We've heard time and time again about the burnt out tech employee who quits a stable job to chase the dream. This time we're exploring the reverse!

Daniel "Tafo" Lee has lived more careers than I can count on two hands. JPL engineer, coach to Melee god Mang0, Yahoo Esports show host, CLG General Manager, the internet's Tetris teacher, Web3 economist, Andreessen Horowitz, and now, at 37, starting over in big tech. He's no stranger to the creator economy and his honest take on who should actually pursue it might save you five years of your life.

In this ep, we talk about:

→ how he coached a Melee god while working full time at NASA JPL

→ the ultimatum from his wife that finally made him quit and move to Esports

→ why 90% of streamers won't make it, and why minimum wage might be the better option

→ betting on yourself at 37: relearning how to code from scratch in the AI era

→ and how becoming a dad made him reevaluate the value of his time

This episode is for anyone who's ever been told to follow their passion and quietly wondered if that advice is a trap. Tafo is proof that the real flex isn't dying on one hill but maybe knowing when to walk away towards the next one.

→ Find Tafo:

https://www.instagram.com/tafokints

https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniellee912

https://x.com/tafokints

Submit your Coworker Confessions 👇

https://bit.ly/coworker-confessions

If you like what you hear please follow, rate 5 stars on Spotify and Apple Podcasts ⭐️ and leave a comment! 🫶 It's free~

𝙎𝙊𝘾𝙄𝘼𝙇𝙎 🌸

instagram → https://www.instagram.com/chloe.shih/

OD instagram → https://www.instagram.com/officedrama.pod/

tiktok → https://www.tiktok.com/@chloeshih

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linkedin → https://www.linkedin.com/in/chloe-shih/

patreon → https://patreon.com/OfficeDrama

✹ business inquiries:

[email protected]

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Nobody tells you that when you get cast on MasterChef, you get to choose three people to fly out as your friends and family. Jaime (  @igumdrop  ) chose Aria (  @AriaSaki  ) , Kimi (  @AngelsKimi  ) and I, and we spent a week on set with NO phones, 7AM call times, and a front-row seat to watching her cook on the biggest stage of her life.

In this ep, we talk about:

→ why Jaime almost went alone

→ the mandolin accident that didn't make it to air

→ what Gordon Ramsay is ACTUALLY like

→ the moment Aria destroyed a MasterChef contestant

→ what traditional TV gets right that creators don't

→ why chasing perfection as a creator isn't sustainable

→ the narratives that get rewritten about women in gaming and streaming

→ Find Jaime:

https://www.youtube.com/@igumdrop

https://www.twitch.tv/igumdrop

https://www.instagram.com/igumdrop/

https://www.tiktok.com/@igumdrop

→ Find Aria:

https://www.youtube.com/@AriaSaki

https://www.twitch.tv/ariasaki

https://www.instagram.com/ariasaki/

https://www.tiktok.com/@ariasaki

→ Find Kimi:

https://www.youtube.com/@AngelsASMR

https://www.youtube.com/@AngelsKimi

https://www.twitch.tv/angelskimi/

https://www.instagram.com/angelskimi/

https://www.instagram.com/gentleflamestudio/

https://www.tiktok.com/@angelskimii

A huge thank you to the MasterChef production team for letting us share these stories!

#MasterChef #MasterChefGlobalGauntlet @MasterChefonFOX @FOXTV @FoodClubFOX

Submit your Coworker Confessions 👇

https://bit.ly/coworker-confessions

If you like what you hear please follow, rate 5 stars on Spotify and Apple Podcasts ⭐️ and leave a comment! 🫶 It's free~

𝙎𝙊𝘾𝙄𝘼𝙇𝙎

🌸 instagram → https://www.instagram.com/chloe.shih/

OD instagram → https://www.instagram.com/officedrama.pod/

tiktok → https://www.tiktok.com/@chloeshih

threads → https://www.threads.net/@chloe.shih

linkedin → https://www.linkedin.com/in/chloe-shih/

patreon → https://patreon.com/OfficeDrama

✹ business inquiries: [email protected]

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Over the past decade, Jaime (@iGumdrop) has built a 2M+ following, founded her own successful clothing brand, dropped out of college to pursue streaming, and now she's on the cast of Season 16 of MasterChef!

In this week's episode of Office Drama, we get into the version of the story you don't see on TV.

