For as long as she can remember, Nichole Hill has had a complicated relationship with Black history. Then in 2020, she stumbled on a digital archive of pre Civil Rights era Black newspapers and got obsessed with the scandalous stories she found. Our Ancestors Were Messy is her new podcast that explores Black history through the lens of gossip and drama. In this episode, Nichole tells the story of a Victorian era love triangle that rocked the elites of DC. 

From the episode: 

• Nichole Hill is an audio show-runner, writer, and the host and creator of Our Ancestors Were Messy and The Secret Adventures of Black People. Find out more about Nichole here: www.nicholelhill.com
• Listen to Our Ancestors Were Messy wherever you get your podcasts
• You can support the show by becoming a member: ourancestorsweremessy.supercast.com
• Follow Nichole Hill on Instagram @nicholewthanh
• Proxy listener survey: bit.ly/proxysurvey

Basket Case is a new show about mental health. In this episode, host Nicole Kelly (NK) takes on perfectionism, an issue that Yowei has personally struggled with. Plus, some breaking news about Proxy.

Listener survey: bit.ly/proxysurvey

To help this independent show exist, consider joining our Patreon: patreon.com/proxypodcast. You’ll get access to our newsletter and exclusive monthly bonus episodes. 

This month, Yowei talks to NK about their relationships with perfectionism and how having forced fun and a punk rock attitude have helped them creatively survive.

Episode credits: 

• Basket Case is a show from Molten Heart and iHeart Podcasts, created and executive produced by Jasmine (JT) Green, and hosted by Nicole Kelly (NK)

   

• You can listen to Basket Case on all podcast platforms: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-basket-case-217055280/

• Proxy is produced by Kim Nederveen Pieterse. Nik LeBlanc, and Yowei Shaw, mixed by Kyle Pulley

When Yowei heard about the new podcast Little Devils, she was like: finally, someone being honest about a thing we all do. On Little Devils, Jasmin Bauomy interrogates the snap judgments she makes of other people, to find the story behind that annoying thing they do. 

In this episode, we share a story from Little Devils and we toast 2024 with a year-end recap. 

From the episode: 

• Listen to the full season of Little Devils on all platforms: https://pod.link/1783097137

• Support their Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/littledevils 

• Follow @littledevilsshow and @jasminbauomy on Instagram and BlueSky

Episode credits: 

• Produced by Yowei Shaw, Kim Nederveen Pieterse,and Nik LeBlanc
• Mixed by Kyle Pulley

To help this independent show exist, consider joining our Patreon: patreon.com/proxypodcast. You'll get exclusive monthly bonus episodes, our newsletter, and other goodies.

Follow us on Instagram: @proxypodcast @yoweishaw

Get in touch at [email protected]

The story of someone who suffered alone in secret for 8 years with a problem he was too afraid to Google -  and then he stumbled into a support group. In this episode, we dive into the emotional dynamics of support groups with Jason Yu. Why did support groups help him, when nothing else did?

From the episode: 

• Fidget Podcast - Jason Yu's support group in podcast form for people who compulsively pick their skin, pull their hair, bite their nails

• Follow the Fidget Podcast on Instagram

• The TLC Foundation - an organization for body-focused repetitive behaviors

• The Art of Gathering and How We Show Up: Jason’s book recs for learning how to build community and gather

   

Episode credits: 

• Produced by Yowei Shaw
• Edited by John DeLore
• Mixed by Kyle Pulley

To help this independent show exist, consider joining our Patreon: patreon.com/proxypodcast. You’ll get access to our newsletter and exclusive monthly bonus episodes.

This month, Yowei talks to Jason about the lessons from support groups that he's applied to other parts of his life. 

Follow us on Instagram: @proxypodcast @yoweishaw

Get in touch at [email protected]

Whoever wins the election, Americans will still want to rip each other's heads off. Social psychologist Jay Van Bavel helps us understand why we should care about polarization, how we got here, and what, if anything, we can do about it. 

From the episode: 

• Jay Van Bavel is a social psychologist at New York University and the author of The Power of Us: Harnessing Our Shared Identities to Improve Performance, Increase Cooperation, and Promote Social Harmony: https://www.powerofus.online/
• The paper on political sectarianism Jay co-wrote: https://www.jayvanbavel.com/_files/ugd/9c6579_b289e58eb65b461aa67c03f4cc5d4804.pdf
• Follow Jay on X and Instagram: @jayvanbavel

Episode credits:

• Produced by Yowei Shaw, with help from Anakaren Santana
• Edited by Tim Howard
• Mixed by Kyle Pulley

Proxy is a completely independent production. To support the show and get exclusive bonus episodes and our newsletter, consider joining our Patreon: patreon.com/proxypodcast. 

Follow us on Instagram: @proxypodcast @yoweishaw

Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts! That stuff matters apparently.

We all know that moment - when you feel like you need to cry in front of other people, but don't want to cry. In this episode, Yowei talks to Heather Christle, the author of The Crying Book, to parse what’s happening in that moment, what tears are saying and how we should respond to them. 

