CuriosityBased

08/26/2026

What does improv theater have to do with having better conversations? More than you'd think.

CuriosityBased founder Julie Pham recently watched two long-form improv ensembles perform — and what separated the good from the great had nothing to do with talent.

It was listening.

Read the full newsletter to find out what it revealed about how we show up in group conversations. 👇
https://curiositybased.com/long-form-improv-is-a-master-class-in-listening/

Listen to Julie read the newsletter on YouTube: https://youtu.be/8C1QWA0i6JA

Subscribe to our newsletter https://curiositybased.us7.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=fb7e29d6fb07e1a34280d97c5&id=f577a21238



Caption: Jonni Ressler (center) is a Seattle area improviser and ensemble member of Comedy Theater. She can be found playing with independent groups around Seattle and at .

08/19/2026

She came. She ate dim sum. She broke a world record. 🥟🏆

CuriosityBased founder Julie PhamJulie Pham was one of 830 people who gathered in Seattle's Chinatown International District to beat Australia's Guinness World Records — and they did it by 66 people.

But the real story? What Guinness itself can teach us all about staying relevant.

Read the full newsletter to find out. 👇
https://curiositybased.com/how-guinness-stayed-relevant/

Listen to Julie read the newsletter on YouTube: https://youtu.be/qKRXL_MGxLM

Subscribe to our newsletter https://curiositybased.us7.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=fb7e29d6fb07e1a34280d97c5&id=f577a21238



Image caption: Julie getting ready to attempt to break the Guinness World Record for “largest dim sum dinner” with 800 other people in Seattle Chinatown International District.

08/12/2026

She shows up to parties with her own name tag. And honestly? Genius. 🏷️✨

CuriosityBased founder Julie Pham has a dead-simple trick for making social gatherings less awkward — and it costs about ten cents.

Read the full newsletter to find out why she never leaves home without blank sticker name tags and a Sharpie. 👇
https://curiositybased.com/secret-to-reducing-awkwardness-at-parties/

Listen to Julie read the newsletter on YouTube:https://youtube.com/shorts/uK9vDMZ6lu4

Subscribe to our newsletter https://curiositybased.us7.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=fb7e29d6fb07e1a34280d97c5&id=f577a21238



Image caption: Julie’s stock of sticker name tags and trusty Sharpie pen.

08/05/2026

Who says you need a plane ticket to experience culture shock? ✈️😄

CuriosityBased founder Julie Pham spent her summer vacation 35 miles from home — and noticed things that made her completely rethink what she considers normal.

Read the full newsletter to find out what a weekend in Tacoma taught her about curiosity, culture, and the assumptions hiding in plain sight. 👇
https://curiositybased.com/you-dont-have-to-go-far-to-explore/

Listen to Julie read this on YouTube: https://youtube.com/shorts/V9Z01WWUr7A

Subscribe to our newsletter https://curiositybased.us7.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=fb7e29d6fb07e1a34280d97c5&id=f577a21238



Image caption: The main street in downtown Tacoma, Pacific Ave, was nearly empty on a Saturday afternoon. The Washington State History Museum is on the left.

07/29/2026

After divorce, the end of a business, and 18 months of failed job searches, Julie Pham’s friend "Colleen" did something radical: she packed her car and drove to a town where she knew no one. 🌱

She was in her early sixties, living on dwindling savings, and starting to question her own worth. Nothing was working where she was.

So she changed her environment — for the first time in her life, putting her own needs first.

Within weeks, she had a job and an apartment. Within months, a role that actually fit her.

But what moved Julie most was how Colleen talked about the city she left behind: without bitterness. It had been good to her. It just wasn't right for her anymore.

Like a healthy plant crowded out by others, sometimes we need to uproot and re-root to a new environment to grow again.

And honoring the good times doesn't mean downplaying the hard ones. Bittersweet is still sweet.

When have you had to transplant yourself to thrive? 👇

Read the full newsletter: https://us7.campaign-archive.com/?e=[UNIQID]&u=fb7e29d6fb07e1a34280d97c5&id=a3772a30c2

Listen to Julie read this newsletter on YouTube: https://youtu.be/yzAjf7gfGcc

Subscribe to our newsletter https://curiositybased.us7.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=fb7e29d6fb07e1a34280d97c5&id=f577a21238

Image Caption: Julie’s friend’s orange bloom bush is thriving once again after it was moved from a crowded garden and replanted in a more spacious location with more room to grow.

07/22/2026

Julie Pham thought she was just a bad dancer. Turns out she was just learning the wrong way. 💃

Inspired by the Michael Jackson biopic and the two years his nephew Jaafar spent learning to move like him Julie went down a YouTube tutorial rabbit hole. Most instructors face the camera, like a mirror. One instructor, Carrie of Beginning Dance Tutorials, had her back to the camera instead.

That one difference? Julie learned the basic steps of "Beat It" in 20 minutes.

What she'd written off as poor coordination was actually her brain struggling to flip mirrored movements into her own. Once she understood that, everything changed.

