Marriage is all about beginnings, but staying married can often depend on how well two people adapt to change. The changes for Taylor and Gavin have been constant in the 14 years since they said, “I do.” There have been struggles and arguments over money, or the lack thereof. But even when money’s been the problem, having more of it hasn’t always been the solution. This week, we’ll hear the story of how they held things together and what they expect from each other when the unexpected keeps happ...
Dec 01, 2022•39 min•Ep 7•Transcript available on Metacast Marriage is all about beginnings, but staying married can often depend on how well two people adapt to change. The changes for Taylor and Gavin have been constant in the 14 years since they said, “I do.” There have been struggles and arguments over money, or the lack thereof. But even when money’s been the problem, having more of it hasn’t always been the solution. This week, we’ll hear the story of how they held things together and what they expect from each other when the unexpected keeps happ...
Dec 01, 2022•39 min•Ep 7•Transcript available on Metacast How far would you go to right a wrong? When Kari meets a nice man on a dating site, it feels like a dream come true. But when the relationship turns into more than she bargained for — she sets off on a crime-fighting quest that forces her to reevaluate her world and herself. This episode was reported and produced by Peter Balonon-Rosen, edited by Karen Duffin and engineered by Drew Jostad.
Nov 17, 2022•44 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast How far would you go to right a wrong? When Kari meets a nice man on a dating site, it feels like a dream come true. But when the relationship turns into more than she bargained for — she sets off on a crime-fighting quest that forces her to reevaluate her world and herself. This episode was reported and produced by Peter Balonon-Rosen, edited by Karen Duffin and engineered by Drew Jostad.
Nov 17, 2022•44 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast How much generosity is too much? Would you pay for your friend’s lunch every week? Or risk falling behind on bills to pay for a Christmas gift? And what does it take to ask strangers to be generous with you? We tend to think of generosity as a good thing, but it can also get… complicated. This week: three stories about giving and receiving generosity, and how it changes our relationships and ourselves. This episode was reported by Reema Khrais, produced by Alice Wilder with support from Ca...
Nov 10, 2022•37 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast How much generosity is too much? Would you pay for your friend’s lunch every week? Or risk falling behind on bills to pay for a Christmas gift? And what does it take to ask strangers to be generous with you? We tend to think of generosity as a good thing, but it can also get… complicated. This week: three stories about giving and receiving generosity, and how it changes our relationships and ourselves. This episode was reported by Reema Khrais, produced by Alice Wilder with support from Ca...
Nov 10, 2022•37 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast When Joe Hanson got the call to start a varsity esports team at the local community college, he didn’t know what to think. He already had a full time job. He had a family to think about. And this coaching gig, it was basically a glorified volunteer position. Plus, he didn’t even know what “esports” really meant. But this opportunity stirred something within Joe that he couldn’t ignore… In this episode, we follow Coach Joe and his ragtag team of gamers as they go up against the best and try to pr...
Oct 27, 2022•44 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast When Joe Hanson got the call to start a varsity esports team at the local community college, he didn’t know what to think. He already had a full time job. He had a family to think about. And this coaching gig, it was basically a glorified volunteer position. Plus, he didn’t even know what “esports” really meant. But this opportunity stirred something within Joe that he couldn’t ignore… In this episode, we follow Coach Joe and his ragtag team of gamers as they go up against the best and try to pr...
Oct 27, 2022•44 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast Halloween is almost here, which means it’s time for some Money Horror stories! When Abigail Keel got a call saying she might be a victim of identity theft, she had no idea what to do. All she could hope for was that the government official on the other line could help her protect her savings. We’ll go on that harrowing journey with her. Then, Zinzile Sibanda couldn’t have been more excited about being a bridesmaid in her college best friend’s wedding. But when unexpected health issues driv...
Oct 20, 2022•39 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast Halloween is almost here, which means it’s time for some Money Horror stories! When Abigail Keel got a call saying she might be a victim of identity theft, she had no idea what to do. All she could hope for was that the government official on the other line could help her protect her savings. We’ll go on that harrowing journey with her. Then, Zinzile Sibanda couldn’t have been more excited about being a bridesmaid in her college best friend’s wedding. But when unexpected health issues driv...
