Yowei Shaw is an artist.

The concept of being able to talk to a proxy is so intriguing. Finally, one can have the conversations that typically live rent-free in the mind.

The latest ‘Bisexual Wife Guy’ episode was such a rollercoaster of emotions and I was present the whole entire hour. It was such a niche / but not, topic to divulge into and hear the other side of a very tricky situation to discuss already. All my love, this is what the world needs, more empathy and love towards both parties in any relationship. Can’t wait for the next Yowei!

Perfect and needed. Like ologies for feelings. We could all use more tools for feelings navigation.

Yowei Shaw delivers such an interesting vision with the premise of the show (“emotional investigative journalism”) and, subsequently, the niche dilemmas that are brought to her for our collective exploration. The latest episode “bisexual wife guy” is as humorous & lighthearted as it is serious, sincere & necessarily relevant. The episode has equal amounts of romantic ennui & tongue-in-cheek self reflection that it sort of elicits the same kind of ambivalent wonder I get from reading a YA novel or a particularly dynamic passage of Vonnegut. I think her work is filling a space that hasn’t been filled before by radio, podcasts, or shorter form media, at large. There’s something so personal yet universal about the subject matter which feels like it would normally be found in literature exclusively.

In love with this premise, it’s powerful and desperately needed

I really tried and wanted to like it, but like other podcasts of this ilk, it’s too childish. Grow up, we all have to adult at sometime you’ll get through it. I promise we all did.

I think Yowei is an incredible host and storyteller. This podcast is beautiful

I love this show so much! So admire its powerful vulnerability and thoughtfulness in tackling the topics it does. Have loved yowei’s stories on npr’s invisibilia and other platforms for years now. Keep rocking it!

Such a thoughtful, unique way to approach learning about people and the world!

I love this podcast! Such thoughtful interviews and I love the idea of an emotions beat.

Incredible podcast! I’m along for the ride, wherever this goes! I started listening to this show when I was unemployed and struggled with my feelings about the situation. The trilogy made me feel seen!

I started listening because of the first episodes about layoffs, which is a great idea for a podcast. The host is the type of person who you want to like, but there’s something about her earnestness that for some reason kind of comes across as off putting. Did we really need to hear audio of her crying? I pushed past that and a lot of extraneous details that could’ve been edited out of the first episodes—like the description of the couples house that went on for too long. Unfortunately I couldn’t make it past the proxy HR stand-in idea which was so cringe. Then I read the descriptions of the other episodes which seem to be all over the place. I won’t keep listening but I wish it had given me a reason to by staying on subject matter. More interviews with other people who have been laid off, etc. It’s funny the host talks about meritocracy at one point like it’s so unfair that hard work isn’t rewarded, and I think that perfectly encapsulates this podcast’s blind spot which is that you still need to be good at what you’re doing. Hard work doesn’t always get you all the way there and such is the case with this podcast.

Wow! I’m going to listen to them all as I am deep in the dumpster right now. Mine is a very complex story of being at corporate level and knowing for months there was a strong chance the merger wouldn’t go well, and it went worse than my imagination could conjure. I still have “a”job but have been reduced to cashier for the liquidation sale. I’m 51 and have been applying for jobs since last October since I wanted to get ahead of the impending doom. I’ve had exactly 1 interview and was ghosted. Like your guest mentioned, I check every box in the jobs I’m applying for and have learned to chat gpt to try to connect with the algorithms. I just keep getting rejected. At this point I know its age discrimination as you don’t have a 30 year career with no skills. It’s taking a toll.

I definitely feel like people don’t talk about the stigma of being unemployed or layoffs enough and as someone who has experienced it, it feels great knowing that others have felt the same. I am really enjoying this podcast!

Just listened to the news about the Patreon, I’m sad I’m not in a position to join but I just want you to know I’m listening and loving. It’s such an interesting content and I’m itching for more proxy convos!

Howdy! I just discovered this podcast a few weeks ago. I rocked through the episodes in 2 days. The sensitivity which you handle hard topics and the unique premise sucked me right into it. hope there are more!!

I just listened to the first episode. The tone and cadence reminded me of Invisibilia, which I really appreciated. That show was so excellent, and I had wondered what exactly had happened to it. I’m still kinda wondering about that decision, but I’m glad you found resilience and kept pushing forward. The work you do is important!

Thoughtful and funny!

Great podcast and I loved rough translation too. I’d like to donate a one time gift but can only donate through a subscription. Not sure if you hit your goal, but accepting one time gifts might be the key!

