I’m your host, Jen Amos, here to read aloud letters inspired by real conversations with you!

It all begins with one line:

If I could say one thing...

Because sometimes one thing is all we need to take up a little more space. 💛

First letter releases next Friday! Stay tuned! 🎧

Reminder: Our Quarterly Vision Board Check In takes place today (MAR 27) at 1 PM (PT) / 4 PM (ET)!

See you soon! If you want to just drop in and say hi, we’re happy to have you, too! 🤗

RSVP Now

If you could reflect on one thing, it’s this:

What’s holding you back from sharing your story?

We’re closing out our final week of celebrating Women’s History Month!

If you’re tuning in for the first time, check out The Library of Congress and the National Women’s History Museum to learn more.

Throughout the years of hosting our podcast, I’ve been told, “My story isn’t worth telling.” Or maybe you’ve felt the pressure or the risk to share something you’re not ready to share.

If this is where you’re at right now, that’s okay. 💛

Our show exists to share our stories through fictionalized letters for a reason. As I’ve said in my recent feature:

“...at the end of the day, it’s you. You are the one in these letters. You are the one embodying them. These are your letters—the words you never knew you needed to say, the feelings you’ve never been able to name, and the solutions you’ve been searching for.”

However, if you’re finally feeling the urge to share your story, consider this thought…

You don’t have to share your story; you get to share your story.

Isn’t it great knowing you have a platform like TFAWLETTERS.COM to unapologetically take up space?

And if there’s even a small chance that your story could help someone feel seen, understood, or less alone... wouldn’t it be worth sharing?

As we wrap up Women’s History Month, I encourage you to reflect on these questions.

And, of course, if you’re ready, share your story. 💛

Subscribe now

Already Subscribed?

Check the footer of our latest newsletter to submit your letter today!

Questions about submitting a letter? Read our FAQs by clicking HERE.

Round Up of Women’s History Month Posts

This concludes the PenPal (Off-Season) Edition of The Filipino American Woman Project. Thanks for reading!

The podcast returns for May’s AAPI Heritage Month! 🎙

If you had no fears or consequences, how would you picture your future?

Happy Women’s History Month!

This is our second-to-final week of sharing reflections on what Women’s History Month represents and how it can serve as a loving reminder to share our own stories.

Women’s history shows us what’s possible.

One of the most powerful things about learning our history is that it expands our understanding of what’s possible. The lives of women who came before us show us paths we may never have considered. Their stories remind us that there are always more possibilities than the ones we first see or were taught to see.

Women’s history shows us what else we can do.

On our show, we’ve heard many stories of Filipino American women feeling pressure to select careers based on how well they could support their families (…often at the expense of their personal aspirations).

At the same time, we’ve heard many stories of women who pursued what they wanted anyway or somehow found the right balance.

For the women I admire, especially those who paved their own paths, it was because they believed in themselves, even when it seemed impossible, even when they had no examples around them to follow.

But how do you become something you have yet to see?

Yes, history is important. But our stories are still being written. We can dictate what history can look like for the next generation.

It begins with a vision board.

How do you become something you have yet to see? How can we help one another expand our possibilities?

We start by visualizing it.

Our history may be spotty. But our future doesn’t have to be.

The women before us showed us what’s possible. Now it’s our turn.

You’re invited to our Quarterly Vision Board Workshop

Sometimes, it’s easier to show what we want than say what we want. If you’ve been on the fence about attending our free vision board workshop, now’s the time to RSVP for next Friday, March 27th.

In celebration of Women’s History Month, I invite you to visualize what’s possible for you, based on what you truly want. Let’s do this together!

RSVP Now

💛 Jen

P.S. First-timers will receive a special gift! 🎁

What is the most common assumption people make about you?

Happy Women’s History Month!

This is week two of sharing reflections on what Women’s History Month represents and how it can serve as a loving reminder to share our own stories. 💛

One reason our history matters is that it helps us move beyond stereotypes and assumptions. When we learn about the lives of women from all walks of life, we begin to see how complex and nuanced those stories really are.

Our stories reveal that there is never just one way to be a woman.

For most of us navigating multiple identities (i.e., personal, cultural, or professional), assumptions can undoubtedly feel limiting (and annoying!). When these assumptions are chronic, it can even feel traumatizing. We ask ourselves, “Do I even belong here?”

• Have others assumed you’re quiet when you actually have strong opinions?

• Have others assumed you’re traditional when your life has taken an unconventional path?

• Have others assume they already knew you the moment they found out that you were Filipino?

I have personally found that, when given the time and opportunity, sharing my story helps my relationships move past assumptions.

Depending on how they respond, I can see the fuller picture of that person, too. And often, I find that we have much more in common than we first thought.

This is one reason our show exists.

Our letters give us the space to provide the context that first impressions often miss.

Sometimes all it takes is one honest reflection to shift how someone understands us.

So this week, in celebration of Women’s History Month, I’m inviting you to reflect on this question:

What am I often mistaken for, and how can I provide people with more context?

If you’d like, you can start your reflection with a simple line:

“If I could say one thing about what people assume about me, it’s this...”

Submit A Letter Today

Already Subscribed? Check out the footer of our newsletters to learn how to submit a letter today. You may include your name or remain completely anonymous.

💛 Jen

P.S. For FAQs about Submitting a Letter, click HERE.

We’re two weeks away from our Quarterly Vision Board Check In (March 27th), join us!

Who has shaped you into who you are today? Was it one woman or many?

Happy Women’s History Month!

