July 10, 2026 • 29 mins
Josie Passantino-Boone interviews Joomin Hwang who is currently in the broadway production of & Juliet, and has released a book titled "The Rule of Five Journal: Daily practice of Gratitude, Clarity & Growth".
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Speaker 1 (00:09):
Br br bro bro bro bro around the world on
the world Wide Web.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Ladies and Gentleman period is the most. The other stations
are tuning in too. Oh yeah. Broadcasting live from the
Josey Network Studios in downtown Madonna, Tennessee.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
It's that time of week again. It's time for the Josie.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Shoe, bringing you the most exciting music, moves and guests
from around the world right here on the Jersey Show.
Please make walking beautiful. It's Hannity, Hello, Mady, America's d
(01:02):
Elsela Business Josie Assentinosle.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
Hello, everyone, and welcome to the Josie Show. I'm Josey
Pasentino Boone and today my special guest uh is on
Broadway and and Juliet and he has a new book out.
I'm talking about Jim and Wong, so I'm really excited
to welcome him to the show. So let's get right
into it.
Speaker 4 (01:28):
Jim and Hong, Hi, how are you?
Speaker 1 (01:31):
Hi, I'm good. Thank you for having me. I'm very excited.
Speaker 5 (01:34):
Oh, I'm so excited to talk to you. You have
such an inspiring story that I want my listeners who
may not know your story to kind of get a
little bit more familiar. So can you share your journey
from South Korea to Broadway?
Speaker 1 (01:50):
Wow, I need like three days. But to make it short,
I grew up as a breakdan sir, and I was
kind of good at it. And when I was twenty,
I got into this crew that was going around the
world doing the breakdance battles and the show's performance shows.
(02:12):
And in two thousand and seven, I was in London
doing a show called The Breakout in the Pickcock Theater
and one of my day offs, we're a bunch of
dancers were there. We were like, what should we do?
We should watch a musical, so we watched Billy Elliott
(02:32):
Ah and that was the gateway for me to fell
in love for the musical theater. I think right now
I realize back then I didn't know why I was
so messmerized, But now I realize breakdancing was just like
(02:53):
very much like Olympic islets. You trains for years and
you go to competitions and either win or lose. Right.
But then when I saw the theater, I saw whole
life on the stage and also longevity. I could do
this for like years and years and years onto life.
Sixteen seventeen yeah, so I was like wow. And also,
(03:19):
I you know, we choose. I mean, this is my opinion,
but we choose either it's your job or hobby or
the big part of your thing that you do every day.
It's gonna be the tool to learn about life. R
that's gonna be the main tool of learning about life.
(03:43):
And I thought theater would be a great tool to
learn about life. It's because it's about life. So I
came back to Korea started learning how to sing and act,
and I wasn't very good at it. Really, I was
really bad at it, to be honest, and for me
(04:07):
actually singing, multiple teachers rejected me teaching. But the thing
is singing and breakdancing is polar opposite of in terms
of training because breakdancing is all about your upper body strength,
so you can lift your body and you're just flipping around.
But singing is all about really singing everything. Yeah. Yeah,
(04:32):
I had such a hard time, and nobody back then
in Korea, not like nobody really knew how to teach
me because like, yeah, because I think about it, how
many breakdancers we wanted to learn about to become a
sing singer, right, They're like, yeah, they were like tried
(04:53):
the different tools and nothing really worked, and like I
don't like, I don't think and then you know, we
often and say, oh, you are not talented enough to
pursue this because nothing is working. But I didn't keep up.
I don't know. I just really liked theater, so I
kept finding it. I kept finding your teacher, and finally
(05:17):
found a teacher who really believed in me. Her name
is doctor John And five years later, with her, I
got into a music school. And then you know, studying
and always watching YouTube videos and with stand the clips
to you know, when you aim high, you you you
(05:39):
go higher. And then one day my professor asked me, Juman,
you love this watching this Broadway clips, and you should
go try Broadway. And that was when I was twenty
nine years old, where I did know how to speak English,
and right, I just it's just like it didn't sound realistic, right,
(06:06):
because so I'm like, I told my professor, that's that
doesn't sound realistic to me. I don't know, I don't
want to entertain impossible. And she, my professor was, you mean,
you don't have to make it, just go experience it.
Experience as much as you can. It will be it
(06:28):
will be a great soil for your artistry. And I
was like, that's.
Speaker 4 (06:32):
So true, great advice.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
Yeah, then if I'm just experiencing it, there's nothing for
me to lose. So I packed my stuff in three
months and I came here and started started learning how
to speak English. Yeah, and then like so many auditions,
(06:55):
so many auditions I booked my first way, I went
to eighteen the prom and second probably show in twenty
twenty two. That's incredible, and Juliette.
Speaker 5 (07:06):
Yeah, yes, wow, that just shows persistence and also having
a great teacher. One day, you really need to open
up like your own, like school in South Korea, you
know what I mean. That would be amazing, so you
can kind of give the learning aspect that you've learned
when you know you wished you would have learned back then,
(07:26):
you know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
Right, that's exactly, That's exactly what I'm That's my lifelong dream,
and my book is actually part of it, because my
my dream school is going to be teaching you know, technicos.
