind of times would you see relatives.

Stefanee: Unfortunately, it's like funerals. You know, my dad's side of the family likes to do, um, family reunions. Unfortunately, my mom doesn't like attending [00:20:00] those,

but I do. Yes. And so a lot of times I would go with my dad. Um, there have been times that like whenever I was 17 and I could travel by myself,

um, my parents would send me to Cali and I would stay with my cousins for the week. Um, I love that. And I guess because I didn't grow up with siblings, but all of the Filipino gatherings, the ones that like make my mom cringe,

like those are the ones that like, this is so.

Jess: Yeah. Okay. Tell me about that. Like what's a typical reunion like?

Stefanee: Um, you know, so like even for like a kid's birthday, it's like a kid's birthday party, but it's all adults. Everybody comes in packs, right? Because

Filipinos are Catholics, Catholics, we all have lots of kids

except my parents and me.

But so there's kids running around everywhere and then it's, it's potluck style. So people bring whatever their signature dish is and you know, whatever's leftover, everybody has their own to-go containers and they [00:21:00] pack up all of the leftovers. Nothing's gonna go to waste. So people will leave with, you know, margarine containers full of rice and

you, you know, it is a sour cream tub, but that had, you know, adobo in it or whatever.

But it was like, and it was just hours and hours of just eating and laughing. Um, I remember my grandmother used to, I. Whenever, 'cause she would have like her siblings over and, uh, they would play Mahjong. Are you

Jess: Uhhuh. Very familiar. I learned 

how to play as a young kid 

by, by the time I was your 'cause. Your daughter's like 10 ish. 10, 11.

Stefanee: She's 10

Jess: She's 10. And by the time I was like seven, eight, I was learning how to play because my parents love that stuff. Like it's my, it's my mom's like her favorite Saturday hangout with her friends is Mahjong.

So I was, so of course I was like, I wanna learn, you know, because like they look like they're having so much fun.

Stefanee: like, uh, like Asian Dominoes kind of, right?

Jess: kind of. Or Asian, like dominoes are PO 

poker, Asian [00:22:00] dominoes are poker. It's like, it's like strategic, like I don't know actually how to play dominoes, so I shouldn't say that.

That's not strategic. I don't know how to, maybe it is, you know?

Stefanee: I think you just match the numbers right.

Jess: Yeah. Well, but like Maj is like more strategic than that. There's a lot of like doing statistics in your head and probability.

Stefanee: Mm. Okay. I won't be good at that game. You

know what my joke is? I always tell people, like if they're asking, all right, so what, how many dollars left? Is it this or that? Or what is the discount? And I say, I'm only half Asian. I'm not that good at math.

Jess: You're perpetuating stereotypes. We're not all good at math. I'm not that good at math.

Stefanee: Well, do you play the piano? I

Jess: Well, I grew up playing the piano like for just a couple years, and then I quit.

And then I, I played, um, the flute after that and I also played the cello for like a couple months. I played the flute for like five, maybe like eight, I dunno, many years.

Didn't 

Stefanee: Did you play the violin?

Jess: I did not play the violin. And then, um, a fun fact I ended up, um, playing the trumpet for just [00:23:00] one semester in high school because 

 like in high school I just was like, okay, I need, like, those trumpet guys are really cute, so I wanna move from the flute win section to, you know, I get to hang out with the cute trumpet boys.

But,

but it was just too hard to play Trump. I was not good at it. So I was just like, this is just mortifying every time they, you know, get to me. So I then I did color guard, which is its own other, I.

Stefanee: Yeah.

Jess: Experience. 

We're, we're 

getting sidetracks back to the 

family 

reunion, so, 

Mahjong,

Stefanee: Mahjong, lots of kids running around and not to be forgotten, karaoke, Filipinos love to do

karaoke. And it's like, I remember as kids whenever one relative was going to the Philippines and they always had to bring back stuff for other family members.

Right. I always asked for dried mangoes and I always ask for, Some little sour treats. Um, SA Pollock is what it was called. but my parents and my aunts and my uncles, they would always ask for this. It was this huge, [00:24:00] uh, karaoke machine.

Jess: Uhhuh. 

Stefanee: the technology 

Jess: my gosh. That's huge. To bring back for somebody.

Stefanee: So, yeah, so it then, like, you plug it into your tv and then I think it has this like, database of songs. So you type in the number of the song and then, you know, we're singing Celine Dion and my dad is singing Frank Sinatra

and we're singing, you know, the Beatles. And like, you know, even kids would participate in that.