Over the next four weeks, I’ll be sharing reflections on what this month represents and, more importantly, how it can serve as a loving reminder to share our own stories.

After all, history is simply a collection of stories.

So why not ours? 💛

Women’s History Month has been a national celebration since 1981 to recognize the contributions women have made throughout American history, across families, communities, and in every field. It’s our time to honor those who came before us and the impact they’ve had on shaping the world we live in today.

But history isn’t only written in textbooks.

For us, it often lives in the stories we cherish about the women who raised us, guided us, challenged us, and believed in us. Our stories are of courage, sacrifice, and often, thankless impact.

Based on the conversations we’ve had on our show, many of us have been greatly shaped by our mothers, grandmothers, aunties, sisters, girlfriends, and generally, a collection of women.

Yet many of those stories were never written down. For many of us, storytelling happens through conversations shared at dinner tables, family gatherings, and in learning how to connect the dots between generations.

We embody each other's stories, but rarely document them.

Until now…

TFAW Letters is a space to record personal stories that have shaped us, not the famous stories found in history books, but the intimate ones that influence our lives both visibly and invisibly.

Sometimes the most powerful stories are the ones that are finally shared out loud.

So this week, in celebration of Women’s History Month, I’m inviting you to reflect on this question:

Who helped shape the path you’re on today?

If you’d like, you can start your reflection with a simple line:

“If I could say one thing to (the woman, or women, I want to thank), it’s this...”

Submit A Letter Today

Already Subscribed? Check out the footer of our previous emails to learn how to submit a letter today. You may include your name or remain completely anonymous.

Women’s history isn’t only something we study. It’s something we continue to write together, one letter at a time. 📝

FAQs: Submitting A Letter to TFAWLETTERS.COM

Note: Audio version is available for First Readers. Enjoy the edited transcript!

Jen Amos: Hello there, First Readers. I am really excited to candidly answer some frequently asked questions that I have received regarding submitting a letter, in hopes that this will make people feel safer and more comfortable, and free to submit a letter how they please.

So, the first question is…

Who can submit a letter?

And the answer is: anyone.

When you visit our mailbox, there’s a link to submit a letter that’s only available to our subscribers. So if you’re not subscribed (although anyone listening to this will already be subscribed), all you have to do is just subscribe for free, and in the footer of every newsletter for your subscription level, there’s a button where you can visit our mailbox and submit a letter.

Now, when you submit a letter, you’re gonna be taken to a Google form, and you can fill it out anonymously. If you want me to contact you, then you can add your email. But otherwise, I have no idea who submits letters.

My hope is that anyone who wants to submit a letter does so in a way that frees them. Maybe something they’ve been holding in for a long time, something that they were afraid to say out loud, or something that they don’t know how to say in a way that they won’t regret later.

The benefit of submitting these letters is that you can submit them as is, because the next common question I often get is…

What happens when I submit a letter?

I work with an amazing team that takes inspiration from your submission, similar submissions, and conversations to create the first draft. Now, of course, depending on the letter, depending on how descriptive it is... just depending, most of the letters so far have rarely been that someone submits something and we’re like, “That’s perfect, let’s read that on the show.”

At the end of the day, this is my creative interpretation of these letter submissions and similar conversations. So we take inspiration from your letter, but we don’t read it verbatim on the show. We put a lot of love and care into trying to capture the spirit of what you’re trying to say in the way that we understand it. ‘Cause we’ll never entirely know, especially if you’re submitting anonymously, we’ll never entirely know exactly what you’re trying to say. All we can do is take inspiration from your submission, interpret it in a way we can relate to, and put it in a letter.

Even then, it gets put into a first draft. So the first draft can pull inspiration from your submission, other people’s submissions, and conversations our team has had that we can relate to, and pour it into this draft.

So already, I want you to hear that this is not me just taking your letter and reading it verbatim on the show. In celebration of being Filipino and the spirit of kapwa, which is, “I am because we are,” having that collective spirit... it takes a village to write these letters.

So hopefully you find some comfort in knowing that. It really just means that you can say what you really wanna say. We wanna listen, and we wanna capture the heart of what we feel like you’re saying and channel it into a first draft.

Now I say first draft because ultimately I have to read it on the show. What is written down is not always exactly what can be read on the show. It’s one thing to read something, and it’s another thing to speak it. Reading and speaking are different, and it’s highly dependent on my own style of speaking.

So the first draft goes through a couple of iterations as I practice reading it out loud. Now, if you wanna hear the first draft, I do a cold read for First Readers. First readers (like you, who are listening to this), when I am reading it out loud fresh, I am pulling inspiration from that. Or I am switching certain words around that I feel comfortable with saying because I have to make sure that I’m speaking as authentically as I can. This is not just about reading your letter; it’s about sharing a part of myself in your letter, too.

Overall, it takes a village to write these letters, let alone speak them out loud. There are certain things I may not be comfortable saying, and there may be other ways I would prefer to say them.

So just as a recap, anyone can submit a letter. You don’t have to really answer all the questions. The questions are there in the Google form to get your creative juices flowing. But ultimately, you can share as much as you wanna share. Our team takes inspiration from that letter; we may categorize it with similar submissions and have a dialogue about it, along with similar submissions. And together, we work on writing a first draft, and then I work on the final draft that gets read on the podcast.

When I say that I work on the final draft (and this is part of the cold read for first readers), I literally read it out loud and allow my natural voice to rephrase some things, change others, or keep things as they are in real time. It just highly depends on how it flows.