In this ep, we talk about:

→ why she almost said no to MasterChef

→ what it's like to be on the cast of MasterChef

→ the insane reality TV background check nobody warns you about

→ what Gordon Ramsay is ACTUALLY like in person

→ the roti canai controversy

→ the truth about agents, managers, and the people you work with as a creator

→ why "the interview never matters" and what she actually hires on

→ how she skipped the 5-year plan and went straight to a deathbed plan

This episode is for anyone who's ever been underestimated, boxed into one version of themselves, or scared to take the leap because they might look like a fool. Jaime is one of the most earnest, chaotic, hilarious people I know, and watching her bet on herself, publicly, after ten years of quietly putting in the work is exactly the kind of story I started this show to tell.

→ Find Jaime:

https://www.youtube.com/@igumdrop

https://www.twitch.tv/igumdrop

https://www.instagram.com/igumdrop/

https://www.tiktok.com/@igumdrop

A huge thank you to the MasterChef production team for letting us share these stories!

#MasterChef #MasterChefGlobalGauntlet

@MasterChefonFOX @FOXTV @FoodClubFOX

Submit your Coworker Confessions 👇

https://bit.ly/coworker-confessions

Thank You to Our Sponsors!

✹ Storyblocks: unlimited stock footage, music, and SFX for creators → storyblocks.com/officedrama

✹ Quince: luxury-quality essentials without the markup → quince.com/officedrama

If you like what you hear please follow, rate 5 stars on Spotify and Apple Podcasts ⭐️ and leave a comment! 🫶 It's free~

𝙎𝙊𝘾𝙄𝘼𝙇𝙎 🌸

instagram → https://www.instagram.com/chloe.shih/

OD instagram → https://www.instagram.com/officedrama.pod/

tiktok → https://www.tiktok.com/@chloeshih

threads → https://www.threads.net/@chloe.shih

linkedin → https://www.linkedin.com/in/chloe-shih/

patreon → https://patreon.com/OfficeDrama

✹ business inquiries:

[email protected]

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Rosie Nguyen is the Head of Creators at Suno, the world's leading AI music company. Before that she co-founded Fanhouse, joined Cantina, and went viral more times than I can count. She's bright, passionate, and comes into this episode with so many wild stories and experiences.

In this ep, we talk about:

→ growing up on food stamps and supporting immigrant parents

→ getting demoted at her own company, then watching it get sold behind her back

→ the phone call that saved her life

→ going viral again and again and the attention that brings online

→ why her current era makes her prouder than raising $20 million ever did

This one is for anyone who's ever been underestimated, flattened into one dimension, or had to rebuild from zero. Rosie is one of the most earnest and hilarious people I know, and this convo originally went almost THREE hours.

→ Find Rosie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasminericegirl/

Submit your Coworker Confessions 👇

https://bit.ly/coworker-confessions

If you like what you hear please follow, rate 5 stars on Spotify and Apple Podcasts ⭐️ and leave a comment! 🫶 It's free~

𝙎𝙊𝘾𝙄𝘼𝙇𝙎 🌸

instagram → https://www.instagram.com/chloe.shih/

OD instagram → https://www.instagram.com/officedrama.pod/

tiktok → https://www.tiktok.com/@chloeshih

threads → https://www.threads.net/@chloe.shih

linkedin → https://www.linkedin.com/in/chloe-shih/

patreon → https://patreon.com/OfficeDrama

✹ business inquiries:

[email protected]

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sophia is one of my best friends, the officiant of my wedding, and one of the most cracked marketers I know. She's led campaigns at Airbnb, Databricks, and ElevenLabs. She won Best Dance Film at the LA Film Awards. She's also going through her biggest plot twist yet: leaving tech to pursue her art. Full time. For good. 🙂‍↕️

In this episode, we talk about:

→ why AI will never replace storytelling, taste, and human connection

→ her honest take on the job market, what 20-somethings are getting wrong, and what a great interview actually looks like

→ how she faced being belittled in by an interim CMO who said they need someone "more senior" when she led the campaign all along

This one is for anyone who has done everything right and still felt like they were playing it too safe. Sophia is the most elegant proof I know that the pivot you're scared of might be the one you were always supposed to make.

