Podcasts about moth storyslam

Anne Abel joins Let's Talk Memoir for a conversation about her experiences winning the Moth StorySLAM, what she learned from the storytelling community, the lifelong toll of her parents' abuse and her chronic, recurrent depression, overcoming self-loathing, how Bruce Springsteen changed her life, following a hunch, overcoming writers block, why it's better to overwrite than underwrite, her giant following on TikTok and Instagram, why it's never too late to move forward, taking a leap and landing on our feet, allowing ourselves to persevere and dream, and her new memoir High Hopes.   Also in this episode: -capturing story -leaning into dialogue -why it's never too late to move forward Books mentioned in this episode:  -Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy -Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen -Educated by Tara Westover -Small Fry by Lisa Brennan-Jobs   Anne Abel is an author, storyteller, and influencer with over 700 thousand followers. Her first memoir, Mattie, Milo, and Me, (2024), about unwittingly rescuing an aggressive dog, was inspired by her Moth StorySLAM win in New York City. Her second memoir, High Hopes, was inspired by her Moth StorySLAM win in Chicago. It will be published September, 23, 2025. In January, 2025 she was featured in Newsweek, “Boomer's Story About How She Met Her Husband of 45 Years Captivates Internet.” She holds an MFA from The New School for Social Research, an MBA from the University of Chicago, and a BS in chemical engineering from Tufts University. She has freelanced for multiple outlets over the course of her career.   Anne lives in New York City with her husband, Andy, and their cavapoo puppy, Wendell. You can follow her on Facebook, Instagram, and Tik Tok: @annesimaabel Connect with Anne: Instagram, TikTok, FB @annesimaabel Website: www.anneabelauthor.com High Hopes: A Memoir: https://a.co/d/88HiMkb Mattie, Milo, and Me: A Memoir: https://a.co/d/aiDwCqw – Ronit's writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The Rumpus, The New York Times, Poets & Writers, The Iowa Review, Hippocampus, The Washington Post, Writer's Digest, American Literary Review, and elsewhere. Her memoir WHEN SHE COMES BACK about the loss of her mother to the guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and their eventual reconciliation was named Finalist in the 2021 Housatonic Awards Awards, the 2021 Indie Excellence Awards, and was a 2021 Book Riot Best True Crime Book. Her short story collection HOME IS A MADE-UP PLACE won Hidden River Arts' 2020 Eludia Award and the 2023 Page Turner Awards for Short Stories.  She earned an MFA in Nonfiction Writing at Pacific University, is Creative Nonfiction Editor at The Citron Review, and teaches memoir through the University of Washington's Online Continuum Program and also independently. She launched Let's Talk Memoir in 2022, lives in Seattle with her family of people and dogs, and is at work on her next book. More about Ronit: https://ronitplank.com Subscribe to Ronit's Substack: https://substack.com/@ronitplank Follow Ronit: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/ https://www.facebook.com/RonitPlank https://bsky.app/profile/ronitplank.bsky.social Background photo credit: Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash Headshot photo credit: Sarah Anne Photography Theme music: Isaac Joel, Dead Moll's Fingers

What does it take to keep your voice—and your purpose—strong through every season of life? In this episode of Unstoppable Mindset, I sit down with my friend Bill Ratner, one of Hollywood's most recognized voice actors, best known as Flint from GI Joe. Bill's voice has carried him through radio, animation, and narration, but what stands out most is how he's used that same voice to serve others through storytelling, teaching, and grief counseling. Together, we explore the heart behind his work—from bringing animated heroes to life to standing on The Moth stage and helping people find healing through poetry. Bill shares lessons from his own journey, including losing both parents early, finding family in unexpected places, and discovering how creative expression can rebuild what life breaks down. We also reflect on 9/11, preparedness, and the quiet confidence that comes from trusting your training—whether you're a first responder, a performer, or just navigating the unknown. This conversation isn't just about performance; it's about presence. It's about using your story, your craft, and your compassion to keep moving forward—unstoppable, one voice at a time. Highlights: 00:31 – Hear the Flint voice and what it takes to bring animated characters to life. 06:57 – Learn why an uneven college path still led to a lifelong acting career. 11:50 – Understand how GI Joe became a team and a toy phenomenon that shaped culture. 15:58 – See how comics and cartoons boosted classroom literacy when used well. 17:06 – Pick up simple ways parents can spark reading through shared stories. 19:29 – Discover how early, honest conversations about death can model resilience. 24:09 – Learn to critique ads and media like a pro to sharpen your own performance. 36:19 – Follow the pivot from radio to voiceover and why specialization pays. 47:48 – Hear practical editing approaches and accessible tools that keep shows tight. 49:38 – Learn how The Moth builds storytelling chops through timed, judged practice. 55:21 – See how poetry—and poetry therapy—support grief work with students. 59:39 – Take notes on memoir writing, emotional management, and one-person shows. About the Guest: Bill Ratner is one of America's best known voice actors and author of poetry collections Lamenting While Doing Laps in the Lake (Slow Lightning Lit 2024,) Fear of Fish (Alien Buddha Press 2021,) To Decorate a Casket (Finishing Line Press 2021,) and the non-fiction book Parenting For The Digital Age: The Truth Behind Media's Effect On Children and What To Do About It (Familius Books 2014.) He is a 9-time winner of the Moth StorySLAM, 2-time winner of Best of The Hollywood Fringe Extension Award for Solo Performance, Best of the Net Poetry Nominee 2023 (Lascaux Review,) and New Millennium "America One Year From Now" Writing Award Finalist. His writing appears in Best Small Fictions 2021 (Sonder Press,) Missouri Review (audio,) Baltimore Review, Chiron Review, Feminine Collective, and other journals. He is the voice of "Flint" in the TV cartoon G.I. Joe, "Donnell Udina" in the computer game Mass Effect, the voice of Air Disasters on Smithsonian Channel, NewsNation, and network TV affiliates across the country. He is a committee chair for his union, SAG-AFTRA, teaches Voiceovers for SAG-AFTRA Foundation, Media Awareness for Los Angeles Unified School District, and is a trained grief counsellor. Member: Actors Equity Association, Screen Actors Guild-AFTRA, National Storytelling Network • https://billratner.com • @billratner Ways to connect with Bill: https://soundcloud.com/bill-ratner https://www.instagram.com/billratner/ https://twitter.com/billratner https://www.threads.net/@billratner https://billratner.tumblr.com https://www.youtube.com/@billratner/videos https://www.facebook.com/billratner.voiceover.author https://bsky.app/profile/bilorat.bsky.social About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset . Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes: Michael Hingson ** 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us.   Michael Hingson ** 01:21 Well on a gracious hello to you, wherever you may be, I am your host. Mike hingson, and you are listening to unstoppable mindset. Today, we get to have a voice actor, person, Bill Ratner, who you want to know who Bill Radnor is, go back and watch the old GI Joe cartoons and listen to the voice of Flint.   Bill Ratner ** 01:42 All right. Lady Jay, you better get your battle gear on, because Cobra is on their way. And I can't bring up the Lacher threat weapon system. We got to get out of here. Yo, Joe,   Michael Hingson ** 01:52 there you go. I rest my case Well, Bill, welcome to unstoppable mindset.   Bill Ratner ** 02:00 We can't rest now. Michael, we've just begun. No, we've just begun.   