Today we’d like to introduce you to Lyndsay Soprano.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
The Aftermath: Giving Pain Purpose When the Headlines Fade
I’m a creative to the core—a storyteller, strategist, and survivor who’s built a life and career out of turning pain into power. For more than two decades, I’ve led Bound-by Marketing, my boutique agency known for branding that bleeds honesty, grit, and soul. I don’t do fluff; I build stories that cut through the noise and make people feel something real.
In 2017, my life took a sharp turn when I was diagnosed with a rare and brutally painful disease called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome—CRPS. It sounds fake, but I promise it’s not. Since May of 2022, I’ve spent about half my life in a wheelchair. Instead of letting that reality define me, I decided to use it as fuel. My body might have broken in places, but my voice only got louder.
That’s how The Pain Game Podcast was born—a raw, depraved, honest, and at times wickedly funny show about what it means to live in and rise from chronic pain, trauma, and the messiness of being human. I wanted to create a space where people could tell their stories without filters or fear—because healing doesn’t happen in the spotlight. It happens in the quiet chaos that comes after.
After three unfiltered seasons about pain, trauma, and survival, I felt pulled to go deeper. Season 4 steps inside The Aftermath—where justice collides with trauma and the human cost of violence finally comes to light. It’s not about the crime itself. It’s about what happens after—the long tail of pain that survivors, families, and even professionals carry once the headlines fade. Through the voices of survivors, prosecutors, forensic experts, and psychologists, I’m exploring the invisible aftermath: the sleepless nights, the courtroom echoes, the truths that still live in the body long after the verdict.
What I want to know is what really happens to those left behind. How do you keep breathing after your world explodes? How do you find purpose in the wreckage? That’s what The Pain Game has always been about—turning devastation into determination, one story at a time.
And as storytelling evolves, so does the show. Audio alone won’t cut it anymore. We’re moving toward immersive, hybrid experiences—video, sound design, interactive storytelling, and a broader business built around it all. People want to see, feel, and participate. Generative AI may help me move faster or translate wider—but the emotional, raw, human edge? That’s mine to protect. Truth will always be the rarity. My willingness to get messy and real—that’s my moat.
My mission hasn’t changed. I’m here to give pain purpose. To make sure every story is heard and every survivor is seen. Season 4 of The Pain Game Podcast launches in early 2026—where the headlines end and the healing begins.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Smooth? Not even close. Diagnosed with CRPS—one of the most painful conditions on the McGill Pain Scale—I’ve lived through what most would call unimaginable. I’m also a survivor of sexual, emotional, and physical abuse, infertility, depression, anxiety, and divorce. I’ve walked through hell more than once—and decided to set up a mic right in the middle of it.
But here’s the thing: I wouldn’t have it any other way. The pain taught me presence. The loss taught me empathy. And the chaos taught me to create. Every scar has become part of my strategy—to connect, to communicate, and to remind others that they’re not alone in theirs.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I specialize in storytelling with teeth. Whether it’s through Bound-by Marketing or The Pain Game Podcast, everything I create has one purpose: to make people feel seen and understood.
I’m known for blending strategy with soul—bridging the analytical world of marketing with the deeply human world of trauma and truth-telling. I work with brands, creators, and communities that refuse to settle for surface-level stories. I help them dig deeper—to the why, to the wounds, to the heartbeat underneath the brand.
What I’m most proud of is The Pain Game—not just as a podcast, but as a movement. Season 4, The Aftermath, gives pain purpose when the headlines fade. It shines a light on the people left standing in the wreckage—those who have to keep living, rebuilding, and somehow healing in the silence that follows tragedy.
What sets me apart is that I don’t chase shock value or perfection. I chase truth. I live it. I bleed it. I’m not afraid to sit in the dark until the light finds its way in. That’s where healing—and real storytelling—begins.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
Big Shifts + Trends
The landscape of storytelling is changing fast—and I’m evolving right along with it. Audio alone isn’t enough. Podcasts are becoming immersive experiences that blend video, sound design, and interaction to create something people can feel instead of just hear.
The era of “broad tent” content is over. The future belongs to those of us who dig deep, not wide—to creators building for their tribes instead of the masses. The more personal and emotionally honest the voice, the stronger the connection.
AI will play a role, but not the starring one. It can accelerate the process, but it can’t replicate humanity. AI might write the draft, but I’ll still be the one bleeding through the edits.
Monetization is splintering in exciting ways—community subscriptions, micro-donations, branded storytelling, and exclusive content. Authenticity finally pays off when it’s not filtered through a one-size-fits-all ad model.
And in the true-crime and trauma space, the focus is shifting. The “after” is becoming just as vital as the “case.” Listeners no longer crave just the crime—they crave the recovery, the ripple effects, the reckoning. That’s the story I’m here to tell.
Podcasts are no longer the endgame—they’re the beginning. They’re springboards into books, docuseries, live events, and immersive experiences. The future belongs to creators who own stories that can live—and heal—across every form of media.
Because at the end of the day, it’s not about chasing algorithms or headlines. It’s about chasing truth.
My Competitive Edge in This Future
Radical authenticity.
When everything can be mass-produced, truth becomes rare. My willingness to get ugly, messy, and honest—that’s my moat.
Bridge-builder between pain and narrative.
Chronic pain, trauma, and resilience are still under-explored territory with enormous emotional gravity. I don’t just visit that space—I live there.
Flexible form mastery.
I speak, write, sing, and produce. That adaptability lets me move fluidly between audio, video, and interactive storytelling—whatever form best serves the message.
Narrative instinct for the “after.”
I’m not chasing shock value; I’m chasing the story beyond it—the one that lingers, rebuilds, and heals. Because that’s where the real work—and the real purpose—live.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thepaingamepodcast.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepaingamepodcast
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paingamepodcast
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lyndsaysoprano/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thepaingamepodcast
- Other: https://www.boundbymarketing.com
Image Credits
Troy Castro: Troy Michael Photography
Tamar Levine
Kat Armendariz