Now, the next question is:

When does the letter get released?

I’ll tell you, there are some letters that took months to put together. Not because it’s overly complicated, but because, like cooking, you just gotta let some things stew for a while.

So that’s why, in the off-season, in the pen pal edition, I have nearly a handful of first drafts that have been written. But it’s important to give the drafts some time to stew, to sit, and let us process before we revisit them and say, “okay it’s time to practice reading these out loud.”

So also dependent on whether the letter is relevant for a given season. Like upcoming, we have Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, which we’ll probably curate the letters that talk a lot about heritage.

In the summer series, like last year, it’ll probably just be a variety of letters. And then in October, we have Filipino American History Month, so that’ll likely be history-centric. And then we have the holiday series, which will ideally revolve more around family, friends, or chosen family. But again, it depends heavily on whether the letter is ready.

The key takeaway I want you to get is that I hope that you treat submitting a letter like a wishing well. Like leaving a lock on a special fence and leaving that lock like a wish, or you throw a coin in the water, treat it like a wishing well. Treat it like, “Here’s a secret of mine that I just wanna release and just put it out in the world.” The act of just putting it out there, I have personally found to be a therapeutic experience.

And this is what my letter submission people who talk to me say, “Wow, it’s so freeing. Even though the person I want to hear this may never hear this, I’m glad that I was able to get it out there. I’m content because I found the words to articulate what I really wanted to say.”

Because sometimes the one thing you’re really trying to say to someone is the one thing you are trying to identify for yourself. It could just be the one thing of what do I really need? From that person? For myself?

And sometimes just getting it out there helps you uncover what it is you really want out of all of this.

So, what is the one thing you’re really trying to say?

Okay, last question:

What if I don’t like the final letter?

What I would say is: if you don’t like the final letter, I’d like you to recall the last time someone said something about you that you didn’t like to hear. Someone told you an honest truth about yourself that you just completely deny, or you don’t believe is true. And I’d like you to take that same feeling and see the final letter that way.

Again, keep in mind that most of these letters embody the spirit of our shared experiences on a given topic or issue. And if you don’t like it, consider understanding why. Take it as an opportunity to reflect, and maybe what you put out there... maybe what you submitted wasn’t clear enough. Maybe what you said wasn’t really what you were trying to say.

Sometimes we can say things to certain people, and it just goes over their head, right? I’m sure you’ve given people plenty of advice, and they just don’t listen to you. The same thing could be said about, “Hey, let me try to express to you how I really feel.”

Sometimes, for example, people will express anger when really they’re scared. And so hopefully the letter gives you that friction to be like, “That’s not what I meant to say.”

If you feel that way, if you have that kind of reaction, take that as a moment of reflection and ask yourself, “Okay, what did I really mean to say?” And really observe, “Okay, what I really meant to say is this... But apparently, the letter came out this way. I said one thing, but you interpreted it another way. Now, next time, how can I articulate this in a way that you will understand what I’m trying to say? ‘Cause apparently what I said didn’t come across the way I needed to be understood.” So people won’t always understand what we mean to say.

In any romantic relationship, I’m sure we can all relate to the fact that our significant others won’t always understand what we’re trying to say. And I want you to understand that, if the final letter didn’t represent you, maybe it’s not what you wanted to hear, but what you needed to hear.

Anyway, I hope that helps, and last but not least:

Can I send an audio message?

And the answer is: absolutely! I personally like to use Otter, otter.ai. I do have a referral link where you can sign up for a one-month trial — just click HERE.

Really, all you need is a month, if not less, to just submit one or a few audio messages to me. Otter.ai automatically transcribes what you’re saying. So it makes it easier for me to accept that transcript as your letter submission. Once you record, email me so I can give you the next steps for submitting it!

And there you have it! Those are the frequently asked questions I get when submitting a letter.

I hope that this eases your fears and reassures you that this is really a wishing well. This is an opportunity to release something, like having a balloon, or a floating lantern (Disney’s Tangled, anyone???), and release it to the sky, kind of thing. And I hope this reassures you that we’ll go to great lengths to represent you while respecting your privacy.

Already a free subscriber?

Submit a letter (check the footer of previous emails), and I can’t wait to read yours in the upcoming season!

Bye for now.

💛 Jen

Hey, you’re free on Friday, March 27th, right?

Read more

Note: Video, audio, and transcript are available to First Readers only.

Our join us in the Family Potluck Group Chat to see a photo preview (available to TFAW PenPals)! 📸

Join the Chat

Shop Now

By the way, do you have any plans for March 27th???

Read more

Facebook’s Video Storage Policy Is Changing: Download Your Old Live Videos In The Next 90 Days

Initially, this was a shocking email to me, as I’ve documented our original interviews exclusively on Facebook Live from 2017-18. 😳

I appreciated the heads up, and quickly hustled to save every. single. video.

If you visit our Facebook page today, you’ll find that our full live interviews are no longer there.

I sigh with relief, reminding myself that I saved as much as I could. 😮‍💨

The replays currently sit in my Dropbox. I’ve been meaning to re-upload them on YouTube or here on TFAWLETTERS.COM. But I’m just not ready to do that yet. I have so much to look forward to with our upcoming letters releasing in May for AAPI Heritage Month. It’s just not a priority for me to go back right now.

But I’ve said before that I always want to ensure our public interviews are available and accessible, which is why I started on Facebook Live in the first place.

