Try Hard
Alex Sujong Laughlin has conversations with people about the ways they're redefining themselves, from major life changes to picking up new hobbies. Be a try hard. We double dog dare you. Created by Alex Sujong Laughlin and Defector Media.
Episodes
Alex Sujong Laughlin interviews former Gotham and Portland Thorns player Mana Shim about how she walked away from her career to report her abusive coach a landmark NWSL scandal that rocked women's soccer.
Episode transcript here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/11UOOnIzTfTAQEOtV5s1L8CEEbxTCVuTgcD3U-pOErAk/edit?usp=sharing
🏷️: Mana Shim, professional soccer, NWSL, Paul Riley, Portland Thorns, abuse scandal...
Alex Sujong Laughlin interviews Yu & Me Books founder Lucy Yu about how she started the first woman-owned Asian American bookstore in New York in her twenties — and how the process nearly broke her.
Episode transcript here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fMT3qKPRGrhTetCCmMvLLulFc1Zm0RDuZWHhQPXtKe4/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.6mxzxdb60zz7
🏷️: Yu & Me Books, Lucy Yu, Yu & Me, Bookstore, entre...
Alex Sujong Laughlin interviews Defector's very own Jasper Wang about the choice he made to step off the achievement treadmill in his early 30s — and how that led to the creation of Defector Media.
Episode transcript here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vPfZCoO_NFuYmE1zT0gZK7uridKEC8KJVoSxOaap4ws/edit?usp=sharing
🏷️: Career success, achievement treadmill, money and happiness, leaving Bain, consult...
Alex Sujong Laughlin interviews Hrishikesh Hirway of the podcasts Song Exploder, West Wing Weekly, and Home Cooking, about his music career right after the release of his new album, In The Last Hour of Light.
Episode transcript here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_JOiqmLY7dA12mVv0SmhJkiyKybpGZwashjgwhDnQC8/edit?usp=sharing
🏷️: Hrishikesh Hirway, Song Exploder, Try Hard podcast, Alex Sujong Laughlin, Hr...
Alex Sujong Laughlin talks to LEGEND Alexander Chee about the process of writing, delivering, and taking back his novel, "The Queen of the Night." They talk about how he maintained confidence in his creative vision over the 11 years it took to finish the novel and not succumbing to scarcity while building a creative career.
Episode transcript here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WtsAKS23yZBVheavaMvsXbc6cV3YKEnmU38y...
Alex Sujong Laughlin talks to writer Morgan Jerkins about how she made the move to New York for her writing career, and how she's managed to protect her softness in the process.
Episode transcript here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gwFJDScys5QleFodC4byJ7X8ct7y_3awu7of_JdCj8M/edit?usp=sharing
🏷️: , Morgan Jerkins, Wandering in Strange Lands, Caul Baby, moving to New York, writing careers, Alex Sujong L...
Alex Sujong Laughlin talks to Jazmine Green, aka CMD+Jazmine about how queer raves were the site of both her gender transition and her evolution into a musician and DJ.
Episode transcript here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mRub5-XnAfjSye31rxa6lm-dniIumhCq4GM_tI6Tqrs/edit?usp=sharing
🏷️: , Alex Sujong Laughin, Try Hard podcast, CMD+Jazmine, Jazmine Green, raves, queerness, transition, transitioning in...
Alex Sujong Laughlin talks to Death Sex & Money host Anna Sale about how becoming a parent affected her professional ambition.
Episode transcript here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DaTLT55h4dNUsdkSrrDyXnAArDDml0Y1rDi1uLRY8GI/edit?usp=sharing
🏷️: Anna Sale, Death Sex and Money, ambition, motherhood, parenthood, matresence, girlboss feminism, Alex Sujong Laughin, Try Hard podcast, starting over, navi...
Alex Sujong Laughlin talks to Aaron Edwards about how he's learned to make friends as an adult.
Episode transcript here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GiG2tM-BxxQiE4mM4fDrtq7CWrTBaU3UBSHS4g_3j-8/edit?usp=sharing
🏷️: making friends, making friends as an adult, cringe, meetups, rejection, ghosting, introversion, introverts, Aaron Edwards, Upstate Color, Kingston, Alex Sujong Laughin, Try Hard podcast, st...
Ingrid Nilsen was one of the most followed YouTubers ever, but in 2020, she walked away from her influencing career to try something new. In this episode, Alex Sujong Laughlin talks to Ingrid about her decision to quit influencing and how that led to the creation of her candle and fragrance company, The New Savant.