Michael Hingson ** 02:04 We got to keep going here. Well, I'm really glad that you're here. Bill is another person who we inveigled to get on unstoppable mindset with the help of Walden Hughes. And so that means we can talk about Walden all we want today. Bill just saying, oh goodness. And I got a lot to say. Let me tell you perfect, perfect. Bring it on. So we are really grateful to Walden, although I hope he's not listening. We don't want to give him a big head. But no, seriously, we're really grateful. Ah, good point.   Bill Ratner ** 02:38 But his posture, oddly enough, is perfect.   Michael Hingson ** 02:40 Well, there you go. What do you do? He practiced. Well, anyway, we're glad you're here. Tell us about the early bill, growing up and all that stuff. It's always fun to start a good beginning.   Bill Ratner ** 02:54 Well, I was a very lucky little boy. I was born in Des Moines, Iowa in 1947 to two lovely people, professionals, both with master's degree out at University of Chicago. My mother was a social worker. My father had an MBA in business. He was managing editor of Better Homes and Gardens magazine. So I had the joy of living in a better home and living in a garden.   Michael Hingson ** 03:21 My mother. How long were you in Des Moines?   Bill Ratner ** 03:24 Five and a half years left before my sixth birthday. My dad got a fancy job at an ad agency in Minneapolis, and had a big brother named Pete and big handsome, curly haired boy with green eyes. And moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, and was was brought up there.   Michael Hingson ** 03:45 Wow. So you went to school there and and chased the girls and all that stuff.   Bill Ratner ** 03:54 I went to school there at Blake School for Boys in Hopkins, Minnesota. Couldn't chase the girls day school, but the girls we are allowed to dance with certainly not chase. Michael was at woodhue dancing school, the Northrop girls from Northrop girls school and the Blake boys were put together in eighth grade and taught the Cha Cha Cha, the waltz, the Charleston, and we danced together, and the girls wore white gloves, and we sniffed their perfume, and we all learned how to be lovers when we were 45   Michael Hingson ** 04:37 There you are. Well, as long as you learned at some point, that's a good start.   Bill Ratner ** 04:44 It's a weird generation. Michael,   Michael Hingson ** 04:46 I've been to Des Moines before. I was born in Chicago, but moved out to California when I was five, but I did some work with the National Federation of the Blind in the mid 19. 1970s 1976 into 1978 so spent time at the Iowa Commission for the Blind in Des Moines, which became a top agency for the Blind in well, the late 50s into the to the 60s and so on. So   Bill Ratner ** 05:15 both my parents are from Chicago. My father from the south side of Chicago, 44th and Kenzie, which was a Irish, Polish, Italian, Jewish, Ukrainian neighborhood. And my mother from Glencoe, which was a middle class suburb above Northwestern University in Evanston.   Michael Hingson ** 05:34 I Where were you born? 57th and union, north, south side, no, South   Bill Ratner ** 05:42 57th union is that? Is that west of Kenzie?   Michael Hingson ** 05:46 You know, I don't remember the geography well enough to know, but I know that it was, I think, Mount Sinai Hospital where I was born. But it was, it's, it's, it's a pretty tough neighborhood today. So I understand,   Bill Ratner ** 06:00 yeah, yeah, my it was tough, then it's tough now,   Michael Hingson ** 06:03 yeah, I think it's tougher, supposedly, than it was. But we lived there for five years, and then we we moved to California, and I remember some things about Chicago. I remember walking down to the local candy store most days, and had no problem doing that. My parents were told they should shut me away at a home somewhere, because no blind child could ever grow up to amount to anything. And my parents said, You guys are you're totally wrong. And they brought me up with that attitude. So, you   Bill Ratner ** 06:32 know who said that the school says school so that   Michael Hingson ** 06:35 doctors doctors when they discovered I was blind with the   Bill Ratner ** 06:38 kid, goodness gracious, horrified.   Michael Hingson ** 06:44 Well, my parents said absolutely not, and they brought me up, and they actually worked with other parents of premature kids who became blind, and when kindergarten started in for us in in the age of four, they actually had a special kindergarten class for blind kids at the Perry School, which is where I went. And so I did that for a year, learn braille and some other things. Then we moved to California, but yeah, and I go back to Chicago every so often. And when I do nowadays, they I one of my favorite places to migrate in Chicago is Garrett Popcorn.   Bill Ratner ** 07:21 Ah, yes, with caramel corn, regular corn, the   Michael Hingson ** 07:25 Chicago blend, which is a mixture, yeah, the Chicago blend is cheese corn, well, as it is with caramel corn, and they put much other mozzarella on it as well. It's really good.   Bill Ratner ** 07:39 Yeah, so we're on the air. Michael, what do you call your what do you call your program? Here I am your new friend, and I can't even announce your program because I don't know   Michael Hingson ** 07:48 the name, unstoppable mindset. This   Bill Ratner ** 07:51 is unstoppable mindset.   Michael Hingson ** 07:56 We're back. Well, we're back already. We're fast. So you, you, you moved off elsewhere, out of Des Moines and all that. And where did you go to college?   Bill Ratner ** 08:09 Well, this is like, why did you this is, this is a bit like talking about the Vietnam War. Looking back on my college career is like looking back on the Vietnam War series, a series of delusions and defeats. By the time I the time i for college, by the time I was applying for college, I was an orphan, orphan, having been born to fabulous parents who died too young of natural causes. So my grades in high school were my mediocre. I couldn't get into the Ivy Leagues. I got into the big 10 schools. My stepmother said, you're going to Michigan State in East Lansing because your cousin Eddie became a successful realtor. And Michigan State was known as mu u it was the most successful, largest agriculture college and university in the country. Kids from South Asia, China, Northern Europe, Southern Europe, South America all over the world came to Michigan State to study agricultural sciences, children of rich farmers all over the world and middle class farmers all over the world, and a huge police science department. Part of the campus was fenced off, and the young cadets, 1819, 20 years old, would practice on the rest of the student body, uniformed with hats and all right, excuse me, young man, we're just going to get some pizza at eight o'clock on Friday night. Stand against your car. Hands in your car. I said, Are you guys practicing again? Shut up and spread your legs. So that was that was Michigan State, and even though both my parents had master's degrees, I just found all the diversions available in the 1960s to be too interesting, and was not invited. Return after my sophomore year, and in order to flunk out of a big 10 University, and they're fine universities, all of them, you have to be either really determined or not so smart, not really capable of doing that level of study in undergraduate school. And I'd like to think that I was determined. I used to show up for my exams with a little blue book, and the only thing I would write is due to lack of knowledge, I am unable to complete this exam, sign Bill ranter and get up early and hand it in and go off. And so what was, what was left for a young man like that was the theater I'd seen the great Zero Mostel when I was 14 years old and on stage live, he looked just like my father, and he was funny, and if I Were a rich man, and that's the grade zero must tell. Yeah, and it took about five, no, it took about six, seven years to percolate inside my bread and my brain. In high school, I didn't want to do theater. The cheerleaders and guys who I had didn't happen to be friends with or doing theater. I took my girlfriends to see plays, but when I was 21 I started acting, and I've been an actor ever since. I'm a committee chair on the screen actors guild in Hollywood and Screen Actors Guild AFTRA, and work as a voice actor and collect my pensions and God bless the union.   Michael Hingson ** 11:44 Well, hey, as long as it works and you're making progress, you know you're still with it, right?   