So thanks to Dropbox’s new AI-generated transcript feature, I figured I could just share my personal archive. 👐🏽

Access Archive

When you access my archive link (desktop preferred), here are a couple of handy features to try out:

1. Select “Transcript” (on the top left of the screen) to view each interview’s AI-generated transcript.

2. You can set the interview speed (on the bottom left of the screen) as slow as 0.5x or as fast as 3x.

3. Create a free Dropbox account to leave a comment (on the top right of the screen).

Why am I resharing these videos?

Well, as embarrassing as some of them might be (c’mon, when was the last time you shared old videos of yourself from a decade ago???), sharing these is beyond me. I’ve heard over and over again that representation is important to our listeners. So I want to do my part by preserving what’s already been documented.

I’ve come to understand that representation doesn’t have to be perfect; it can be raw and unfiltered, like these livestreams.

Of course, our show has evolved since then, but I always like to remember where we came from, where we started.

And I hope you do, too. 🤗

I hope you see a part of your story in these original interviews, as I have. I hope they inspire you to take up a little more space. 💛

And if you appreciate my efforts, consider supporting the show. Again, not for me, but for future listeners and future letter submissions.

And most of all, for you.

You can upgrade your subscription, leave a tip, or buy merch!

Subscribe or Upgrade Membership

Leave a Tip, thank you!

Buy Merch

Congratulate yourself for investing in yourself by investing in the show.

💛 Jen

Got any plans for Friday, March 27th, 2026?

And now we can say…

YES!

The Filipino American Woman (TFAW) Project now has a merch shop! 🛍

Our designs are inspired by your favorite one-liners from your letters.

• Is there one thing you need to remind yourself of?

• One thing you want to declare to the world?

• Is there one thing you’ve been meaning to say to someone?

We’re excited to create merch that helps you remember, declare, and say what’s important to you!

In turn, all profits go toward publishing more letters. 💛

Our current designs are:

• “If I could say one thing…” — The first line of every letter

• “I accept myself first.” — Ep. 175

• “I’m in the driver’s seat now.” — Ep. 178

• “But Abby… they’re family!” — Ep. 181

• “I’m sorry, I’ve been so busy.” — Teaser for an upcoming letter

• TFAW Project Logo

Shop Now

Note: Designs are subject to change without notice.

Have a request?

We’re new at this, so we’re open to your ideas! Simply REPLY to our latest newsletter, comment below, or email jen@tfawproject.com

New designs will be released with every published letter! 🤩

Made in the USA & Produced Responsibly

Learn more about our incredible merch platform, Spreadshop, recently awarded 2025 Large Business of the Year by the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce!

Learn More

Also, learn more about how sustainable your order is here. 🌎

How else can I financially support the show?

Gosh! Thank you for investing in yourself by investing in the show! You can also:

Upgrade Your Subscription

Or, Leave A Tip!

🗓 Hey there, got any plans for March 27th??

Whether you’re an avid goal setter or have no idea what a vision board is, we’re gathering to support each other in visualizing everything you want to bring to life in 2026.

FREE and open to the community!

Join us on Friday, March 27th! Tentative Time: 1 PM (PT) / 4 PM (ET)

RSVP Now

In the meantime…

Jen shares her 2026 vision board in our Family Potluck Group chat!

Join Chat

Lastly, First Readers can enjoy our last recorded Vision Board Check-In from one year ago! Happy watching! 📺

Replay Recap:

• How would you describe this season of your life in just one word or phrase?

• What if a vision board didn’t lock you into anything, but morphed to support your personal or professional growth?

• What if the thing you thought you wanted is already happening… just not in the way you expected?

To get an idea of how we run our Vision Board Workshops, here’s a summary of our last recorded session from the first quarter of 2025!

Before getting into vision boards, we checked in with each other by sharing how the first quarter of the year had felt, using just a word or short phrase. Then, we acknowledged where everyone was in their vision boards, from detailed boards to bullet-point lists to people who had never created one before.

In short, there is no “right” way to make a vision board.

Whether some of us were starting or already had vision boards, we began reflecting on accomplishments, challenges, insights gained, and what may have held us back over the last 3 to 12 months. We rated different areas of life, such as family, community, relationships, career, finances, health, spirituality, fun, and personal development.

We also reflected on the following:

• What do I want to leave behind as I enter the new year?

• Who am I doing this for?

• What would count as evidence that I showed up in a meaningful way this next year?

We discussed different vision board formats: physical boards, digital boards, lists, mind maps, and evolving drafts. One consistent reminder was that:

A vision board is not permanent. Images can be replaced. Goals can change. Wanting something at one point doesn’t mean you’re obligated to want it forever.

Common themes emerged in our discussion:

• Letting goals be flexible instead of fixed

• Finding ways to make growth feel lighter, playful, and less intimidating

• Wanting less time on social media and more intentional connections

• Using creativity, movement, learning, and community as motivation and accountability

• Recognizing that progress doesn’t always look dramatic

The workshop closed with some of us excited to share our vision boards.

Overall, we concluded that:

Vision boarding is less about perfect steps and outcomes and more about noticing patterns, honoring where you are, and giving yourself permission to adjust as you go!

Note: Video Replay is available for First Readers.

Read more

Hi Jen, thanks for joining us today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

For my first public origin story, I’m thankful to have had my first article, titled “Filipino women sharing and writing their own history,” published by The San Diego Union-Tribune on October 21, 2017, less than a year after starting the TFAW Project.

A lot has changed, yet it has stayed the same since then. So I’m grateful for this opportunity to reflect on my journey with the benefit of hindsight. I’ve shared this story many times in different ways because I find that, with time and experience, I gain a new perspective.