But also I would say mental wisdom because I think
(07:50):
pursuing art it's a lot of mental game. Right. People
think it's a talent, but I think talent can fluctuate
on the time and you know, but how you approach
the artistry, I think that's the most important thing, and
that's the gem of longevity, I think. So I'm working
(08:15):
on school and this is a part of it. But
my book, yeah, is a part of the steps I
want to teach them, teach my future kids too. Yeah,
become really really wise artists.
Speaker 4 (08:32):
Yes, Oh, that would be amazing.
Speaker 5 (08:34):
That would be a full circle moment, And I know
it's going to happen the way you the way you are.
You are so determined and you you know what you
want and you know, speaking on your book, you are
an author. You created the Rule of Five Journal and
it is an incredible book. And you wrote this actually
during like a period of transition in your own life.
Was there like a specific moment when you realize that
(08:56):
this personal practice might actually be something that could also
benefit people.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
Yeah. A couple of years ago, I went through one
of the hardest time in my life. I got a
divorce and you know how I felt at the moment
was like, I mean, the failure, a lot of emotions,
but I feel like I feel so lost A lot
(09:22):
of things that I believed was I felt like it
all shattered, sure, and I couldn't I was like so lost,
I couldn't find the direction, Like what what should I
do after this? Right? That was the big, big, big question.
And sometimes if that question is so big, it makes
you paralyzed, right, you like like I don't know what
(09:46):
to do. And because of that, you know, a couple
of months is I mean like the years. One of
the first year, I was just so lost trying to
find something. So I got into reading books to kind
of find the tools. And then first tool I found
(10:07):
interesting was five to one positivity ratio by the Government Institute.
You know, there are a lot of accreditude the journals
and that's just thinking about positivities. But it didn't really
resonate with me because I feel like it felt great
when I was doing all, like listing positivities, but then
(10:30):
when I turn around, my NEGATIVI is is always just
just around the corner, just right behind me, right Yeah.
So I was like, it's just like it didn't really
work for me. And what I really liked about that
one five to one positivity ratio is you list to
one negative, so like, in order to cancel negative thoughts,
(10:52):
you need to five positivity that like negative negative thoughts?
Is that positive that strong? Yeah? So it was like
it was the balance, right, you're not kicking out negativities,
you're kind of like accepting it with balance. And when
I started using it, it was hard to find positivities
(11:16):
because I have so many negativities around the Yeah, but
later on it kind of shifted. I felt there's a
shifting moment that like, oh I can find more positivities
now mm hmm. Yeah. And then that's where I found
a little bit of space to do something more right,
(11:39):
because when you don't have any space to do something,
it's just like it's just hard. And then when I
had that space, I was like, Okay, what do I
want to do with this this little space in my
emotional space? And then I found this five wise method.
(12:01):
I read it from Left Them by Melton Robins Robinson.
It's about you break down your problems, and how you
do it is you write down your problem and answer
why is that problem? Right after you answer it, you
(12:24):
answer your first answer why. The first answer is the
problem for you, So in that way you get one
layer under your problem, right, and then you answer your
second answer again why this is the second answer is
your problem. So you keep answering those answers until you
(12:45):
reach your root problem. And usually five why is after
you find your root problem. So in this way you're
not solving your just like surface problem because surface problems
is not the actual problems. When you solve your root problems,
(13:07):
you could actually solve four problems at the same time.
This is created by you know, Toyota Car Company CEO.
He's a way about finding the problems in engineering. Yeah.
That that really helped me to break down my problems,
(13:29):
my negativities, right, yeah. And then after that I was
able to see what it is that what the elements
are in that one problem, because it's like usually it's
not just the one problem, it's a mixture of something exactly.
And when you see multiple elements of what this problem
(13:51):
is holding, you kind of see oh okay, you can
see the direction of how better direction to solve it,
like to do some thing with it, right, So that
really helps me to find the direction like Okay, I
think I can do this. I want to start with this, this, this,
(14:12):
And then I found this fascinating about like reframing a
positive So whenever we've experienced negative emotions, you know, jealousy,
whatever that is, jealous anger, frustration. We often focus on
those emotions so much we forget or neglect the intention
(14:39):
of it, and we actually kind of like think about
the intentions. We often find it constructive, right, yeah, So
like use that to kind of like, okay, what of
all this problems and answers? What is it good about?
All those things? I could find m hmm, find it constructive? Right?
(15:04):
So I can write it down again, matching all the
problem first sens or second, third, fourth, fifth answers to
reframing it to positive like what I can make it
constructive or positive? Learned something from this, right, So in
that way I can practice self compassion. Compassion it's not yeah,
(15:28):
it's not only just like it's not it's not only
this problem. I can kind of make it something wholesome
of it, you know what I mean? And after I
did it, I felt like I found some energy to
do things. It's not only you know things that is
(15:49):
right and wrong. You need you need to have energy
to actually do so do something with it, right, right?
So after that, I found you know, the habits like
atomic habits and four percent growth sweet spot by Studhn
(16:10):
coutlor and I forgot atomic habits. Yeah, the author really well, yeah,
so it's better to do small things every day rather
than trying to have a big changes and not doing
it three months later, right, right, And that habits for me,
(16:32):
it's it's for me. It's about the growth, right, And
it's better to have four percent out of your comfort
zone is a Swiss spot. It's not too easy, so
it's boring to you, or it's not too hard to
it will snap your like motivation.
