It's a new year, so it's time to change everything about who you are so you don't look back at yourself with regret, right? We're back with Season 3 and it's an all new Proxy for 2016…sort of.

This week we go over an episode of Masters of None about immigrant parents, reflect on our own parental relationships, and admit to being a bit spoiled. Subscribe on iTunes Listen on SoundCloud Theme Music by Gila Monsta

We share our gift-giving methods and talk about whether or not a gift is a reflection of how well you know a person. We also discover that Sidney is heartless and doesn't partake in exchanging gifts and that Bernard may have succumbed to holiday impulse shopping. Subscribe on iTunes Listen on SoundCloud Theme Music by Gila Monsta

We talk about our views on friendship, maintaining them, and how to navigate social interactions with acquaintances. Subscribe on iTunes Listen on SoundCloud Theme Music by Gila Monsta

We talk about advertising, social media, and the prevailing good of being honest over manufacturing your “brand.” Former Instagram Model quits social media Harpers Bazaar's interview with Danielle Bernstein on her income from Instagram Subscribe on iTunes Listen on SoundCloud Theme Music by Gila Monsta

We talk about the struggle of getting a consistently good haircut and share our most embarrassing hair styles from our adolescence. Subscribe on iTunes Listen on SoundCloud Theme Music by Gila Monsta

We spend this week discussing the career hustle, promotions, and how we continue to better ourselves. Subscribe on iTunes Listen on SoundCloud Theme Music by Gila Monsta

We (try to) go 24 hours without our phones and fail spectacularly. What's the longest you've gone without your phone? Subscribe on iTunes Listen on SoundCloud Theme Music by Gila Monsta

Sidney timidly shares his weakness with impulse shopping and Bernard brags about his super saiyan levels of self-control. What's your last impulse purchase? Sidney's recent purchases: Acronym jacket, Sony RX100 M4, Frederic Malle - Vetiver Extraordinaire fragrance Currently by Samuel De Goede (subscribe — it's freakin' awesome) Subscribe on iTunes Listen on SoundCloud Theme Music by Gila Monsta

We talk about how our constant need to feel productive and busy puts us at risk of burning out. Productive on the App Store Subscribe on iTunes Listen on SoundCloud Theme Music by Gila Monsta

Pelin Keskin, founder of 5food1, joins us to discuss food culture, gentrification, identity, and the controversies of creating a non-white food blog. Follow Pelin Keskin on Twitter Follow 5food1 on Twitter Subscribe on iTunes Listen on SoundCloud Theme Music by Gila Monsta

We kick off Season 2 with an open discussion on Sidney's search for a new roommate and the perils of keeping your social media public or private. Subscribe on iTunes Listen on SoundCloud Theme Music by Gila Monsta

For the season one finale of Proxy, we go over our background as Asian-Americans and how it affected our adolescence and shaped the way we are today. Ice Breaker Do people even know our background? (2:17) Bernard talks about being Filipino-American (3:15) Sidney talks about being Chinese-American (6:00) Self-Awareness Ashamed of being Filipino (8:40) Assimilating and subcultures (12:40) Ethnicity and Education (19:15) Being a minority in the startup world (22:10) Do you have more of a responsibility as an Asian-American entrepreneur? (25:21) How does an Asian-American get away with going to art school? (27:00) Deciding to study art changed Sidney's life (30:15) Knowing nothing about photography and art history (31:35) Ethnicity and the art of the self-portait (35:30) Why Does This Even Matter? Is it weird to talk about this out loud? (41:37) This topic is too important to not talk about it (43:50) Finally Asian-American or American? (45:28) Bernard's answer (45:36) Sidney's answer (48:03) What's your opinion? (56:56) Subscribe on iTunesListen on SoundCloudTheme Music by Gila Monsta

