Have you ever felt like you were set up to fail? As long as oppressive systems are in place, it happens more often than you think. Deb Falzoi started her Screw the Hierarchy podcast to bring awareness to the suppressive organizations which don’t want outsiders disrupting their status quo. In our conversation, Deb and I discuss best practices for Asian-American leaders to give themselves a voice. The silence which Asians intend as respect is interpreted as passivity. In refusing to speak up out of deference, a lot of problems get overlooked. While awareness is not the ultimate solution, it’s a key first step if we as Asian-American leaders want to see change on a tangible level.