Speaker 4 (16:50):
Sure, yeah, you have to have even balance.
Speaker 1 (16:52):
Yeah. So I put those two the list things that
I could possibly do mm hmm, and then I next
section is and then I was like, okay, let's pick easiest. Yeah.
So yeah, I wrote down the easiest and then I
(17:13):
uh added later, why is that matter to you? What
is this action matters to you? So when you connected
your action to your core values, there is a better way,
better chance to stick with you daily practice, right because
it's aligned with your core value. Yeah, So I added that,
(17:38):
and then after that I was like, oh, this feels
pretty good, So I added how I feel and what
I am excited about that today. That took me about,
like I think a year to put all those together.
I added one by one slowly, and then after I
added all these together first time, I felt like I
(18:04):
just knew it. This is something very special, Yes that
not only just gonna help me, it could help because
it helped me, yeah, exactly, and so it will help
other people will there's a chance that it will help
other people. So I was curious, so I shared it
(18:27):
with my friends. Oh nice, and then I got good
positive feedbacks. So I started writing why I put those
tools and why is it working? And it became a
journal book.
Speaker 4 (18:45):
Hice, And we're glad you did too. It is so good,
The Rule of Time Journal.
Speaker 5 (18:49):
You're very welcome, and it's currently available on Amazon right
so everyone could check it out because all these little things,
you know, really do help with personal growth and just
kind of of it. It's great to kind of go
to the deeper root of your problems, but also not
always looking at the negative, always kind of looking towards
(19:10):
the positive. We got to keep moving forward, you know
what I mean, Tiny steps, tiny steps, and and I
think it's just so so wonderful and I really do
recommend it to everybody. It is on Amazon, so please
make sure you check it out. The Rule of five journal,
and I think it's just so wonderful how you incorporated
like principles from like psychology and neuroscience.
Speaker 4 (19:30):
You really did your research, you know what I mean,
it really did, which is amazing.
Speaker 1 (19:35):
Thank you. Who's Yeah, it's actually you know, like the
I wasn't intended. I wasn't intentioning with that was not
the right word. I didn't try to write a book.
It just came out from my own practice and try
to get out of my bed cycle even in my life. Yeah,
(19:59):
and it's the kind of interesting that I'm actually trying
to write another book it's about define your happiness. Oh
but it's the process is very different because I am
now trying to write a book. So it's like it's
not the same as how this came out to me.
(20:21):
So yeah, that's that's really interesting.
Speaker 4 (20:24):
Yeah, that's interesting.
Speaker 5 (20:25):
Well, I'm really looking forward to the next book, and
I can't wait to see what is next for you.
Speaker 4 (20:30):
And you get a lot going on, you know, not only.
Speaker 5 (20:32):
With the book, but of course, like you mentioned earlier,
you're on Broadway and Juliet, which is a phenomenon everybody
loves and Juliet, and I wanted to ask you, you
know what you enjoy most about performing on that show.
Speaker 4 (20:46):
What's that experience been like for you?
Speaker 1 (20:48):
I am this show man means a lot to me
because I made a history with it. I became the
first Native Korean to play non Asian specific principal role
on on Broadway because usually you know, Asians are playing
Asian roles. But it's a it's a it's a big
deal for me and the Asian community. Then we are
(21:10):
breaking the barriers and keep moving forward together. And as
an immigrant and a support of Asian Americans in the US,
it's a huge, huge deal for me that I'm very,
very grateful to have this opportunity. And the show is
(21:31):
that jukebox musical all Max Martin's songs. Max Martin is
one of the biggest composers in the world. He did
a Give Me Baby, did Again, all the Backstreet Boys
dancing songs like you, you know, all the songs when Yeah,
And it's like such a fun show to do because
(21:54):
I grew up with these songs and they are a writer.
David Wess Reed, you this such a great job to
weaving drama and these songs together, so you actually kind
of re hearing the lyrics and you're like, oh my god,
you can use this song like this. Yeah, it's wow,
(22:15):
this is brilliant and and like it's just such a
fun show to do. But it's just not end there
at the end that we have such a great message
to like you don't know, like you have no idea
it's coming. And then you're like people are all of
a sudden just crying in the audience, and like I
(22:37):
love that part of the show too, because it's you're
actually telling something meaningful story, just not only the comedy
of it. Right. Yeah, And it's just like I've been
with I've been doing the show for almost four years now.
It is my longest ever been in a show, but
(22:59):
I'm still in joining because the show is just so
fun to do.
Speaker 5 (23:04):
Yes, Oh and I'm sure like when new people come
on it also kind of keeps an excitement. I know,
Chrissy in in the in the news, Christy Metz just
joined in on Andeliet. Yes and yes, and I think
just new people coming in probably keeps the excitement as
well for you.
Speaker 1 (23:21):
So Joyce to Tony is going to join us soon, yeah,
from n Sync and then Lori Ernandez from Olympic gymnast.
She she's a show as well. So yeah, you can see.