Jess: Uhhuh.

Stefanee: So That's how the party always ended. 'cause it'd be like 4:00 AM and everybody's like, you know, asleep on the couch or on the floor.

Jess: Wait, so okay. Singing, was there dancing too?

Stefanee: always.

Jess: What kind of dancing?

Stefanee: Well, you know, that they, there's this thing that, I don't know if you've ever seen any like Filipino, like traditional stuff. They do it at parties. It's called Tin Kling,

and it's these like bamboo sticks and they do 'em in some sort of rhythm,

right? And somebody is jumping in between the sticks as they're moving up and down.

And so a lot of [00:25:00] times they would do those that, when would I see that? Maybe weddings. And sometimes whenever people were just having an event and wanted to do some, like, traditional stuff, like they would wear like the traditional, um, barong,

um, which is like, it's, it's like, like this sheer cream colored shirt that people wear for weddings.

People wear them for birthdays. Like, that was considered like being dressed up as

just for men, right? Like my dad actually wore that to walk me down the aisle.

I was like, alright, sure, you wanna wear that? Because I wasn't Filipino yet, right?

Jess: you, you hadn't, you know, like that was like, okay. Stuff you enjoyed when you were at family reunions, but not like when you would kind of coast switch back to your usual life. 

Like, were you close to your cousins even when you were not at reunions? Like, would you guys like talk on the phone, like kind of stay in touch? Or was it kind of just like when you're in person, you're, you know,

Stefanee: Because this is gonna date myself a little bit, but when I was a [00:26:00] kid,

you had to pay for long distance calls,

so we didn't talk on the phone a lot. But I have this relationship with my cousins where we can not see each other for years. And then whenever we would get together, it was like, I mean, we're Girl Scouts

giggling and having the best time. And um, you know, I have a, like a, a couple of them, a girl cousin, a boy cousin who, they're both in Cali and I'm the closest to them. So we talk, you know, a couple times a week we send each other funny memes. We,

um, sometimes we'll meet up for trips in Vegas or, you know, um, my boy cousin, uh, PJ is the one that I usually see the most often.

But, um, you know, we didn't get to talk to each other as kids. And, you know, it's expensive for families of five to fly anywhere. So it was like, if we weren't coming to Cali, Like, okay, well we'll come, you know, we'll get together if you guys come to Texas. And they're like, well, why don't you guys come to Cali? And

Jess: Uhhuh.

Stefanee: it was like that as a kid. So now [00:27:00] that, you know, I have the means to travel, should make a better effort to, to see them.

'cause we're all close in age. We're all like one year apart.

Jess: was there any like code switching from like when you would hang out with them versus when you would hang out with like your other friends in Texas?

Stefanee: I don't think so,

you know, 'cause we're all of the same generation,

right? So, um, you know, even though we weren't together in our childhood, I like, I feel like maybe they, they might have been. Raised in the same, kind of like setting

predominantly white, not a lot of African Americans, um, first generation. So, you know, all of, all of our parents are just, they're just trying to blend in. Mm.

 I remember in college there was an organization called SEASA,

Southeast Asian Student Association. And like I went to college in Minneapolis where there's a huge Hmong population. , 

Jess: The Hmong are an ethnic group from Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, and Southern [00:28:00] China. Many were recruited by the CIA to fight on the side of the US in the Secret War in Laos during the Vietnam War, after facing persecution when the war ended.

Thousands resettled in the US with large communities forming in places like Minneapolis, St. Paul and Fresno, California in the 1970s and 1980s. 

Stefanee: and, um, they were always inviting me to do these events. I'm like, why don't you come to our SEASA meeting? Why don't you come to our dinner? And I was like, no, thanks.

I'm white. I didn't say I was white, but I mean, why did I avoid that? 

You know, like. Now that I've like, you know, been embracing this whole Asian thing, and I've actually, since I've seen you last,

I joined the, um, greater American Filipino American Association, something like that.

And then I joined the, uh, Filipino chamber, and the Philippine American Chamber asked me to speak at the event in July. [00:29:00] 

Jess: Wow. Okay. You're 

Stefanee: like, 

Jess: just like attending. You're like gonna be the speaker.

