Marie Soh — mother of three, makeup artist, baker, former nurse — joins Susan Chen to unpack the expectations written into women’s lives long before they get to write their own script. This isn’t just about motherhood or marriage; it’s about the invisible ledger of obligation that Asian women are born into, and the courage it takes to cross out what no longer serves.
In this episode of Clean Your Toilet, Marie reflects on setting boundaries with her parents, navigating the judgments of extended family, and refusing to let cultural scripts define what kind of daughter, mother, or woman she must be. Social media only sharpens the tension: highlight reels of flawless moms make the daily grind look like failure, while old traditions demand obedience in the name of “respect.” Somewhere between these pressures, Marie has been carving out space for Pilates, for saying no, and for living by a different measure of success.
Susan brings her lens as a coach and HR practitioner to the conversation, highlighting how personal boundaries ripple outward: they affect not only self-care, but also how we model authority to children, negotiate with spouses, and resist toxic workplace dynamics. Together, they sketch out what it looks like to rewrite, not reject — keeping love intact while refusing to perpetuate inherited constraints.
Key questions emerge:
Does setting boundaries make you selfish, or does it make you human?
How can women move beyond the myth of the “dutiful daughter” without abandoning family ties?
What happens when the labor of motherhood collides with the labor of identity itself?
Marie’s honesty cuts through the noise: motherhood isn’t martyrdom, and tradition isn’t destiny. She shows how rewriting the rules can be an act of love — not only for yourself, but for the generations who follow.
🧼 Self-respect is the clean water.
🚽 Outdated obligations are the drain.
💩 Guilt, shame, and silence? That’s the clog.
Rewrite. Redefine. And refuse to apologize for taking up space.
#CleanYourToiletPodcast #GetReal #InnerWork #PersonalMastery #MessyButWorthIt
#AsianWomanhood #Boundaries #ModernMotherhood #CulturalExpectations #RewriteTheRules #FamilyDynamics #FeminineStrength #Marie