Story of Bao

Brian works with some of the most skilled creators in the entertainment industry. He’s made a living at not only making videos and content that go viral, but being able to tell you why, seemingly on the spot. It’s always felt like some internet God shocks Brian with a bolt of lightning and unlocks the secret to viral marketing. In exchange, Brian just has to go through bouts of wondering what the hell life is all about, which usually makes you a ripe guest for a podcast.I say this all somewhat in jest because I know Brian, but the honest truth is that he, in a rapid period of time, went through hell. He lost his father and grandmother in a matter of weeks, causing his mother to become homeless and for him to become so overwhelmed he almost gave up and quit. The following is his story as to why he didn’t. Support the show (https://storyofbao.com/self-improvement-podcast-story-of-bao)

Brittany Bronson will surprise you. When I first met Brittany, it was at a relatively modest karaoke night at a very local sports bar. It was the kind of bar that wasn’t upscale but also wasn’t embarrassing—very clean, good people, but was basically holding over for the next fight night or football game or both. But the more I began learning Brittany's personal story—the conflict(s) she had gone through over the past ten to fifteen years of her life—I naturally wanted to learn more.Brittany will surprise you, because she doesn't fit many of the stigmas most of us associate with bipolar 1. She isn't someone who is bipolar 1, she has bipolar 1. And choosing to make that distinction, to live her life with an illness, has allowed her to start her own movement (well, technically it's called Space MVMNT).The irony is, the conflicts that have come Brittany's way have allowed her to bring other people together. Her Space MVMNT peer group was founded with the sole purpose of making mental illness more accessible. To make it feel more humane.If nothing else, Brittany's story is a reminder to anyone and everyone—medical condition or not— that you aren’t just one thing: you can be a person diagnosed and living with bipolar disorder and someone who dances at karaoke night at the same time, just as much as you can have periods of anxiety but still embrace change. Accomplishing two things at once takes the right mindset and discipline. Perhaps most importantly, it takes an understanding of what’s precious.This is the story about how she discovered what was precious to her. This is Brittany Bronson’s Story of Bao.Support the show (https://storyofbao.com/self-improvement-podcast-story-of-bao)

We live in anxious times. It’s easy to be uncertain or perhaps negative about how our decade is starting off.But that’s why I wanted to interview Dustin. He makes positivity feel like a talent, even though by definition it’s a choice. He allows appreciation to seem like a trait when in actuality it’s just a matter of giving something a bit more time. I know very few people who have been through the range of conflicts that Dustin has faced. The irony is, in times of conflict and uncertainty, I’m not sure if there’s a more gracious, more positive person than Dustin Harnish.This episode is meant to explain how, and quite frankly why, he manages to stay positive. Now Dustin can be a bit … straightforward. His version of positivity is more honest and quirky than most. He doesn’t try to let his words impress you like he’s rehearsing for a “Ted” Talk. Dustin speaks to you like he does everyone else: the same. If there’s a difference between authenticity and positivity, I’m not sure what it is, but I hope by the end of this episode, Dustin points out the value and the power of practicing more of both. Dustin has been homeless. He’s been separated from the ones he loved. He’s been held at gunpoint. And today, he lives through an immense amount of anxiety not knowing what the next day will bring. But it hasn’t stopped him from listening to other people first. It hasn’t stopped him from knowing the name of every dog that goes walking in his neighborhood. I’ve known Dustin for maybe a decade and have only seen him wearing headphones maybe twice. Dustin is someone who works to bring the world in, not to push it away. It’s taught him the value of channeling his stress into helping others. To realize how looking someone in the eye can save their life. How despite all of the anxiety he may feel at times, particularly when he’s soaking in what the rest of the world is feeling, why he feels that it’s all going to be okay. These are the lessons and values Dustin has learned, and continues to learn, from his conflicts. The obstacles that have ultimately taught him what’s precious in the world he lives in.This is Dustin Harnish’s Story of Bao.Support the show (https://storyofbao.com/self-improvement-podcast-story-of-bao)