A quintessential part of living in a busy urban environment is having the right backpack or messenger bag. When you don't have a car or an office to stash away important items, what you choose to carry and what you choose to leave behind are decisions that count. Today we look at our current choice of bags and how we organize our daily carry. In This Episode… The Bags We Carry Why you should carefully consider the bag you use What bag Bernard uses now for mobile office duty (2:59) DSPTCH Slingpack 2.0 How to rock a sling the Bernard way Sidney’s search for the perfect photo bag (8:08) Incase x Ari Marcopoulos camera bag The problem with camera bags (11:01) Sidney takes us through his current bag (11:35) Think Tank Photo Retrospective 7 camera bag Does the perfect bag exist? (12:49) Why “boring" bags are sometimes better (13:43) What’s in the Bag? Bernard shares his bag essentials and what they say about him (14:37) What we wish we could carry and what we’ve left behind (17:55) Sidney’s photocentric essentials (19:16) Packing It Up Sidney’s advice for choosing the right bag for you (22:08) Bernard’s 3 key criteria for bags (22:41) Mistakes to avoid when wearing a backpack Good bag brands to look at (25:41) Topo Designs 5.11 Tactical DSPTCH SF Subscribe on iTunesListen on SoundCloudTheme Music by Gila Monsta

We’re back. Sorry for the wait. Sitting idle and waiting for things to pick up can be brutal — especially when things are out of your hands. It’s that feeling of getting stuck in a rut or the anxiousness for something new that’s hard to manage. In this episode, we try to win the waiting game and share our tips on how to get to the next level when your life feels paused. In This Episode… Into the Unknown Bernard’s observations after just moving to NYC The waiting game (3:55) Why you sometimes accomplish less when you have more “free” time (6:53) How to recognize “excuses” and stop making them (8:14) Sidney’s take on the paradox of being surrounded by opportunities (11:01) Using Your Most Valuable Resource: Time Making things versus just “doing” things (12:40) The hard part: dealing with things outside of your control (13:57) Two invaluable things you need to win the waiting game (15:15) What to do when counting down the days to the start of your brighter future (18:32) Good Things Come to Those Who Do More Than Wait Why the best way to play the waiting game is to not play at all (21:04) How to trick yourself to get out of a rut (21:44) Last words and final advice (23:00) Subscribe on iTunesListen on SoundCloudTheme Music by Gila Monsta

There are moments in everyone's life where something big appears on the horizon; it could be graduating college, applying for your first job, or moving somewhere thousands of miles away from home. How do these moments shape our identities and the struggle to achieve our dreams? On this episode, we talk about moving to a new city in hopes of finding where we really belong. In This Episode… The Update Bernard's breaking news (0:28) Let's talk about Miami (1:40) New York City Is there an allure to New York? (5:33) Sidney talks about his experience with living in New York (6:18) As Bernard is closing one chapter of his life in Miami, where does he think he'll belong with impending change? Will this change who he is? (9:50) Home Is Where Your Timeline Is Social media has connected us 24/7 to our friends and family; is it enough to compensate for the lack of real life relationships? (12:40) Sidney talks about social media and our desire to connect with other people in real life (14:00) The microcosm of NYC's social media presence and FOMO (16:55) What's Next? Advice Going Forward Bernard talks about improving and capitalizing on new opportunities (17:50) The ruthlessness of NYC (19:27) Bernard gives himself advice to look back on later on in life (22:31) Final thoughts about moving to New York (25:23) Subscribe on iTunesListen on SoundCloudTheme Music by Gila Monsta