Bill Ratner ** 11:53 That's the that's the point. There's no accounting for taste in my business. Michael, you work for a few different broadcast entities at my age. And it's, you know, it's younger people. It's 18 to 3418 years to 34 years old is the ideal demographic for advertisers, Ford, Motor Company, Dove soap, Betty, Crocker, cake mixes and cereals, every conceivable product that sold online or sold on television and radio. This is my this is my meat, and I don't work for religion. However, if a religious organization calls, I call and say, I I'm not, not qualified or not have my divinity degree in order to sell your church to the public?   Michael Hingson ** 12:46 Yeah, yeah. Well, I, I can understand that. But you, you obviously do a lot, and as we talked about, you were Flint and GI Joe, which is kind of cool.   Bill Ratner ** 13:01 Flynn GI Joe was very cool. Hasbro Corporation, which was based in Providence, Rhode Island, had a huge success with GI Joe, the figure. The figure was about 11 and a half inches tall, like a Barbie, and was at first, was introduced to the public after the Korean War. There is a comic book that was that was also published about GI Joe. He was an individual figure. He was a figure, a sort of mythic cartoon figure during World War Two, GI Joe, generic American soldier, fighting man and but the Vietnam war dragged on for a long time, and the American buying public or buying kids toys got tired of GI Joe, got tired of a military figure in their household and stopped buying. And when Nixon ended the Vietnam War, or allotted to finish in 1974 Hasbro was in the tank. It's got its stock was cheap, and executives are getting nervous. And then came the Great George Lucas in Star Wars, who shrank all these action figures down from 11 and a half inches to three and a half inches, and went to China and had Chinese game and toy makers make Star Wars toys, and began to earn billions and billions dollars. And so Hasbro said, let's turn GI Joe into into a team. And the team began with flint and Lady J and Scarlett and Duke and Destro and cover commander, and grew to 85 different characters, because Hasbro and the toy maker partners could create 85 different sets of toys and action figures. So I was actor in this show and had a good time, and also a purveyor of a billion dollar industry of American toys. And the good news about these toys is I was at a conference where we signed autographs the voice actors, and we have supper with fans and so on. And I was sitting next to a 30 year old kid and his parents. And this kid was so knowledgeable about pop culture and every conceivable children's show and animated show that had ever been on the screen or on television. I turned to his mother and sort of being a wise acre, said, So ma'am, how do you feel about your 30 year old still playing with GI Joe action figures? And she said, Well, he and I both teach English in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania school system, and last year, the literacy level of my ninth graders was 50% 50% of those kids could not read in ninth grade. So I asked the principal if I could borrow my son's GI Joe, action figures, comic books and VHS tapes, recordings of the shows from TV. And he said, Sure, whatever you want to try. And so she did, and she played the video tapes, and these kids were thrilled. They'd never seen a GI Joe cartoon in class before. Passed out the comic books, let him read comics. And then she said, Okay, you guys. And passed out notebooks and pens and pencils, and said, I want you guys to make up some some shows, some GI Joe shows. And so they said, Yeah, we're ready. All right, Cobra, you better get into the barber shop, because the barber bill is no longer there and the fire engines are in the way. And wait a minute, there's a dog in the street. And so they're making this up, using their imagination, doing their schoolwork, by coming up with scenarios, imaginary fam fan fiction for GI Joe and she raised the literacy level in her classroom by 50% that year, by the end of that year, so, so that was the only story that I've ever heard about the sort of the efficacy of GI Joe, other than, you know, kids play with them. Do they? Are they shooting each other all the time? I certainly hope not. I hope not. Are they using the action figures? Do they strip their guns off and put them in a little, you know, stub over by the side and and have them do physical battle with each other, or have them hump the woods, or have them climb the stairs, or have them search the trees. Who knows what kids do? Same with same with girls and and Barbies. Barbie has been a source of fun and creativity for lots of girls, and the source of of worry and bother to a lot of parents as   Michael Hingson ** 17:54 well. Well, at the same time, though, when kids start to react and relate to some of these things. It's, it's pretty cool. I mean, look what's happened with the whole Harry Potter movement and craze. Harry Potter has probably done more in the last 20 or 25 years to promote reading for kids than most anything else, and   Bill Ratner ** 18:17 that's because it's such a good series of books. I read them to my daughters, yeah. And the quality of writing. She was a brilliant writer, not only just the stories and the storytelling, which is fun to watch in the movies, and you know, it's great for a parent to read. If there are any parents listening, I don't care how old your kids are. I don't care if they're 15. Offer to read to them. The 15 year old might, of course, say mom, but anybody younger than that might say either, all right, fine, which is, which means you better do it or read, read a book. To me, sure, it's fun for the parent, fun for the kid, and it makes the child a completely different kind of thinker and worker and earner.   Michael Hingson ** 19:05 Well, also the people who they got to read the books for the recordings Stephen Fry and in the US here, Jim Dale did such an incredible job as well. I've, I've read the whole Harry Potter series more than once, because I just enjoy them, and I enjoy listening to the the voices. They do such a good job. Yeah. And of course, for me, one of the interesting stories that I know about Jim Dale reading Harry Potter was since it was published by Scholastic he was actually scheduled to do a reading from one of the Harry from the new Harry Potter book that was coming out in 2001 on September 11, he was going to be at Scholastic reading. And of course, that didn't happen because of of everything that did occur. So I don't know whether I'm. I'm assuming at some point a little bit later, he did, but still he was scheduled to be there and read. But it they are there. They've done so much to help promote reading, and a lot of those kinds of cartoons and so on. Have done some of that, which is, which is pretty good. So it's good to, you know, to see that continue to happen. Well, so you've written several books on poetry and so on, and I know that you you've mentioned more than once grief and loss. How come those words keep coming up?   Bill Ratner ** 20:40 Well, I had an unusual childhood. Again. I mentioned earlier how, what a lucky kid I was. My parents were happy, educated, good people, not abusers. You know, I don't have a I don't have horror stories to tell about my mother or my father, until my mother grew sick with breast cancer and and it took about a year and a half or two years to die when I was seven years old. The good news is, because she was a sensitive, educated social worker, as she was actually dying, she arranged a death counseling session with me and my older brother and the Unitarian minister who was also a death counselor, and whom she was seeing to talk about, you know, what it was like to be dying of breast cancer with two young kids. And at this session, which was sort of surprised me, I was second grade, came home from school. In the living room was my mother and my brother looking a little nervous, and Dr Carl storm from the Unitarian Church, and she said, you know, Dr storm from church, but he's also my therapist. And we talk about my illness and how I feel, and we talk about how much I love you boys, and talk about how I worry about Daddy. And this is what one does when one is in crisis. That was a moment that was not traumatic for me. It's a moment I recalled hundreds