You're Not Too Much

Flying makes me anxious. Not the mild kind. The walls-closing-in, I-need-control kind.

Hi, I'm Lauren Howard. You can call me L2. Like other people do. And in this episode of "Different, Not Broken" I talk about what it was like flying with someone who supported me without making a thing of it. No fuss. No questions. No spotlight. Just quiet, steady presence.

We get into why that kind of support works so well, especially for anxious and neurodivergent people, and why “are you okay?” is often the least helpful thing you can say.

Once you've been inspired to brag, here's where you can do it! - https://differentnotbrokenpodcast.com/voicemail

Stuff that helps you become awesome even if you're different: https://stan.store/elletwo

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

00:00 "Therapist as Emotional Support"

05:49 "Calm Support During Turbulence"

07:26 "Weird Ears and Airplanes"

12:32 Toilet Paper Holder Frustrations

16:49 "Outgrowing Expectations and Tolerance"

18:46 Sibling Conflict and Resolution

Mentioned in this episode:

Build Your Better course

Build your better course - https://stan.store/elletwo/p/build-your-better

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Brag on yourself

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Nobody tells you this part about being a parent.

That every boundary you set comes with a quiet, gnawing guilt.

Needing space. Wanting quiet. Asking not to be touched for five minutes.

And immediately wondering if you’ll regret it forever.

Hi, I'm Lauren Howard. You can call me L2. Like other people do.

And in this episode of Different, Not Broken, I talk about the constant tug-of-war between your needs as a human and your guilt as a parent.

Because even when your kids are healthy, safe, loved, and thriving, it can still feel like you’re failing someone all the time.

Usually yourself. Sometimes them.

Often both.

I get into overstimulation, sensory overload, and why tiny, almost invisible things can feel completely unbearable when your fuse is already short.

And I talk about that thought parents torture themselves with over and over again.

What if this is the last time?

This is a conversation for parents who love their kids deeply and still sometimes need room to breathe.

Stuff that helps you become awesome even if you’re different: https://stan.store/elletwo

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

00:00 The chaos nobody prepares you for

01:00 When your fuse feels dangerously short

03:03 Overstimulation and sensory overload

06:20 The tiny thing that breaks you

10:45 “What if this is the last time?”

14:50 The moment I knew I’d done something right

27:30 Recording while being a parent

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Shhhhh! Come in and have a listen to your gift. Don't tell anyone....

Nobody really explains this part of relationships either.

That a lot of the friction isn’t about love, or communication, or effort.

It’s about order.

And chaos.

And which one of you is quietly losing your mind because the other one will not, under any circumstances, make a plan.

Hi, I’m Lauren Howard. You can call me L2. Like other people do.

And in this episode of Different, Not Broken, I introduce you to the single most accurate relationship framework I’ve ever found.

It comes from the greatest relationship philosopher of our time.

Jim Henson.

I’m talking Order Muppets and Chaos Muppets.

Who they are.

Why they keep finding each other.

And why once you see it, you genuinely can’t unsee it.

We get into partners, kids, siblings, colleagues, and the moment when an Order Muppet finally snaps and goes full feral Kermit.

We talk about why chaos isn’t a flaw.

Why order isn’t control.

And why most conflict is really just two nervous systems speaking completely different languages.

There’s also a listener question about masking.

What it costs.

Why it’s exhausting.

And how to start noticing who you actually are underneath all the coping.

It’s funny.

It’s unreasonably accurate.

And it will absolutely ruin the way you look at the people in your life, in the best possible way.

If you’ve ever thought “why am I the only one holding this together?”

Or “why does this person make everything harder?”

Congratulations. You’re probably a Muppet.

Let’s figure out which kind.

Stuff that helps you become awesome even if you’re different: https://stan.store/elletwo

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

00:00 Are You an Order Muppet or a Chaos Muppet?

02:18 Jim Henson’s accidental relationship genius

05:04 Why opposites don’t just attract, they survive

08:41 Families, kids, and chaos tolerance

11:22 When Order Muppets finally lose their shit

13:09 Listener question: masking and exhaustion

14:05 How to start unmasking without blowing up your life

Mentioned in this episode:

Build Your Better course

Build your better course - https://stan.store/elletwo/p/build-your-better

Brag on yourself

Wanna brag on yourself for something you've done which you're proud of? https://differentnotbrokenpodcast.com/voicemail

Wanna sponsor this podcast

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Sponsor Different Not Broken

Nobody tells you this part about being an adult.

