Alex Sujong Laughlin interviews former Gotham and Portland Thorns player Mana Shim about how she walked away from her career to report her abusive coach a landmark NWSL scandal that rocked women's soccer.


Episode transcript here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/11UOOnIzTfTAQEOtV5s1L8CEEbxTCVuTgcD3U-pOErAk/edit?usp=sharing


🏷️: Mana Shim, professional soccer, NWSL, Paul Riley, Portland Thorns, abuse scandal, sexual harassment, speaking up, player rights, women's soccer, identity crisis, law school, Hawaii, Native Hawaiian, Kānaka Maoli, Santa Clara University, career transition, mental health, Try Hard podcast, Alex Sujong Laughlin


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Follow Alex Sujong Laughlin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexlaughs/


Email Alex: alex[at]defector.com


Subscribe to Defector Media: https://defector.com/


Check out Try Hard in audio form: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/try-hard/id1824016771



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Credits:



This show is produced by Haleema Shah and Alex Sujong Laughlin. Mixing by Samantha Gattsek. Justin Ellis is Defector’s projects editor. Our show art is by Lille Allen. Our theme song is “Photo Booth,” by Avery Friedman. Jasper Wang is Defector’s business guy. Thank you to the Defector staff and to Sean Kuhn. Our merch store was created by Dan McQuade. Defector Media is a collectively owned, subscriber based media company. Try Hard is a proud member of Radiotopia.

Alex Sujong Laughlin interviews Yu & Me Books founder Lucy Yu about how she started the first woman-owned Asian American bookstore in New York in her twenties — and how the process nearly broke her.


Episode transcript here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fMT3qKPRGrhTetCCmMvLLulFc1Zm0RDuZWHhQPXtKe4/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.6mxzxdb60zz7


🏷️: Yu & Me Books, Lucy Yu, Yu & Me, Bookstore, entrepreneurship, burnout, grief, community, self-worth, asking for help, mental health, work-life balance, pursuing your dreams, career change, Asian American community, resilience, personal growth, self-care, overcoming adversity, creativity, believing in yourself


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Follow Alex Sujong Laughlin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexlaughs/


Email Alex: alex[at]defector.com


Subscribe to Defector Media: https://defector.com/


Check out Try Hard in audio form: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/try-hard/id1824016771



***



Credits:



This show is produced by Haleema Shah and Alex Sujong Laughlin. Mixing by Samantha Gattsek. Justin Ellis is Defector’s projects editor. Our show art is by Lille Allen. Our theme song is “Photo Booth,” by Avery Friedman. Jasper Wang is Defector’s business guy. Thank you to the Defector staff and to Sean Kuhn. Our merch store was created by Dan McQuade. Defector Media is a collectively owned, subscriber based media company. Try Hard is a proud member of Radiotopia.

Alex Sujong Laughlin interviews Defector's very own Jasper Wang about the choice he made to step off the achievement treadmill in his early 30s — and how that led to the creation of Defector Media.


Episode transcript here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vPfZCoO_NFuYmE1zT0gZK7uridKEC8KJVoSxOaap4ws/edit?usp=sharing


🏷️: Career success, achievement treadmill, money and happiness, leaving Bain, consulting career, corporate ladder, Defector, worker-owned media, socialist media, entrepreneurship, career change, financial freedom, defining success, how much money is enough, work-life balance, making less money, alternative careers, business for good, sports media, Jasper Wang


***



Follow Alex Sujong Laughlin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexlaughs/


Email Alex: alex[at]defector.com


Subscribe to Defector Media: https://defector.com/


Check out Try Hard in audio form: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/try-hard/id1824016771



***



Credits:



This show is produced by Haleema Shah and Alex Sujong Laughlin. Mixing by Samantha Gattsek. Justin Ellis is Defector’s projects editor. Our show art is by Lille Allen. Our theme song is “Photo Booth,” by Avery Friedman. Jasper Wang is Defector’s business guy. Thank you to the Defector staff and to Sean Kuhn. Our merch store was created by Dan McQuade. Defector Media is a collectively owned, subscriber based media company. Try Hard is a proud member of Radiotopia.