Stefanee: yeah. And I, so they came to our Buckhead location

just to like, interview me. And I, I totally didn't know that that was coming, but, um, I was like, well, if you want me to talk about wellness, then why don't we just host it here?

So we're actually gonna have the July Philippine Chamber event at Hydro Plus Buckhead. It's 

interesting.

Jess: okay. You're speaking out stuff and you're hosting a events. Just think, just sort of just fast pace in your life. I feel like you're just, you just move. Um, 

I think the, the not, feeling comfortable with your Asian American identity. I think that's actually pretty common for people that grow up and not, like for people who grow up, you know, in areas where there's not that many Asians. Like I've, I've kind of heard that experience and that way of thinking.

for a lot of my friends that have grown up, you know, just like more minority, where they just like are just trying to blend in and like don't really want [00:30:00] necessarily to like point out or feel like they identify with other Asian Americans. But then sometimes, lot times, you know, like, because I met a lot of these friends in college and a lot of them ended up joining these Asian American associations because they hadn't had the opportunity before.

So it's interesting, you know, that you were like, well actually pass, I mean, not come to these events. Thanks for inviting, but I, I don't feel like I wanna go, you 

Stefanee: I know,

it is. What I'm saying now is that it's never too late. 

Jess: how are you reflecting about your Asian American stuff these days?

Like, what's percolating?

Stefanee: I just think there's like so much I need to learn, you know? Um, my husband works in The Bahamas and I am like diehard, like Bahamian Island Hopper,

and I'm like, why haven't I done that in the Philippines? There's

a ton of islands there. Bahamas has 700. There may be more in the Philippines, 

Jess: The Philippines is made up of [00:31:00] over 7,600 islands spread across the Western Pacific Ocean.

Stefanee: but I just like the, the way that I have really, um, taken a dive into Bahamian culture because he's there all the time.

On a good year, I can make it there, uh, 10 times in a year, and I just try to like get in the trenches, like with the

locals, they want to eat. Where they do. I go visit the orphanage, I hang out at the local, like when they're singing to the cruise ship. Tourists, they're playing the guitar. I hang out with the guitarist and we, you know, have beers and sing songs and like, I'm like, why haven't I done that with any Filipinos?

Jess: Mm-hmm.

Stefanee: And so, you know, now I'm like, really? Like I look out for a lot of like Asian events that I can attend. Um, really try to get, um, Asian people in the door. 'cause you know, there was a point in time, and I'm still all for it, but there was a point in time that I was really trying to capture the [00:32:00] Brazilian market for here because, um, you know, a lot of Brazilians in the metro Atlanta area, they don't speak English. And so this is, this is the crazy thing during COVID, and this is not Duolingo yet, during COVID, I teach myself Portuguese because the last meds spa where I was working, we had so many people. Coming in with COVID or getting tested for COVID or symptoms of COVID, that sort of thing. So I taught myself a fourth language during the pandemic, which I'm thankful that I got something out of

it, but my Portuguese is better than my Tagalog.

Jess: Whoa. And so now you speak Tagal English, Spanish Tagal, Portuguese.

Stefanee: Yes.

Jess: Let's take a short break.

 [00:33:00] 

Jess: so one of the major family reunions that happened, was when you went to the Philippines for your grandmother's funeral. 

Stefanee: Yeah,

So it's bittersweet. My first trip to the Philippines and my last, I guess was 30 years ago, I was 13, I was 14 years old. I, I think that was like probably the first and last time I met a lot of my mom's side of the family. And, um, my grandmother passed away.

And so, um, you know, my mom, even though she was mourning the loss of her mom since we were going to that side of the world, you know, she had us make a pit stop in Hong Kong, that way we could just see it. And then, um, we went on to Manila, which is, you know, just an hour and a half flight from Hong Kong. So, you know. The reason why I went was not the best,

but you 

Jess: It was like a 

Stefanee: now that gives me a reason to go back.

Jess: [00:34:00] Mm-hmm. Yeah. So how long were you there? Um, did you stay with family? Like, what was the trip like?

Stefanee: So it's, it's a grueling trip. And this is crazy to think about. We did this in coach 13 and a half hours to Hong Kong, another hour and a half to Manila. Um, we actually stayed in the house where, I can't believe I remember this. We actually stayed in the house where my mom grew up

and, um, you know, completely different life.

I get why, you know, they, they wanted to come to America. I don't recall there being air conditioning

and, you know, and not a lot of like, fancy amenities that we have light fixtures and patio furniture and any of that stuff. Everything is just very bare bones. There's a kitchen table. I don't remember if there was a couch, but like, there's, there's nothing elaborate.

