<![CDATA[Be Cringe]]>Most of us know exactly what we want and want to do. We've just gotten really good at talking ourselves out of it. Welcome to Be Cringe.


Be Cringe is the podcast that explores what happens when you start living for yourself and stop worrying about the opinions of others. This might be cringe, but we're doing it anyway.

]]>www.thismightbecringe.comRiverside.fm (https://riverside.com)Thu, 28 May 2026 08:20:59 GMTSat, 14 Feb 2026 19:14:10 GMT60Julie Laufer<p>Most of us know exactly what we want and want to do. We've just gotten really good at talking ourselves out of it. Welcome to Be Cringe.</p><p><br />Be Cringe is the podcast that explores what happens when you start living for yourself and stop worrying about the opinions of others. This might be cringe, but we're doing it anyway.</p>episodicJulie Lauferhi@julielaufer.comno<![CDATA[Be a Lane Switcher with Lia Zneimer]]>Lia Zneimer is a former marketing VP, writer, author, theater kid at heart, and dog mom to Waffles.

She is working on her YA novel set at theater camp, while navigating the many swim lanes of her career and finding comfort in being able to go back and forth between in-house roles and working for herself (while writing her book)

In this conversation, we talk about:

  • Giving ourselves the permission to define our own success in our career.
  • Going back in house, and seeing that as part of a larger career ecosystem.
  • Being theater kids (I promise, we move on quickly).
  • Writing a novel, using the 'author' label before it's published, and having big dreams for where it can go.
  • Being brave enough to examine your career and ask "do I like this or am I just good at it"

Find Lia

What Lia Shared:

Thanks for listening to ‘Be Cringe’! Find us online:

]]>86bdc851-0fd5-4292-ad83-2b1a8e5e3398Tue, 19 May 2026 13:06:23 GMT<p>Lia Zneimer is a former marketing VP, writer, author, theater kid at heart, and dog mom to Waffles.</p><p></p><p>She is working on her YA novel set at theater camp, while navigating the many swim lanes of her career and finding comfort in being able to go back and forth between in-house roles and working for herself (while writing her book)</p><p></p><p>In this conversation, we talk about:</p><ul><li>Giving ourselves the permission to define our own success in our career.</li><li>Going back in house, and seeing that as part of a larger career ecosystem.</li><li>Being theater kids (I promise, we move on quickly).</li><li>Writing a novel, using the 'author' label before it's published, and having big dreams for where it can go.</li><li>Being brave enough to examine your career and ask "do I like this or am I just good at it"</li></ul><p></p><p><b>Find Lia</b></p><ul><li>Substack: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://getrecharged.substack.com" target="_blank"><b>getrecharged.substack.com</b></a></li><li>LinkedIn:<b> </b><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://linkedin.com/in/liazneimer/" target="_blank"><b>linkedin.com/in/liazneimer/</b></a></li></ul><p></p><p><b>What Lia Shared:</b></p><ul><li>Mary Jantsch’s Pie Chart, referenced <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://maryjantsch.substack.com/p/2-years-after-leaving-tech-heres" target="_blank">here</a></li><li><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://getrecharged.substack.com/p/a-plot-twist" target="_blank"><i>A plot twist…</i></a><i> </i>by Lia Zneimer<p>Lia talks about standing in front of three opportunities, and which one she ended up choosing</p></li><li><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://maxpete.substack.com/p/the-tech-dream-is-a-nightmare" target="_blank"><i>The tech dream is a nightmare</i></a> by Max Pete</li><li><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/can-t-even-how-millennials-became-the-burnout-generation-anne-helen-petersen/6f315f8a65543db7?ean=9780358561842&amp;next=t" target="_blank"><i>Can’t Even: How Millennials Became the Burnout Generation</i></a> by Anne Helen Petersen<p></p></li></ul><p><b>Thanks for listening to ‘Be Cringe’! Find us online:</b></p><ul><li>Instagram: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/becringepod/" target="_blank">@becringepod</a></li><li>Substack: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://thismightbecringe.com" target="_blank">thismightbecringe.com</a></li><li>Listen to the pod: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://becringe.riverside.com" target="_blank">becringe.riverside.com</a></li></ul><p></p>no00:53:185Be a Lane Switcher with Lia Zneimerfull<![CDATA[Be Willing to Get Off the Treadmill with Devon Hunt]]>Devon Hunt is a writer, a retreat host, and someone who is drawn to taste, style, and how it comes about.

She went to a good school, snagged a business degree, became a CPA, and spent the better half of a decade at a Big 4 firm. She checked promotions off one by one in a career that felt predictable, until one day, she chose to step off the treadmill.

In this conversation, we dig into what apathy at work tells us, why the fear of making the wrong choice keeps people stuck longer than the wrong choice itself ever would, and what happened when Devon finally gave herself permission to want more (and allowed herself to be seen doing it).