With every photo, every status, every thought we share and memory we hold onto in some form or another, we document our lives. But why do we do it and who is it really for — ourselves, or for everyone else? In this episode of PROXY, we try to identify the difference between documenting your life and simply living it, and if they're really any different at all. In This Episode¦ Telling Your Story Why Sidney started Snapchatting and vlogging Casey Neistat — Fat and Lazy Documenting your life before modern social media (3:11) The unexpected value of putting yourself out there (5:03) How the internet has transformed our perception of documenting our lives (6:12) From Xanga to Snapchat For Your Eyes Only? How having an audience can change your narrative and how you document your life (8:27) Why document your life if you choose to keep it to yourself? (9:22) The middle-ground between for yourself only and for the entire online world (10:33) Bernard's take on the private end of the spectrum (11:00) By documenting the moment to remember it for later, are we missing out on experiencing it in the now? (12:06) Sidney on why technology might not play as big a part as you'd think (12:41) Memories for yourself, or validation from others? (15:48) Some Things Are Better Left Unpublished The anti-social forms of documentation (17:17) Examples (not mentioned): Goodreads, MyFitnessPal, Fitocracy, a physical diary, etc. Bernard on why he quit social media (18:34) From Bernard's personal blog: Shedding Some Light on Going Dark How to focus on yourself when you're sharing for everyone else (21:08) A Society of Storytellers A simple hypothesis as to why everyone is documenting (22:05) Why this isn't new and we shouldn't be surprised Sidney's advice on how to find your voice and the story you should be telling (22:47) Bernard's final word of caution as someone who's been there (23:15) At the end of the day, this is what it's all about (25:16) Subscribe on iTunesListen on SoundCloudTheme Music by Gila Monsta

Have you ever stopped to think about what other people know you for, or what about yourself you want to portray to everyone else? In this episode, we investigate topics on identity that boil down to one question: What is your thing? Tune in and find out why that might be a difficult question to answer, as we look into who and what defines us, and how to take control of that process. In This Episode… What Is Your Thing?? 3 common types of answers to this question (1:42) Discovering interests and claiming your thing (3:22) How to deal with things you can't control to shape who you are for the better (5:37) What Are You Known For? Bernard on his personal brand (7:18) sushi wit bae as a dank projection of identity (9:00) Bernard's thing as viewed by others (10:40) Sidney on internet fame and blurring the lines with his personal brand (13:11) How Others See You vs. How You See Yourself What having a thing is useful for and why others want to know that about you (15:38) Challenging common things that define us (17:00) Self-actualization and what it's all for (18:50) One possibility of what things truly define your identity (20:22) Closing the Gap: How to Make What You Want Your Thing The most important pre-requisite to having a thing at all (21:12) Bernard on his unconventional ideal things to be known for (22:00) What to do if you don't have an answer to the question of this episode (24:02) Final advice and next steps to take to reach an answer (26:31) Subscribe on iTunesListen on SoundCloudTheme Music by Gila Monsta

One of the biggest factors in our interests, hobbies, and how we identify with ourselves is our age. The process of growing up is tricky, but unavoidable. Join us as reminisce on the past, reflect on the present, and try to make some sense of the murky waters of adulthood. In This Episode¦ What It Even Means to Be an Adult Age ain't nothin but a number¦ (3:43) When I Grow Up: Expectations of adulthood as children (4:53) Growing Up Fast Adulthood at 18, 21, and beyond (8:00) Expectations vs. Reality (9:12) The Difference Between Getting Older and Growing Up (10:45) When It's Time to Get Grownt (12:56) "It's Just a Phase" Defining hobbies and phases as anchors of your identity growing up (13:22) The Good, The Bad, The Cringeworthy Bernard's most regrettable and most meaningful phases Sidney on what it means to never grow out of a phase (18:18) Growing Up when Times Have Changed or Have They? (18:51) When you're born vs. how old you are The Age of Information: What A Time to Be Alive Last Words and Final Advice Why it's ok to still not understand adulthood by the end of this podcast (23:05) Subscribe on iTunesListen on SoundCloudTheme Music by Gila Monsta