of times, and one that has been a guiding light through my life. My mother's death was very difficult for my older brother, who was 13 who grew up in World War Two without without my father, it was just him and my mother when he was off in the Pacific fighting in World War Two. And then I was born after the war. And the loss of a mother in a family is like the bottom dropping out of a family. But luckily, my dad met a woman he worked with a highly placed advertising executive, which was unusual for a female in the 1950s and she became our stepmother a year later, and we had some very lovely, warm family years with her extended family and our extended family and all of us together until my brother got sick, came down with kidney disease a couple of years before kidney dialysis was invented, and a couple of years before kidney transplants were done, died at 19. Had been the captain of the swimming team at our high school, but did a year in college out in California and died on Halloween of 1960 my father was 51 years old. His eldest son had died. He had lost his wife six years earlier. He was working too hard in the advertising industry, successful man and dropped out of a heart attack 14th birthday. Gosh, I found him unconscious on the floor of our master bathroom in our house. So my life changed. I My life has taught me many, many things. It's taught me how the defense system works in trauma. It's taught me the resilience of a child. It's taught me the kindness of strangers. It's taught me the sadness of loss.   Michael Hingson ** 24:09 Well, you, you seem to come through all of it pretty well. Well, thank you. A question behind that, just an observation, but, but you do seem to, you know, obviously, cope with all of it and do pretty well. So you, you've always liked to be involved in acting and so on. How did you actually end up deciding to be a voice actor?   Bill Ratner ** 24:39 Well, my dad, after he was managing editor of Better Homes and Gardens magazine in Des Moines for Meredith publishing, got offered a fancy job as executive vice president of the flower and mix division for Campbell within advertising and later at General Mills Corporation. From Betty Crocker brand, and would bring me to work all the time, and would sit with me, and we'd watch the wonderful old westerns that were on prime time television, rawhide and Gunsmoke and the Virginian and sure   Michael Hingson ** 25:15 and all those. Yeah, during   Bill Ratner ** 25:17 the commercials, my father would make fun of the commercials. Oh, look at that guy. And number one, son, that's lousy acting. Number two, listen to that copy. It's the dumbest ad copy I've ever seen. The jingles and and then he would say, No, that's a good commercial, right there. And he wasn't always negative. He would he was just a good critic of advertising. So at a very young age, starting, you know, when we watch television, I think the first television ever, he bought us when I was five years old, I was around one of the most educated, active, funny, animated television critics I could hope to have in my life as a 56789, 1011, 12 year old. And so when I was 12, I became one of the founding members of the Brotherhood of radio stations with my friends John Waterhouse and John Barstow and Steve gray and Bill Connors in South Minneapolis. I named my five watt night kit am transmitter after my sixth grade teacher, Bob close this is wclo stereo radio. And when I was in sixth grade, I built myself a switch box, and I had a turntable and I had an intercom, and I wired my house for sound, as did all the other boys in the in the B, O, R, S, and that's brotherhood of radio stations. And we were guests on each other's shows, and we were obsessed, and we would go to the shopping malls whenever a local DJ was making an appearance and torture him and ask him dumb questions and listen obsessively to American am radio. And at the time for am radio, not FM like today, or internet on your little radio tuner, all the big old grandma and grandpa radios, the wooden ones, were AM, for amplitude modulated. You could get stations at night, once the sun went down and the later it got, the ionosphere would lift and the am radio signals would bounce higher and farther. And in Minneapolis, at age six and seven, I was able to to listen to stations out of Mexico and Texas and Chicago, and was absolutely fascinated with with what was being put out. And I would, I would switch my brother when I was about eight years old, gave me a transistor radio, which I hid under my bed covers. And at night, would turn on and listen for, who knows, hours at a time, and just tuning the dial and tuning the dial from country to rock and roll to hit parade to news to commercials to to agric agriculture reports to cow crossings in Kansas and grain harvesting and cheese making in Wisconsin, and on and on and on that made up the great medium of radio that was handing its power and its business over to television, just as I was growing As a child. Fast, fascinating transition   Michael Hingson ** 28:18 and well, but as it was transitioning, how did that affect you?   Bill Ratner ** 28:26 It made television the romantic, exciting, dynamic medium. It made radio seem a little limited and antiquated, and although I listened for environment and wasn't able to drag a television set under my covers. Yeah, and television became memorable with with everything from actual world war two battle footage being shown because there wasn't enough programming to 1930s Warner Brothers gangster movies with James Cagney, Edward G   Michael Hingson ** 29:01 Robinson and yeah   Bill Ratner ** 29:02 to all the sitcoms, Leave It to Beaver and television cartoons and on and on and on. And the most memorable elements to me were the personalities, and some of whom were invisible. Five years old, I was watching a Kids program after school, after kindergarten. We'll be back with more funny puppets, marionettes after this message and the first words that came on from an invisible voice of this D baritone voice, this commercial message will be 60 seconds long, Chrysler Dodge for 1954 blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And I watched hypnotized, hypnotized as a 1953 dodge drove across the screen with a happy family of four waving out the window. And at the end of the commercial, I ran into the kitchen said, Mom, mom, I know what a minute. Is, and it was said, it had suddenly come into my brain in one of those very rare and memorable moments in a person's life where your brain actually speaks to you in its own private language and says, Here is something very new and very true, that 60 seconds is in fact a minute. When someone says, See you in five minutes, they mean five times that, five times as long as that. Chrysler commercial, five times 60. That's 300 seconds. And she said, Did you learn it that that on T in kindergarten? And I said, No, I learned it from kangaroo Bob on TV, his announcer, oh, kangaroo Bob, no, but this guy was invisible. And so at five years of age, I was aware of the existence of the practice of the sound, of the magic of the seemingly unlimited access to facts, figures, products, brand names that these voices had and would say on the air in This sort of majestic, patriarchal way,   Michael Hingson ** 31:21 and just think 20 years later, then you had James Earl Jones,   Bill Ratner ** 31:26 the great dame. James Earl Jones, father was a star on stage at that time the 1950s James Earl Jones came of age in the 60s and became Broadway and off Broadway star.   Michael Hingson ** 31:38 I got to see him in Othello. He was playing Othello. What a powerful performance. It was   Bill Ratner ** 31:43 wonderful performer. Yeah, yeah. I got to see him as Big Daddy in Canada, Hot Tin Roof, ah, live and in person, he got front row seats for me and my family.   