No, no, like fluffy throw pillows and comforter and you

know, all of that. [00:35:00] Fancy bedding and that sort of thing. And, um, the fridge was bare, so it was like you wanted something, you had to go to the store that day. But, but I think that, um, a lot of the produce and that sort of thing, you could get from like fruit stands and things like that.

And the, the sugar, the coke with the sugar cane that came in the glass bottle. You get that easily from the store. Everything is cheap, by the way. So, I mean, the American dollar went extremely far when, when we were in Manila. Um, so it was like, I just wanted to buy everything because it, you know, I had $5 in my pocket, but not like I even needed anything.

Jess: Fascinating. 14-year-old brain.

Stefanee: Yeah. 

Jess: what else do you remember about, um, your grandmother's funeral?

Stefanee: Um, I remember that it is like, it, it was not like how funerals are in the US and I don't, I've not been to a lot of funerals in the States,

but it seems to me that, that the traditions are different. So

[00:36:00] like in, in, the US everybody wears black, right? When we're mourning in the Philippines, everybody wears white. So as a sign of eternal life. And so that was the first thing that I thought was really different. 'cause I think that, you know, as a kid or a teenager, whatever, I had a navy blue dress. I didn't know that we were supposed to wear white or cream.

Um, my, 

Jess: dark attire.

Stefanee: yeah, and black shoes, Navy and black don't go together.

But I was 14. What do

I, and so, um. Then the, you know, the dress that they put my grandmother in, incidentally it was cream colored, but I think that was because that was the dress that she picked to wear for her birthday that year that she didn't make it to. I think that, I think she was 83. And, um, so another thing that I noticed that was different, and again, I haven't been to many funerals in the States, is that, um, they put a glass, do they do that here?

They put a glass, it's an open casket,[00:37:00] 

but there's a glass over the top so that you can, you can see down in there without touching 'em.

Is that a 

thing? 

Jess: the US either, so I don't know.

Stefanee: Okay. So 

I just 

remember. 

Jess: glass and that was kind of surprising to you?

Stefanee: Yeah, because the funerals that I've gone to here, I mean, you can touch 'em, you can hug

'em, you can hold their hand and fix their hair and all of that stuff.

But here it was like she was more like encased. And so, um, I, I don't know. And, and I, and I think that the preservation method is a little bit different too, because what I've noticed about people in the states, whenever they have a, a relative or a loved one die today, the funeral is like in two

days, right?

It's, it's very like, quick. And, and her case, she died. And because everybody had to get from different islands, from different countries. I mean, the wake was like two weeks long. [00:38:00] And

so, and the wake is different like than, than it is in the us. And I don't know if this is just my family or if this is just how they do it, but, um, when you, whenever your relative is in the funeral home. That's where you stay. So yes, I said I stayed at my mom's house, but most of the nights I'm sleeping in the funeral home

I would just crawl up in a pew. But, so then just people like continually come in and pay the respects, kind of like, you know, what's going on with the pope and the cathedral? Say Peter's cathedral right now is people just kind of come in and, and they stay for however long and people bring you food and you know, sometimes they sleep there with you or sometimes they go somewhere else and they come back the next day. But I mean, the end of the two weeks, because everybody's had time to really process it, it's like, it doesn't seem like it's as devastating

Jess: Hmm.

Stefanee: at the actual service, you know? So you've spent

the last two [00:39:00] weeks just mm-hmm.

Jess: So it's like more time to grieve before the actual ceremony.

Stefanee: Yeah.

Jess: so that was your first and only time you've been to the Philippines, and it was just Manila for the funerals. So like, when you hopefully have a chance to go again soon. Would you bring your daughter the next time you go, and what would you wanna show her?

Stefanee: I think she's curious about it. 'cause she, you know, my parents live in Dallas, Texas and she's born and raised here in Atlanta. So we don't see them but maybe once a year.

And same kind of Like, okay, well why don't you come to Atlanta? And they're like, well, why don't you guys come to Texas? And it's like, whoever gives in first. And so, um, you know, I, I want her to see our roots and I want her to hear the language and I want her to know, like, you know, there's a lot of Spanish influence in, in the [00:40:00] Philippines. There's a lot of Indonesian influence in the Philippines. And I think I even have cousins who are part Japanese. But just to see how her grandparents grew up and to see how different it is than, than the life we have in the states. Because I still, and it may be up for debate, but I mean, I have some reason to believe that Americans are doing it wrong. Like, why, why are we not on a beach every day? Why are we in under fluorescent lights and behind closed doors and 

not in fresh air and on her feet?

