Unoptimized fun

Easy to Follow, Hard to Forget

If you’ve ever wondered why some stories follow you home, this voicemail is for you. I’m thinking about Obsession, happy songs in horror movies, and the strange power of stories that are easy to follow but hard to predict. We’ll talk about tension, contrast, and why sometimes the stickiest creative choice is the one that feels just a little emotionally wrong. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sorryimissedyou.substack.com [https://sorryimissedyou.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

How things we make can guide people forward

If you’ve ever felt comforted by proof that someone else has been here before, this voicemail is for you. I’m thinking about dirt paths, memory, and the quiet traces people leave behind that help us find our way. We’ll talk about how those small signs of shared humanity can bring us back to ourselves, and why the best creative work helps people feel a little less alone. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sorryimissedyou.substack.com [https://sorryimissedyou.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Welcome vs. Expected

If you’ve ever felt “included” but still not fully at home, this voicemail is for you. I’m unpacking the difference between being welcomed and being expected, and why that subtle shift can change how we show up in friendships, rooms, and even the experiences we build through marketing. We’ll talk about belonging as something you can practice (not something you accidentally earn), how to stop auditioning for a role nobody’s hiring for, and what it looks like to create moments people actually want to return to. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sorryimissedyou.substack.com [https://sorryimissedyou.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Low-Effort Side Quests

What makes tiny wins so addictive? I’ve been thinking about how low-effort side quests create momentum, fulfillment, and repeatable joy. From conveyor belt sushi and surprise capsule toys to habit streaks and everyday rituals, this voicemail explores why small wins work—and how a little progress, story, and reward turns ordinary moments into something we actually want to return to. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sorryimissedyou.substack.com [https://sorryimissedyou.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Unoptimized fun

Why does your brain love things you don’t have to choose? In this voicemail, I get into why background TV, old cartoons, and even the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade feel so comforting right now. We talk about algorithm fatigue, shared attention, curiosity, and how everything somehow started feeling like homework. From Pretty Little Liars nights in high school to texting my mom during Santa’s big entrance, this is a soft little rant about connection, low-stakes discovery, and the quiet joy of unoptimized fun. If this reminds you of your own comfort-watch rituals, tell me!! I love hearing what everyone’s version of unoptimized fun looks like. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sorryimissedyou.substack.com [https://sorryimissedyou.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]