We get into:

  • Why passion fall-off is a signal worth listening to (and why pushing through isn’t always the answer)
  • What burnout leave looks like (spoiler: it’s not a bubble bath)
  • The difference between an opportunity finding you and working your ass off to be in the right place for it, and how they often coexist and seem to intermingle
  • Why publishing her writing was more difficult for her than the writing itself
  • Why fashion and aesthetics deserve intellectual rigor

Find Devon

Substack: closetbrainrot.substack.com

Thanks for listening to 'Be Cringe'! Find us online:

If you know someone who'd make a great guest on the pod (yourself included), fill out this form!

]]>2bba889a-5b24-443f-96db-4fec873bb9c4Tue, 28 Apr 2026 17:26:15 GMT<p>Devon Hunt is a writer, a retreat host, and someone who is drawn to taste, style, and how it comes about.</p><p></p><p>She went to a good school, snagged a business degree, became a CPA, and spent the better half of a decade at a Big 4 firm. She checked promotions off one by one in a career that felt predictable, until one day, she chose to step off the treadmill.</p><p></p><p>In this conversation, we dig into what apathy at work tells us, why the fear of making the wrong choice keeps people stuck longer than the wrong choice itself ever would, and what happened when Devon finally gave herself permission to want more (and allowed herself to be seen doing it).</p><p></p><p>We get into:</p><ul><li>Why passion fall-off is a signal worth listening to (and why pushing through isn’t always the answer)</li><li>What burnout leave looks like (spoiler: it’s not a bubble bath)</li><li>The difference between an opportunity finding you and working your ass off to be in the right place for it, and how they often coexist and seem to intermingle</li><li>Why publishing her writing was more difficult for her than the writing itself</li><li>Why fashion and aesthetics deserve intellectual rigor<p></p></li></ul><p><b>Find Devon</b></p><p>Substack: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://closetbrainrot.substack.com" target="_blank">closetbrainrot.substack.com</a></p><p></p><p>Thanks for listening to 'Be Cringe'! Find us online:</p><ul><li>Instagram: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/becringepod/" target="_blank"><b>@becringepod</b></a></li><li>Substack: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://thismightbecringe.com" target="_blank"><b>thismightbecringe.com</b></a><p></p></li></ul><p>If you know someone who'd make a great guest on the pod (yourself included), fill out <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://forms.gle/uxPihqYvkaAQ8aHa7" target="_blank"><b>this form</b></a>!</p>no01:12:044Be Willing to Get Off the Treadmill with Devon Huntfull<![CDATA[Be a Beginner Again with Amanda Jackson]]>Amanda Jackson is a marketer, a writer, a crocheter, a crafter, a baker, an illustrator, and even an ice skater. Said another way: she's a creative who experiments and brings a beginner's mindset to everything she does.

In this conversation, we get into:

  • Why it's okay (and encouraged) to have hobbies we're not immediately good at 
  • The lessons she brought to the ice and the mic after watching this one classic Disney Channel Original Movie
  • What it means to 'donate your talents' to a corporate job as a creative 
  • How being yourself in front of teenagers will humble you quickly

Find Amanda:

Thanks for listening to 'Be Cringe'! Find us online:

If you know someone who'd make a great guest on the pod (yourself included), fill out this form!

And if you have read this far, I did in fact find Amanda's first venture into podcasting. Listen here.

]]>a6689f00-780f-4912-86c1-0bf1f65708b1Tue, 14 Apr 2026 11:02:18 GMT<p>Amanda Jackson is a marketer, a writer, a crocheter, a crafter, a baker, an illustrator, and even an ice skater. Said another way: she's a creative who experiments and brings a beginner's mindset to everything she does.</p><p></p><p>In this conversation, we get into:</p><ul><li>Why it's okay (and encouraged) to have hobbies we're not immediately good at </li><li>The lessons she brought to the ice and the mic after watching this one classic <i>Disney Channel Original Movie</i></li><li>What it means to 'donate your talents' to a corporate job as a creative </li><li>How being yourself in front of teenagers will humble you quickly <br /></li></ul><p><b>Find Amanda:</b></p><ul><li>Substack: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://mandaroostack.substack.com" target="_blank">http://mandaroostack.substack.com</a></li><li>LinkedIn: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandajacksonamj/" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandajacksonamj/</a></li></ul><p></p><p>Thanks for listening to 'Be Cringe'! Find us online:</p><ul><li>Instagram: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/becringepod/" target="_blank"><b>@becringepod</b></a></li><li>Substack: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://thismightbecringe.com/" target="_blank"><b>This Might Be Cringe</b></a><br /></li></ul><p>If you know someone who'd make a great guest on the pod (yourself included), fill out <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://forms.gle/uxPihqYvkaAQ8aHa7" target="_blank"><b>this form</b></a>!</p><p></p><p>And if you have read this far, I did in fact find Amanda's first venture into podcasting. Listen <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/and-youre-watching-the-dcom-podcast/id1500000707" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p></p>no00:58:473Be a Beginner Again with Amanda Jacksonfull<![CDATA[Be the Same Person in Every Room with Max Pete]]>Max Pete is a community builder, writer, speaker, and amateur DJ who has spent over a decade showing up online as himself. He doesn't craft a persona or show up differently depending on the situation or environment — he is the same person in every room he enters.

