Before the stages, before the spotlight, and long before she became a bestselling author, speaker, and podcaster, Sheena Yap Chan lived in silence—a silence that now echoes powerfully in one of the most inspiring Asian women empowerment stories of our time.
It wasn’t just the quiet of obscurity it was the kind that burrows into your bones. The kind that comes from growing up in a world that teaches you to play small, especially for those without representation in media for Asian women.
As a woman of Asian descent raised in a culture where obedience was expected and boldness frowned upon, Sheena was taught early on to stay quiet, follow the rules, and never rock the boat. She never saw women who looked like her leading companies, commanding rooms, or sharing stories without apology. So she internalized a message that many women of color know too well: your voice doesn’t matter.
But that would change. Slowly, painfully and with more grit than glamour. And with time, Sheena’s voice would help shape one of the most influential Asian women empowerment stories of her generation.
From Silence to Self-Belief
“I didn’t think I had anything valuable to say,” Sheena admits. “I thought shrinking myself was normal.”
And for a long time, it was.
She’d second-guess every decision, hesitate before speaking, and constantly wonder if anyone would listen if she finally did.
But at some point, she realized something powerful: confidence isn’t born, it’s built. And if she wanted a life beyond invisibility, she’d have to do the building herself.
So she started. Scared. Uncertain. But determined.
She launched a podcast without experience. She reached out to high-profile guests even when she doubted they’d say yes. She kept putting herself out there even when no one was clapping.
That podcast – The Tao of Self-Confidence would go on to amplify the voices of hundreds of Asian women around the world. It became a sanctuary for stories, truth-telling, and cultural healing, a true self-confidence podcast for Asian women seeking to be heard.
But those early days? They weren’t pretty.
“There were so many times I felt like quitting,” she says. “I’d wonder, ‘Who’s even listening? What’s the point?’”
But the point was never about numbers. It was about visibility. About building Asian women empowerment stories that mattered, even when no one else was paying attention.
“If I stopped showing up, someone out there who needed to hear a story like theirs might stay stuck. That mattered more than my fear.”
What Grit Actually Looks Like
If you ask Sheena what grit means, she won’t give you a cliché. She won’t talk about hustle or high performance. Her definition is far more intimate:
“Grit is showing up when you don’t feel seen, supported, or even sure of yourself.”
It’s launching without applause. Continuing after rejection. Speaking even when your voice shakes.
Sheena’s journey has required all of that. The cold emails, the no’s, the rooms where she was underestimated or not invited at all.
It cost her comfort. Approval. The so-called “safe” life.
But what she’s gained in return is immeasurable: confidence, clarity, community and alignment with who she really is.
“Grit isn’t glamorous. But it’s what builds legacy.”
And now, that legacy includes a growing archive of Asian women empowerment stories that inspire courage and visibility for others like her.
The Moment Everything nnShifted
There was a time Sheena wondered if her work mattered.
Then, one day, a listener sent her a message: “Thank you for sharing this. I finally feel like I’m not alone.”
That one line changed everything.
“I knew what it felt like to grow up without seeing anyone who looked like me leading, speaking, owning their voice,” she says. “To know that just sharing stories gave someone permission to see themselves differently that was it.”
That’s when she realized this wasn’t just a podcast. Or a book. Or a keynote speech.
This was a movement, one fueled by representation in media for Asian women and the boldness of telling one’s truth.
Dear Younger Me: Keep Going
If Sheena could speak to the version of herself who was just starting out, she’d tell her what no one else did.
“You’ll be overlooked. Underestimated. You’ll doubt your own message more times than you can count. But do it anyway.”
That message has become a cornerstone of her work: the courage to keep going even when you feel invisible.
In a letter to her younger self, Sheena writes:
“Even when it feels like no one’s watching, someone is. Someone needs to hear your voice. Someone needs to see you show up so they know they can too.”
This is the foundation of confidence coaching for women of color, something Sheena embodies and lives by.
That quiet, but unwavering belief has carried her through the darkest moments of the journey. The missed opportunities. The self-doubt. These days it would’ve been easier to shrink back.
But she didn’t. And now, other women don’t have to either. They have one more voice in the archive of powerful Asian women empowerment stories to lean on.
Creating What She Never Had
When Sheena started, she was driven by absence. The absence of representation. The absence of confidence. The absence of permission.
Today, that motivation has evolved.
“Now I’m inspired by the women who show up scared but do it anyway,” she says. “The ones who say, ‘I’ve never shared my story before, but I’m ready.’”
She’s inspired by the quiet leaders, the next generation, the women carving space in rooms where they were once invisible.
She’s still building what she didn’t have growing up but now she’s doing it out of purpose, not pain. That transformation is the heart of her confidence coaching for women of color practice, and her ongoing contribution to representation in media for Asian women.
From Platform To Power
What Sheena has created is more than a platform, it’s a mirror. A reminder that every woman, especially those who’ve been historically sidelined, deserves to take up space.
Through The Tao of Self-Confidence, her book Asian Women Who Boss Up, and countless speaking engagements, she’s built a community rooted in empowerment and visibility. A community where a self-confidence podcast for Asian women becomes a life-changing tool not just a project.
And visibility, for Sheena, isn’t just about being seen. It’s about being heard. Being believed. Being celebrated not despite your identity, but because of it.
“It was never about being perfect,” she says. “It was about being real. Being visible. Being you.”
Legacy In The Making
Sheena Yap Chan isn’t done. Not even close.
She’s still building, still speaking, still fighting for a future where Asian women and all women of color can lead with confidence, speak with boldness, and show up without apology.
Her journey is proof that representation in the media for Asian women isn’t optional, it’s transformational.
And her message to others walking the same quiet road she once did?
Keep going. You’re not alone. Your voice is needed. And you are enough. Let your story add to the growing collection of Asian women empowerment stories the world desperately needs.
Connect With Sheena Yap Chan
