The Overcompensating

Dissecting the first 4 episodes of "Love Story".We didn’t start with the series. Long before American Love Story existed, we had already read, dissected, and obsessed over their story.This episode covers the first four episodes, created by Ryan Murphy — before the couple is publicly “a couple,” up until their first picture together.We had also read Once Upon a Time by Elizabeth Beller — the book the series draws on most heavily — and What Remains by Carole Radziwill, which shaped our understanding of the story.We move beyond the screen into the world that shaped them — Carolyn at Calvin Klein, the inherited gravity of Jackie Kennedy as portrayed by Naomi Watts, and 1990s New York — the era of The Odeon, before smartphones, when privacy still had boundaries.The soundtrack is intentionally curated and superbly woven throughout the episode, from This Is the Girl by The xx, to Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond, and Fade Into You by Mazzy Star.Ultimately, what fascinates us isn’t the series itself, but how Carolyn and John became more than people — how style and presence turn into persona, how minimalism can feel like a moral choice, and how two lives can become a symbol before they’ve decided what that symbol should be. It’s not a recap; it’s a conversation about why this story keeps drawing us in.

The Overcompensating Podcast, Episode 9 We start sleep-deprived, mildly delusional, and somehow convinced we still have the stamina of our early twenties. We don’t.In this episode, we finally tackle relationships — but from our angle.Not the fairytale version. Not the productivity-couple blueprint. Not the “find your forever person and disappear into domestic bliss” narrative.We talk about crisis, endings, technology, expectations, family structures, and the quiet pressure to believe that one person should fulfil every emotional, intellectual, and existential need we have.The question underneath it all: Are modern relationships failing — or are we just outgrowing outdated ideals?

The Overcompensating Podcast , Episode 8In this episode, we explore purpose through self-discovery. We share reflections from people who know us well — together and individually — and contrast them with what we see in each other. Using those external perspectives as a mirror, we unpack recurring traits, talents, and patterns. The overarching theme is finding purpose — not as a fixed destination, but as something that emerges when you understand how you naturally connect, adapt, create, and move through the world.It’s part analysis, part conversation, part real-time processing

The Overcompensating Podcast , Episode 7In this episode, we reflect on how curiosity, learning, and openness often get quietly replaced by “that’s just age” once certain life milestones are reached. Without judgment, we explore how giving up becomes socially acceptable, reinforced by scripts that promise stability and comfort — and how rarely those scripts are questioned.We talk about what slowly fades when we stop paying attention: curiosity, connection with younger generations, and a sense of time that feels alive rather than repetitive. The point isn’t rejecting conventional paths, but noticing when we’re following them automatically. Staying open isn’t rebellion or identity — it’s a choice. And while choosing differently can create friction, it may also be what keeps life feeling awake and genuinely full.

The Overcompensating Podcast , Episode 6This episode was supposed to be one thing. It became something else. (As usual.)Instead of forcing resolutions or pretending we’re entering the new year as fully evolved beings, we looked back first — using a few deceptively simple questions from Mel Robbins to unpack the year we just survived, processed, overthought, and (mostly) learned from.From there, we drifted — naturally — into manifesting. Not the loud, vision-board-only kind (we wanted to do that too, yes, we lacked the glue), but the quieter, more habitual versions: moon rituals, naming intentions out loud and believing that clarity + repetition + a bit of delusion is actually a system.This is a conversation about reflecting before rushing, emotional audits, and choosing to move forward with intention — even if we’re still figuring out what that intention looks like.Overcompensating? Always.Moving forward anyway? Also yes.👉 Join our Substack community: https://theovercompensating.substack.com👈

The Overcompensating Podcast , Episode 5In this episode, we dive into the ways we’ve turned comfort into a full-time job — and how being “well” became something we now have to maintain, optimise, and, occasionally, unsubscribe from.We start with Spotify Wrapped and end up diagnosing our generation: subscribed to everything — except peace of mind.From gym memberships to guided meditations, dopamine detoxes to doomscrolling, we ask:What if balance was never the point? What if the real skill is learning to live with our contradictions — between wellness and burnout, meaning and memes, subscribing and escaping?It’s both a therapy session and a confession tape. And yes, we brought receipts: apps, habits, routines, and all the tiny ways we try (and sometimes fail) to feel “fine.”👉 Join our Substack community: https://theovercompensating.substack.com👈_💡 About The OvercompensatingWe’ve been friends since we were four. This is our space to unpack the ways we over-explain, overdress, overthink — and, yes, overcompensate — through culture, style, family, food, travel, and everything in between.👋🏻 If you’ve ever struggled to find balance — between wellness and indulgence, planning for later and living for now — you’ll feel right at home here._🎧 In this episode00:00 – 00:25 - Intro: Back at it – Overcompensating, as usual00:25 – 07:40 - Random Overcompensations: Tortillas, rope jumps, and weekly wins07:41 – 09:48 - Subscriptions That Surprise Us: Netflix, apps, and must-have tools11:25 – 15:38 - Iñaki’s Subscription Confessions: The good, the meh, and the unexpected15:39 – 20:21 - María’s Subscription Story: What really adds value in life24:49 – 25:26 - The Checklist Trap: Doing it all, everywhere, all at once25:27 – 28:39 - Generation of Extremes: Growing up analog in a digital world