It's a good reminder: before deciding you can't learn something, it's worth asking whether you've just been learning it the wrong way.
Is there something you've been frustrated trying to learn? Maybe it's not you — maybe it's the method. 👇

Read the full newsletter: https://us7.campaign-archive.com/?e=[UNIQID]&u=fb7e29d6fb07e1a34280d97c5&id=07bbfc23ad

Listen to Julie read this newsletter on YouTube: https://youtu.be/yzAjf7gfGcc

Subscribe to our newsletter https://curiositybased.us7.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=fb7e29d6fb07e1a34280d97c5&id=f577a21238

Image caption: Julie following along to video, “BEAT IT” Dance ❤️ Michael Jackson ❤️ Beginner Dance Tutorial ❤️ Step-by-Step Choreography.” The instructor has her back to the viewer.

07/15/2026

Here's something our CEO Julie Pham doesn't say often enough: I need your help. 🙏

She teaches workshops on asking for help. But when a writer friend said "as long as you're trying your hardest," she realized she wasn't.

She wasn't risking rejection. She wasn't asking.

So here goes.

Julie's working on her next book — about respect in friendships — and wants it to reach far more people than her first. To get there, she needs a literary agent, and that means proving there's already an audience who cares about her work.

Three small ways you can help:

📬 Share the CuriosityBased newsletter with someone who'd love it

⭐ Leave a review of 7 Forms of Respect® on Goodreads or
Amazon.com

👍 Follow and engage with CuriosityBased on LinkedIn and here on Facebook

And if you've been struggling to ask for something — from Julie or anyone else — she'd genuinely love to hear about it. 👇

Read the full newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/curiositybased/june-2024-curiositybased-template-16564647

Listen to Julie read this newsletter on YouTube: https://youtu.be/qU-yDoJndHw

Subscribe to our newsletter https://curiositybased.us7.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=fb7e29d6fb07e1a34280d97c5&id=f577a21238

Image caption: In preparation for her next book, Julie is ordering many books through her local library, including Jane Friedman’s The Business of Being a Writer.

07/09/2026

What if prosperity isn't about having more, but having more freedom?

On the Plunge into Prosperity podcast hosted by Brandi Kolosky, Julie Pham shares her journey from arriving in the U.S. as a Vietnamese refugee to earning a PhD at University of Cambridge running her family's newspaper through the Great Recession, and founding CuriosityBased during the pandemic.

In this conversation, Julie and Brandi explore:
• Why freedom is her definition of prosperity
• How curiosity evolved from gathering knowledge to a daily practice
• How the 7 Forms of Respect® can strengthen relationships at work and beyond

This is a thoughtful conversation about leadership, resilience, and building a life aligned with your values, that you can’t afford to miss.

🎙️ Tune in and let us know what resonates with you. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8rymMGh9II

Do Google and Amazon still need someone to teach them more about cu...

07/08/2026

Here's a question that might stop you in your tracks: What kind of friends did your parents have and what did that teach you about friendship? 🤔

CuriosityBased founder Julie PhamJulie Pham is writing her next book on respect in friendships, and this is one of her core research questions. Most people say they've never thought about it before.

And then they can't stop thinking about it.

For Julie, her parents' friendships were inseparable from their work. As co-founders of a local Vietnamese newspaper, their community was their social circle. Friends supported each other's businesses. That's still how Julie shows up for the people she cares about.

What we absorbed growing up about friendship quietly shapes what we expect — and what we offer — in our relationships today.
What did friendship look like in your home? We'd love to hear your story in the comments. 👇

Julie is also looking for people to interview or join a focus group for her research. Interested? Send her a message!

Read the full newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/curiositybased/june-2024-curiositybased-template-16564646

Listen to Julie read this newsletter on YouTube: https://youtu.be/WJnfij0QwhU

Subscribe to our newsletter https://curiositybased.us7.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=fb7e29d6fb07e1a34280d97c5&id=f577a21238

Image caption: Julie’s father, Kim, standing third from the right with his friends and supporters of their family newspaper, Nguoi Viet Tay Nac (Northwest Vietnamese News). Circa 1988.

07/02/2026

In this new episode of the Curiosity at Work podcast, Julie Pham speaks with Ariel Gomez-Bradler, Managing Director of The 5th Avenue Theatre, about curiosity in musical theater and the arts.

Theater is more than what happens on stage. It is production teams, designers, technicians, administrators, musicians, and countless behind-the-scenes roles working together to create something ephemeral and unforgettable.

In this conversation, they explore:
• How curiosity fuels creativity in theater production
• The many roles that bring a live performance to life
• The financial and operational challenges facing theaters post-pandemic
• Why supporting local theaters strengthens the entire community
• How family influences can spark a lifelong practice of curiosity

One line that captures the spirit of the episode:
“Curiosity is built into our practice.”

Live theater asks us to be present. It invites us into shared stories. It depends on local talent and community support.

When we support the arts, we are investing in connection, creativity, and community vitality.

Check out Episode 33 of Curiosity at Work and go behind the scenes to explore how curiosity shapes musical theater leadership. https://youtu.be/ynYja-3f0z0

More episodes at:
https://curiositybased.com

Optimized Hashtags