→ Find Sophia: https://www.instagram.com/sophianoel_

Submit your Coworker Confessions 👇

https://bit.ly/coworker-confessions

If you like what you hear please follow, rate 5 stars on Spotify and Apple Podcasts ⭐️ and leave a comment! 🫶 It's free~

𝙎𝙊𝘾𝙄𝘼𝙇𝙎 🌸

instagram → https://www.instagram.com/chloe.shih/

OD instagram → https://www.instagram.com/officedrama.pod/

tiktok → https://www.tiktok.com/@chloeshih

threads → https://www.threads.net/@chloe.shih

linkedin → https://www.linkedin.com/in/chloe-shih/

patreon → https://patreon.com/OfficeDrama

✹ business inquiries: [email protected]

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It's been ~2 years since I've been laid off from my dream job at @Discord, and the most COMMON question you've asked me is: "Have you matched or beaten your tech salary after becoming a creator?"

I never liked this question because it's sincerely not apples to apples. I also dislike it when creators say "I made my corporate salary in 1 brand deal!!" Because there are SO many nuances, caveats, tradeoffs, and financial implications when choosing between both paths. But I finally break that down in today's episode of Office Drama.

Today, we get UNFILTERED and talk about:

→ How I overcame feeling like a failure after getting laid off

→ How I felt comparing myself to friends in tech/corporate

→ Whether my creator salary matched or beat my tech salary 👀

→ How pregnancy and family planning impacts everything

→ How I actually figured out how to pivot my career (with my Life PRD)

I really don't think these conversations can fit into a 1 min short form video or a 10 min YouTube video, so I hope you enjoy this real, brutally honest breakdown of what it was like going from tech to content to media.

p.s. please excuse the lighting changes in this one! 🫶

My Vision Board + Template 👇https://www.figma.com/community/file/1462690089129320366/2025-vision-board-by-chloe-shih-chloe-shih

Submit your Coworker Confessions 👇https://bit.ly/coworker-confessions

If you like what you hear please follow, rate 5 stars on Spotify and Apple Podcasts ⭐️ and leave a comment! 🫶 It's free~

Special shoutout to Drama Llama Emily Huang for supporting Office Drama on Patreon! 🦙

𝙎𝙊𝘾𝙄𝘼𝙇𝙎 🌸

instagram → https://www.instagram.com/chloe.shih/

OD instagram → https://www.instagram.com/officedrama.pod/

tiktok → https://www.tiktok.com/@chloeshih

threads → https://www.threads.net/@chloe.shih

linkedin → https://www.linkedin.com/in/chloe-shih/

patreon → https://patreon.com/OfficeDrama

✹ business inquiries:[email protected]

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

I've seen a pattern of senior ICs deciding to quit to bet on themselves, but we rarely get to see what it took to get there.

Julia Fei, Sr. Data Scientist at Notion (and my dear creator friend), just made her decision to leave her dream job to pursue something she's always been curious about. But it was a calculated, deliberate decision that she spent years preparing for.

In this week's episode of Office Drama, we reveal the inner drama of Julia's thought process and the conversations she's had navigating the transition.

In this ep, we talk about:

→ why Julia quit Notion when she genuinely loved her team, her manager, and her job

→ how to know if you're actually growing or just getting comfortable

→ why "stability" is a scam

→ the double life of being a creator in tech

→ how to build a financial runway for the leap before you're ready to take it

→ and how to know when it's finally time to take a risk on yourself

This episode is for anyone who has done everything right and still felt like they were playing it too safe. Julia is one of the most calculated, self-aware people I know and watching her finally bet on herself after years of preparation is exactly the kind of story I started this show to tell.

→ Find Julia:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliafei/

https://www.youtube.com/@juliafei

https://www.instagram.com/julia.fei/

https://www.tiktok.com/@julia.fei

Submit your Coworker Confessions 👇

https://bit.ly/coworker-confessions

If you like what you hear please follow, rate 5 stars on Spotify and Apple Podcasts ⭐️ and leave a comment! 🫶 It's free~

Special shoutout to Drama Llama Emily Huang for supporting Office Drama on Patreon!

🦙𝙎𝙊𝘾𝙄𝘼𝙇𝙎 🌸

instagram → https://www.instagram.com/chloe.shih/

OD instagram → https://www.instagram.com/officedrama.pod/

tiktok → https://www.tiktok.com/@chloeshih

threads → https://www.threads.net/@chloe.shih

linkedin → https://www.linkedin.com/in/chloe-shih/

patreon→ https://patreon.com/OfficeDrama?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_fan&utm_content=copyLink

✹ business inquiries:[email protected]

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

My old Discord work bestie just got promoted *twice* in one year and I needed to know how he did it without losing himself in the process. Tobi Bisiriyu is a Product Design Manager at Discord and he's one of those rare people who is genuinely great at his job, actually likes it, and still makes work the least interesting thing about him. He cosplays, he goes to anime conventions, he walks one hour every day without exception, and he has a philosophy about life that I think more people in tech need to hear.