Speaker 4 (23:32):
Some exciting you really can. Isn't that crazy crazy?
Speaker 1 (23:38):
Yeah, it's it's it's really crazy. And then I'm like,
oh wow, I'm working with them.
Speaker 4 (23:42):
Huh yeah right, yeah, it's a pinch me moment. I
think that is. I think that's just so cool.
Speaker 5 (23:48):
And it's such a great a great show because not only,
like you said, is it fun, but also it has
a great message to it. I think those are like
the best shows in my opinion, winning a message to it.
Speaker 4 (23:56):
But it's also fun and songs you know, in love.
You know, it's a win win.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
Yes, yes, really that's amazing.
Speaker 4 (24:04):
So please make sure you check that out everybody.
Speaker 5 (24:06):
But kind of going back to before we go, I
want to talk about this because before like when you
first came in your debut, was the prom. Yes, you
were actually the first native Korean in history to perform
on the Tony Awards.
Speaker 1 (24:21):
Yeah, so the prom. I love the show. They made
it to a movie on Netflix with Nicole Kidman, James Gordon,
uh yeah, as some other big names. And when I
did the show, you know Tony Awards is you have
(24:44):
to be nominated for Best Musical to perform at the
Tony Awards. I was very very lucky that The Problem
was nominated, and we did the show in Radio City nineteen.
It's it's the venue is just huge, like it's six
(25:05):
I think it's almost six thousand seeds. Yeah, And usually
the opening number at the Tony Hours they put all
the shows together and make their own opening number, like
this year, twenty twenty six. So I was practicing there
with other fellow Broadway performers, and it's just like I
couldn't believe that I was doing that because I was
(25:27):
you know, I was from Korea and like all the
things that I mean, I was an immigrant, I didn't
speak English, that the visa was an issue, so everything
was kind of like stecked against me. But then I
kind of like broke all those things and was able
to be in the show on Broadway but also performing
(25:51):
for Tony's. That was just so crazy to me. Yeah, crazy, yeah.
And then after the opening number, I see the audience,
the waves of standing ovations and to six thousand people,
it was like it's unforgettable in visual that I will
(26:11):
never ever forget. And I see, you know, Lucy Lio,
like I don't know, like Hollywood the stars to theater
stars watching me performing, right, just like so crazy, so crazy. Yeah, yeah,
yeah it was. There was already like oh my god,
(26:32):
I made it. I can die now. But then like
a couple I think of months or later, I found
out from the article that I am the first native
Korean to perform at the twenty Awards. That's insane. Yeah,
and I was like, wow, that was that was really
(26:54):
cool and I'm honored, but also like, wow, it's twenty nineteen.
Speaker 4 (26:58):
Br and it took so lot.
Speaker 5 (27:00):
I think the tent you started in like nineteen forty
seven or something.
Speaker 1 (27:03):
Yeah. So I mean, like, to be honest, our Asian
representations weren't amazing until I would say twenty seventeen eighteen
was the like exponential kind of growth point. So I
was like, I really want to be, uh, one of
(27:25):
the vessels to keep this movement moving forward. Yeah. So
after I was really really happy with the news, but
also I felt a lot of responsibility. Yeah, of like
oh wow, so I'm now one of one of the
people who are carrying this.
Speaker 4 (27:42):
Yeah right in there, isn't it crazy?
Speaker 5 (27:46):
And like young young kids who want to be in
your position are looking to you and you're you really started,
you know something.
Speaker 4 (27:52):
Which I think is incredible as just you know.
Speaker 5 (27:56):
A performer, you're doing what you love, but also on
the other hand, you're also helping your community as well.
Speaker 4 (28:01):
You know what I mean. It's it's just incredible.
Speaker 1 (28:03):
Yeah, it's like keep we're doing because I was watching
somebody as the God inspirations from watching them, right, yeah,
and then I was to keep being forward next generations
and it feels I love the theater. That part of theater,
the inspirations is keep is paying forward to next generation.
Speaker 4 (28:22):
Yes, and you do.
Speaker 5 (28:23):
And I just can't wait to see what is next
for you because I know you have so so much
in store next and I just can't wait to see
what is next for you. And thank you so much
for taking time to chat with me. It was a true,
true honor.
Speaker 1 (28:37):
Really, thank you, Thank you. I'm always happy to share
my story you.
Speaker 4 (28:41):
I appreciate it. You have such a story.
Speaker 5 (28:43):
I think it's just incredible what you do and what
you've conquered, and you've had so many challenges along the way,
but you still got through it and you're you're just
kicking major boutet.
Speaker 1 (28:53):
So I'm thank you.
Speaker 4 (28:58):
Incredible, Oh Jim.
Speaker 5 (29:00):
And everybody, please make sure you go and check out
his book, The Rule of Five Journal on Amazon right now.
Speaker 4 (29:06):
And thank you again, Jummen. I appreciate you.
Speaker 5 (29:08):
Thank you so much, Thank you all so much for
tuning into the jose Show today. Hope you all have
a great rest of your day. And a big thank
you to my special guest Jumen for chatting with me.
And my next guest is It's on July fifteenth, my
next show. We have special guests Craig Campbell, so stay
tuned for that at josishow dot com or wherever you
listen to The Josie Show.