Guys have skin too. So why is skin care for men such a nebulous industry? Join us as we demystify the confusing world of health and beauty product marketing and give you science-driven skin care advice that actually makes sense. If you've ever felt frustrated by skin care products that didn't work as advertised, or if you still struggle with feeling comfortable in your skin, this is one episode you won't want to miss. In This Episode¦ Why You Gotta Take Care of Your Skin Why is skin care, especially for men, an uncomfortable subject? Reasons to care about your skin (1:50) Your identity isn't just skin deep, but it's gotta start somewhere (4:00) Demystifying Skincare Misinformed marketing (6:02) Dealing with skin issues at a young age The frustrating, confusing, struggle for clear skin (7:12) Proactiv's chokehold on the teen demographic How companies are profiting off your insecurities (9:04) Acne.org's The Regimen How gender-targeted marketing and social norms make skin care confusing (11:12) The Pink Tax (11:12) The biological difference between men's skin and women's skin Men Change, Products Do Too (13:33) What You Should Know to Get Clear Healthy Skin Harmful misconceptions as a result of marketing or social media (15:08) Science over marketing (16:20) Bernard breaks down his routine A little known skintype (17:31) Why you should never use pore strips (18:16) The best way to exfoliate dead skin AHA & BHA Stop putting microbeads in your face (20:08) Cutting edge skin care tech from Asia (21:04) Bernards full' routine on Trello The Holy Trinity of Skin Sare (22:24) Bernard's specific product recs for cheap and effective skin care Sidney's barebones regimen (24:38) Cerave Foaming Facial Cleanser Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream NOW solutions sweet almond oil Vaseline Petroleum Jelly Nature's Best Vitamin C Serum Eucerin Redness Relief Perfecting Lotion Broad Spectrum SPF 15 Kiehl's BB cream SPF 50 Gatsby Oil Blotting Paper for Man Final Skin Pro Tips Wear sunscreen, we're not gonna tell you again (26:41) How to avoid bad breakouts and save money (27:48) Feeling comfortable in your skin (28:42) Subscribe on iTunesListen on SoundCloudTheme Music by Gila Monsta

Everyone and their mom takes selfies these days. But can we really take these photos at face value or is something else going on? Tune in as we discuss the positive effect of selfies, when social media can get ugly, how to take a fire selfie, and selfie etiquette. In This Episode: But First, Let Me Take a Selfie The Selfie Struggle If You Got It, Flaunt It (2:02) Selfies Before They Were Selfies (2:56) Sidney's 365 project: What Are You Wearing Today? Evolution of the Self-Portrait to the Selfie (4:02) When Selfies Turn Ugly? (5:06) Social implications of selfie saturation The purpose of selfies: Vanity? Documentation? Or something else? (7:29) The key to Instagram success (8:30) The selfie as a facade (9:08) You Don't Look Like 212 Likes in Person (11:00) The 2 things people want to see from social media URL vs IRL (12:22) Slaves to the favs The negative impact of social media #goals (13:33) Fuck Everyone. Selfie away (15:13) Peter Nguyen's pro-selfie tweet The Internet Is an Equalizer (17:30) Sidney's take on an overlooked upside of the selfie phenomenon Social media in the information age (20:00) The rise of fashion blogs Think Before You Selfie (21:30) Understanding when a selfie is not appropriate Selfie responsibly East Village Explosion Selfie How to Take a Fire Selfie (24:02) Best practices for mad Likes Last words and our closing selfies (26:16) Bern's oily selfie Sidney's what dat mouf do selfie Stick around til the end

Raw denim has only gotten more popular since denim enthusiasts met through an online fashion message board in the early 2000's. Yes, it's a thing; thousands of people spending hundreds of dollars on pants only to proudly wear them every day, for months at a time, without ever washing them. In this episode, we fill you in on why the denim phenomenon has merit, how to get started with your own pair of raw jeans, and give you helpful advice we learned from years of experience with getting sick fades. In This Episode Why Jeans? Natural progression from getting back to basics Community of enthusiasts (2:20) Superdenim What makes raw denim special (2:55) Heritage and individuality (4:00) A trend turned hobby (6:07) Getting Started with Raw Denim 3 tiers of denim brands to consider (7:19) The Three Tiers of Raw Denim: Entry, Mid, and End Level Jeans on RawrDenim What to look for when buying jeans (8:01) You get what you pay for (9:13) The biggest mistake to avoid when dropping $$$ (10:13) When Bernard doesn't take Sidney's advice I'm Just Wearing Jeans Maintenance and common myths about never washing (13:58) How to Look After Your Jeans on Mr Porter Wabi-what? (17:28) Jeans as a part of your lifestyle and daily ritual (19:30) Last words and final advice (20:32) Visit Self Edge Subscribe on iTunesListen on SoundCloudTheme Music by Gila Monsta