Michael Hingson ** 31:53 Yeah, we weren't in the front row, but we saw it. We saw it on on Broadway,   Bill Ratner ** 31:58 the closest I ever got to James Earl Jones. He and I had the same voice over agent, woman named Rita vinari of southern Barth and benare company. And I came into the agency to audition for Doritos, and I hear this magnificent voice coming from behind a closed voiceover booth, saying, with a with a Spanish accent, Doritos. I thought that's James Earl Jones. Why is he saying burritos? And he came out, and he bowed to me, nodded and smiled, and I said, hello and and the agent probably in the booth and shut the door. And she said, I said, that was James Earl Jones. What a voice. What she said, Oh, he's such a nice man. And she said, but I couldn't. I was too embarrassed. I was too afraid to stop him from saying, Doritos. And it turns out he didn't get the gig. So it is some other voice actor got it because he didn't say, had he said Doritos with the agent froze it froze up. That was as close as I ever got to did you get the gig? Oh goodness no,   Michael Hingson ** 33:01 no, you didn't, huh? Oh, well, well, yeah. I mean, it was a very, it was, it was wonderful. It was James Earl Jones and Christopher Plummer played Iago. Oh, goodness, oh, I know. What a what a combination. Well, so you, you did a lot of voiceover stuff. What did you do regarding radio moving forward? Or did you just go completely out of that and you were in TV? Or did you have any opportunity   Bill Ratner ** 33:33 for me to go back at age 15, my brother and father, who were big supporters of my radio. My dad would read my W, C, l, o, newsletter and need an initial, an excellent journalism son and my brother would bring his teenage friends up. He'd play the elderly brothers, man, you got an Elvis record, and I did. And you know, they were, they were big supporters for me as a 13 year old, but when I turned 14, and had lost my brother and my father, I lost my enthusiasm and put all of my radio equipment in a box intended to play with it later. Never, ever, ever did again. And when I was about 30 years old and I'd done years of acting in the theater, having a great time doing fun plays and small theaters in Minneapolis and South Dakota and and Oakland, California and San Francisco. I needed money, so I looked in the want ads and saw a job for telephone sales, and I thought, Well, I used to love the telephone. I used to make phony phone calls to people all the time. Used to call funeral homes. Hi Carson, funeral I help you. Yes, I'm calling to tell you that you have a you have a dark green slate tile. Roof, isn't that correct? Yes. Well, there's, there's a corpse on your roof. Lady for goodness sake, bring it down and we laugh and we record it and and so I thought, Well, gee, I used to have a lot of fun with the phone. And so I called the number of telephone sales and got hired to sell magazine subscriptions and dinner tickets to Union dinners and all kinds of things. And then I saw a new job at a radio station, suburban radio station out in Walnut Creek, California, a lovely Metro BART train ride. And so I got on the BART train, rode out there and walked in for the interview, and was told I was going to be selling small advertising packages on radio for the station on the phone. And so I called barber shops and beauty shops and gas stations in the area, and one guy picked up the phone and said, Wait a minute, wait a minute. Wait a minute. Are you on the radio right now? And I said, No, I'm just I'm in the sales room. Well, maybe you should be. And he slams the phone on me. He didn't want to talk to me anymore. It wasn't interested in buying advertising. I thought, gee. And I told somebody at the station, and they said, Well, you want to be in the radio? And he went, Yeah, I was on the radio when I was 13. And it just so happened that an older fellow was retiring from the 10am to 2pm slot. K I S King, kiss 99 and KD FM, Pittsburgh, California. And it was a beautiful music station. It was a music station. Remember, old enough will remember music that used to play in elevators that was like violin music, the Percy faith orchestra playing a Rolling Stone song here in the elevator. Yes, well, that's exactly what we played. And it would have been harder to get a job at the local rock stations because, you know, they were popular places. And so I applied for the job, and   Michael Hingson ** 37:06 could have lost your voice a lot sooner, and it would have been a lot harder if you had had to do Wolfman Jack. But that's another story.   Bill Ratner ** 37:13 Yeah, I used to listen to Wolf Man Jack. I worked in a studio in Hollywood. He became a studio. Yeah, big time.   Michael Hingson ** 37:22 Anyway, so you you got to work at the muzack station, got   Bill Ratner ** 37:27 to work at the muzack station, and I was moving to Los Angeles to go to a bigger market, to attempt to penetrate a bigger broadcast market. And one of the sales guys, a very nice guy named Ralph pizzella said, Well, when you get to La you should study with a friend of mine down to pie Troy, he teaches voiceovers. I said, What are voice overs? He said, You know that CVS Pharmacy commercial just carted up and did 75 tags, available in San Fernando, available in San Clemente, available in Los Angeles, available in Pasadena. And I said, Yeah. He said, Well, you didn't get paid any extra. You got paid your $165 a week. The guy who did that commercial for the ad agency got paid probably 300 bucks, plus extra for the tags, that's voiceovers. And I thought, why? There's an idea, what a concept. So he gave me the name and number of old friend acquaintance of his who he'd known in radio, named Don DiPietro, alias Johnny rabbit, who worked for the Dick Clark organization, had a big rock and roll station there. He'd come to LA was doing voiceovers and teaching voiceover classes in a little second story storefront out of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles. So I signed up for his class, and he was an experienced guy, and he liked me, and we all had fun, and I realized I was beginning to study like an actor at 1818, who goes to New York or goes to Los Angeles or Chicago or Atlanta or St Louis to act in the big theaters, and starts acting classes and realizes, oh my goodness, these people are truly professionals. I don't know how to do what they do. And so for six years, I took voice over classes, probably 4050, nights a year, and from disc jockeys, from ex show hosts, from actors, from animated cartoon voices, and put enough time in to get a degree in neurology in medical school. And worked my way up in radio in Los Angeles and had a morning show, a lovely show with a wonderful news man named Phil Reed, and we talked about things and reviewed movies and and played a lot of music. And then I realized, wait a minute, I'm earning three times the money in voiceovers as I am on the radio, and I have to get up at 430 in the morning to be on the radio. Uh, and a wonderful guy who was Johnny Carson's staff announcer named Jack angel said, You're not still on radio, are you? And I said, Well, yeah, I'm working in the morning. And Ka big, get out of there. Man, quit. Quit. And I thought, well, how can I quit? I've always wanted to be a radio announcer. And then there was another wonderful guy on the old am station, kmpc, sweet Dick Whittington. Whittington, right? And he said at a seminar that I went to at a union voice over training class, when you wake up at four in the morning and you swing your legs over the bed and your shoes hit the floor, and you put your head in your hands, and you say to yourself, I don't want to do this anymore. That's when you quit radio. Well, that hadn't happened to me. I was just getting up early to write some comedy segments and on and on and on, and then I was driving around town all day doing auditions and rented an ex girlfriend's second bedroom so that I could nap by myself during the day, when I had an hour in and I would as I would fall asleep, I'd picture myself every single day I'm in a dark voiceover studio, a microphone Is before me, a music stand is before the microphone, and on it is a piece of paper with advertising copy on it. On the other side of the large piece of glass of the recording booth are three individuals, my employers, I begin to read, and somehow the text leaps off the page, streams into my eyes, letter for letter, word for word, into a part of my back brain that I don't understand and can't describe. It is processed in my semi conscious mind with the help of voice over training and hope and faith, and comes out my mouth, goes into the microphone, is recorded in the digital recorder, and those three men, like little monkeys, lean forward and say, Wow, how do you do that? That was my daily creative visualization. Michael, that was my daily fantasy. And I had learned that from from Dale Carnegie, and I had learned that from Olympic athletes on NBC TV in the 60s and 70s, when the announcer would say, this young man you're seeing practicing his high jump is actually standing there. He's standing stationary, and the bouncing of the head is he's actually rehearsing in his mind running and running and leaping over the seven feet two inch bar and falling into the sawdust. And now he's doing it again, and you could just barely see the man nodding his head on camera at the exact rhythm that he would be running the 25 yards toward the high bar and leaping, and he raised his head up during the imaginary lead that he was visualizing, and then he actually jumped the seven foot two inches. That's how I learned about creative visualization from NBC sports on TV.   