And.

Jess: Mm. Just all the built up environment and mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. how do you want to raise your daughter in terms of her like relationship to her cultural identity? I.

Stefanee: I think once I learn more about it, then I can expose her to more of it. Um, and, and then what I'll do in the meantime is have her come with me to some of these Asian events. I told her remember how we were talking about like, I was next year for advocacy day.

Um, I'll, I'll pull [00:41:00] her outta school for that because there's no better way for you to. Well, I guess interact with other Asians in the community, but also to learn how an idea becomes a bill, becomes a law.

And so that, you know, when she's college aged, she understands your, that your voice is more, is heard more on the steps of the capitol than it is by chaining herself to the college campus and vandalizing the

school and that sort of thing. So with all of the things that are going on right now, and the things that college students are doing, I want her to grow up knowing that, you know, I mean, there are other ways to be heard to, I want her to know other Asian cultures before she's grown.

Jess: Hmm mm-hmm. Just like different ways to kind of use her voice and, and yeah. I think there's, know, there's different, different, effective a avenues.

Stefanee: You know what? But you pointed, out something to me that [00:42:00] I've never thought about before. I think the reason why I live such a fast life is because that's how I was raised. 

You're talking about me being in the dance studio? 'cause I would get picked up from school and then I would go, I'd have to go to my mom's work and she would have a coworker drive me to the dance studio.

I had classes from five to 9:00 PM I would

eat my dinner in the car on the way home. I would do my homework and then I would go to bed, wake up for school and do it all over again. So it had a hectic lifestyle, but I just didn't know that it was, and so now I don't know any other way.

Jess: Interesting. Yeah. Yeah.

Stefanee: that

just dawned on me like that's where it came from.

Jess: yeah. Like, if that's just like kind of the rhythm that you were programmed with when you were little and it's just your rhythm now. 

so when you were dancing a lot as a kid, what was the end goal?

Was it like, like what was the why behind all the dancing? Like, did you wanna become a dancer,

Stefanee: You know, when you're a kid, you wanna be a lot of [00:43:00] things. You wanna

be a unicorn, you wanna be a dog walker. But, um, you know, and I didn't find this out until I was an adult either. My mom put me in dance because initially she wanted me to be a figure skater

and there were no ice skating rinks nearby. So it was like dancing without the ice, right?

Jess: Why does she want you to become a figure skater?

Stefanee: Uh, she wanted me to be beat Christina Yamaguchi to the gold medal. I don't know.

Jess: So it was her dream for you, like all the dancing was like she put you like, or was it like, well, but I guess, how do you know what you want when you're two

Stefanee: I know. See that's the thing. 'cause like this is the, you know, the fine line that I walk with my

daughter is the, I don't wanna force anything. 'cause like my mom put me in dance initially. Um, and then she told me that I wanted to do more. So I started out just doing ballet and tap. 'cause as a little kid.

And then by the time I was older, I was in, I was ballet, tap, jazz clogging and lyrical.

So [00:44:00] yes,

this was before like Riverdance was a thing. Like clogging was more of like a country western. But you have double taps or Yeah. The, the metal pieces. You've

got two of 'em. So you're taps jingle. And so I asked her about that and I'm like, why did you put me in so much stuff? This is just a

couple years ago. And she said, you actually asked me to do all of that. So it's funny 'cause my recollection of it is that I had a Michael Jackson childhood

Jess: Mm-hmm. 

Stefanee: and you know, and I may have been asking to do the most, because that's really all I know.

Jess: That's what you saw. That's what your friends were doing? Maybe, or, you know, but then yeah, it's so, so are you saying, like you're trying to balance that, like how much to listen to what she wants versus what she might actually want in the long term 

Stefanee: We, you gotta plant seeds now,

right? So she's 10, um, and she's got very hectic schedule. Where does she get that from?

Um, so she's got, you know, 

Jess: Go, go, [00:45:00] go Uhhuh.

Stefanee: yes, she is like, so imagine us trying to align all of our schedules at home. And I only have one kid she's got, she's got soccer Monday, Tuesday, Thursday. She's got flag football Wednesday, she's got flag football games.

