Mind UnMute

We're back! In this episode, we explore what happens when the emotional space we’re given doesn’t match the space we actually need. Our host, Aaron Thaddeus, shares personal reflections on loneliness, recovery, and resilience after sustaining an injury. Joining the UnMuted conversation, our guest, Maari Casey, founder of Uncompany and co-host of the CMD-Q podcast, talk about navigating grief, leadership, and the awkwardness that can arise when people want to help but do not know how.

We dig into:

• The tension between offering space and showing up
• Why asking for help—or offering it—can feel so vulnerable
• How loneliness impacts founders, leaders, and anyone in transition
• Practical ways we can communicate better, listen more deeply, and show up for each other with care
  

This episode is a reminder that small acts of presence can break down big walls of isolation. Sometimes, it starts with just asking: How can I help?

Hi UnMuters, we're excited to share that we're coming back with new episodes and UnMuted conversations very soon! As it does, life's taken me and my production team through a number of new challenges and unexpected twists over the past few years, some of which directly inspired the new conversations headed your way.

Next up: we sit down with Maari Casey (founder of Uncompany and co-host of the CMD-Q podcast) to explore some of what might be felt as the more "awkward" sides of grief and change – but not necessarily what is shared.

Thank you so much for being here, and please stay tuned for more content en route.

Welcome back to Mind UnMute! We're grateful to have you return for another unmuted conversation. 

In this sophomore episode, we take a hard look at a term that's been garnering a lot of attention in America's cultural zeitgeist, especially within the last year: "Hustle Culture".

It's no surprise to anyone that the COVID-19 pandemic completely rocked the boat, almost forcing us to reevaluate nearly every aspect of our lives, including how and when we work. In this episode, we explore what it means to "hustle", sometimes at the expense of everything else. 

Brace yourselves as we journey with Taylor Cashdan through his near-death experience as a result of over-hustling -- and how his perspective in life and personal definition of "hustle" have evolved in the years since.

Thanks for checking out Mind UnMute, a podcast show where I, a curious Malaysian in the US, dive into some sticky subjects and discuss fun observations and hard-to-talk-about topics that many would usually steer clear of in everyday conversation.

In this inaugural episode, I'm joined by Misty Wilson, and we attempt to untangle the knots surrounding “natural” hair:

Mind Unmute is an interview and conversation-driven podcast that aims to explore taboo or culturally-difficult questions and topics within the US from the culture-shocked perspective of a non-US-born person. 

Think “Larry King Live”, but from the perspective of a Malaysian transplant (our Aaron Thaddeus) who’s just trying to navigate and understand the multi-layered and rather complex identity of the US.

The goal is to step into some potentially uncomfortable shoes as Aaron braves frequently avoided topics, discovers new perspectives, and explores the US through a whole new lens.

Topics like: 

Ever found yourself in a situation where you felt to urge and curiosity to ask a question but were too afraid to raise it? It’s in those areas of discomfort or awkward feelings where Mind UnMute lives.

If you’ve ever held your tongue out of fear or shame and want an outlet to unmute some quiet riots and curiosities you’ve been holding onto, join Aaron Thaddeus as he journeys through what it’s really like to be an “alien” in America.