In this conversation, we dig into how he got there, the ways ego and identity can help us make decisions, and why being yourself is often the scariest option (but for Max, it's the only option).

We get into:

  • How his experiences as a kid shape how he shows up with others today
  • How to know when it's finally time to let something go, even if it's something that is seemingly doing well and that other's enjoy
  • What it means to build community without it being a strategy
  • Scarcity vs. trust as decision drivers
  • Career growth and thoughts on living for retirement

Find Max:

Thanks for listening to 'Be Cringe'! Find us online:

If you know someone who'd make a great guest on the pod (yourself included), fill out this form!

]]>636a587a-e44d-4ad1-ace6-8b48c83a4ec7Fri, 27 Mar 2026 10:00:00 GMT<p>Max Pete is a community builder, writer, speaker, and amateur DJ who has spent over a decade showing up online as himself. He doesn't craft a persona or show up differently depending on the situation or environment — he is the same person in every room he enters.</p><p>In this conversation, we dig into how he got there, the ways ego and identity can help us make decisions, and why being yourself is often the scariest option (but for Max, it's the only option).</p><p>We get into:</p><ul><li>How his experiences as a kid shape how he shows up with others today</li><li>How to know when it's finally time to let something go, even if it's something that is seemingly doing well and that other's enjoy</li><li>What it means to build community without it being a strategy</li><li>Scarcity vs. trust as decision drivers</li><li>Career growth and thoughts on living for retirement<br /></li></ul><p><b>Find Max:</b></p><ul><li>Substack: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://maxpete.substack.com" target="_blank">Max's Newsletter</a></li><li>LinkedIn: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://linkedin.com/in/maxpete" target="_blank">Max Pete</a></li></ul><p></p><p>Thanks for listening to 'Be Cringe'! Find us online:</p><ul><li>Instagram: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/becringepod/" target="_blank">@becringepod</a></li><li>Substack: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://thismightbecringe.com" target="_blank">This Might Be Cringe</a></li></ul><p>If you know someone who'd make a great guest on the pod (yourself included), fill out <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://forms.gle/uxPihqYvkaAQ8aHa7" target="_blank">this form</a>!</p>no01:00:422Be the Same Person in Every Room with Max Petefull<![CDATA[Hi, This Might Be Cringe (But I'm Here Anyway)]]>Welcome to episode 1 of 'Be Cringe'. In this solo episode, I talk through some of my inspiration for starting this podcast and where we're going in the future.

You can find me online through my Substack, This Might Be Cringe, or Instagram, at @thismightbecringe and @becringepod.

If you'd like to sponsor a future episode or know someone who'd make a great guest, please get in touch at hi@julielaufer.com.

]]>df532646-904c-4f17-adb2-45981f53df44Fri, 13 Mar 2026 00:40:34 GMT<p>Welcome to episode 1 of 'Be Cringe'. In this solo episode, I talk through some of my inspiration for starting this podcast and where we're going in the future.</p><p></p><p>You can find me online through my Substack, <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://thismightbecringe.com/" target="_blank"><b>This Might Be Cringe</b></a>, or Instagram, at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://instagram.com/thismightbecringe" target="_blank"><b>@thismightbecringe</b></a> and <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://instagram.com/becringepod" target="_blank"><b>@becringepod</b></a>.</p><p></p><p>If you'd like to sponsor a future episode or know someone who'd make a great guest, please get in touch at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:hi@julielaufer.com" target="_blank"><b>hi@julielaufer.com</b></a>.</p>no00:16:131Hi, This Might Be Cringe (But I'm Here Anyway)full<![CDATA[Introducing Be Cringe]]>There is something you want to do — you've just been letting your fear (of embarrassment, of failure, of whatever) get in your way.

Welcome to Be Cringe, the podcast that explores what happens when you start living for yourself and stop worrying about all the other noise. This might be cringe, but we're doing it anyway.

You can find me on Substack or Instagram, and if you know someonw who'd make a great guest you can reach out to me at hi@julielaufer.com.

]]>3e846b89-a892-491b-9502-7363e68915beSun, 15 Feb 2026 02:10:01 GMT<p>There is something you want to do — you've just been letting your fear (of embarrassment, of failure, of whatever) get in your way.</p><p></p><p>Welcome to Be Cringe, the podcast that explores what happens when you start living for yourself and stop worrying about all the other noise. This might be cringe, but we're doing it anyway.</p><p></p><p>You can find me on <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://thismightbecringe.com" target="_blank">Substack</a> or <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://instagram.com/thismightbecringe" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, and if you know someonw who'd make a great guest you can reach out to me at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:hi@julielaufer.com" target="_blank">hi@julielaufer.com</a>.</p>no00:01:52Introducing Be Cringetrailer