Benjamin is the kind of guy who goes by Benjamin opposed to Ben. The kind of guy who probably seemed like he was 29 years old when he was 12. I say this because, if you begin to listen to Benjamin’s story, he’s clearly someone who was forced to grow up faster than most; introduced to loss at an age where many of us are just learning how to grow. Last I checked, Benjamin has four degrees, but it’s possible he might have added a fifth one since I began writing this. He’s an Emergency Room Nurse and medical professional by trade, but by nature, he’s just a loving person who wants nothing more than to talk about how we can care for others; to talk about preventing suicide and how to make the emergency room a place to care for both physical and mental emergencies. What are the signs of suicide that indicate we might need to do more than just check in with a loved one? How do we even “check-in” with people we think might need our help? Benjamin specializes in suicide prevention and in caring for those suffering from mental illness. As the host of a podcast trying to feature him, I found out quickly that Benjamin would much rather talk about the warning signs of suicide than talk about himself. He’s a natural caregiver with a servant’s heart. But Benjamin is still direct. Very direct. He’s honest probably because he knows life is short and that being straight to the point is the most efficient way in making actual change happen. And good for him. Benjamin’s story could be about what he’s lost, but he’s chosen to make it about what can be gained. Benjamin lost his father to suicide. He also lost his best friend in High School to suicide, as well. And most recently, his husband survived what was a life-threatening car accident. But give him forty minutes to speak, and he’ll use thirty-nine of those minutes to discuss the best ways in which you can help others, and how helping others can be the best medicine to overcoming loss. I wouldn’t let Benjamin go without discussing how losing someone so close to him allowed him to realize what was precious, and what can be taken away from these experiences. His answers offer a reminder that enduring loss can allow us to realize what we truly want out of life. To offer a deeper clarity as to what is precious. You can cope with losing someone by helping others. That instinct might be born in you, but with Benjamin, it’s also clearly a choice. It’s clearly what helps remind him of what’s precious. This is Benjamin Cioppa-Fong’s Story of Bao.Support the show (https://storyofbao.com/self-improvement-podcast-story-of-bao)

It feels like Lucy Carillo could be your Aunt. Her laughter and jokes are too comforting to not feel relatable. Her energy is too glad-to-see-you to not feel like you’ve felt it somewhere before. It’s very likely Lucy Carillo is not your Aunt. But her story is one I knew I needed to tell. Lucy didn’t grow up around love, but she somehow managed to find a way to make a love-for-life one of her inherent traits. I wanted to find out why…and how.Where did she find love growing up in such a dark world? How did she form such a strong laugh, the kind that seems to validate that life isn’t a hell-storm meant to beat you down, it’s a gift that you can continually unwrap if you blocked out the bad and created the good?Lucy Carillo is the youngest of seven Puerto Rican children, a feat that deserves its own podcast in and of itself. Her relationship with her parents growing up wasn’t the greatest, to put it nicely, but she fought on. She found love in a place where many are looking towards less often: Faith. A group of Nuns taught Lucy her confidence. A friend too real to be invisible—who she named “Chewy”—filled in with the rest. I spent an hour or so speaking with Lucy, a person who on the surface just seems to love her job and her life, but deep down inside she’s an illustration of the power of faith and positivity, assuming there’s a difference between the two. Learning to love yourself is always easier said than done—how did Lucy do it? What allowed her to identify what was precious in a world where love seemed like a luxury, a world where one is literally just trying to survive?This is Lucy Carillo’s Story of Bao. Support the show (https://storyofbao.com/self-improvement-podcast-story-of-bao)

What was the moment in your life when you realized what was precious? Do you know it, or are you still searching?What does the word precious even mean to you? Author Paul Nyhart goes on a journey, asking some extraordinary guests the story behind how they discovered what was precious.What's their story of Bao.How an ER Nurse Continues to Overcome LossWhat Kept a Homeless Man Stable After Two Years on the StreetHow to Give Love When it was Never Given to YouLiving a Productive and Powerful Life with Bipolar 1How a Pysch Ward Saved One Man's Life and Allows Him to See AnewWe’re all going through something. This is the podcast that tries to better understand what that something is. And how it can teach us lessons on how to continually better ourselves.Support the show (https://storyofbao.com/self-improvement-podcast-story-of-bao)