Michael Hingson ** 43:23 Channel Four in Los Angeles. There you go. Well, so you you broke into voice over, and that's what you did.   Bill Ratner ** 43:38 That's what I did, darn it, I ain't stopping now, there's a wonderful old actor named Bill Irwin. There two Bill Irwin's one is a younger actor in his 50s or 60s, a brilliant actor from Broadway to film and TV. There's an older William Irwin. They also named Bill Irwin, who's probably in his 90s now. And I went to a premiere of a film, and he was always showing up in these films as The senile stock broker who answers the phone upside down, or the senile board member who always asks inappropriate questions. And I went up to him and I said, you know, I see you in everything, man. I'm 85 years old. Some friends and associates of mine tell me I should slow down. I only got cast in movies and TV when I was 65 I ain't slowing down. If I tried to slow down at 85 I'd have to stop That's my philosophy. My hero is the great Don Pardo, the late great   Michael Hingson ** 44:42 for Saturday Night Live and Jeopardy   Bill Ratner ** 44:45 lives starring Bill Murray, Gilder Radner, and   Michael Hingson ** 44:49 he died for Jeopardy before that,   Bill Ratner ** 44:52 yeah, died at 92 with I picture him, whether it probably not, with a microphone and. His hand in his in his soundproof booth, in his in his garage, and I believe he lived in Arizona, although the show was aired and taped in New York, New York, right where he worked for for decades as a successful announcer. So that's the story.   Michael Hingson ** 45:16 Michael. Well, you know, I miss, very frankly, some of the the the days of radio back in the 60s and 70s and so on. We had, in LA what you mentioned, Dick Whittington, Dick whittinghill on kmpc, Gary Owens, you know, so many people who were such wonderful announcers and doing some wonderful things, and radio just isn't the same anymore. It's gone. It's   Bill Ratner ** 45:47 gone to Tiktok and YouTube. And the truth is, I'm not gonna whine about Tiktok or YouTube, because some of the most creative moments on camera are being done on Tiktok and YouTube by young quote influencers who hire themselves out to advertisers, everything from lipstick. You know,   Speaker 1 ** 46:09 when I went to a party last night was just wild and but this makeup look, watch me apply this lip remover and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, no, I have no lip.   Bill Ratner ** 46:20 You know, these are the people with the voices. These are the new voices. And then, of course, the faces. And so I would really advise before, before people who, in fact, use the internet. If you use the internet, you can't complain if you use the internet, if you go to Facebook or Instagram, or you get collect your email or Google, this or that, which most of us do, it's handy. You can't complain about tick tock, tick tock, tick tock. You can't complain about tick tock or YouTube, because it's what the younger generation is using, and it's what the younger generation advertisers and advertising executives and creators and musicians and actors are using to parade before us, as Gary Owens did, as Marlon Brando did, as Sarah Bernhardt did in the 19 so as all as you do, Michael, you're a parader. You're the head of the parade. You've been in on your own float for years. I read your your bio. I don't even know why you want to waste a minute talking to me for goodness sakes.   Michael Hingson ** 47:26 You know, the one thing about podcasts that I like over radio, and I did radio at kuci for seven years when I was in school, what I really like about podcasts is they're not and this is also would be true for Tiktok and YouTube. Primarily Tiktok, I would would say it isn't as structured. So if we don't finish in 60 minutes, and we finish in 61 minutes, no one's gonna shoot us.   Bill Ratner ** 47:53 Well, I beg to differ with you. Now. I'm gonna start a fight with you. Michael, yeah, we need conflict in this script. Is that it The Tick Tock is very structured. Six. No,   Michael Hingson ** 48:03 no, I understand that. I'm talking about podcasts,   Bill Ratner ** 48:07 though, but there's a problem. We gotta Tone It Up. We gotta pick it up. We gotta there's a lot of and I listen to what are otherwise really bright, wonderful personalities on screen, celebrities who have podcasts and the car sucks, and then I had meatballs for dinner, haha. And you know what my wife said? Why? You know? And there's just too much of that. And,   Michael Hingson ** 48:32 oh, I understand, yeah. I mean, it's like, like anything, but I'm just saying that's one of the reasons I love podcasting. So it's my way of continuing what I used to do in radio and having a lot of fun doing it   Bill Ratner ** 48:43 all right, let me ask you. Let me ask you a technical and editorial question. Let me ask you an artistic question. An artist, can you edit this podcast? Yeah. Are you? Do you plan to Nope.   Michael Hingson ** 48:56 I think conversations are conversations, but there is a but, I mean,   Bill Ratner ** 49:01 there have been starts and stops and I answer a question, and there's a long pause, and then, yeah, we can do you edit that stuff   Michael Hingson ** 49:08 out. We do, we do, edit some of that out. And I have somebody that that that does a lot of it, because I'm doing more podcasts, and also I travel and speak, but I can edit. There's a program called Reaper, which is really a very sophisticated   Bill Ratner ** 49:26 close up spaces. You   Michael Hingson ** 49:28 can close up spaces with it, yes, but the neat thing about Reaper is that somebody has written scripts to make it incredibly accessible for blind people using screen readers.   Bill Ratner ** 49:40 What does it do? What does it do? Give me the elevator pitch.   Michael Hingson ** 49:46 You've seen some of the the programs that people use, like computer vision and other things to do editing of videos and so on. Yeah.   Bill Ratner ** 49:55 Yeah. Even Apple. Apple edit. What is it called? Apple? Garage Band. No, that's audio. What's that   Michael Hingson ** 50:03 audio? Oh,   Bill Ratner ** 50:06 quick time is quick   Michael Hingson ** 50:07 time. But whether it's video or audio, the point is that Reaper allows me to do all of that. I can edit audio. I can insert, I can remove pauses. I can do anything with Reaper that anyone else can do editing audio, because it's been made completely accessible.   Bill Ratner ** 50:27 That's great. That's good. That's nice. Oh, it is. It's cool.   Michael Hingson ** 50:31 So so if I want, I can edit this and just have my questions and then silence when you're talking.   Bill Ratner ** 50:38 That might be best. Ladies and gentlemen, here's Bill Ratner,   Michael Hingson ** 50:46 yep, exactly, exactly. Now you have won the moth stories. Slam, what? Tell me about my story. Slam, you've won it nine times.   