Speaker 3 (29:27):
And see y'all again next time.
Speaker 4 (29:28):
Bye bye.
Br br bro bro bro bro around the world on
the world Wide Web.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Ladies and Gentleman period is the most. The other stations
are tuning in too. Oh yeah. Broadcasting live from the
Josey Network Studios in downtown Madonna, Tennessee.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
It's that time of week again. It's time for the Josie.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Shoe, bringing you the most exciting music, moves and guests
from around the world right here on the Jersey Show.
Please make walking beautiful. It's Hannity, Hello, Mady, America's d
(01:02):
Elsela Business Josie Assentinosle.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
Hello, everyone, and welcome to the Josie Show. I'm Josey
Pasentino Boone and today my special guest uh is on
Broadway and and Juliet and he has a new book out.
I'm talking about Jim and Wong, so I'm really excited
to welcome him to the show. So let's get right
into it.
Speaker 4 (01:28):
Jim and Hong, Hi, how are you?
Speaker 1 (01:31):
Hi, I'm good. Thank you for having me. I'm very excited.
Speaker 5 (01:34):
Oh, I'm so excited to talk to you. You have
such an inspiring story that I want my listeners who
may not know your story to kind of get a
little bit more familiar. So can you share your journey
from South Korea to Broadway?
Speaker 1 (01:50):
Wow, I need like three days. But to make it short,
I grew up as a breakdan sir, and I was
kind of good at it. And when I was twenty,
I got into this crew that was going around the
world doing the breakdance battles and the show's performance shows.
(02:12):
And in two thousand and seven, I was in London
doing a show called The Breakout in the Pickcock Theater
and one of my day offs, we're a bunch of
dancers were there. We were like, what should we do?
We should watch a musical, so we watched Billy Elliott
(02:32):
Ah and that was the gateway for me to fell
in love for the musical theater. I think right now
I realize back then I didn't know why I was
so messmerized, But now I realize breakdancing was just like
(02:53):
very much like Olympic islets. You trains for years and
you go to competitions and either win or lose. Right.
But then when I saw the theater, I saw whole
life on the stage and also longevity. I could do
this for like years and years and years onto life.
Sixteen seventeen yeah, so I was like wow. And also,
(03:19):
I you know, we choose. I mean, this is my opinion,
but we choose either it's your job or hobby or
the big part of your thing that you do every day.
It's gonna be the tool to learn about life. R
that's gonna be the main tool of learning about life.
(03:43):
And I thought theater would be a great tool to
learn about life. It's because it's about life. So I
came back to Korea started learning how to sing and act,
and I wasn't very good at it. Really, I was
really bad at it, to be honest, and for me
(04:07):
actually singing, multiple teachers rejected me teaching. But the thing
is singing and breakdancing is polar opposite of in terms
of training because breakdancing is all about your upper body strength,
so you can lift your body and you're just flipping around.
But singing is all about really singing everything. Yeah. Yeah,
(04:32):
I had such a hard time, and nobody back then
in Korea, not like nobody really knew how to teach
me because like, yeah, because I think about it, how
many breakdancers we wanted to learn about to become a
sing singer, right, They're like, yeah, they were like tried
(04:53):
the different tools and nothing really worked, and like I
don't like, I don't think and then you know, we
often and say, oh, you are not talented enough to
pursue this because nothing is working. But I didn't keep up.
I don't know. I just really liked theater, so I
kept finding it. I kept finding your teacher, and finally
(05:17):
found a teacher who really believed in me. Her name
is doctor John And five years later, with her, I
got into a music school. And then you know, studying
and always watching YouTube videos and with stand the clips
to you know, when you aim high, you you you
(05:39):
go higher. And then one day my professor asked me, Juman,
you love this watching this Broadway clips, and you should
go try Broadway. And that was when I was twenty
nine years old, where I did know how to speak English,
and right, I just it's just like it didn't sound realistic, right,
(06:06):
because so I'm like, I told my professor, that's that
doesn't sound realistic to me. I don't know, I don't
want to entertain impossible. And she, my professor was, you mean,
you don't have to make it, just go experience it.
Experience as much as you can. It will be it
(06:28):
will be a great soil for your artistry. And I
was like, that's.
Speaker 4 (06:32):
So true, great advice.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
Yeah, then if I'm just experiencing it, there's nothing for
me to lose. So I packed my stuff in three
months and I came here and started started learning how
to speak English. Yeah, and then like so many auditions,
(06:55):
so many auditions I booked my first way, I went
to eighteen the prom and second probably show in twenty
twenty two. That's incredible, and Juliette.
Speaker 5 (07:06):
Yeah, yes, wow, that just shows persistence and also having
a great teacher. One day, you really need to open
up like your own, like school in South Korea, you
know what I mean. That would be amazing, so you
can kind of give the learning aspect that you've learned
when you know you wished you would have learned back then,
(07:26):
you know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
Right, that's exactly, That's exactly what I'm That's my lifelong dream,
and my book is actually part of it, because my
my dream school is going to be teaching you know, technicos.