Friday, she's got soccer games Saturday, Sunday. And then we have like three Botox events a month at Hydro Plus. So a lot of those are on Saturday. So that requires, you know, a seven day streak from me or a 13 day work streak from me, because I have to be back

for 

the next week. And then, you know, my husband travels twice a month to The Bahamas.

So when he's outta town, then I gotta play a single mom, get to the bus stop and get to soccer practice and, and, that sort of thing. So, yeah, so she's busy, um, and, and you wanna foster their interest in things and you wanna be supportive. So if she says, you know, she wants to continue with soccer, then, you know, she continues on. Um, you know, I played soccer in college, so I just kind of plant the seeds now that like, if you want to do [00:46:00] this long term, then think about, you know, you could get scholarships for it. You could, you know, play in college. You, you know, you could play professional women's soccer if you want. You know, a lot of people go to Europe and do that to get their start. But, you know, the, the day that she tells me she's not interested, then. That's where it stops.

You don't force 'em. Especially, it's, it's not cheap. It's not cheap to put your kids in extracurriculars that they don't wanna go to.

Jess: And so, Okay, so, so you're saying that it's important to kind of get them interested and like start planting those seeds now? Like, 'cause I'm listening to this and I'm just thinking. Well, and this I think is also me projecting a little bit because I think I was a little bit go, go, go when I was a kid and, and only now after disability, after injury, after having to kind of like to treat my body with more respect,

Stefanee: Yeah.

Jess: learn how to rest.

I did not learn how to rest until the disability journey started.

[00:47:00] Um, and so I'm just thinking like, do you think about kind of, you know, like teaching her how to balance or is that something you also think of for yourself? Because this is one of the questions I have for your you, right? Like, how do you how do you balance so you don't 

Stefanee: You know, this is so funny because I was just thinking about this last night 'cause we're gonna be on a, a different show for Hydro Plus

and um, I was telling a friend about it and they're like, when do you sleep?

And the answer to that question was like, I sleep, I just do more than most people do when I'm awake. Right. So it's like, it's, I'm not sleep deprived. I just have a very hectic day 

Jess: But I'm not asking about sleep though. I'm asking about like if you're go, go. If you're rushing, if you're going, like, does your nervous system have a chance to calm down? 

Stefanee: usually. Yeah. And if you've ever heard that saying that if you don't give your body time to rest, [00:48:00] your body will do it for you. And so that 

happens to me. 

Jess: Uhhuh.

Stefanee: it's like if you, if you don't schedule time for your body to rest, then your body's just getting it. It'll shut down for

you. Right. And, and, and I have days like that.

Usually, I, I try to plan at least a trip once a month as a reset, whether it's just going down to our house in Florida and sleeping in and laying around on the couch all day. Or if it's, you know, a solo trip somewhere just to explore and just do everything on my own time for me that's kind of the reset and that's kind of balance, and that's not for everybody.

Some people need to have like, okay, I need to have a full weekend, or I need to have a full, like, you know, and I don't have that privilege. And, and that's okay. Um, you know, I can tell whenever it's getting to me. Usually about like when I have to work a long streak, I've timed it out, it's day 10 when I've worked 10 days straight at Hydro Plus it starts to weigh on me.

'cause 

you know, I'm, 

Jess: to win you. [00:49:00] Wow.

Stefanee: yes. It's like, it's like I can tell that I'm a little bit more agitated and I

can like, I can start seeing it under my eyes and I can start like

Feeling that, yeah.

Like I feel like my brain is melting a little bit. So, you know, I have to be mindful of that. 'cause you know, I've done 30 days straight into January when, you know, we specialize in weight loss during

Jess: Right. 

Stefanee: year.

Jess: Hmm.

Okay. This question comes from this reel that I saw, 

this Ali 

Wong reel. Uh, she's this Asian American comedian, right? one of her standup bits, she did this thing where she was talking about how, um, I think, and I'm probably gonna butcher this in my like, um, rephrasing of it, um.

She talks about how women lie to ourselves, that when we have family and career, we're gonna be happy. Um, but she actually had both, like when she was doing that thing, she was like, I have both, but I want more.

Stefanee: Uh,

Jess: So my question for you is [00:50:00] like, from the outside, okay, you appear to me to be very successful and you have family, um, and you're, you know, go, go go.

