Voice Hugs

Rowena Tsai & Vivian Van

Voice Hugs is a podcast hosted by Vivian Van and Rowena Tsai on the journey to becoming our best selves and embracing all seasons of life with open arms. Join us as we share our reflections on cultivating a more meaningful relationship with ourselves and others. Tune in every week for stories, giggles, and sometimes tears! Free voice hugs all around 🥰 Say hi &amp; send us your questions: [email protected] IG: https://www.instagram.com/voicehugspodcast/ Support this podcast: <a href="https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/voicehugs/support">https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/voicehugs/support</a>

  • 48 minutes 16 seconds
    #89 - How to Romanticize Your Life Without Losing Reality

    Ever come back from a trip completely convinced you need to uproot your entire life? Yeah, that was Viv after three days in New York 😅

    This episode we're talking about romanticizing—the places we dream about living, the highlight reels we replay after a breakup, and why our brains do this in the first place. Viv walks us through her full New York whirlwind (Harry Styles, Times Square, rats and all). Ro drops the line that broke both our brains: what if we're romanticizing other people's romanticizing??

    We get into when dreaming big is beautiful and when it becomes an escape from reality, and how to bring a little of that fairy dust back into the life you're actually living 🧚‍♀️✨

    What do you romanticize most right now? Tell us everything 🤭

    ☎️ HUGS HOTLINE: Got a juicy question yourself? A sticky situation? Something you just need to voice HUG-it-out? Leave us a voicemail and we’ll share our thoughts and/or best advice in an upcoming episode. Can’t wait to hear from you ❣️

    Leave us a voicemail here: https://www.speakpipe.com/HugsHotline

    Or, as always, you can send us an email [email protected] or DM us on IG @voicehugsposcast 😼

    1 April 2026, 2:00 pm
  • 55 minutes 41 seconds
    #88 - Why Resting Makes Us Feel Guilty (&amp; How to Stop)

    Why does a "good” day always seem to mean a "productive” day? And why does resting, actually resting, come with this wave of guilt that makes you feel like you're falling behind?

    In this episode, we're unpacking our complicated relationship with productivity and rest. Ro takes us through her full arc—from waking up at 4:30am during her peak hustle era, to making burnout content until her audience started asking if she was okay, to not fully stopping until her baby was born. Viv shares how she traces her need for efficiency all the way back to folding six t-shirts per minute at Uniqlo (yes, there was a standard).

    We talk about where rest = unproductive got wired into our brains, why scrolling on your phone in bed isn't actually resting, the cultural pendulum from girlboss to quiet quitting, and why people on both extremes still feel empty.

    Because you're a human being, not a human doing. What's your current battery level? 🔋💛

    ☎️ HUGS HOTLINE: Got a juicy question yourself? A sticky situation? Something you just need to voice HUG-it-out? Leave us a voicemail and we’ll share our thoughts and/or best advice in an upcoming episode. Can’t wait to hear from you ❣️

    Leave us a voicemail here: https://www.speakpipe.com/HugsHotline

    Or, as always, you can send us an email [email protected] or DM us on IG @voicehugsposcast 😼

    25 March 2026, 10:33 am
  • 47 minutes 39 seconds
    #87 - The Antidote for Stress, Fear, and Doubt

    Ever seen a quote that made you pause mid-scroll and immediately text to your best friend? That's exactly what happened when Ro stumbled this one 👀

    We spent this episode unpacking what that flip means for us—from Viv's confession that she has a really hard time trusting people, to Ro projecting her stress onto James (his words not ours 🙃), to why saying sorry feels like the hardest thing in the world when your ego is running the show.

    How do we move from fear to trust? From hurry to presence? How do we stop spiraling in stress long enough to remember what we're grateful for? And why does it feel so reassuring to realize that the answers have been within us this whole time—we just needed to flip the script 😼

    Which pair hits you the hardest right now? Tell us in the comments 💛

    ☎️ HUGS HOTLINE: Got a juicy question yourself? A sticky situation? Something you just need to voice HUG-it-out? Leave us a voicemail and we’ll share our thoughts and/or best advice in an upcoming episode. Can’t wait to hear from you ❣️

    Leave us a voicemail here: https://www.speakpipe.com/HugsHotline

    Or, as always, you can send us an email [email protected] or DM us on IG @voicehugsposcast 😼

    18 March 2026, 10:33 am
  • 54 minutes 11 seconds
    #86 - Friendship Anxiety, Wedding Compromises &amp; Healing After a Breakup | Hugs Hotline (ep. 3) ☎️

    Hi, you’ve reached Hugs Hotline ☎️✨  Today we have the pleasure of listening to our very first VOICEMAILS from our listeners 🥹 You left the sweetest messages with questions and we’re answering them all - from navigating the anxiety of feeling like the least liked person in your friend group, to compromising with your partner during wedding planning, to healing after a breakup as a generally anxious person.

