Different, Not Broken

I've been doing the internet antagonizing. I apologize. Not to the people I'm doing it to — they deserve it — but to the universe in general.
Last week I got into two arguments with dudes on the internet. It's like a thing I do. These are always cantankerous dude bros, and they always get what they deserve. The argument is almost always the same.
I have one question. I ask it every time. It brings their very bullish "I know everything about running a workplace" energy down to a full Porky Pig real fast.
I also bring receipts. Because of course I do.
Plus: I got mad about the Turning Point USA halftime show in a business group on the internet, which is exactly where that conversation belongs if you ask me.
And in Small Talk, I answer a question from Nate in Provo, Utah, who doesn't trust compliments but believes every piece of criticism — and I explain why imposter syndrome might actually be the most arrogant thing you can carry around.
Boop.
TIMESTAMPS
00:37 — I got into two arguments with dudes on the internet last week
01:04 — It's almost always the same argument about remote work and micromanagement
02:16 — The call center manager who had a lot to say
02:45 — The one question I have for them
03:57 — I worked at a call center. The best one in the world. It was still awful.
07:21 — If you can only run your business by underpaying people, your business is failing
08:41 — Don't wrestle with pigs. They enjoy it. (I did it anyway.)
09:18 — The Turning Point USA halftime show got me. I tried not to.
12:34 — I'm going to find a different plumber
13:55 — Small Talk: Nate from Provo, Utah on compliments vs. criticism
14:41 — 10,000 compliments: "yeah maybe." Someone says your feet smell: "that HAS to be true."
16:36 — Why imposter syndrome is actually a form of arrogance
Mentioned in this episode:
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I didn’t plan to talk about George Carlin.
Or mascara.
Or why I apparently cannot send a calendar invite without causing structural damage.
But here we are.
Hi, I’m Lauren Howard. You can call me L2. Like other people do.
In this episode of Different, Not Broken, I talk about why I can speak into a microphone for 100,000 strangers… and feel deeply uncomfortable when someone I actually know tells me they listened.
I unpack the idea of the “little extra hug” you can only get from strangers. Why performing publicly can feel easier than being known privately. Why validation from the internet feels different than validation from your neighbour.
We also take a very sharp turn into hyperfixation. Makeup hyperfixation, specifically. What it feels like when your brain latches onto something and turns it into a full-blown research project. How dopamine gets mined in drawers full of blush and setting spray. And why sometimes that joy is less frivolous than it looks.
Then we talk about the contradiction that lives underneath all of it.
Being wildly capable in a crisis.
Building businesses in your head in seconds.
And being absolutely useless at routine admin.
This episode is about uneven capability. The shame that can creep in when you’re brilliant in one arena and chaotic in another. And the possibility that maybe nothing is wrong with you. Maybe you’re just built for different things.
For Small Talk, I respond to a listener question about being great in emergencies but struggling with everyday adulting.
Once you’ve been inspired to brag, here’s where you can do it!
https://differentnotbrokenpodcast.com/voicemail
Useful stuff
Stuff that helps you become awesome even if you’re different: https://stan.store/elletwo
My grown up job: https://lbeehealth.com/

Chapters / Timestamps

00:00 – Doomscrolling and documentary spirals
01:29 – George Carlin and the “little extra hug”
04:20 – Why strangers feel easier than real life
07:23 – Makeup hyperfixation and dopamine mining
13:30 – The Sephora return that proved my point
17:29 – Listener question: crisis queen, admin disaster
19:00 – Why I pay people to manage my calendar
20:50 – Maybe you’re just built differently
Mentioned in this episode:
Sponsor the show
https://differentnotbrokenpodcast.com/sponsors
Sponsor Different Not Broken
Join Quirky

We had a hell of a week last week. But let me tell you this one story....

I didn’t plan to talk about sandwiches this much.
Or water.
Or Sudoku.
But here we are.
Hi, I’m Lauren Howard. You can call me L2. Like other people do.
In this episode of Different, Not Broken, I talk about the strange, often ridiculous ways our brains create shame out of absolutely nothing. Eating the “wrong” food. Convincing yourself you hate water even though you love it. Feeling mortified because you’re slow at a logic puzzle no one else can see.
I unpack why our brains invent rules that don’t exist, why invisible judgement feels so real, and why being seen trying can feel worse than actually failing.
This episode is about shame that doesn’t make sense, fear of looking ridiculous, and the quiet pressure to only be visible once you’re already good at something.
Later in the episode, for "Small Talk", I respond to a listener question about the fear of being seen trying, and why vulnerability feels so exposing even when no one is actually paying attention.
You’ll hear:
Why your brain makes up rules it then punishes you for
How harmless things turn into sources of shame
Why being slow doesn’t mean being broken
Why feeling ridiculous is often a sign you’re doing something new
How to stop letting imagined judgement run your life
Once you’ve been inspired to brag, here’s where you can do it!
https://differentnotbrokenpodcast.com/voicemail
Useful stuff
Stuff that helps you become awesome even if you’re different: https://stan.store/elletwo

My grown up job: https://lbeehealth.com/

Chapters / Timestamps

00:00 – Sudoku shame and the nonsense our brains create
01:12 – Sandwich logic and internalised rules
03:32 – Why I pretend I hate water
06:08 – Invisible judgement and made-up leaderboards
09:14 – Listener question: fear of being seen trying
12:32 – Getting comfortable feeling ridiculous
15:40 – Why most people are not paying attention
18:05 – What I actually want you to hear before you go
Mentioned in this episode:
Build Your Better course
Build your better course - https://stan.store/elletwo/p/build-your-better
Wanna sponsor this podcast
http://differentnotbrokenpodcast.com/sponsors
Sponsor Different Not Broken
Join Quirky

Happy Superbowl... to everyone but the New England Patriots because f**K them guys.