You're doing all these things. You're appearing on magazines, you're doing photo shoots. I see. You're just like doing all this stuff and like you appear to be very successful, right? 

Stefanee: uh. 

Jess: have family and so yeah. Is this like all that you want? Do you want more?

Stefanee: I want more.

you know, it was, I 

dunno, I was telling my husband that the other night, it's like,

anytime I have a little gap, I'm like, all right, I've got four minutes. Should I get my nails done? Should I start a skincare line? Should I write an ebook?

Jess: Uh,

Stefanee: And so, I mean, I just, I think maybe that's just innate, you know, I've always done that.

Even in college,

what is considered full-time, 12 credits, I would always take 20.

So I actually finished an entire year early and just had to take some of my independent study [00:51:00] credits just to keep my, um, eligibility for soccer. But I was done

Jess: what, what, like what makes you happy? Like, is it like achieving more? Like, so when you say you want more, is it like you wanna do more things because why? I guess it's my 

Stefanee: I don't know, it's just like, like almost a challenge, like personal challenge, personal

fulfillment, where it's like, well, well I did that. Um, you

know, what makes me happy is, is traveling. Um, and, and the things that make me happy is I think now into my forties, recognizing that you have to carve out time for yourself.

'cause nobody else is gonna do that, right? So there are some times where I'm like, okay, well you guys, you, my husband will take her to soccer practice and I'm gonna take a kickboxing class. Or it's like after work today, like

okay, I have to go get my nails done, or, you know, in the morning before work, I've gotta get my lashes done.

But really like taking the time for self-care, I think that just makes you happy because it's like, you know, even as a [00:52:00] parent and then also a working parent is so easy to neglect yourself, right? So it's like you, you stop caring about the way you look and you stop caring about your weight and you just like, you know, your, your child's priorities become your only priorities and then you just kind of get lost in that.

And I don't, I don't, I think that's why, what drives me. 'cause I don't wanna be the parent that's just living vicariously through my children

child. And when I have my own identity, same thing with like with my husband. I have my own identity outside of him, which I could very well just play the, I'm a baseball wife card

and say like, okay, well I was married to a Braves player and

Jess: that's what he did. Okay. 

Stefanee: Yeah.

So, but it's like, you guys never know that because that's, 

Jess: lot of your own stuff.

Stefanee: yeah. So I have a lot of my own stuff going on,

but it just so happens that I married a former Braves player.

Jess: okay. Last question before the wrap up [00:53:00] questions. do you identify as an influencer? 

Stefanee: I haven't thought about it yet 'cause

I've just been, just been grinding, you know what I mean? And, and, and you hope that, you know. The stuff that you're putting out there is, is being seen by people and being heard, and it's impacting people and it's, you know, that people are reading your articles and that people are watching your podcast.

And it's funny when I hear people are like, yeah, I feel like I'm kind of stalking you because I watch all your podcasts. I, I see what you're doing. And um, you know, and selfishly I started doing that because I started getting a lot of interest. Like I would post a picture of me drawing up a B12 shot,

or I would post a video of me doing something at work and I would book two appointments off of an Instagram story.

And I'm like, you know what? I need to keep going. And

so that's kinda how it builds. I don't know if I'm influencer yet, maybe I'm headed in that correction. And, you know, I mentioned to [00:54:00] the this to you earlier, the owner of Flamingo Box reached out to me and was

like, you know, I would like for you and a friend to do a reveal and we could, you know, put it on both our socials.

And I was like, I'd love that. So I'm just open to so many different projects and ideas and TV shows and all that stuff. So, um, I think after our streaming TV show comes out, which is going to be September, I'll send you, um, the info on that. But, uh, we're shooting that this May,

and it's 

called Women in Power.

I think maybe that's probably gonna be, uh, a turning point for me,

'Cause that's gonna go on all the big streaming apps. Um, a show called Women in Power, 15 episodes, hydro Plus is gonna be featured in its entire of an episode of its own. And, uh, I'll be flying down to Miami to shoot the narrative. And then, you know, we will have B roll of the, just the day-to-day at the Meds spas. But we're gonna talk about, you know, where it was when I started and how far we've come

and I think mm-hmm. [00:55:00] It's like gonna be a docuseries.

And so I think when that comes

out, be a big deal. 

be like, you know what, yeah.

Okay, I'm a influencer. I see

Jess: Yeah. Um, okay, so let, let's wrap up 'cause I know you have to head out. Do you want the listener to connect with you? Follow you? Or what would you like to plug?