That most of your energy gets burned on decisions. Small ones. Constant ones. What to eat. What to say. How to say it nicely. Who not to upset. When to apologise. Again.

Hi, I'm Lauren Howard. You can call me L2. Like other people do. And in this episode of "Different, Not Broken" I talk about the real gift overwhelmed people actually want.

Not stuff.

Not experiences.

Not another thing you’re supposed to be grateful for.

Just nothing.

Relax, there's logic in here if you listen.

I also get into something we’ve been quietly taught for years: that staying modest, keeping your head down, and not bragging will somehow pay off. To be honest, it usually hasn’t. And pretending otherwise hasn’t helped anyone.

This is a conversation about decision fatigue, invisible labour, and why being good at things isn’t something you should apologise for. It’s funny, sharp, honest, and probably a bit too relatable if you’re the person everyone relies on.

If you’re tired, capable, and done pretending you’re not — this one’s for you.

Once you've been inspired to brag, here's where you can do it! - https://differentnotbrokenpodcast.com/voicemail

Stuff that helps you become awesome even if you're different: https://stan.store/elletwo

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

00:00 "What I Really Want"*

05:46 "Craving Decision-Free Solitude"

06:18 "Adulting is Meal Planning"

10:11 "Garbage Day Struggles"

15:44 Boundaries on Personal Questions

16:25 "Pets as Family"

Mentioned in this episode:

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Wanna learn to write like me?

Here's how you can!

Writing Course

Build Your Better course

Build your better course - https://stan.store/elletwo/p/build-your-better

I need to go on the record.

The Wet Bandits are NOT the villains in Home Alone.

This episode is a full rewatch reckoning. The kind that hits you sideways once you’re an adult and can’t unsee what’s actually happening on screen.

And we’re meant to call it festive.

This is not a cosy nostalgia episode.

It’s time to get a little uncomfortable and understand what's really going on with this movie and why I think it's more of a horror movie than a Christmas film.

Merry Christmas, you filthy animals.

Team Difficult: Can I Get That on a T-Shirt?

Hi, I'm Lauren Howard. You can call me L2. Like other people do. And in this episode of "Different, Not Broken"...

You know that word you’ve heard muttered under their breath after a meeting, or the one you’ve seen tossed around as an insult every time you dared to challenge a Not-So-Great Idea™ at work? "Difficult."

It’s the golden badge awarded when you stand your ground, ask questions, or refuse to shrink yourself to fit someone else’s comfort zone.

Might as well print it on a shirt and wear it as a uniform. (Actually, that’s exactly what happened—and yes, the US trademark is real. Team Difficult is officially in session.)

In this episode, I'm sharing my thoughts on the culture of workplace competition, the myth of “just be agreeable and you’ll get ahead,” and how the word “difficult” is actually code for “please be smaller so I can feel bigger.”

If you’ve ever felt like you have to play the game—even when being “game” makes you miserable—or you’ve found yourself walking a fine line between champion and challenger, this episode is for you.

If you’ve ever been told you’re “too much”—too loud, too opinionated, too different—or found yourself shrinking so someone else didn’t feel threatened, “Different, Not Broken” is here to remind you: You are NOT difficult, even when they say you are.

You’re Team Difficult—and that’s something to celebrate.

Stuff that helps you become awesome even if you're different: https://stan.store/elletwo

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

00:00 "Team Difficult Origins Explained"

03:24 Gender Bias in Workplace Communication

08:13 "Collaboration Over Competition"

12:07 "Christmas Trees Have Backs"

15:42 Burnout and Starting Over

19:02 "Self-Blame in Tough Situations"

20:42 Unsustainable Burnout Amid Life Challenges

24:10 "This Might Break Him"

Mentioned in this episode:

Wanna sponsor this podcast

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Brag on yourself

Wanna brag on yourself for something you've done which you're proud of? https://differentnotbrokenpodcast.com/voicemail

Build Your Better course

Build your better course - https://stan.store/elletwo/p/build-your-better

Your emotional energy is not in your job description.