    If you've ever felt like the "least favorite friend," struggled to put yourself first after heartbreak, or just needed a reminder that you're not alone—this episode is for you 💛

    Thank you for sharing such vulnerable and special moments for your life with us 🥺 We grateful to be able to walk along side you and love love love hearing from you!!

    ☎️ HUGS HOTLINE: Got a juicy question yourself? A sticky situation? Something you just need to voice HUG-it-out? Leave us a voicemail and we’ll share our thoughts and/or best advice in an upcoming episode. Can’t wait to hear from you ❣️

    Leave us a voicemail here: https://www.speakpipe.com/HugsHotline

    Or, as always, you can send us an email [email protected] or DM us on IG @voicehugsposcast 😼

    11 March 2026, 10:33 am
  • 43 minutes 16 seconds
    #85 - How to Actually Live by The Four Agreements (and Why It’s So Hard)

    Ever been left on read and convinced yourself it's because they secretly hate you? 😅 Yeah, us too. In this episode, we're diving into The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz and pairing it with the psychology concept of "rupture and repair."

    How do we stop taking things so personally? How do we catch ourselves before we spiral into Assumption Land? And how do we actually repair when things get messy in our friendships and relationships?

    We share real stories from our own lives — from the friend who ghosted texts for months (turns out it had nothing to do with Viv), to navigating family gossip, to learning the hard way that the goal isn't rupture-free relationships but repair-rich ones.

    Which agreement do you struggle with the most? 🌱

    ☎️ HUGS HOTLINE: Got a juicy question yourself? A sticky situation? Something you just need to voice HUG-it-out? Leave us a voicemail and we’ll share our thoughts and/or best advice in an upcoming episode. Can’t wait to hear from you ❣️

    Leave us a voicemail here: https://www.speakpipe.com/HugsHotline

    Or, as always, you can send us an email [email protected] or DM us on IG @voicehugsposcast 😼

    4 March 2026, 11:33 am
  • 51 minutes 34 seconds
    #84 - The Lives We Could’ve Lived

    From mountain tops to ocean floors, let’s explore all the lives we could have lived, almost lived, and might still live one day 🦈🎤🦕👀 Ro very enthusiastically proclaims her love for great white sharks, ancient civilizations, and deep sea diving before revealing she's been secretly vibe coding an app from bed at night. Viv shares about auditioning for SM Entertainment at 14 (!!), dreaming of being the next Whitney Houston, and a surprising career change she’s seriously considering in her 40s.

    We talk about the alternate lives that light us up when we let ourselves daydream, why we didn't pursue certain paths (fear, safety, not having the support — let's be honest), and why it's never too late to let yourself want something again.

    In another life (or maybe even this one), what would you have done or what would you still want to try? Tell us everything in the comments 📝

    ☎️ HUGTS HOTLINE: Got a juicy question yourself? A sticky situation? Something you just need to voice HUG-it-out? Leave us a voicemail and we’ll share our thoughts and/or best advice in an upcoming episode. Can’t wait to hear from you ❣️

    Leave us a voicemail here: https://www.speakpipe.com/HugsHotline

    Or, as always, you can send us an email [email protected] or DM us on IG @voicehugsposcast 😼

    25 February 2026, 11:33 am
  • 53 minutes 32 seconds
    #83 - What we wish we knew before 30

    Buckle up besties, we're going back in time ⏰✨ In this episode, we're revisiting who we were 10+ years ago with all the angst, crippling uncertainty, and boy-FILLED journal entries 👀 How did we handle the overwhelming pressure of post-grad life? How much mental real estate did boys take up in our younger years (it’s embarrassing but we’re sharing anyway)? What actually helped us find our footing? And what would we tell our younger selves now?

    Plot twist: no one knows what they're doing. Not even the billionaire founders. And honestly? That's the most liberating thing we realized.

    If you could go back and tell your younger self one thing, what would it be? Leave us a comment 🐣

    ☎️ HUGS HOTLINE: Got a juicy question yourself? A sticky situation? Something you just need to voice HUG-it-out? Leave us a voicemail and we’ll share our thoughts and/or best advice in an upcoming episode. Can’t wait to hear from you ❣️

    Leave us a voicemail here: https://www.speakpipe.com/HugsHotline

    Or, as always, you can send us an email [email protected] or DM us on IG @voicehugsposcast 😼

    18 February 2026, 4:00 pm
  • 56 minutes 20 seconds
    #82 - Making Friends in Adulthood: Real Talk on Connection

    Ring ringggg Hi, hello! We’re back with another Hugs Hotline 📟✨ This time, we’re diving deep into the mystical and often confusing land of ~aDuLt FrIeNdShIpS~

    “How do you have meaningful conversations with friends? And how do you build real trust over time?” —Long time listener, M 🌸

    From the art of listening to asking thoughtful questions, we talk about how we’ve personally navigated making friends and deepening connection over the years.