Oct 20, 2022•39 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast What do dried apple slices, bear spray and divorce debt have to do with the Jan. 6 insurrection? You’ll find out in this episode. When Stewart Rhodes launched the alt-right militia group the Oath Keepers, his wife, Tasha Adams, hoped that this just might be the key to a better life for their family. And right away, the Oath Keepers started attracting a lot of attention … and money. Stewart was finally getting the following and admiration he’d always told his family that he deserved. But instead ...
Oct 13, 2022•44 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast What do dried apple slices, bear spray and divorce debt have to do with the Jan. 6 insurrection? You’ll find out in this episode. When Stewart Rhodes launched the alt-right militia group the Oath Keepers, his wife, Tasha Adams, hoped that this just might be the key to a better life for their family. And right away, the Oath Keepers started attracting a lot of attention … and money. Stewart was finally getting the following and admiration he’d always told his family that he deserved. But instead ...
Oct 13, 2022•44 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast Tasha met Stewart soon after she finished high school and was working as a dance instructor in Las Vegas. He promised her the world — but instead gave her a life very different from her romantic dream. Over the next two decades, he pressured Tasha into providing emotional and financial support while she and their six children lived in poverty and isolation. Meanwhile, Stewart’s political ambitions grew and grew — because Tasha’s husband is Stewart Rhodes, founder of the alt-right militia group t...
Oct 06, 2022•29 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast Tasha met Stewart soon after she finished high school and was working as a dance instructor in Las Vegas. He promised her the world — but instead gave her a life very different from her romantic dream. Over the next two decades, he pressured Tasha into providing emotional and financial support while she and their six children lived in poverty and isolation. Meanwhile, Stewart’s political ambitions grew and grew — because Tasha’s husband is Stewart Rhodes, founder of the alt-right militia group t...
Oct 06, 2022•29 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast “This Is Uncomfortable,” our podcast all about life and how money messes with it, returns for our seventh season on Oct. 6. This season, we’re looking at some of the expectations we carry with us about how life should play out, and all the ways money can interfere with the best-laid plans and lead us to a totally different reality. We’ll take a look at the roller coaster of married life, the secretive world of scam baiting, the competitive world of college esports, how we...
Sep 29, 2022•3 min•Transcript available on Metacast Carrie Mansmith and her wife, Natalia, both know they want to be moms. They fantasize about raising a baby together, fawn over onesies, and they even have a name picked out. But lately, they’ve been wrestling with a question that they each have very different answers to: How much money is enough money to bring a kid into the world?
Jul 07, 2022•30 min•Ep 10•Transcript available on Metacast This episode originally aired in May 2021. When Lindsey Galbraith’s marriage ended over financial infidelity, she swore she would never mix money and relationships again. Then she met someone new. This week, we look at the aftermath of betrayal and how the consequences can last far beyond that one relationship. Plus, we eavesdrop on a money conversation between her and her new partner — the kind of talk that usually happens behind closed doors.
Jun 30, 2022•31 min•Ep 9•Transcript available on Metacast Six years in, Sana and Adnan Akhand loved being married to each other. But sharing everything — their apartment in New York City, their money, the household duties, all their free time — shook the balance of power in their marriage, and they ended up feeling stuck. They were looking for a big reset, and found that they had to interrogate their fundamental ideas about what makes a good marriage to see their future together.
Jun 23, 2022•38 min•Ep 8•Transcript available on Metacast Adam had worked his way up to manager at a branch of a global bank, only to see his responsibilities double during the pandemic. After trying to make it work, the extra duties without extra pay began to compromise his well-being. Adam decided to slow down — to do only what he physically and mentally could without overworking himself. In this episode, we’ll look at what happens when workers slow down and explore the historical precedent for reclaiming your body and time at work. If you like...
Jun 16, 2022•35 min•Ep 7•Transcript available on Metacast This episode originally aired May 2021. Mira Celper had always wanted to be best friends with her mom, but their relationship grew strained once her mom started dating the mysterious David, a successful engineer. As her mom fell deeper in love, Mira couldn’t shake the feeling that something about David was off. So she set out to find the truth. If you liked this episode, share it with a friend. And to get even more Uncomfortable, subscribe to our newsletter . Each Friday you’ll get a note from R...