Bill Ratner ** 51:00 The Moth was started by a writer, a novelist who had lived in the South and moved to New York City, successful novelist named George Dawes green. And the inception of the moth, which many people listening are familiar with from the Moth Radio Hour. It was, I believe, either late 90s or early 2000s when he'd been in New York for a while and was was publishing as a fiction writer, and threw a party, and decided, instead of going to one of these dumb, boring parties or the same drinks being served and same cigarettes being smoked out in the veranda and the same orders. I'm going to ask people to bring a five minute story, a personal story, nature, a true story. You don't have to have one to get into the party, but I encourage you to. And so you know, the 3040, 50 people showed up, many of whom had stories, and they had a few drinks, and they had hors d'oeuvres. And then he said, Okay, ladies and gentlemen, take your seats. It's time for and then I picked names out of a hat, and person after person after person stood up in a very unusual setting, which was almost never done at parties. You How often do you see that happen? Suddenly, the room falls silent, and someone with permission being having been asked by the host to tell a personal story, some funny, some tragic, some complex, some embarrassing, some racy, some wild, some action filled. And afterward, the feedback he got from his friends was, this is the most amazing experience I've ever had in my life. And someone said, you need to do this. And he said, Well, you people left a lot of cigarette butts and beer cans around my apartment. And they said, well, let's do it at a coffee shop. Let's do it at a church basement. So slowly but surely, the moth storytelling, story slams, which were designed after the old poetry slams in the 50s and 60s, where they were judged contests like, like a dance contest. Everybody's familiar with dance contests? Well, there were, then came poetry contests with people singing and, you know, and singing and really energetically, really reading. There then came storytelling contests with people standing on a stage before a silent audience, telling a hopefully interesting, riveting story, beginning middle, end in five minutes. And so a coffee house was found. A monthly calendar was set up. Then came the internet. Then it was so popular standing room only that they had to open yet another and another, and today, some 20 years later, 20 some years later, from Austin, Texas to San Francisco, California to Minneapolis, Minnesota to New York City to Los Angeles. There are moth story slams available on online for you to schedule yourself to go live and in person at the moth.org as in the moth with wings. Friend of mine, I was in New York. He said, You can't believe it. This writer guy, a writer friend of mine who I had read, kind of an avant garde, strange, funny writer was was hosting something called the moth in New York, and we were texting each other. He said, Well, I want to go. The theme was show business. I was going to talk to my Uncle Bobby, who was the bell boy. And I Love Lucy. I'll tell a story. And I texted him that day. He said, Oh man, I'm so sorry. I had the day wrong. It's next week. Next week, I'm going to be back home. And so he said, Well, I think there's a moth in Los Angeles. So about 15 years ago, I searched it down and what? Went to a small Korean barbecue that had a tiny little stage that originally was for Korean musicians, and it was now being used for everything from stand up comedy to evenings of rock and roll to now moth storytelling once a month. And I think the theme was first time. And so I got up and told a silly story and didn't win first prize. They have judges that volunteer judges a table of three judges scoring, you like, at a swim meet or a track beat or, you know, and our gymnastics meet. So this is all sort of familiar territory for everybody, except it's storytelling and not high jumping or pull ups. And I kept going back. I was addicted to it. I would write a story and I'd memorize it, and I'd show up and try to make it four minutes and 50 seconds and try to make it sound like I was really telling a story and not reading from a script. And wish I wasn't, because I would throw the script away, and I knew the stories well enough. And then they created a radio show. And then I began to win slams and compete in the grand slams. And then I started submitting these 750 word, you know, two and a half page stories. Literary magazines got a few published and found a whole new way to spend my time and not make much   Michael Hingson ** 56:25 money. Then you went into poetry.   Bill Ratner ** 56:29 Then I got so bored with my prose writing that I took a poetry course from a wonderful guy in LA called Jack grapes, who had been an actor and a football player and come to Hollywood and did some TV, episodics and and some some episodic TV, and taught poetry. It was a poet in the schools, and I took his class of adults and got a poem published. And thought, wait a minute, these aren't even 750 words. They're like 75 words. I mean, you could write a 10,000 word poem if you want, but some people have, yeah, and it was complex, and there was so much to read and so much to learn and so much that was interesting and odd. And a daughter of a friend of mine is a poet, said, Mommy, are you going to read me one of those little word movies before I go to sleep?   Michael Hingson ** 57:23 A little word movie, word movie out of the   Bill Ratner ** 57:27 mouths of babes. Yeah, and so, so and I perform. You know, last night, I was in Orange County at a organization called ugly mug Cafe, and a bunch of us poets read from an anthology that was published, and we sold our books, and heard other young poets who were absolutely marvelous and and it's, you know, it's not for everybody, but it's one of the things I do.   Michael Hingson ** 57:54 Well, you sent me pictures of book covers, so they're going to be in the show notes. And I hope people will will go out and get them   Bill Ratner ** 58:01 cool. One of the one of the things that I did with poetry, in addition to wanting to get published and wanting to read before people, is wanting to see if there is a way. Because poetry was, was very satisfying, emotionally to me, intellectually very challenging and satisfying at times. And emotionally challenging and very satisfying at times, writing about things personal, writing about nature, writing about friends, writing about stories that I received some training from the National Association for poetry therapy. Poetry therapy is being used like art therapy, right? And have conducted some sessions and and participated in many and ended up working with eighth graders of kids who had lost someone to death in the past year of their lives. This is before covid in the public schools in Los Angeles. And so there's a lot of that kind of work that is being done by constable people, by writers, by poets, by playwrights,   Michael Hingson ** 59:09 and you became a grief counselor,   Bill Ratner ** 59:13 yes, and don't do that full time, because I do voiceovers full time, right? Write poetry and a grand. Am an active grandparent, but I do the occasional poetry session around around grief poetry.   Michael Hingson ** 59:31 So you're a grandparent, so you've had kids and all that. Yes, sir, well, that's is your wife still with us? Yes?   Bill Ratner ** 59:40 Oh, great, yeah, she's an artist and an art educator. Well, that   Michael Hingson ** 59:46 so the two of you can criticize each other's works, then, just   Bill Ratner ** 59:52 saying, we're actually pretty kind to each other. I Yeah, we have a lot of we have a lot of outside criticism. Them. So, yeah, you don't need to do it internally. We don't rely on it. What do you think of this although, although, more than occasionally, each of us will say, What do you think of this poem, honey? Or what do you think of this painting, honey? And my the favorite, favorite thing that my wife says that always thrills me and makes me very happy to be with her is, I'll come down and she's beginning a new work of a new piece of art for an exhibition somewhere. I'll say, what? Tell me about what's, what's going on with that, and she'll go, you know, I have no idea, but it'll tell me what to do.   Michael Hingson ** 1:00:33 Yeah, it's, it's like a lot of authors talk about the fact that their characters write the stories right, which, which makes a lot of sense. So with all that you've done, are you writing a memoir? By any chance, I   Bill Ratner ** 1:00:46 am writing a memoir, and writing has been interesting. I've been doing it for many years. I got it was my graduate thesis from University of California Riverside Palm Desert.   