But also I would say mental wisdom because I think
(07:50):
pursuing art it's a lot of mental game. Right. People
think it's a talent, but I think talent can fluctuate
on the time and you know, but how you approach
the artistry, I think that's the most important thing, and
that's the gem of longevity, I think. So I'm working
(08:15):
on school and this is a part of it. But
my book, yeah, is a part of the steps I
want to teach them, teach my future kids too. Yeah,
become really really wise artists.
Speaker 4 (08:32):
Yes, Oh, that would be amazing.
Speaker 5 (08:34):
That would be a full circle moment, And I know
it's going to happen the way you the way you are.
You are so determined and you you know what you
want and you know, speaking on your book, you are
an author. You created the Rule of Five Journal and
it is an incredible book. And you wrote this actually
during like a period of transition in your own life.
Was there like a specific moment when you realize that
(08:56):
this personal practice might actually be something that could also
benefit people.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
Yeah. A couple of years ago, I went through one
of the hardest time in my life. I got a
divorce and you know how I felt at the moment
was like, I mean, the failure, a lot of emotions,
but I feel like I feel so lost A lot
(09:22):
of things that I believed was I felt like it
all shattered, sure, and I couldn't I was like so lost,
I couldn't find the direction, Like what what should I
do after this? Right? That was the big, big, big question.
And sometimes if that question is so big, it makes
you paralyzed, right, you like like I don't know what
(09:46):
to do. And because of that, you know, a couple
of months is I mean like the years. One of
the first year, I was just so lost trying to
find something. So I got into reading books to kind
of find the tools. And then first tool I found
(10:07):
interesting was five to one positivity ratio by the Government Institute.
You know, there are a lot of accreditude the journals
and that's just thinking about positivities. But it didn't really
resonate with me because I feel like it felt great
when I was doing all, like listing positivities, but then
(10:30):
when I turn around, my NEGATIVI is is always just
just around the corner, just right behind me, right Yeah.
So I was like, it's just like it didn't really
work for me. And what I really liked about that
one five to one positivity ratio is you list to
one negative, so like, in order to cancel negative thoughts,
(10:52):
you need to five positivity that like negative negative thoughts?
Is that positive that strong? Yeah? So it was like
it was the balance, right, you're not kicking out negativities,
you're kind of like accepting it with balance. And when
I started using it, it was hard to find positivities
(11:16):
because I have so many negativities around the Yeah, but
later on it kind of shifted. I felt there's a
shifting moment that like, oh I can find more positivities
now mm hmm. Yeah. And then that's where I found
a little bit of space to do something more right,
(11:39):
because when you don't have any space to do something,
it's just like it's just hard. And then when I
had that space, I was like, Okay, what do I
want to do with this this little space in my
emotional space? And then I found this five wise method.
(12:01):
I read it from Left Them by Melton Robins Robinson.
It's about you break down your problems, and how you
do it is you write down your problem and answer
why is that problem? Right after you answer it, you
(12:24):
answer your first answer why. The first answer is the
problem for you, So in that way you get one
layer under your problem, right, and then you answer your
second answer again why this is the second answer is
your problem. So you keep answering those answers until you
(12:45):
reach your root problem. And usually five why is after
you find your root problem. So in this way you're
not solving your just like surface problem because surface problems
is not the actual problems. When you solve your root problems,
(13:07):
you could actually solve four problems at the same time.
This is created by you know, Toyota Car Company CEO.
He's a way about finding the problems in engineering. Yeah.
That that really helped me to break down my problems,
(13:29):
my negativities, right, yeah. And then after that I was
able to see what it is that what the elements
are in that one problem, because it's like usually it's
not just the one problem, it's a mixture of something exactly.
And when you see multiple elements of what this problem
(13:51):
is holding, you kind of see oh okay, you can
see the direction of how better direction to solve it,
like to do some thing with it, right, So that
really helps me to find the direction like Okay, I
think I can do this. I want to start with this, this, this,
(14:12):
And then I found this fascinating about like reframing a
positive So whenever we've experienced negative emotions, you know, jealousy,
whatever that is, jealous anger, frustration. We often focus on
those emotions so much we forget or neglect the intention
(14:39):
of it, and we actually kind of like think about
the intentions. We often find it constructive, right, yeah, So
like use that to kind of like, okay, what of
all this problems and answers? What is it good about?
All those things? I could find m hmm, find it constructive? Right?
(15:04):
So I can write it down again, matching all the
problem first sens or second, third, fourth, fifth answers to
reframing it to positive like what I can make it
constructive or positive? Learned something from this, right, So in
that way I can practice self compassion. Compassion it's not yeah,
(15:28):
it's not only just like it's not it's not only
this problem. I can kind of make it something wholesome
of it, you know what I mean? And after I
did it, I felt like I found some energy to
do things. It's not only you know things that is
(15:49):
right and wrong. You need you need to have energy
to actually do so do something with it, right, right?
So after that, I found you know, the habits like
atomic habits and four percent growth sweet spot by Studhn
(16:10):
coutlor and I forgot atomic habits. Yeah, the author really well, yeah,
so it's better to do small things every day rather
than trying to have a big changes and not doing
it three months later, right, right, And that habits for me,
(16:32):
it's it's for me. It's about the growth, right, And
it's better to have four percent out of your comfort
zone is a Swiss spot. It's not too easy, so
it's boring to you, or it's not too hard to
it will snap your like motivation.