There! I said it. Did you feel a little jolt of recognition, a sense of relief—or maybe a stab of rage?

Hi, I'm Lauren Howard. You can call me L2. Like other people do. And in this episode of "Different, Not Broken" I'm asking if you’ve ever slogged through unbearable meetings, survived a boss who’d rather watch you squirm than support you, or felt your job siphoning off bits of your sanity day after day… this episode is your permission slip to stop surrendering your mental health on the altar of toxic work culture.

If you’ve ever heard “No job is worth your mental health” and nodded vigorously, only to feel that familiar panic rising when rent is due and quitting might mean eviction, you’re in the right place.

This episode won’t hand you Instagram-worthy mantras divorced from the realities of bills, healthcare, and responsibility.

Instead, I'm calling bullshit on the “just quit” narrative, sharing the reality, along with some actionable insights, and the kinds of boundary-setting wisdom you wish someone told you before your workplace broke you—not because you were broken, but because you were different in a system built for sameness.

You’ll find out:

• Why the burn-it-all-down mentality works for trust-fund babies but not so much for the rest of us.
• How your emotional labor is being quietly exploited—and how to reclaim it without burning bridges (or burning out).
• The single most important thing to do before leaving a toxic workplace (hint: it's not just quitting).
• How to spot the difference between jobs that are simply tough, and jobs that are actively toxic.
• What actually leads to burnout (spoiler: it’s almost never the actual work).

Most importantly, you'll hear a deeply personal story of what happens when you reach your breaking point—and what you wish you knew before walking away.

No job deserves your mental health.

Listen now. Your sanity—and future self—will thank you.

Stuff that helps you become awesome even if you're different: https://stan.store/elletwo

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

00:00 "No Job Over Mental Health"

06:11 "Choosing Your Emotional Boundaries"

08:49 "Leaving to Save My Sanity"

12:49 "Questioning Corporate Processes"

15:11 Corporate Misfit to Happy Entrepreneur

19:46 Weekend Questions I Hate

23:10 "Choosing Between Fun or Rest"

25:27 Navigating Choices and Conversations

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

To be honest, I’ve hit my limit with holiday guilt and the weird pressure to act like everything’s cosy and magical just because the calendar says so. Holidays are made up. They only exist if you get paid time off or you genuinely enjoy them… and most people don’t.

In this episode, I’m pulling the curtains back on the whole thing.

The family expectations.

The traditions no one even likes.

The so-called “peacekeeping” that’s really just self-abandonment.

This one’s a little ranty, a little chaotic, and probably the most comforting thing you’ll hear all season.

Let’s talk about ditching guilt, skipping the bullshit, and building holidays that don’t make you want to scream.

Mentioned in this episode:

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I survived a healthcare conference in Las Vegas… and honestly, I’m still a little surprised.

Hi, I'm Lauren Howard. You can call me L2. Like other people do. And in this episode of "Different, Not Broken" I'm sharing my story of peopling in sin city.

Between the cigarette-tinged air, the giant hotel that somehow has no sunlight, the time-zone confusion, and the very real possibility that I could’ve wandered straight into a meetup hosted by people I’m literally in a legal dispute with, this trip shouldn’t have been fun — but weirdly, it was.

In this episode, I talk about:

• Why Vegas feels like a desert with no actual sun

• How I almost RSVP’d myself straight into the lion’s den (yes, that lion)

• My team acting like emotional support humans so I didn’t melt into a puddle in the middle of the crowd

• The bizarre networking moments where founders, lawyers, and random strangers kept appearing out of nowhere

• Why meeting listeners in real life makes me want to slide between the cracks of a sewer grate and disappear forever

• And — shockingly — why I’d actually do this whole thing again

Also, Alison brings us another listener question in Small Talk all about productivity.

Stuff that helps you become awesome even if you're different: https://stan.store/elletwo

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

00:00 "Time, Smoke, and Healthcare Irony"

05:30 "Almost Entering the Lion's Den"

07:12 "Introvert at the Party"

13:12 "Dateline Rule: No Second Location"

13:49 "Conference Reflections: Fun & Validation"

17:11 "Overcoming Exhaustion and Enjoyment"

20:20 Checklist Productivity vs Mental Effort

23:55 Redefining Daily Productivity

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