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Jonny Thyne
  • 5.0 (14)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Weekly

In a world driven by algorithms, filters, and conformity- I’ve discovered real life exists outside of that all. Variety, nuance, curiosity, and uniqueness are what make us human and what makes us feel alive. This show is about refusing pre-packaged thinking: the scripts, narratives, identities, and beliefs we inherit without choosing (what my friend Jen calls “mother, father, preacher, teacher tapes”). I am no guru or self-help authority… just a guy committed to living fully, talking with people who do the same. Tune in if you want to feel less alone… and a little more awake. jonnythyne.com

  1. 5d ago

    The Person You Can't Become At Home: On Moving, Starting Over, and Finding Yourself Somewhere New

    This week I'm coming in hot with some life updates - the Hacks series finale (UPDATE: I thought it was the series finale, it wasn't. and I couldn't be happier about it) and a book I finished, You've Found Oliver by Dustin Thao, which started slow and then took a turn I did not see coming and had me in my feels for the rest of the day. Dustin, you might be getting a call soon. Then we get into it. First- the dumb phone experiment. I tried it. It was harder than expected, lonelier than expected, and ultimately more clarifying than expected. I'm not back to scrolling mindlessly, but I'm also not pretending the rest of the world is going to slow down and meet me where I am. I found a middle ground, and I share exactly what that looks like now plus an app called Blank Spaces that has been a genuine game changer for anyone not ready to go full dumb phone but desperate for less noise. And then the thing I really wanted to talk about. The belief I have held for over ten years that I think is one of the most radical, most necessary things a person can do for themselves- leave your hometown. Give it at least two years somewhere new. Sit in the discomfort of nobody knowing who you are or who you're supposed to be. Let yourself become a blank canvas again. I moved from Massachusetts to Tucson at 21 with nothing. No job, no money, one connection, zero plan. It was the best decision I have ever made. Then Phoenix. Then LA. And now Paris is on the horizon. Every single move has cracked me open in ways I didn't know I needed. Every city has asked me to shed something and grow something new in its place. This episode is for the person who feels the pull and keeps talking themselves out of it. The person who knows something different is waiting for them but can't quite bring themselves to begin. I've been that person. I know what's on the other side of the fear. And I promise you- it is worth every single uncomfortable, disorienting, lonely, magnificent moment. If you want to talk about any of this - privately or on the podcast- I'd love to hear from you. https://jonnythyne.com/reflect

    34 min

  2. May 19

    Spiritually Awake, Socially Inconvenienced: When Meditation Starts Working

    Jen is back, and I have to be honest with you- becoming more spiritually aware has made me a worse bar patron. We talk about what actually happens when meditation starts working: you feel everything, you notice everything, and sometimes you're stuck in a room where the energy is genuinely terrible and you just have to be there anyway. We also get into what it means to love yourself on the days when you're disconnected, why there are no rules in meditation even though it kind of feels like there are, and Jen's origin story (which involves finding the teacher she'd been looking for her whole life and then choosing the bar instead.) She ends us with a question that I'm still sitting with. Head to the link below, drop your answer in the anonymous submission box, and Jen and I are bringing your responses into our next episode together. If you'd still like to join the meditation challenge, that link is below, as well! https://jonnythyne.com/reflect https://www.lightsourcecenter.org/21day/

    39 min

  3. May 12

    We're Back (with Kira Who Was Secretly Pregnant Last Time)

    Kira is back and a lot has happened since we last hit record together. Unknowingly pregnant at our last recording, Kira walks us through a year that included prenatal depression (not the same as postpartum- we get into it), finding the therapist who got her through it, a new baby boy named Charlie, a new house, and somehow, still finding time to read. We also talk about the frustrating reality of therapy licensing laws in this country, why American healthcare reaches for a prescription before anything else, and what it actually feels like when the hardest chapter of your life ends the moment your son is born. Then we get into books- what we've both been reading, what we haven't finished, and the first pick for Season 2 of the book club: The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali. You have five weeks. We'll see you back here for the discussion. If you want to be on the podcast or bring something to Kira and me, reach out. The door is genuinely open. JonnyThyne.com Instagram: @kiraleclair @jonnythyne @refusetosubscribe

