SMALL ON PURPOSE

Lydia Lee and Maira Akhter
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  • MARKETING
  • EVERY-TWO-WEEKS SERIES

We're doing the thing everyone says not to do: staying small on purpose. Join Lydia and Humaira for unpolished conversations about business, life, and saying no to the growth-at-all-costs mentality. Zero BS about scaling, just two entrepreneurs figuring it out as we go, because staying intentionally small is the most radical thing you can do.

Season 1

  1. Ep 001 — What This Even Is

    EPISODE 1

    Ep 001 — What This Even Is

    Lydia's in Bali running a 25-hour-a-week business. Humaira's in Maryland with twins, building around her life instead of sacrificing it. We both said no to scaling, launching, and doing all the things we're "supposed" to do. So we decided to start a podcast together. When we first met, we talked for two hours straight. It was one of those conversations where you realize: oh thank god, I'm not the only one who thinks this way. We're both women of color with immigrant backgrounds, both allergic to bro marketing and hustle culture, both trying to build businesses that actually feel good to run. In this episode, we share how we met (Humaira slid into Lydia's DMs), why our first call felt like the best first date, and what we want this podcast to be: the kind of conversation you'd have curled up on a couch with tea, not polished and performative. A place for anyone who's ever felt lonely, choosing small on purpose when everyone around them is chasing bigger and more. If you've ever felt lonely pursuing something unconventional, or if you've ever wanted someone to tell you you're not crazy for prioritizing enough over more, come hang with us. We're figuring this out too. Hosts Info: Connect with Lydia Lee: https://screwthecubicle.com, https://www.linkedin.com/in/lydiallee Connect with Humaira Akhter: https://humairaakhter.com, https://www.linkedin.com/in/humairaakhter

    19 min

  2. EPISODE 2

    Ep 002 — Two People Who Chose Small

    What happens when you build the business you thought you wanted and realize it's not the life you actually want? In this episode, Lydia and Humaira get into the real stories behind why they both chose small, not from scarcity, but on purpose. Lydia's highest revenue year came with Forbes features and zero sleep. Humaira's wake-up call came when her husband had a stroke. Neither of us arrived here gracefully. We also get into what "enough" actually looks like when you stop using revenue as the only scoreboard, and why that number looks completely different depending on where you are in life right now. Hosts Info: Connect with Lydia Lee: https://screwthecubicle.com, https://www.linkedin.com/in/lydiallee Connect with Humaira Akhter: https://humairaakhter.com, https://www.linkedin.com/in/humairaakhter

    56 min

  3. EPISODE 3

    Ep 003 — Why Childhood Shit Makes Business Hard

    Lydia and Humaira get into something a little deeper this episode. The stuff that runs quietly in the background long before you ever start a business. They both grew up with immigrant parents who worked hard, sacrificed a lot, and passed down a whole set of beliefs about what it means to succeed. Not out of bad intentions. Out of love, and survival. But somewhere between "work twice as hard to be seen" and "you could've done better," those messages became the operating system for how they showed up in their businesses. And both of them are slowly, imperfectly learning to do things differently. Hosts Info: Connect with Lydia Lee: https://screwthecubicle.com, https://www.linkedin.com/in/lydiallee Connect with Humaira Akhter: https://humairaakhter.com, https://www.linkedin.com/in/humairaakhter

    1hr 12min

  4. EPISODE 4

    Ep 004 — Things We're Not Doing Anymore

    Lydia and Humaira have both tried the things they were supposed to try. The funnels, the launch cycles, the lead gen coach who had them scrubbing lists. Some of it even worked, technically. But at some point, feeling bad about how you're doing something starts to count as data too. This episode is about the things they've officially let go of — in marketing, in how they sell, in how they think about what success is even supposed to look like. And what they've quietly replaced them with instead. Hosts Info: Connect with Lydia Lee: https://screwthecubicle.com, https://www.linkedin.com/in/lydiallee Connect with Humaira Akhter: https://humairaakhter.com, https://www.linkedin.com/in/humairaakhter

    1hr 11min

  5. EPISODE 5

    Ep 005 — Marketing That Doesn't Feel Like Shit

    Humaira would rather have a root canal than do sales. Lydia knows that desperate energy ain't sexy. So naturally we have a lot to say about what marketing looks like when it actually feels good. In this episode we both share what works for us, what it took to stop performing for algorithms we didn't care about, and why none of it looks anything like what we were taught. Spoiler: it involves a lot less strategy and a lot more just being human. Hosts Info: Connect with Lydia Lee: https://screwthecubicle.com, https://www.linkedin.com/in/lydiallee Connect with Humaira Akhter: https://humairaakhter.com, https://www.linkedin.com/in/humairaakhter

    1hr 3min
  • 5 Episodes

About

We're doing the thing everyone says not to do: staying small on purpose. Join Lydia and Humaira for unpolished conversations about business, life, and saying no to the growth-at-all-costs mentality. Zero BS about scaling, just two entrepreneurs figuring it out as we go, because staying intentionally small is the most radical thing you can do.

Information

  • Creator
    Lydia Lee and Maira Akhter
  • Episodes
    5
  • Seasons
    1
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Small on Purpose All Rights Reserved.
  • Show Website
    SMALL ON PURPOSE