Jun 09, 2022•37 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast Growing up, Chris was bullied. He was always the heaviest kid in the class, and his peers relentlessly made fun of him and his body. But Chris had a secret — something he wanted to do with his body that he never told a soul. This week, he revisits what it took for him to finally answer his secret calling. If you like this episode, share it with a friend. And to get even more Uncomfortable, subscribe to our newsletter . Each Friday, you’ll get a note from Reema and some recs from the Uncomfortabl...
Jun 02, 2022•32 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast Rebecca Danigelis never planned to stop working. She was an executive housekeeper in Boston raising two kids as a single mom, and everything she earned went to making sure they got the best education she could afford. When her son Sian-Pierre was climbing the ranks as a journalist and entrepreneur, it seemed like all the overtime, frozen dinners and sacrifice were worth it. Just as his career was taking off, however, hers started to crumble. If you like this episode, share it with a friend. And ...
May 26, 2022•37 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast Last week, we followed Stephanie Stone’s years long journey to find her late brother Michael’s gravesite. This week, our team picks up the search. Along the way, we learned a lot about what happens to the thousands of people who die indigent and go unclaimed every year in this U.S. Later, Reema travels to Austin with Stone and a Texas bureaucrat who goes above and beyond to help families find closure. If you liked this episode, share it with a friend. And to get even more Uncomfortable, su...
May 19, 2022•32 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast When Stephanie Stone’s older brother Michael died, their family didn’t have the money to pay for his burial. His body went unclaimed, and the county where he was living made arrangements. Years later, Stone doesn’t know where he was laid to rest. In this episode, we follow Stephanie’s quest to find her late brother and dig into what it reveals about the economic and emotional toll of losing a loved one. Next week, we’ll join in the search. If you liked this episode, share it wi...
May 12, 2022•25 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast Nicole and Rachel were deeply, happily in love when they had their first serious fight about money. Nicole’s two-year old nephew accidentally scratched up Rachel’s car, leaving them to figure out who was responsible for paying to fix it. To Rachel, it seemed obvious: Nicole’s family was responsible. Nicole didn’t see it that way. During the months-long fight, both women realized their fight about money was really about something else. If you liked this episode, share it with a friend...
May 05, 2022•31 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast “This is Uncomfortable,” our show about life and how money messes with it, is back for a new season starting May 5! This season, we’re exploring love and relationships of all kinds. Because there’s probably no close relationship — be it with friends, family or coworkers — where money doesn’t make things weird. And sometimes the fights you think are about money are not actually about money at all. Check out the trailer above, and follow “This Is Uncomfortable” wherev...
Apr 22, 2022•3 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles has historically been home to tightknit immigrant communities. Francisco Gonzalez had lived in an apartment a block away from the neighborhood’s Mariachi Plaza for a decade when the building was sold, and the new owner nearly doubled his rent. Several of Gonzalez’s neighbors got rent hikes too. At first, Gonzalez figured he had no choice but to get out, but then he learned about another option. On this week’s show, the last of our f...
Dec 16, 2021•32 min•Ep 10•Transcript available on Metacast Gina Serna is helping lead Colombia’s effort to sterilize the roughly 120 invasive hippos roaming the Magdalena River — hippos that were never supposed to be there at all. They were illegally imported decades ago by Pablo Escobar, the country’s most notorious drug lord. In many ways, it’s the perfect job for Serna. She dreamed of being a wildlife veterinarian since she was little. On the other hand, her career has a direct tie to the worst thing that’s ever happened to he...
Dec 09, 2021•32 min•Ep 9•Transcript available on Metacast When Dalip Singh became taxi driver in New York City, he thought it’d be his ticket to the middle class. It would take years before he discovered that he’d instead bought into a massive lending scam, one that would go on for decades, pushing him and thousands of other drivers into extreme debt. Now, as Dalip and his family try to get ahead, they find themselves struggling against the exact systems they thought were meant to help them. “This Is Uncomfortable” is Reema Khrais, Donna Tam, Megan Det...
Dec 02, 2021•38 min•Ep 8•Transcript available on Metacast When you’re a kid, your parents make all the financial decisions for you. But what happens when you grow up … and don’t agree with their choices? We’re off this week for the Thanksgiving holiday. This episode originally aired in July 2019.
Nov 25, 2021•25 min•Ep 7•Transcript available on Metacast 