That said, I started the TFAW Project out of a desire to use Facebook Live, which launched around the end of 2016. As a digital marketer, I was really excited about the opportunity to jump on a new social media trend.

I was part of a mastermind that was hosting a 30-Day Video Challenge. They set a challenge for everyone in the group to do a Facebook Live every day. It didn’t matter how long it was. We just had to do it. And so I committed to it, and we were all in a Facebook group to hold each other accountable.

During those 30 days, I wanted to create a brand. I was watching other people in the mastermind use Facebook Live for their existing brands. At that time, I didn’t know what I wanted my brand to be. I still remember, between Christmas and New Year’s in 2016, I started exploring what was out there for Filipino American women. At the moment, I don’t recall why I decided to do that. Maybe someone in the mastermind mentioned starting with yourself—your avatar is you, or a younger version of you, or someone a few steps behind you. I think that’s part of what inspired me. I thought, “Okay, let me start with me. Let me start with me as a Filipino American woman.”

I remember looking online to see what was available to us, and at the time, I didn’t like what I found. I had the opportunity to present my findings in “Why Your Story Matters” on December 2, 2017, at AB Samahan’s High School Conference at San Diego State. I still remember the top three things that appeared in online search results: why Filipino American women weren’t in politics, advice on dating Filipino American women, and mail-order brides from the Philippines.

Then, at the San Diego Public Library, I did a catalog search, only to find that the one book focused on the Filipino American Woman experience was published in 2001, but a story from the 1940s — 70 years ago! Additionally, the author, Dorothy Dore Dowlen, was born in the Philippines to a British father and a Filipina mestiza mother, which I couldn’t relate to.

I started to recognize the opportunity to build a brand around the Filipino American Woman experience. The next catalyst was when I started looking up the available domain names for the keywords “Filipino American woman.”

Then, at the time, a lot of the influencers I knew or followed led their own ‘movements.’ But I decided to go with “Project” because I knew whatever I was about to build would focus on the individual exploring what it means to be a Filipino American woman, rather than an organized group of activists. Specifically, the exploration of being a second-generation woman like me, an American-born woman with immigrant parents, raised in an immigrant household, stepping out into the world as an American. The show and its purpose have grown since then, but it all began with the individual. That’s why “woman” is singular in “The Filipino American Woman Project.” So with Facebook Live sparking the opportunity to explore being a Filipino American woman through a digital medium, it all aligned for me.

As the new year began (the project began in December 2016), I wanted to interview people via Facebook Live. I had a clear description of the type of guest I wanted to interview. I wanted them to be collaborative, charismatic, and generally optimistic about life. They also needed to have a natural curiosity to learn. Those traits mattered because I wanted to interview guests who felt comfortable and joyful to share their stories on a livestream.

During that year, I also found opportunities to speak in public. Looking back, it was an interesting journey of pure exploration—following my curiosity and trying to find a piece of myself in every person’s story. Every person who opened up to me helped me discover more of myself.

All the while, I was in the early months of dating my now-husband and everything that came with it. At the same time I was conducting Facebook Live interviews, my now-husband and I adopted a dog, I moved into his place, and then his father passed away. The rest of the year was pretty crazy.

But not only was the show a time of exploration for me, but it was also grounding. It felt like something to fall back on. TFAW Project centered me. Even with all the personal events in 2017, I could retreat to the show, listening to stories I could find myself in. Yet in hindsight, as grounding as it was, I didn’t really know where I was going with it. I realized later that I had reached a point where it needed to evolve, but I just didn’t know how.

Thankfully, with life circumstances, the show had to go on hiatus. We moved to the East Coast in the summer of 2018. We lived in Richmond, VA, for seven months, then moved to Virginia Beach in early 2019. By the summer of 2019, I was searching for something to ground me again, similar to my Facebook Live interviews.

In our business, I always considered my husband as our “dog and pony” show. He was being invited onto podcasts to talk about our work when one podcaster had a technical issue with their standard recording tools. So they used an alternate recording method. It was that alternative recording tool that fascinated me. I went down a rabbit hole, researched the platform, and realized podcasting was much easier to get started than I thought.

I assumed podcasting meant professional broadcasting, with all the fancy resources and connections. But it was so accessible. I even wrote about this in a future academic paper titled “Pinay Podcasters: Building a Self-Sustaining Community Through Storytelling, Collective Healing & Learning, and Collaboration.” I came to understand the history of podcasting and how it democratized radio. Anyone can start a podcast, for free, and that has not changed. So that’s how I started podcasting.

Just as Facebook Live was a catalyst for the TFAW Project, podcasting was the catalyst for me to revive the show on a different medium. Six years later, we’ve collectively published 300+ episodes on our public and private podcast, and we are completely listener-funded.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

As of summer 2025, the show explores one’s Filipino identity through fictionalized letters. These letters are my creative interpretation of real conversations with anyone who’s ever engaged with me regarding the show.

With all the conversations I’ve had, I use storytelling to convey the deep emotions behind our Filipino community’s most private thoughts. As Parker J. Palmer says, “The human soul doesn’t want to be advised or fixed or saved. It simply wants to be witnessed – to be seen, heard, and companioned exactly as it is.” I hope that these letters make the listener feel seen, heard, and companioned as they are. As a result, I hope these letters spark a mental shift that leads to positive change, however that unfolds for the listener.

