This week, Kirsten brings the talk she’s been giving to businesses, schools, and anyone who will listen to the pod: embracing cringe. This isn’t a keynote in a pod, it’s a discussion about something we have both lived through. Continue to live through.
We talk about why cringe is a “compass pointing you toward the thing that matters”. We get into what cringe actually is (not a confidence problem), the science behind why we move away from discomfort, how to find your climbing partner for cringe mountain, and what brands can learn from all of it.
A vulnerable but fun topic.
Enjoy!
Hit the links to skip to the bits you fancy
01:26 — CRINGE MOUNTAIN// What cringe actually is: not a confidence problem, but the feeling of getting vulnerable, taking the mask off, and doing something anyway.
05:00 — WHAT IT UNLOCKS// Tackling shame. And why cringe never fully goes away, it just gets easier.
08:24 — THE SCIENCE OF DISCOMFORT// The amygdala, a saber-tooth tiger, and reframing discomfort.
11:13 — EVERYBODY STARTS AT THE BOTTOM // Kirsten was mortified by her first LinkedIn post. Chris didn’t want to do the podcast. Nobody starts halfway up cringe mountain.
15:00 — BECOMING A SHERPA// How to climb with someone else and why nudging people onto the mountain means you can’t quit (a helpful incentive!)
18:34 — BRANDS ON CRINGE MOUNTAIN// The brands doing it best have climbed.
23:00 — UP ALL NIGHT EITHER WAY// You’re up all night cringing that you said the thing, or up all night cringing you didn’t.
28:31 — A CRINGE BUCKET LIST// Success, MC’ing a conference in London, perimenopause, vulnerable parenting, and the next leg of this journey.
35:15 — HATERS + THE SPOTLIGHT EFFECT// The bigger your stage, the more people poo-poo it. Also: nobody’s watching you climb out of the pool. Just begin.
That’s all, folx. – Chris
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ABOUT
Chris and Kirsten are the founders of IN GOOD CO, a consultancy that ignites challenger brands with fearless and proactive positioning.
Chris writes a weekly newsletter for +17K subscribers that shares the best-of-the-best on culture, trends, marketing, etc. What she's dropping to friends on Slack or finding useful in meetings with brands | Follow her on Substack
