Hi, I'm Monica Packer from About Progress, and this is Remember When, a monthly episode to honor

about progress turning 10 years old this coming November. Each month leading up to that milestone,

I'm opening up a time capsule of a bygone year,

gradually working up to our current one to look back at what was happening in the world,

in my life, and in this podcast, all with the goal to celebrate and learn from this work we've created

together. The year is 2016.

Remember when the U.S. presidential election dominated everything and Trump was elected in November.

Remember when social media became a primary news source and political tension was everywhere. Remember when the UK voted for

Brexit, a huge global shockwave ensued. Remember when Pokemon Goal took over real life and there

were parks full of people overnight? Remember when conversations around mental health, burnout,

and anxiety were just starting to become more mainstream.

And remember when streaming culture exploded, Netflix originals became a big deal.

And remember when hustle culture was still glorified, but cracks were starting to show.

This is the year that about progress began, but it wasn't with a podcast.

It actually began sooner that year in January.

I had just joined Instagram.

To talk about that, I need to go behind the mic.

I had just joined Instagram with my first smartphone one year prior.

Before that, for about 10 years, I was an avid blog reader. I always wanted to try to start my own blog,

but I was way too scared. I thought it was far too late, that I was behind, that nobody would read it, that nobody would care. And this is one of the many, many ways in my life that I was stuck on the sidelines of

things I wanted to do and try and to discover. You may know the story, but in December of 2015,

I realized I was going to turn 30 in six months and that something needed

...