In this ep, we talk about:

→ Why looking competent is actually what's holding junior designers back

→ the "contract you write for yourself" and how to know if you're breaching it

→ why middle management is actually a "death" trap

→ say yes to the scary thing...before you talk yourself out of it.

→ being greedy "with integrity" and why it's good to want it all

→ and why getting a four in life matters more than getting one at work

This episode is for anyone who is good at their job but wonders if there's a version of success that doesn't require you to give everything else up. Tobi is one of the most intentional people I've ever worked with and somehow he got even more thoughtful since we last worked together.

→ Find Tobi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tobibisiriyu

Submit your Coworker Confessions 👇

https://bit.ly/coworker-confessions

If you like what you hear please follow, rate 5 stars on Spotify and Apple Podcasts ⭐️ and leave a comment! 🫶 It's free~

𝙎𝙊𝘾𝙄𝘼𝙇𝙎 🌸

instagram → https://www.instagram.com/chloe.shih/

OD instagram → https://www.instagram.com/officedrama.pod/

tiktok → https://www.tiktok.com/@chloeshih

threads → https://www.threads.net/@chloe.shih

linkedin → https://www.linkedin.com/in/chloe-shih/

patreon → https://patreon.com/OfficeDrama

✹ business inquiries: [email protected]

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It's been about 2 years and 3 mo since I was infamously laid off from my dream product manager job at Discord. And today, I finally sit with my old manager to talk about life after layoffs.

Derek Yang is now a Principal Product Manager at Roblox, and before that he was at YouTube, Twitch, Yik Yak, Facebook, and Discord where he was also my last ever corporate manager.

In this ep, we talk about:

→ What it actually means to "make it" in tech (spoiler: he still doesn't think he has)

→ the performance review that humbled him and forever changed

→ how he approaches his career

→ why working hard is not enough and what actually gets you recognized

→ what he gave up becoming a new dad

→ and why sustainability is his whole era right now

This episode is for anyone who has ever put their whole heart into their work and still felt like it wasn't enough. Derek is one of the most thoughtful people I know and I learned something new about him even after years of friendship.

→ Find Derek on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dereklyang

Submit your Coworker Confessions 👇

https://bit.ly/coworker-confessions

If you like what you hear please follow, rate 5 stars ⭐️ and leave a comment! 🫶

business inquiries: [email protected]

𝙎𝙊𝘾𝙄𝘼𝙇𝙎 🌸

instagram → https://www.instagram.com/chloe.shih/

tiktok → https://www.tiktok.com/@chloeshih

threads → https://www.threads.net/@chloe.shih

linkedin → https://www.linkedin.com/in/chloe-shih/

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Welcome to my new show, Office Drama, where we sit with people obsessed with what they do, learn about the lessons they wish they knew earlier, and reveal the drama within.

We interview people across tech, media, and entertainment. We also have a monthly(ish) advice segment called "Coworker Confessions" where you can anonymously submit your work drama, stories, and situations for a second opinion.

➔ Submit here: https://bit.ly/coworker-confessions

Check out Office Drama every Monday at 8am PT on Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Podcasts!

If you like what you see and want to support the show, follow, comment, and rate 5 stars!! ⭐️

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

hii jomies!

this is our ill-fated "fail episode." last year eric and i spent literally five hours on a sunday trying to film an episode about work resentment and burnout and every single take just sucked. we tried THREE times and failed every single time.

but we had some really good nuggets in there so we chopped it up and pulled out the best parts for you guys. it's kind of a hodgepodge of segments but honestly some of my fave convos came out of it! we talk about someone reaching out to me asking for advice on whistleblowing, dealing with power tripping managers, the weird guilt of going independent, and why we push ourselves so damn hard when we could actually just chill.

this episode is proof that not every recording session is a banger and sometimes you just gotta take the L and move on. but also!! the conversations were still valuable and i didn't want them to just... rot.

thank u for listening and for being part of this community, it means everything to us

love,chlo & eric

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.