One of the most immediate and apparent ways to express ourselves is through our fashion choices. But before you can really develop your style, it's important to get the basics down. In this primer to fashion, we discuss the value of dressing better and give our tips to help you start looking your best. In This Episode: Why You Should Care About How You Dress superfuture: Our roots in fashion Preparing yourself for an unavoidable reality (2:14) in your career and in your love life Looking good and standing out (3:50) Being comfortable in your clothes (4:57) The Startup Guy look Dressing for the job you want vs the job you have How to Dress as Yourself Getting back to basics (6:45) Fit, sizing, and your body type (7:35) Wearing what's appropriate (9:10) Growing up: go baggy or go home The problem with sticking to a uniform Comfortable vs. fitting: a false dichotomy (11:34) Where the real discomfort comes from Look good, feel good From Dressing Well to Having Style Sizing do's and don'ts (13:15) Styling tips based on body type Common misconceptions about what it means to be fashionable Shopping smarter (15:17) How to get closer to your style before spending any money Finding brands that fit Uniqlo OCBDs 3 qualities to look for when buying new clothes The difference between affordable and cheap Arcteryx Alpha FL You Don't Need to be a Fashion Expert to Be an Informed Buyer How to find the best clothes for people not in the fashion scene (17:56) Advice for making easy upgrades to your wardrobe (19:18) Post a fit then, son (20:00) What it means to develop your style Style development in your social circles Price points and the stages of style Specific articles of clothing to get into next time on PROXY Subscribe on iTunesListen on SoundCloudTheme Music by Gila Monsta

You might be selective of the podcasts you subscribe to and the music you bump to get you through your day, but are you paying enough attention to how you listen to them? Tune into this episode to learn one small tweak you can make to your daily routine that can change the way you listen to music forever. In This Episode: Why You Shouldn't Settle for Stock If you have these problems, listen up Benefits to justify the investment The Road from Listener to Audiophile Bernard's burning need for The OC soundtrack in high def (2:12) Sidney and growing up on pirated music (3:32) Down the rabbit hole with Bernard (5:08) head-fi.org Bernard's first: Sharp MD-33s (Creative EP-630) It's All So Clear Now Breaking down the types of stuff you could possibly put in your ears (7:02) Headphones vs earbuds vs in-ears End level gear: custom in-ear monitors Picking the right headphones (or earphones) for you (9:15) For your ears only Lifestyle factors and preferences to consider Example: Bernard's setup Shure SE535s What difference does it make? (12:25) Sidney's first experience Gamechanger: Custom tips (Westone UM-56) Appreciating new music in general A New Listening Experience (14:55) Grinning earphone to earphone with Shure SE215s Am I Hearing That Right? Why these headphones cost $400? Beats (16:55) No Highs, No Lows, It Must Be Bose Beats — Hear What You Want Commercial The embarrassing music video Bernard was thinking of Better brands for your dollar Ultimate Ears UE900 Audio Technica ATH-IM50 Last words and final advice Subscribe on iTunesListen on SoundCloudTheme Music by Gila Monsta

In this mini-episode, you'll find out who we are, what Proxy is about, why this show needs to exist, how it pertains to you, and what you can expect to hear in the coming episodes. proxynoun1. an authority that represents something else2. a middleman to assist in purchasing rare/valuable goods3. a service that allows users to make indirect connections to other networks Who You're Listening To Bernard: Startup guy turning a hobby into a career Sidney: Photographer inspired by identity-shaping interests Why This Podcast Needed to Happen An Unknown Impact A Lens Into Ourselves What to Expect from Proxy Two Parts Geeky Hobbies, One Part Impact on Identity Subscribe on iTunesListen on SoundCloudTheme Music by Gila Monsta