    Whether you're naturally shy, struggle with vulnerability, or just want to feel more connected to the people you care about, this one's for you. It's honest, warm, and full of stories about what it really takes to show up as yourself—nervous, imperfect, and real.

    ☎️ HUGS HOTLINE: Got a juicy question yourself? A sticky situation? Something you just need to voice HUG-it-out? Leave us a voicemail and we’ll share our thoughts and/or best advice in an upcoming episode. Can’t wait to hear from you ❣️

    Leave us a voicemail here: https://www.speakpipe.com/HugsHotline

    Or, as always, you can send us an email [email protected] or DM us on IG @voicehugsposcast 😼

    11 February 2026, 11:33 am
  • 50 minutes 41 seconds
    #81 - How Marriage Changed Us (In Ways We Didn't Expect)

    So... do you actually feel different after getting married? 💍 In this episode, we're spilling the buh-EAnz on our marriage: the hot, the honey, the classy 🍽️, and everything in between.

    We talk about identity shifts, the difference between relationships in your 20s vs 30s, why the problems before marriage don't magically disappear after saying "I do," and the biggest lesson we learned 👀

    ☎️ HUGS HOTLINE: Got a juicy question yourself? A sticky situation? Something you just need to voice HUG-it-out? Leave us a voicemail and we’ll share our thoughts and/or best advice in an upcoming episode. Can’t wait to hear from you ❣️

    Leave us a voicemail here: https://www.speakpipe.com/HugsHotline

    Or, as always, you can send us an email [email protected] or DM us on IG @voicehugsposcast 😼

    4 February 2026, 4:00 pm
  • 57 minutes 12 seconds
    #80 - How to Plan a Wedding That's Actually YOU

    It’s wedding szn here on Voice Hugs, besties 👰🏻‍♀️💐🕊️🥂💕 Ro opens up about her secret destination wedding that had guests showing up not even knowing where they were going 👀 While Viv shares about her intimate celebration (& the handmade gifts that made Ro shed many-a-tears).

    Today, we are getting REAL about weddings and what happens when you strip away everything you're "supposed" to do.

    We talk about:

    👰🏻‍♀️ Why the traditional wedding machine didn’t speak to us

    ✨ How to separate "what I really want" from "what's expected of me"

    💭 Handling external stakeholders (aka family) respectfully while staying true to yourself

    🤭 Our honest thoughts on wedding content (boooooo! jk… or are we??)

    Let us know if you have any follow up questions and we can dedicate a future episode to all things wedding because it’s such a special day that doesn’t have to be stressful while costing an arm and a leg 🥹

    ☎️ HUGS HOTLINE: Got a juicy question yourself? A sticky situation? Something you just need to voice HUG-it-out? Leave us a voicemail and we’ll share our thoughts and/or best advice in an upcoming episode. Can’t wait to hear from you ❣️

    Leave us a voicemail here: https://www.speakpipe.com/HugsHotline

    Or, as always, you can send us an email [email protected] or DM us on IG @voicehugsposcast 😼

    28 January 2026, 4:00 pm
  • 49 minutes 1 second
    #79 - Setting Intentions That Feel Good: A Voice Hugs Guide to the New Year

    It’s tiiiiimeeee~ for Voice Hug’s annual New Year episode 🪩🥂🎀✨ Join us for an honest, heartfelt conversation about setting intentions without the pressure of perfection. In this episode, we're ditching the rigid resolutions and embracing a more gentle approach to the new year.

    Whether you're feeling behind, overwhelmed, or just need a reminder that your timeline is your own, this episode is your permission slip to be kind to yourself. Because growth isn't always visible or measurable 😚

    ☎️ HUGS HOTLINE: Got a juicy question yourself? A sticky situation? Something you just need to voice HUG-it-out? Leave us a voicemail and we’ll share our thoughts and/or best advice in an upcoming episode. Can’t wait to hear from you ❣️

    Leave us a voicemail here: https://www.speakpipe.com/HugsHotline

    Or, as always, you can send us an email [email protected] or DM us on IG @voicehugsposcast 😼

    21 January 2026, 3:30 pm
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