The Overcompensating Podcast, Episode 4In this episode, we go back to the essence of The Overcompensating Podcast: sharing our latest overcompensating materials, asking each other slightly absurd questions, and talking about what we’ve been watching, reading, and listening to lately.Think of it as the first what we believe will become a series — a sort of How to Overcompensate guide, where instinct beats planning, chaos meets connection, and self-awareness collides with self-delusion.We tried to record this one in person (spoiler: we failed), but what we lost in logistics, we made up for in laughter, cult rituals, and confessions that probably should’ve stayed in the notes app.👉 Join our Substack community: https://theovercompensating.substack.com👈_💡 About The OvercompensatingWe’ve been friends since we were four. This is our space to unpack the ways we over-explain, overdress, overthink — and, yes, overcompensate — through culture, style, family, food, travel, and everything in between.👋🏻 If you’ve ever struggled to find balance — between wellness and indulgence, planning for later and living for now — you’ll feel right at home here._🎧 In this episode00:00 — Opening scene: “The first episode Iñaki records wearing pants.” A conversation on outfits, dignity, and other illusions of adulthood.01:00 — The failed in-person dream: both got sick; both insist the other was faking it. Switzerland superiority vs. Paris fatigue — and the mystery of who lied better.03:25 — What we’re currently overcompensating for: from material comforts to emotional justifications — an honest (and slightly painful) audit.13:35 — How to Overcompensate, Vol. I: our attempt to recreate the “in-person energy” through chaos, caffeine, and questionable structure.15:02 — Questions as therapy: instead of a guest, we turn the mic on each other — guided by random prompts and listener curiosity.16:00 — If I were arrested… we guess each other’s hypothetical crimes (spoiler: aesthetic ones count).21:15 — If we started a cult… daily rituals, coffee devotion, and the invention of the “Ommm propio.”26:53 — If I forgot everything about myself… what the other would remind us — part sentimental, part roast.31:21 — What moment best sums up our friendship? nostalgia, chaos, and the art of growing up alongside someone who knows your every version.53:32 — TV & film corner: what we’re watching lately — from comfort shows to cinematic self-projection.1:08:29 — Books we’re reading (a few that we want to read): stories that mirror our own attempts at reinvention.1:18:27 — Music that’s keeping us functional: what’s playing in the background while we overthink, overwork, and overcompensate.1:25:05 — Closing: On bringing the Overcompensating tone back, the promise of our get together, and a very clumsy “Like and subscribe.”_🔔 Subscribe here on YouTube so you don’t miss the next one — and if this resonated, give it a like.🌐 Stay connected & follow The Overcompensating:📩 Newsletter on Substack: https://theovercompensating.substack.com📸 Instagram: @theovercompensating🎧 Spotify: The Overcompensating Podcast▶️ YouTube: The Overcompensating

We’re joined by Rachael Chadwick, a film impact producer who turns documentaries into movements for change. After losing her mum, Rachael created 60 Postcards — a tribute that grew into a book and a global conversation about grief, connection, and storytelling. Since then, she’s led impact campaigns for award-winning films, blending personal stories with social justice to spark empathy and action. In this episode, we talk about turning points, choices, and the unexpected paths that follow, exploring how personal loss, instinct, and reflection shape the way we live and work.

The Overcompensating Podcast, Episode 2In this episode of The Overcompensating Podcast, we look back at our twenties — the myths we believed, the labels we carried, and the lessons that only came with time.We unpack how careers aren’t linear, why identity is never fixed, and what it takes to lose the fear of “what will people say.” From moving cities to broken scripts, friendships that faded, and others that became life-long anchors, it’s a conversation about change, resilience, and letting go of the idea of a perfect plan.

In our first ever episode of The Overcompensating podcast, M and I share our personal journeys with fitness, healthy eating and mental health. As we draw closer to the big 40, we analyse what we have learnt and our goals for living longer. Or living better.