This podcast starts with a great idea and makes it a very intriguing listen. I am thankful for covering the topic of layoffs and look forward to more. Sometimes things cannot be resolved to satisfaction. Even if a particular group or individual is not available, an experienced person being the proxy can provide more information and maybe even a kind of closure. Information from a different perspective can be quite helpful. Proxy gets it Real. Thanks a lot for this show!

I loved invisibilia so I was very excited to listen to this show! My favorite episode is the restorative justice piece. Such an important topic and it was beautifully done.

Keeps getting better and better

Thanks for making this despite the journey getting here. Excited for all the upcoming stories!

Love yowei’s story telling style. Episode one was engaging and personal while also drawing a bigger picture. Excited to dive in to more

I really struggled to care about this “story”.

Yowei is thoughtful and relatable in this show, demonstrating the finesse and complexity she exhibited throughout her time at NPR. I’m looking forward to seeing where this promising journalist takes the show!

Life can be deeply isolating when we are not understood. As someone with a chronic illness, I didn’t find emotional peace until I found others, proxies, to help me process my experience. This podcast taps into that vulnerability we all feel at one time or another, and gives us a model of healing…the right questions to ask of others and of ourselves. High recommend!

Love the idea of the show, and the first few episodes are incredibly good. I can tell that this is going to be one of those few pods I listen to the second a new episode drops. So excited to have this is my ears and can’t wait for the next episode.

Thanks for exploring this topic. I got fired from a role early on in my career and it was devastating. The worse part is that most people around you can’t understand all the emotions that come up, mostly of grief and deep loss of identity.

Thank you Yowei. This podcast was raw and beautiful. So many of us are experiencing layoffs and it is more valuable than one realizes to know we aren’t alone.

I loved invisiblea and love everything (not hyperbole) literally everything program is heartwarming, real and personable! Keep up the great work!

As a person who has been laid off many time, it was immensely helpful to hear other’s deepest inner thoughts abt a problem that plague our generation!!!

I loved Invisibilia and am so glad Yoweh is back with a new podcast! The layoff series is fantastic and I can’t wait for more episodes of Proxy!

This show really captures something so emotional, so deeply human. I started listening on a whim and I absolutely devoured the first 3 episodes back to back. I got laid off in 2009 and I always assumed I was weird for much it destroyed me. This show puts so much in perspective and I think even healed a little part of me from long ago. I found this show so cathartic, so helpful in peeling back the layers of this world we live in. Thank you! Can’t wait to hear more!

I liked this so much more than I thought I would. Applicable to so many situations. Human and interesting.

Highly recommend. I just stumbled on this and was intrigued. I loved the first episode and am off to listen to more. I appreciate the host’s humor and easygoing style of storytelling. I expect this podcast to rise in popularity quickly. Congrats, you guys. It’s amazing! 💕💕

Yowei is an excellent storyteller. This is so thoughtfully done on every level — perfectly paced, clearly delivered, genuinely empathetic. I was disappointed each time I had to turn it off and found myself eagerly anticipating my next 30 minute commute. Can’t wait for more!

I really enjoyed listening

Nice work on the trilogy! Thanks for sharing your process to document and investigate my way out of post layoff trauma.

Thank you for addressing an aspect of American culture which most people tiptoe around - how much American culture attaches self worth to a job. I stopped asking people what they do in conversation many years ago because I found people who have varied interests outside work are often better at their job and make for a higher quality work environment.

Because Yowei is amazing and so are the stories she tells. I appreciate her giving voice to the unique agony that is a layoff, especially for folks who put so much of themselves into their work. And finally getting some real talk from an HR person! Yes!!

Loved Yowei on Invisibilia and she continues to show the emotions and analysis that help explain what so many people experience. Can’t wait to hear the rest of this season!

yowei's podcasting style is endlessly curious, rigorous, compassionate, practical, and joyful all at the same time. this feels like the best of invisibilia plus yowei's own personal taste and skill. really excited to hear the rest of the season

This proxy conversation idea is genius - can’t wait for more episodes!

I’ve been through this with love ones, and it is so so hard. Thank you for a terrific first few episodes. I can’t wait to see the rest of what you do! I loved your work on Invisibilia! I’m so glad you were inspired to do this.

Yowei has taken the best of the NPR style of story telling and put her own spin on it to really make you invested in participants. This is absolutely top of the charts content.

It gave me a lot of insight—loved the conversation with HR person. Can’t wait for the next episodes

As an independent podcaster with zero budget, I was touched by the story of making the podcast from a personal/emotional perspective.

My husband was laid off over a decade ago and we honestly have never recovered from the emotional and financial effects of that event. Not only did Yowei, Miles, and Elliot make me feel less alone in the experience, Katie helped me to understand the HR side of things.