Stefanee: Um, definitely connect with, um, our med spas. We've got an awesome, you know, menu of services here and treatments. Um, it's at the Hydro plus T-H-E-H-Y-D-R-A-P-L-U-S. And then you can follow me. I'm, you know, I am the biggest advocate of Hydro Plus. I, I eat, sleep, breathe Hydro Plus, so my, you know, Instagram is filled with all of that stuff too.

It's, uh, Stephanie Clanz, S-T-E-F-A-N-E-E-C-L-O-N-T-Z, just like the baseball player, Brad Clanz.

Jess: Just like, okay.

Stefanee: I sell people that when they ask me how to spell my name, like, you know, just like the baseball player. I'm like, oh, okay. 

Jess: [00:56:00] okay.

I gotta look him up. I didn't, I'm not into baseball. I didn't know he was a famous baseball player.

Stefanee: Mm-hmm.

Jess: Okay. So, um, and then the last, last question, I'm gonna, um, throw you a curve ball because I'm too curious about this thing. Um, so I'm gonna replace the usual last question with this question. Um, so out of all of the, um, you just do a lot, right?

So I'm just curious, like what's your favorite thing you do professionally right now? what's your favorite thing you do personally and then your favorite thing you get to do with your family, 

Stefanee: Professionally, and I didn't really like know what I was doing, but I really like doing this podcasting

stuff. And I think really, because you get to connect with so many people, you know, and most of our guests, you know, are talking about wellness. They're talking about Tai chi or like how to improve your life or how to, um, you know, reclaim your energy or that sort of thing. And so like, I feel like I've learned so much, even though like, you know, selfishly people wanna do podcasts because they wanna plug themselves or

they wanna plug their business and then it ends up being this, [00:57:00] like, I like actually wanna be friends with you.

Jess: Yeah. Yeah. You just have a great time with everybody. I feel the same 

Stefanee: Yes. Yeah. So that's professionally, um, what I enjoy most personally, which. I just started this about a year ago, but I started boxing. 

I had a friend who, um, you know, owns a boxing gym in, in Marietta, and I'm like, should I try boxing on ClassPass? And he's like, he actually might like that 'cause that's a lot of cardio. And so I bought the shoes and the gloves and the wraps and the outfits and, you know, and I go to my first class. I don't know what I'm doing, I'm just bopping on the bag. And then for whatever reason, I just ended up loving it. And you know, turns out you burn like 700 calories in a class. So about six months ago I got into kickboxing.

So now I can do a little bit of both. But I mean, that's really like when I am trying to make time for myself outside of self-care stuff, I always have to carve out time to take a ca, a boxing class or [00:58:00] kickboxing

Jess: It sounds like it fits your high paced. Like even as like a, 

you 

know, hobby. 

It's like still like fast. Yeah.

Stefanee: and stress relief,

Jess: And efficient. Yeah. Okay. And then family.

Stefanee: Family. I'm gonna say traveling is the best with family. I, I can travel solo, but you know, it's always better when you've got husband and kid and or, or

both with you. Um, I think that's the reason why, um, you know, instead of giving each other things for special occasions, we give each other experiences.

Right. So, my daughter chose Denver last summer and we had a ridiculously amazing time. Um, and you know, my husband's birthday is this Friday. I was like, what am I gonna do? But you know what, the, the NFL has several games in Europe this year. I

think I'm gonna book us a trip for him to see the Miami Dolphins in Madrid.

Jess: Oh wow. That 

Stefanee: gotta look at flights. 

Jess: an thank you. Thank you. Thank you for being here. [00:59:00] 

I know you 

Stefanee: You're welcome. 

Jess: ... 

Thanks so much for listening, and I hope you enjoyed this episode. You can find Stefanee's podcast and Instagram handles in the episode description. Season two is dropping soon. Follow and hit the bell button to be notified when new episodes are published. If you like this podcast, follow and review to support and help us grow.

Thank you to Leviora03 who reviewed the Tonisha part one episode saying, awesome. Share. Love it. I found it to be humbling, heartfelt, and ly humorous. Thanks, Leviora03 for the generous review. It really does help. As always, you can connect with us on Instagram @thecultureful. . This episode was produced and edited by me with advising and executive production support by Ruben Gnanaruban.

I'm Jess [01:00:00] Lin. See you soon for season two.