If the listener wants to explore their identity more deeply, they can upgrade their subscription to TFAW PenPals, which unlocks written commentary for each letter. The commentaries are a collection of honest conversations and additional insight that inspired each one. Lastly, if the listener wants to go even deeper, they can upgrade to First Readers to unlock audio commentary. First Readers are the first to hear me do a cold read of the draft and share my candid insights and reflections before finalizing the letter. It’s similar to why we used to buy DVDs: to watch special features.

Lastly, if listeners feel compelled to submit their own letters, which they can do so anonymously, they can submit at https://www.tfawletters.com/mailbox

If you’re wondering what’s next for the show, I’m really excited to unveil what’s to come. I have some exciting things planned for 2026, especially for the show’s 10th anniversary! I hope you stick around by subscribing to stay up to date. Simply visit https://www.tfawletters.com/

And of course, if you enjoy the show and see yourself in it, invest in yourself by investing in the show. Visit https://www.tfawletters.com/subscribe

What are you most proud of?

I’d say I’m most proud of myself because of the journey I’ve been on, how I’ve persevered, how I’ve pivoted, and how I’ve maintained the integrity of the show. It has always been about exploring the Filipino American woman identity and my own approach to that. I’m proud of identifying and acting upon what works for me at any given stage of my life, and just being steadfast to the show.

Yes, I once had aspirations of it becoming big one day. Like any content creator or aspiring influencer, I hoped it would become mainstream. But I’ve reached a place in my journey where I’m happy with where I’m at. I’m happy to consider this more of a personal project rather than something that needs to become incredibly big. Maybe it’ll become greater one day, but right now I’m content. I’m proud of my contentment. I’m proud of the pace I’ve adjusted to.

And this is something I often say to my listeners: “I’m never not going to be Filipino. So what’s the rush?” What’s the big deal? I’m right where I need to be. Another thing I’m proud of is my gentle conviction. I say “gentle conviction” for being still and quiet enough to hear the whisper of my inner calling and the direction it has me take, depending on the season of my life. The meaning behind the project has expanded thanks to the amazing community it’s attracted. This show means something different to everyone, which makes it even more important to treat it in a way that remains inclusive. Frankly, that’s not an easy task, but every private message I get reminds me why it’s worth trying.

I’m also proud that this show continues to be a testing ground for me—somewhere I can apply lessons to other aspects of my life. It’s not just identity exploration; it’s professional exploration. The technology I can test here can be applied directly to my other work. Somehow, this platform has become a safe space for me to experiment and try new things. It’s always felt like a safe starting point as a digital marketer.

What do you want your fans to know about you, your brand, and your work?

Part of the reason I’ve gone in the direction of fictionalized letters and pen names is this: you may be someone who is dying to know who these people are—who’s working behind the scenes to make these letters possible. If you are that person, you can upgrade your membership and find out more at https://www.tfawletters.com/subscribe

But for everyone else, the reason these letters are fictionalized—and why the writers use pen names—is because it’s not about who wrote them. It’s about how you see yourself in these letters.

That’s the purpose: to see yourself in the writer’s story and feel connected, understood, and seen. To examine what it means for you to realize, “Oh. I’m not alone. I’m not the only one feeling this. I’m not the only one experiencing this.” These letters are a mirror, an opportunity to examine what this means to you and what you want to do with that self-examination.

These stories are meant to prompt self-awareness and reflection. That’s why the letters are fictionalized: because at the end of the day, it’s you. You are the one in these letters. You are the one embodying them. These are your letters—the words you never knew you needed to say, the feelings you’ve never been able to name, and the solutions you’ve been searching for.

And I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again: if you don’t see yourself in these letters, submit one. You can submit anonymously at https://www.tfawletters.com/mailbox

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Looking back, technology was often the catalyst to pivot. As mentioned earlier, the project came about because of Facebook Live. Later, when I went on hiatus, it was revived through podcasting. I first hosted the show on Anchor.fm (now known as Spotify for Creators). When I found myself managing other shows, it made sense to move to Captivate.fm to house them all under one account. Today, the show has moved to Substack.

In the early years of hosting the show, I was paying out of pocket. But then I learned about BuyMeACoffee.com, and to my surprise, our listeners were eager to support the show financially. That sparked the idea that our listeners might also want to connect beyond our newsletters, so we launched a Discord community. Eventually, we wanted to customize our social media platform, so we moved to MightyNetworks.com, also known as TheNewFilipina.com.

Today, the podcast (public and private), our newsletter subscribers (free or paid), and the online community have been consolidated into Substack, otherwise known as TFAWLetters.com.

It’s interesting to think that much of my journey was sparked by a desire to learn new technology. Even now, as I look back at how I moved from one platform to another, before arriving at Substack, at least for now.

And I say ‘for now’ very intentionally, because my mentors often talked about trendy platforms with the disclaimer: “for now.” Facebook is the leading platform for now. Google is the main search engine for now. Because once upon a time, Google wasn’t number one—it was Yahoo. And before that, there were other online platforms like AOL or Netscape. So it’s kind of cool to say that right now, and for now, my home is on Substack.

With every new place I move to, with every new season of my life, I look at the previous seasons differently. I don’t know if I’ve necessarily become wiser, but I do have a different perspective on the past as my life continues to unfold.

So that’s technology pivots. When it comes to community building, I’ve decided to scale back for a couple of reasons.

First, the community-building and community-maintenance aspect became too much for me—especially on top of everything that goes into podcasting as a one-woman band. Of course, I have to give credit to my editor for cutting down editing time. But most of the time, I was solely responsible for post-production and marketing for the show. Community building on top of that was much work. I had to remind myself that exploring my Filipino identity is just one part of who I am—not a full-time job. I have an entire life outside the show.