    36 min

  4. May 5

    Fear Doesn't Get the Final Say

    In this episode I explore what it means to "create your own reality" through my own lived experience. It is not a way to deny hardship or bypass responsibility, but it is a practice of choosing who you become in the middle of uncertainty, fear, and change. Sometimes the life you want or deciding who you want to become doesn't happen after the fear disappears. Sometimes it happens the moment you make your move anyway. https://jonnythyne.com https://linktr.ee/Jonnythyne https://www.lightsourcecenter.org/21day/

    37 min

  5. Apr 28

    Meditation, Manifestation, and Creating Your Own Life with Jen

    Jen is back! And this time we get into the specifics. If you heard her on season one, you know she's the real deal. If this is your first time meeting her, buckle up. In this conversation we go deep on what it actually means to create your own life. Not the Instagram version of manifestation...the real thing. The kind where you realize that everything happening to you is actually happening for you. Jen and I share specific moments where we've literally made things happen- from a parking spot that was never supposed to be open, to getting unstuck from a broken elevator at one in the morning. We also talk about what it means to be human while doing this work, because spirituality isn't about becoming a "monk on a mountaintop". It's about learning to live your actual life from a place of love instead of fear. If any of this makes you pause or brings up a question — send it in. I'd love to have the conversation, privately or on the podcast. Follow: @thelightsourcecenter https://www.lightsourcecenter.org/21day/ jonnythyne.com

    44 min

  6. Apr 22

    I Was Always This Way

    Before there was a podcast and the Jonny you all know today- there was just a kid who didn't want to share his toys, liked being by himself, danced on picnic tables in a polka dotted dress, and quietly refused to be anything other than himself. My Mom was there for all of it- introducing her... introducing me! Enjoy.

    49 min

  7. Apr 14

    Refuse to Subscribe

    The podcast has a new name...and it’s not just a rebrand. Refuse to Subscribe is what this show has always been trying to say. It’s for the people who think too deeply to accept the default life, who follow something their soul is calling them toward instead of the script society handed them. If you’re listening, you probably already know what that feels like. In this first episode back, Jonny reintroduces himself, breaks down why The People Who Make Us evolved into something bigger, and catches you up on everything that’s happened since- a first date in Yosemite, moving in with his boyfriend Andrew, a grandfather’s passing, and a decision to walk away from social media and a smart phone. Same person. Different angle. This season is going to be something. Buckle up. 📩 Got feedback, a story to share, or want to come on the show? Reach out: jonathan.thyne@gmail.com 🔗 Follow along on Substack and everywhere else: https://linktr.ee/Jonnythyne

    18 min

  8. 07/10/2025

    UPDATE: A Pause, A Paris Detour, and What Comes Next

    In this solo episode, Jonny Thyne — host of The People Who Make Us — opens up about the journey behind the mic over the past seven months. From launching the podcast in the midst of wildfires, job loss, and uncertainty… to pushing through chaos, finding moments of connection, and finally stepping back to reflect, this is a candid update on what it’s taken to get here. Jonny shares the story behind his unexpected break during the Pride series, the spontaneous trip to Paris that helped him reconnect with his purpose, and what you can expect from the podcast moving forward. Whether you’re a longtime listener or just dropping in, this episode is an invitation to pause, reflect, and realign — in podcasting and in life. Mentioned:— Pride series continuation featuring Jackie Beat— Pageboy Book Club finale & upcoming pick— Break announcement + return in September 💌 Keep in touch on Instagram @jonnythyne and share what’s been resonating with you.🎧 And as always — thank you for listening to The People Who Make Us.

    10 min
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5
out of 5
14 Ratings

About

In a world driven by algorithms, filters, and conformity- I’ve discovered real life exists outside of that all. Variety, nuance, curiosity, and uniqueness are what make us human and what makes us feel alive. This show is about refusing pre-packaged thinking: the scripts, narratives, identities, and beliefs we inherit without choosing (what my friend Jen calls “mother, father, preacher, teacher tapes”). I am no guru or self-help authority… just a guy committed to living fully, talking with people who do the same. Tune in if you want to feel less alone… and a little more awake. jonnythyne.com

Information

  • Creator
    Jonny Thyne
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    18
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Jonny Thyne
  • Show Website
    Refuse to Subscribe