Speaker 4 (16:50):
Sure, yeah, you have to have even balance.
Speaker 1 (16:52):
Yeah. So I put those two the list things that
I could possibly do mm hmm, and then I next
section is and then I was like, okay, let's pick easiest. Yeah.
So yeah, I wrote down the easiest and then I
(17:13):
uh added later, why is that matter to you? What
is this action matters to you? So when you connected
your action to your core values, there is a better way,
better chance to stick with you daily practice, right because
it's aligned with your core value. Yeah, So I added that,
(17:38):
and then after that I was like, oh, this feels
pretty good, So I added how I feel and what
I am excited about that today. That took me about,
like I think a year to put all those together.
I added one by one slowly, and then after I
added all these together first time, I felt like I
(18:04):
just knew it. This is something very special, Yes that
not only just gonna help me, it could help because
it helped me, yeah, exactly, and so it will help
other people will there's a chance that it will help
other people. So I was curious, so I shared it
(18:27):
with my friends. Oh nice, and then I got good
positive feedbacks. So I started writing why I put those
tools and why is it working? And it became a
journal book.
Speaker 4 (18:45):
Hice, And we're glad you did too. It is so good,
The Rule of Time Journal.
Speaker 5 (18:49):
You're very welcome, and it's currently available on Amazon right
so everyone could check it out because all these little things,
you know, really do help with personal growth and just
kind of of it. It's great to kind of go
to the deeper root of your problems, but also not
always looking at the negative, always kind of looking towards
(19:10):
the positive. We got to keep moving forward, you know
what I mean, Tiny steps, tiny steps, and and I
think it's just so so wonderful and I really do
recommend it to everybody. It is on Amazon, so please
make sure you check it out. The Rule of five journal,
and I think it's just so wonderful how you incorporated
like principles from like psychology and neuroscience.
Speaker 4 (19:30):
You really did your research, you know what I mean,
it really did, which is amazing.
Speaker 1 (19:35):
Thank you. Who's Yeah, it's actually you know, like the
I wasn't intended. I wasn't intentioning with that was not
the right word. I didn't try to write a book.
It just came out from my own practice and try
to get out of my bed cycle even in my life. Yeah,
(19:59):
and it's the kind of interesting that I'm actually trying
to write another book it's about define your happiness. Oh
but it's the process is very different because I am
now trying to write a book. So it's like it's
not the same as how this came out to me.
(20:21):
So yeah, that's that's really interesting.
Speaker 4 (20:24):
Yeah, that's interesting.
Speaker 5 (20:25):
Well, I'm really looking forward to the next book, and
I can't wait to see what is next for you.
Speaker 4 (20:30):
And you get a lot going on, you know, not only.
Speaker 5 (20:32):
With the book, but of course, like you mentioned earlier,
you're on Broadway and Juliet, which is a phenomenon everybody
loves and Juliet, and I wanted to ask you, you
know what you enjoy most about performing on that show.
Speaker 4 (20:46):
What's that experience been like for you?
Speaker 1 (20:48):
I am this show man means a lot to me
because I made a history with it. I became the
first Native Korean to play non Asian specific principal role
on on Broadway because usually you know, Asians are playing
Asian roles. But it's a it's a it's a big
deal for me and the Asian community. Then we are
(21:10):
breaking the barriers and keep moving forward together. And as
an immigrant and a support of Asian Americans in the US,
it's a huge, huge deal for me that I'm very,
very grateful to have this opportunity. And the show is
(21:31):
that jukebox musical all Max Martin's songs. Max Martin is
one of the biggest composers in the world. He did
a Give Me Baby, did Again, all the Backstreet Boys
dancing songs like you, you know, all the songs when Yeah,
And it's like such a fun show to do because
(21:54):
I grew up with these songs and they are a writer.
David Wess Reed, you this such a great job to
weaving drama and these songs together, so you actually kind
of re hearing the lyrics and you're like, oh my god,
you can use this song like this. Yeah, it's wow,
(22:15):
this is brilliant and and like it's just such a
fun show to do. But it's just not end there
at the end that we have such a great message
to like you don't know, like you have no idea
it's coming. And then you're like people are all of
a sudden just crying in the audience, and like I
(22:37):
love that part of the show too, because it's you're
actually telling something meaningful story, just not only the comedy
of it. Right. Yeah, And it's just like I've been
with I've been doing the show for almost four years now.
It is my longest ever been in a show, but
(22:59):
I'm still in joining because the show is just so
fun to do.
Speaker 5 (23:04):
Yes, Oh and I'm sure like when new people come
on it also kind of keeps an excitement. I know,
Chrissy in in the in the news, Christy Metz just
joined in on Andeliet. Yes and yes, and I think
just new people coming in probably keeps the excitement as
well for you.
Speaker 1 (23:21):
So Joyce to Tony is going to join us soon, yeah,
from n Sync and then Lori Ernandez from Olympic gymnast.
She she's a show as well. So yeah, you can see.
Speaker 4 (23:32):
Some exciting you really can. Isn't that crazy crazy?
Speaker 1 (23:38):
Yeah, it's it's it's really crazy. And then I'm like,
oh wow, I'm working with them.