Thankfully, the show pays for itself through listener support—and still does. As long as it remains listener-funded, I will continue producing it! But maintaining the online community felt like holding a bucket of water with holes in it. It took too much time from the rest of my life. It felt like I could never fill the bucket. Until one day, I realized that I had reached a level of contentment with my community involvement and re-explored what would fulfill me next. I explain this in the opening episode 165: “I can’t go back.” — By Someone Ready for What’s Next.

The last major pivot is changing the show’s format from interviews to fictionalized letters. In short, my podcast listeners favored private, one-on-one conversations over group discussions.

I was stretched thin. My community and my listeners had more fruitful conversations with me privately than publicly, yet I still managed both. It was hard to foster public discussions because people ultimately preferred messaging me privately. I actually thrive on one-on-one conversations, but it still felt important to me—a sense of responsibility—to somehow share their stories publicly.

That’s why I’ve gone the route of fictionalized letters. Like my intro says: these are my creative interpretations of real conversations with you! I get to take the heart of these conversations and use storytelling to hopefully convey to the listener the strong emotions behind our Filipino community’s most private thoughts. I love that. I’m finding that the fictional route was the most empowering one for all of us—sharing our truths without anyone feeling exposed, humiliated, or like they were insulting their family.

It’s also productive because each letter functions as a story, and every story needs a beginning, middle, and end. At the end of each letter, I decided to make it empowering, the way that every conversation I’ve had has been for me. I hope the letters inspire the listener to think differently, reflect differently, and maybe “take up space” differently.

So the fictionalized letters felt like the happy medium: the compromise between what I want from the community and what the community seems to want from me. Since the show took a new direction in summer 2025, it seems to be well-received so far!

What I want to impress upon people who may want to walk in my footsteps—people who want to be a podcaster, content creator, or influencer—is to give yourself grace in this journey. Allow yourself to dream big, but also embrace disappointment. Maybe your hopes won’t materialize the way you imagined. Maybe your big, audacious goals won’t unfold as you planned. And I hope you learn to adjust accordingly as feedback comes in—whether it’s a lot or none. Some feedback or no feedback is feedback. And you have to decide what fulfills you ultimately and hope that your community understands or respects your decision. If they continue to support you, then that’s a blessing. And if not, you’ve done all that you can. All that you can do is more than enough. You can wipe your hands clean, and you can now embrace the next generation of fans with open arms.

How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?

Part of my shift to Substack came from realizing that the show’s highest retention is not through social media. Social media might be how people find us, but it’s our newsletter subscribers where people stay. So my primary focus now is our newsletter. I’m proud of that. I started my business as a social media manager, so that’s how I originally entered the digital marketing space. But now I’ve built a home in my email list. I’m proud of our open rates and podcast downloads, and I feel content staying connected with my listeners through the newsletter, which is available at https://www.tfawletters.com/subscribe

Thanks to Substack, our newsletter gives you everything you need to know about the show at any given time—latest episodes, paid content, upcoming events, even when I’m taking a break for the week. I’ve consolidated everything on Substack so I can focus on creating content and letting people know when it’s published, without needing to use a bunch of different platforms. Everything is in one place now. As a digital marketer, I’m learning that the relationships you nurture will transcend any trendy platform, and people will follow your brand wherever you go if they are loyal to it.

Additionally, the newsletter has fostered email pen pals. These are individuals you may never hear about publicly, but the heart of our conversations inspires our letters.

Outside of TFAW Project, I host a small group at my church. Think of it as a book club for Christians. We’re finishing up the book, Introverts in the Church, by Adam S. McHugh. This book has helped me recognize my God-given gift as an introvert: fostering one-to-one relationships in line with God’s calling. Right now, in the context of this show, I feel that God has led me to where I need to be: Substack as our main platform and fictionalized letters as the show’s format, so I have the time to focus on the small online gatherings and one-to-one interactions that my community seems to enjoy from me.

For the original article, visit: https://canvasrebel.com/meet-jen-amos-2/

Resources Mentioned In The Article

The San Diego Union-Tribune

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2017/10/21/filipino-women-sharing-and-writing-their-own-history/

2017 Facebook Live Interviews

https://www.tfawletters.com/p/facebook-live-interviews-where-it

“Why Your Story Matters” on December 2, 2017, at AB Samahan’s High School Conference at San Diego State

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/glbekqasg17sjivi1r2l4/2017-12-02-The-Filipino-American-Woman-Why-Your-Story-Matters.mp4?rlkey=0og34jqvjkuai3sy6vow2k367&st=2d2cletw&dl=0

“Enduring What Cannot Be Endured: Memoir of a Woman Medical Aide in the Philippines in World War II” by Dorothy Dore Dowlen

https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/enduring-what-cannot-be-endured/

All media features and speaking engagements

https://linktr.ee/tfawproject.featured

Pinay Podcasters: Building a Self-Sustaining Community Through Storytelling, Collective Healing & Learning, and Collaboration

https://buymeacoffee.com/tfawletters/replay-available-bulosan-filipinx-studies-conference-workshop

165: “I can’t go back.” — By Someone Ready for What’s Next

https://www.tfawletters.com/p/165

Read More

How do you process loss and grief?

This letter is for anyone who’s lost their greatest ally and has been grieving ever since.

