Michelle Andrews

Michelle explains her anxiety is not socially triggered by interactions with other people, but is instead rooted in her relationship with herself — she is hyper-critical of herself and places too much value on others' opinions, which becomes worse when she isn't kept busy.

They signed the book deal in a food court at Highpoint shopping centre in April 2019 while eating chips from a burrito place, and started writing it in June 2019.

Isolation removed her usual coping mechanism of staying busy (commuting, being in the office with colleagues), leaving her alone with her thoughts more, which she says has made her anxiety less well-managed than it had been in the preceding two years, prompting more frequent psychologist appointments.

Michelle runs content, community management and social media, while Zara handles logistics, planning and the calendar; each avoids touching the other's territory (e.g., Michelle has no access to the shared calendar, Zara doesn't manage Instagram).

They say the media industry changes too quickly, and locking into a long-term plan risks tunnel vision; they prefer to stay flexible and open to shape-shifting, even though they're asked about a 'big picture plan' in interviews.

A listener said the word was offensive and Michelle Andrews instinctively apologised on their Facebook group, but after doing her own research she concluded the general word 'tribe' isn't offensive (unlike specific tribe names or terms like 'powwow') and said she regretted the reflexive apology because it shut down discussion.

Michelle Andrews and Zara McDonald pitched the podcast idea to a media network where they worked; the network initially said yes, then reversed course. Rather than wait for permission, they taught themselves podcasting (recording, editing, platforms) and launched it themselves while still employed, using guerrilla marketing like posters in university bathrooms to build an audience, eventually quitting their jobs once the show gained traction.

Zara and Michelle explain that audiences are often surprised and even unsettled when female co-hosts visibly disagree, framing it as 'catfighting,' whereas genuine friction and distinct personalities are actually what make the show authentic and give it its dynamic, according to the hosts.