Episode transcript here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/16C3QO_2Dc0xCfLgoxnFD2XmcHU0hL0_4aylVf85oejk/edit?...
Alex Sujong Laughlin launched the Try Hard podcast in 2025 and almost ended the show due to creative burnout, chronic health issues, and major life changes. In this episode, Alex breaks down what you can expect from the new season of Try Hard. Stay tuned for our new season launch date!
Episode transcript here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/12s8f_Kz_L3z5bfEJkhJamHGJKpwGUtglVbM-tMRyV3Q/edit?usp=sharing
🏷️: A...
Breaking this brief winter freeze with a bonus episode featuring a conversation with Madeline Porsella and Mabel Capability Taylor, the creators of Mandylion Press, which "unearths lost literary gems written by women and weirdos in the (very) long nineteenth century."
Check out Mandylion's books here: https://www.mandylionpress.com/
Listen to their podcast, 1-800-1800: https://open.spotify.com/show/4evGmpMz51afDLClA3RVc...
We've talked a lot about trying this season, but not enough about failing. In the season one finale, Ronald Young Jr. comes clean about failing his Try Hard project.
Episode transcript here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/15ysREUJm3-I9T8K6xCGT4Qbtlu1fZfuKETkb1MvaV1c/edit?usp=sharing
You can contribute to Radiotopia's fall fundraiser with a tax-deductible donation here!
Get tickets to Ronald's show Heartb...
Zakiya Gibbons is rusty with dating women, so she goes to a queer speed dating event to shake the cobwebs off.
Episode transcript here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1THYaMJZoV3e_45wsLsScbYxphcywyMIhltrJN0b4Ygc/edit?usp=sharing
You can contribute to Radiotopia's fall fundraiser with a tax-deductible donation here!
Send me voice memos about the things YOU'RE trying at podcasts@defector.com, or you can messag...
Josh Gondelman used to love playing basketball, but he can't seem to bring himself to play in his friend's long-running pickup game.
Check out Josh's standup special, Positive Reinforcement: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAvNlgpdKKo
Episode transcript here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KPusncOHye0q-x9GVxODOTuG-NMoLMjMUEVWlfg2f4I/edit?usp=sharing
Send me voice memos about the things YOU'RE trying at ...
Rax King learns a song on the banjo to play at a jam.
Check out Rax's new book, Sloppy: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/751421/sloppy-by-rax-king/
Episode transcript here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ajUijzXj3ynxpHQIvh-cQBwWdrztnZCiUzJBoQNeTQo/edit?usp=sharing
Send me voice memos about the things YOU'RE trying at podcasts@defector.com, or you can message me or tag me on Instagram @alexlaughs....
Sabrina Imbler is afraid of bugs, but they are working on a book about bugs. What to do?! In this episode, they attempt to catch and pin dragonflies.
Episode transcript here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Zyi-6wY81SosLtcs1y0vZXufOcFwobddFQMCeO7NHzc/edit?usp=sharing
Send me voice memos about the things YOU'RE trying at podcasts@defector.com, or you can message me or tag me on Instagram @alexlaughs. https://www.i...
Ceara Jane O'Sullivan takes a gymnastics class in an attempt to finally master the ultimate cool girl trick: the cartwheel.
Check out Ceara's podcast, Petty Crimes, here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/petty-crimes/id1612693094
Episode transcript here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10zWovNgFBG7w9b41zkZ5Fs95LX6uhj6y5UHykd0URIU/edit?usp=sharing
Send me voice memos about the things YOU'RE trying at p...
Diana Moskovitz never learned to ride a bike when she was a child. Can she make her K-drama Han River bike riding dream come true?
Episode transcript here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CR1x7BM2vyw_t44kvnvXehKfZLjkTLbYgwQCid3vgEQ/edit?usp=sharing
Send me voice memos about the things YOU'RE trying at podcasts@defector.com, or you can message me or tag me on Instagram @alexlaughs. https://www.instagram.com/alexl...
What happens when a wallflower tries to stand in the spotlight?
Check out Yowei's podcast, Proxy.
Episode transcript here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1q866ZRKA_MsysRPo1QQlBBESRfIksmQeZNFmbS_DUOg/edit?usp=sharing
Send me voice memos about the things YOU'RE trying at podcasts@defector.com, or you can message me or tag me on Instagram @alexlaughs.
Try Hard is hosted and produced by Alex Sujong Laughlin. Editorial and ...
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