Aubrey Gordons laugh is an event, a force of nature.
Her laugh is so distinct that it gets her recognized in public.
Its routinely among the Top 10 health and wellness podcasts on both Apple and Spotify.
Despite the shows success, Gordon doesnt get recognized in public that much.
She rose to prominence under a pseudonym:Your Fat Friend.
Her essayson Mediumgot thousands of views, sometimes millions.
Tens of thousands of people followed her on Twitter.
She started writing a column forSelfmagazine.
It just blew up.
The decision was mostly a practical one.
Its really difficult to do a book tour with a bag over my head or something, she said.
But she had serious safety concerns as well.
And theyre ones that deeply challenge those who cling to the status quo.
Being a fat person who spoke out against fatphobia.
I was genuinely afraid that someone was going to show up at my house, she says.
My main fear was, can I do this and physically stay safe?
Then, a shrug.
Gordon grew up in Beaverton, Oregon.
Her mom was an early childhood educator turned school administrator, and her dad was a commercial airline pilot.
The job required Olympic-level communication skills.
In 2016, Gordon had a tiff with a friend.
They talked and talked.
Her friend felt Gordon wasnt hearing her; Gordon felt she wasnt being heard.
And while they parted on good terms, nothing had been resolved.
At home, Gordon decided to write a letter to her friend.
She sent the letter to another friend, just to double-check that she wasnt being a total *sshole.
There could be real personal and professional repercussions for her, even in her well-intentioned, lefty bubble.
She didnt share it anywhere, but he shared it on his Facebook.
She thought: Well, listen Ive got at least 30 more of those in me.
Thats what she wanted to talk about.
Gordons writing was unusual in mainstream media at the time.
That kind of content still occupies a lot of the discourse, really.
But Gordon didnt have much interest in that conversation.
The more Dove ads you saw, and the more Halo Top ads you saw… She and Hobbes did eventually connect.
The two got lunch in Seattle in 2019 and stayed in touch.
Gordon was the first person he thought of to co-host.
Shes good at bringing in the personal stuff, and also bringing in the scientific, factual context stuff.
She does this when you talk to her, too.
She switches back and forth between the two seamlessly.
And we were both like, You seem fun, and Im bored.
Initially, Gordon and Hobbes only recorded six episodes.
They werent sure how people would respond, or if they would gel as co-hosts.
After a brief break,Maintenance Phasecame back with a regular, biweekly schedule.
Gordon doesnt work at her office job anymore.
Now, she says her typical day is super boring in a way that I deeply love.
She and Hobbes record together about once a week.
When shes not working, shes watching womens soccer orTaskmaster, or hanging out with family.
In fact, the confusion is often by design.
So actually, thats not your brain being broken.
That is the intended outcome of a series of marketing decisions, essentially.
