This Is Uncomfortable

The Madison College Esports team hasn’t been around for very long, and they might not have the most experience, but they’ve always had one advantage over the other teams out there: Coach Schmo. Back in the summer of 2020, the community college was looking to dive head first into the world of competitive video games. The school’s athletics department turned to IT engineer Joe Hanson for help, asking him to take on the mantle of head coach and build the team from the ground up. They had no facilities, no players… and no real plan for compensating coaches.When the reality of the task ahead first hit him? “It was instantly like, ‘Oh God, what did I just do?’ Like almost instant remorse,” Hanson said. This week, TIU gets an introduction to the world of esports through Coach Hanson (or “Schmo,” as the team calls him). He and his players share how their ragtag group of gamers became the Madison College Wolfpack and how, in the midst of the pandemic, they found real connection in this new community. A community that meant a lot for players like current assistant coach Paisley Bennet, who was one of the team’s first recruits. “I could say like half these people are more like family now,” she said. For Paisley, the space that Joe and the team created for students like her was about more than just wins and losses: “Whatever we needed, they were still there. When it comes down to it, I can show these people who I am and trust them.”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 Reema Khrais and some recs from the This Is Uncomfortable team. If you missed it, here’s the latest issue.If you want to tell us what you thought about the episode or anything else, email us at uncomfortable@marketplace.org or fill out the form below.Submit a form.

The spooky season is upon us, folks, and that means Money Horror Stories are back! This time around, we’ve got two stories that will make your wallet shudder.First up, the cautionary tale of Abigail Keel. Abigail’s story starts like many horror films, with a phone call and an unknown voice on the other line, which sends her on a harrowing journey.Our second story features Zinzile Sibanda, a young woman who was initially super excited to be her best friend’s bridesmaid. They had dreamt of this day since college, and Zinzile was involved in all of the planning, from the outfits to the bridal shower. But by the time the big day arrived, she wanted nothing to do with it. So join us for a ride on the scary side! 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 Reema Khrais and some recommendations from the Uncomfortable team. In this week’s newsletter, Reema shares her own money horror story. If you missed it, here’s the latest issue.​​If you want to tell us what you thought about the episode or anything else, email us at uncomfortable@marketplace.org or fill out the form below.Submit a form.

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 of providing them with stable support, Stewart used his militia to further isolate and control Tasha and their six children … until they reached a breaking point.This episode was reported and produced by Reema Khrais and Hannah Harris Green, edited by Karen Duffin and engineered by Drew Jostad.

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 the Oath Keepers. He’s currently on trial for inciting the Jan. 6 insurrection. This episode was reported and produced by Reema Khrais and Hannah Harris Green, edited by Karen Duffin and engineered by Drew Jostad.

“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 embrace the generosity of strangers and so much more. Listen to the trailer above and follow “This Is Uncomfortable” wherever you get podcasts. And to get even more Uncomfortable during the season, sign up for our newsletter. Each Friday morning we’ll bring you a note from Reema, new stories from listeners, tough money questions and recommendations from our team! Here’s the latest issue.

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?

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.

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.

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 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 Reema Khrais and some recs from the Uncomfortable team. If you missed it, here’s the latest issue.

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 Reema and some recs from the Uncomfortable team. If you missed it, here’s the latest issue.