Speaker 4 (23:42):
Huh yeah right, yeah, it's a pinch me moment. I
think that is. I think that's just so cool.
Speaker 5 (23:48):
And it's such a great a great show because not only,
like you said, is it fun, but also it has
a great message to it. I think those are like
the best shows in my opinion, winning a message to it.
Speaker 4 (23:56):
But it's also fun and songs you know, in love.
You know, it's a win win.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
Yes, yes, really that's amazing.
Speaker 4 (24:04):
So please make sure you check that out everybody.
Speaker 5 (24:06):
But kind of going back to before we go, I
want to talk about this because before like when you
first came in your debut, was the prom. Yes, you
were actually the first native Korean in history to perform
on the Tony Awards.
Speaker 1 (24:21):
Yeah, so the prom. I love the show. They made
it to a movie on Netflix with Nicole Kidman, James Gordon,
uh yeah, as some other big names. And when I
did the show, you know Tony Awards is you have
(24:44):
to be nominated for Best Musical to perform at the
Tony Awards. I was very very lucky that The Problem
was nominated, and we did the show in Radio City nineteen.
It's it's the venue is just huge, like it's six
(25:05):
I think it's almost six thousand seeds. Yeah, And usually
the opening number at the Tony Hours they put all
the shows together and make their own opening number, like
this year, twenty twenty six. So I was practicing there
with other fellow Broadway performers, and it's just like I
couldn't believe that I was doing that because I was
(25:27):
you know, I was from Korea and like all the
things that I mean, I was an immigrant, I didn't
speak English, that the visa was an issue, so everything
was kind of like stecked against me. But then I
kind of like broke all those things and was able
to be in the show on Broadway but also performing
(25:51):
for Tony's. That was just so crazy to me. Yeah, crazy, yeah.
And then after the opening number, I see the audience,
the waves of standing ovations and to six thousand people,
it was like it's unforgettable in visual that I will
(26:11):
never ever forget. And I see, you know, Lucy Lio,
like I don't know, like Hollywood the stars to theater
stars watching me performing, right, just like so crazy, so crazy. Yeah, yeah,
yeah it was. There was already like oh my god,
(26:32):
I made it. I can die now. But then like
a couple I think of months or later, I found
out from the article that I am the first native
Korean to perform at the twenty Awards. That's insane. Yeah,
and I was like, wow, that was that was really
(26:54):
cool and I'm honored, but also like, wow, it's twenty nineteen.
Speaker 4 (26:58):
Br and it took so lot.
Speaker 5 (27:00):
I think the tent you started in like nineteen forty
seven or something.
Speaker 1 (27:03):
Yeah. So I mean, like, to be honest, our Asian
representations weren't amazing until I would say twenty seventeen eighteen
was the like exponential kind of growth point. So I
was like, I really want to be, uh, one of
(27:25):
the vessels to keep this movement moving forward. Yeah. So
after I was really really happy with the news, but
also I felt a lot of responsibility. Yeah, of like
oh wow, so I'm now one of one of the
people who are carrying this.
Speaker 4 (27:42):
Yeah right in there, isn't it crazy?
Speaker 5 (27:46):
And like young young kids who want to be in
your position are looking to you and you're you really started,
you know something.
Speaker 4 (27:52):
Which I think is incredible as just you know.
Speaker 5 (27:56):
A performer, you're doing what you love, but also on
the other hand, you're also helping your community as well.
Speaker 4 (28:01):
You know what I mean. It's it's just incredible.
Speaker 1 (28:03):
Yeah, it's like keep we're doing because I was watching
somebody as the God inspirations from watching them, right, yeah,
and then I was to keep being forward next generations
and it feels I love the theater. That part of theater,
the inspirations is keep is paying forward to next generation.
Speaker 4 (28:22):
Yes, and you do.
Speaker 5 (28:23):
And I just can't wait to see what is next
for you because I know you have so so much
in store next and I just can't wait to see
what is next for you. And thank you so much
for taking time to chat with me. It was a true,
true honor.
Speaker 1 (28:37):
Really, thank you, Thank you. I'm always happy to share
my story you.
Speaker 4 (28:41):
I appreciate it. You have such a story.
Speaker 5 (28:43):
I think it's just incredible what you do and what
you've conquered, and you've had so many challenges along the way,
but you still got through it and you're you're just
kicking major boutet.
Speaker 1 (28:53):
So I'm thank you.
Speaker 4 (28:58):
Incredible, Oh Jim.
Speaker 5 (29:00):
And everybody, please make sure you go and check out
his book, The Rule of Five Journal on Amazon right now.
Speaker 4 (29:06):
And thank you again, Jummen. I appreciate you.
Speaker 5 (29:08):
Thank you so much, Thank you all so much for
tuning into the jose Show today. Hope you all have
a great rest of your day. And a big thank
you to my special guest Jumen for chatting with me.
And my next guest is It's on July fifteenth, my
next show. We have special guests Craig Campbell, so stay
tuned for that at josishow dot com or wherever you
listen to The Josie Show.
Speaker 3 (29:27):
And see y'all again next time.
Speaker 4 (29:28):
Bye bye.
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