Proxy with Yowei Shaw

Latest Episodes:

The Layoff Trilogy 3: HR by Proxy May 23, 2024

Show notes

Months after Elliot was laid off, he and his husband Miles are still angry. Not just about losing the job, but about how it happened. The smiling HR rep. The severance paperwork no one explained. The desk he wasn't allowed to pack up. Why is it so hard to get over being treated like you're disposable?

Yowei finds them a proxy who's conducted hundreds of layoffs — and been laid off herself.

For more dispatches from the emotions beat, sign up for our free newsletter at proxyhq.org.

Watch Yowei's unhinged Gold Star music video.

The Layoff Trilogy 2: Danger Day May 23, 2024

Show notes

After Elliot was laid off, his husband Miles kept working at the same company. Same office. Same HR rep. And now, the constant fear that he might be next. Then Miles heard a rumor: more layoffs were coming on the third Thursday of the month. Danger Day. How do you live with the fear of losing your job when there's nothing you can do to feel safe?

For more dispatches from the emotions beat, sign up for our free newsletter at proxyhq.org.

Hear sociologist Ofer Sharone explain why the myth of meritocracy is so hard to shake in our bonus episode for paid members at proxyhq.org.

Content note: This episode contains a brief mention of suicidal ideation. If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, or text HOME to 741741.

The Layoff Trilogy 1: Layoff Girl May 22, 2024

Show notes

When Yowei got laid off from NPR, she knew it was a business decision. It wasn't about her performance. She had savings, severance, and support. So why did it feel like getting rejected by the entire life she'd built?

Yowei investigates why losing a job can feel so personal, even when you know it's not — and how getting laid off led her to create Proxy.

Hear sociologist Ofer Sharone explain why the myth of meritocracy is so hard to shake in our bonus episode for paid members at proxyhq.org.

Welcome to Proxy May 15, 2024

Show notes

It’s the knot you can’t untangle — a problem so specific, it makes you feel alone. But what if you could talk to someone who gets it?

On Proxy, we find someone with the closest possible experience to your problem — and follow the conversation that unfolds. It’s not therapy. It’s emotional investigative journalism.

Hosted by Yowei Shaw, former co-host of Invisibilia.

New to Proxy? Try Bisexual Wife Guy, one of the clearest examples of what this show does, or Yowei Can't Speak Bro for a funny investigation into male friendship, bro-speak, and emotional translation.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Proxy with Yowei Shaw

Related Podcasts

1

2

3

4

5

6