The writer speaks to Monica Macansantos, author of Returning to My Father’s Kitchen: Essays. She expresses how her former teacher’s book gave her permission to feel what her family wouldn’t talk about: the pain of losing a loved one who was more than a parent.

Her father was her greatest ally, her champion, and the inspiration behind her curiosity and creativity. The writer paints a portrait of healing that doesn’t erase the pain but, instead, carries it with her.

If you’ve ever felt pressure to suppress your grief, yet longed to honor a loved one in a way that feels true to you, then this one’s for you.

This concludes TFAW Project’s Letters — Holiday Edition! 🎁

Thank you for listening, and we’ll see you again for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in May 2026! 👋🏽🎉

What can I do in the meantime?

Subscribe for off-season content!

🗓 Find out when our next Family Potluck event will be! (Tentative date: March 27, 2026)

✍🏽 When you subscribe, you can also submit a letter or respond to a published one, anonymously!

Subscribe now

This second part of the conversation with Jen and Monica Macansantos, Author of Returning to My Father’s Kitchen: Essays, continues to discuss the topic of loss, not just the loss of a father, but the loss of an ally, a sense of home, and the version of life that once felt stable.

First Readers can listen to Monica share how meaningful it was to hear from a former student who had also lost her father and found comfort in reading her book. It affirmed that the work reached someone who needed it most, someone who had also lost their number one ally.

Monica reflects on her relationship with her mother and how writing the book helped preserve her father’s memory at a time when it felt as though others were moving on too quickly. These experiences reinforced why it felt necessary to write, remember, and insist on her father’s significance.

They discuss grief itself, especially the idea that healing doesn’t always mean becoming whole again in the way people expect. Monica explains that she doesn’t believe loss is something people fully “get over,” and she shares what she thinks instead.

The holidays can intensify grief, nostalgia, and complicated family dynamics for some. For this final letter, Jen and Monica hope that this speaks to anyone navigating loss during a season that emphasizes togetherness, whether that loss comes from death, separation, or the loss of a relationship they once expected to last.

Listeners will hear the final letter inspired by Jen and Monica’s conversation on Christmas Eve!

Our FINAL Family Potluck of the year is TODAY! Hope to see you there! 😋

RSVP Now

Read more

Which memories define you, or don’t define you anymore?

This letter is for anyone who simply wants to feel safe, secure, and stable in her friendships.

Through a flashback sparked by a new friend around a bonfire, the writer recalls a time when she was bullied, labeled “lesser than,” and ambushed by a group of girls who she thought were her people.

If you ever struggled to defend yourself for something you didn’t do, this one’s for you.

Join us for our FINAL Family Potluck: Vision Board Workshop this Monday, December 22nd!

RSVP Now

For the first time in a year, Jen conducts a very casual interview with Monica Macansantos, Author of Returning to My Father’s Kitchen: Essays.

First Readers will hear Jen and Monica brainstorm and workshop a letter together. For privacy reasons, this recording features selected snippets of their longer conversation about Monica, who was writing a book of essays when her father passed away.

Some of the essays were written while he was still alive. He even had the chance to read them. Most of the book, though, was written after his death, as Monica worked through what it meant to lose him and to keep writing without him as her ally and biggest champion.

They talk about how grief shows up in Filipino families, how quickly loss can be followed by expectations to “move on,” and what it feels like when emotions are prayed away instead of talked through. Monica shares how making her grief public became a way to claim her voice and individuality, rather than conform to what was expected of her as a ‘dutiful daughter.’

The conversation also touches on identity and belonging—on not fitting perfectly into any one community, and on choosing to speak from an individual perspective rather than representing an entire culture. They talk about why specificity matters, why first-person stories can feel more empowering, and how writing can create a safer space for others to recognize their own experiences.

This is part one of a two-part interview. Stay tuned!

Join us for our FINAL Family Potluck on December 22nd!

Read more

This is a prescheduled post to say that I’m taking the day off to enjoy my birthday. 🎂

This is often an interesting time where, if given a gift, it was often a birthday and Christmas gift.

I’d heard of other December babies whose families would celebrate their birthdays at a different time of the year, which must’ve been a whole other experience.

It got me thinking about what the dual-purpose gifts have meant to me over the years, and a reflection question I’ll leave you for the day.

To be honest, growing up and receiving combined gifts on my birthday often made me feel small.

Like two important moments—one meant just for me, and one meant for everyone—were squeezed into a single item. It gave me the impression there wasn't enough room to celebrate both. And while I always appreciate the gesture of a gift, a part of me still felt small.

As the years passed, I naturally outgrew that small space. Instead of waiting for others to make space for me during the busy holiday season, I made space for myself. This prescheduled post is one of many ways I’ve done that.

And now I turn it to you.

If you could reflect on one thing, it’s this:

When there are moments that feel like there’s not enough room to celebrate all that you are, how do you still make space for yourself?

Happy reflecting. ✨💭

💛 Jen

P.S. Are you already setting your goals for 2026? Consider joining our FINAL Family Potluck of the year!

RSVP Now

More commentary about our upcoming letter. (To be continued for TFAW PenPals…)

Read more

Read more

How do you communicate with your family versus in the workplace?

This letter is for anyone who grew up in a home where tsismis (a.k.a. gossip) was connection, love, and entertainment, only to discover how it lands differently in the workplace.

The writer examines the differences between indirect communication at home and direct communication at work, and how a well-meaning effort to bond with colleagues nearly cost her her job.

If you ever felt torn between how you communicate at home versus at work, this one’s for you.

Read more