From the episode:

• Heather Christle is a poet and professor at Emory University. She has a new book coming out in March called In the Rhododendrums: A Memoir with Appearances by Virginia Wolf. It's available for preorder in all the usual places. You can follow Heather on Twitter and Instagram @heatherchristle. 
• The Thai Life insurance commerical from our crying experiment

Episode credits:

• Produced by Yowei Shaw and Kim Nederveen Pieterse
• Edited by John DeLore
• Mixed by Kyle Pulley

Proxy is a completely independent production. To support the show and get exclusive bonus episodes and our newsletter, consider joining our Patreon: patreon.com/proxypodcast. 

Follow us on Instagram @proxypodcast and @yoweishaw.

Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts! That stuff matters apparently.

Recently, Yowei noticed a pattern among new friends she's making. These friends all make her feel lighter, more playful, and listened to... and they all have a background in improv comedy. 

Today, we're sharing an interview that gets inside the head of an improv comedian to see how they connect with other people. 

This episode comes from ReThinking, a podcast where organizational psychologist Adam Grant has lively discussions and debates with people about new thoughts and new ways of thinking. 

In the interview, Adam talks to comedian Mae Martin about the value of vulnerability in connection and life lessons from the art of improvisation.

Listen to more episodes of ReThinking, here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rethinking/id1554567118

Finally, a campaign reveal. Did we get additional funding to hire Kim for more hours? Plus, some updates for what’s in store for Proxy. 

Episode credits:

• Produced by Yowei Shaw and Kim Nederveen Pieterse
• Mixed by Kyle Pulley

Proxy is a completely independent production. To support the show and get exclusive bonus episodes and other goodies, go to patreon.com/proxypodcast.

Other ways you can support:

• Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts! That stuff matters apparently.
• Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Twitter for updates, BTS, and shenanigans.
• Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast platform.
• Sign up for our free newsletter at patreon.com/proxypodcast.
• Share with loved ones and spread the word! We don't have a marketing budget and rely on word of mouth.

The final installment of Yowei's quest to solve the mystery of proxy converations. 

In this episode, Yowei talks to a ritual expert and tries explaining what she's learned about proxy conversations to her mom. 

From the episode:

• Michael Norton is a behavior scientist, Harvard Business School professor, and the author of The Ritual Effect: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Ritual-Effect/Michael-Norton/9781982153021
• Yowei's unhinged grieving ritual for her layoff: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHHQK9ooNqc 

Episode credits:

• Produced by Yowei Shaw and Kim Nederveen Pieterse
• Mixed by Kyle Pulley

Proxy is a completely independent production. To support the show and get exclusive bonus episodes and our newsletter, go to patreon.com/proxypodcast. 

Follow us on Instagram @proxypodcast and @yoweishaw

Get in touch at [email protected]

Part 3 of Yowei's extremely meta quest to solve the mystery of proxy conversations. 

In this episode, Yowei learns about psychodrama, a psychotherapy that has similarities to proxy conversations and used to be a dominant modality in the U.S. and then died. Dr. Scott Giacomucci breaks down the mechanics of proxy conversations and tries his psychodrama techniques on Yowei. 

From the episode: 

• Dr. Scott Giacomucci is an expert in psychodrama and the director of the Phoenix Center for Experiential Trauma Therapy: www.phoenixtraumacenter.com
• Download Scott's textbook about psychodrama for free: www.phoenixtraumacenter.com/social-work-sociometry-psychodrama-book/
• Follow Scott on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@PhoenixTraumaCenter

Episode credits:

• Produced by Yowei Shaw and Kim Nederveen Pieterse
• Mixed by Kyle Pulley

Proxy is a completely independent production. To support the show and get exclusive bonus episodes and our newsletter, go to patreon.com/proxypodcast. 

Follow us on Instagram @proxypodcast and @yoweishaw

Get in touch at [email protected]

Part 2 of Yowei's quest to solve the mystery of proxy conversations. Why do they work?  How? Can Yowei figure out how to explain the show to people who don't get it?

In this episode, Yowei gets advice from actor, comedian, and proxy conversation expert Connor Ratliff. 

Over 20 years ago, Tom Hanks fired Connor from a small role in the HBO mini-series Band of Brothers - apparently for having "dead eyes." But is that really what happened? Connor made a podcast to investigate, and had 30 episodes worth of proxy conversations before talking to Tom Hanks himself. 

Check out Connor Ratliff's work:

• Dead Eyes podcast: https://headgum.com/dead-eyes
• Tiny Dinos podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tiny-dinos/id1742662792
• The George Lucas Show: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH1XwfxXB--rl_Nqxvun8zQ

Episode credits:

• Produced by Yowei Shaw and Kim Nederveen Pieterse
• Mixed by Kyle Pulley

Proxy is a completely independent production. To support the show and get exclusive bonus episodes and our newsletter, go to patreon.com/proxypodcast. 

Follow us on Instagram @proxypodcast and @yoweishaw

Get in touch at [email protected]