Michael Hingson ** 1:00:57 My wife was a UC Riverside graduate. Oh, hi. Well, they   Bill Ratner ** 1:01:01 have a low residency program where you go for 10 days in January, 10 days in June. The rest of it's online, which a lot of universities are doing, low residency programs for people who work and I got an MFA in creative writing nonfiction, had a book called parenting for the digital age, the truth about media's effect on children. And was halfway through it, the publisher liked it, but they said you got to double the length. So I went back to school to try to figure out how to double the length. And was was able to do it, and decided to move on to personal memoir and personal storytelling, such as goes on at the moth but a little more personal than that. Some of the material that I was reading in the memoir section of a bookstore was very, very personal and was very helpful to read about people who've gone through particular issues in their childhood. Mine not being physical abuse or sexual abuse, mine being death and loss, which is different. And so that became a focus of my graduate thesis, and many people were urging me to write a memoir. Someone said, you need to do a one man show. So I entered the Hollywood fringe and did a one man show and got good reviews and had a good time and did another one man show the next year and and so on. So But writing memoir as anybody knows, and they're probably listeners who are either taking memoir courses online or who may be actively writing memoirs or short memoir pieces, as everybody knows it, can put you through moods from absolutely ecstatic, oh my gosh, I got this done. I got this story told, and someone liked it, to oh my gosh, I'm so depressed I don't understand why. Oh, wait a minute, I was writing about such and such today. Yeah. So that's the challenge for the memoir is for the personal storyteller, it's also, you know, and it's more of a challenge than it is for the reader, unless it's bad writing and the reader can't stand that. For me as a reader, I'm fascinated by people's difficult stories, if they're well   Michael Hingson ** 1:03:24 told well, I know that when in 2002 I was advised to write a book about the World Trade Center experiences and all, and it took eight years to kind of pull it all together. And then I met a woman who actually I collaborated with, Susie Florey, and we wrote thunder dog. And her agent became my agent, who loved the proposal that we sent and actually got a contract within a week. So thunder dog came out in 2011 was a New York Times bestseller, and very blessed by that, and we're working toward the day that it will become a movie still, but it'll happen. And then I wrote a children's version of it, well, not a children's version of the book, but a children's book about me growing up in Roselle, growing up the guide dog who was with me in the World Trade Center, and that's been on Amazon. We self published it. Then last year, we published a new book called Live like a guide dog, which is all about controlling fear and teaching people lessons that I learned prior to September 11. That helped me focus and remain calm.   Bill Ratner ** 1:04:23 What happened to you on September 11,   Michael Hingson ** 1:04:27 I was in the World Trade Center. I worked on the 78th floor of Tower One.   Bill Ratner ** 1:04:32 And what happened? I mean, what happened to you?   Michael Hingson ** 1:04:36 Um, nothing that day. I mean, well, I got out. How did you get out? Down the stairs? That was the only way to go. So, so the real story is not doing it, but why it worked. And the real issue is that I spent a lot of time when I first went into the World Trade Center, learning all I could about what to do in an emergency, talking to police, port authorities. Security people, emergency preparedness people, and also just walking around the world trade center and learning the whole place, because I ran an office for a company, and I wasn't going to rely on someone else to, like, lead me around if we're going to go to lunch somewhere and take people out before we negotiated contracts. So I needed to know all of that, and I learned all I could, also realizing that if there ever was an emergency, I might be the only one in the office, or we might be in an area where people couldn't read the signs to know what to do anyway. And so I had to take the responsibility of learning all that, which I did. And then when the planes hit 18 floors above us on the other side of the building, we get we had some guests in the office. Got them out, and then another colleague, who was in from our corporate office, and I and my guide dog, Roselle, went to the stairs, and we started down. And   Bill Ratner ** 1:05:54 so, so what floor did the plane strike?   Michael Hingson ** 1:05:58 It struck and the NOR and the North Tower, between floors 93 and 99 so I just say 96 okay, and you were 20 floors down, 78 floors 78 so we were 18 floors below, and   Bill Ratner ** 1:06:09 at the moment of impact, what did you think?   Michael Hingson ** 1:06:13 Had no idea we heard a muffled kind of explosion, because the plane hit on the other side of the building, 18 floors above us. There was no way to know what was going on. Did you feel? Did you feel? Oh, the building literally tipped, probably about 20 feet. It kept tipping. And then we actually said goodbye to each other, and then the building came back upright. And then we went,   Bill Ratner ** 1:06:34 really you so you thought you were going to die?   Michael Hingson ** 1:06:38 David, my colleague who was with me, as I said, he was from our California office, and he was there to help with some seminars we were going to be doing. We actually were saying goodbye to each other because we thought we were about to take a 78 floor plunge to the street, when the building stopped tipping and it came back. Designed to do that by the architect. It was designed to do that, which is the point, the point.   Bill Ratner ** 1:07:02 Goodness, gracious. And then did you know how to get to the stairway?   Michael Hingson ** 1:07:04 Oh, absolutely. And did you do it with your friend? Yeah, the first thing we did, the first thing we did is I got him to get we had some guests, and I said, get him to the stairs. Don't let him take the elevators, because I knew he had seen fire above us, but that's all we knew. And but I said, don't take the elevators. Don't let them take elevators. Get them to the stairs and then come back and we'll leave. So he did all that, and then he came back, and we went to the stairs and started down.   Bill Ratner ** 1:07:33 Wow. Could you smell anything?   Michael Hingson ** 1:07:36 We smelled burning jet fuel fumes on the way down. And that's how we figured out an airplane must have hit the building, but we had no idea what happened. We didn't know what happened until the until both towers had collapsed, and I actually talked to my wife, and she's the one who told us how to aircraft have been crashed into the towers, one into the Pentagon, and a fourth, at that time, was still missing over Pennsylvania. Wow. So you'll have to go pick up a copy of thunder dog. Goodness. Good. Thunder dog. The name of the book is Thunder dog, and the book I wrote last year is called Live like a guide dog. It's le

What if our memories weren't fixed, but flexible? And what if the key to understanding fear, emotion, and consciousness lies in how the brain constantly reshapes experience?In this episode of Mind-Body Solution, Dr Tevin Naidu speaks with Prof Daniela Schiller, a world-renowned neuroscientist, and director of the Laboratory of Affective Neuroscience at Mount Sinai. Prof Schiller's groundbreaking work explores how we form, change, and even reimagine emotional memories, from the neuroscience of fear to the dynamic nature of consciousness and identity. Together, we dive into:- How fear memories are formed in the brain- Why emotional responses are flexible, not hardwired- The ethics of modifying traumatic memories- Social navigation: how the brain maps human relationships- The Human Affectome: a bold framework linking emotion and consciousness- Can machines ever be conscious? Free will, probabilities, and neuroscience- Memory as liberation: how to live with multiple stories of the selfProf Schiller is not only a world-leading neuroscientist with work published in Nature, Neuron, Nature Neuroscience, and PNAS, she's also a Fulbright Fellow, Kavli Frontiers of Science Fellow, two-time Moth StorySLAM winner, and drummer for the rock band "The Amygdaloids".TIMESTAMPS:(0:00) – Introduction: Daniela Schiller on the Science of Emotion & Memory(0:39) – From Animal Models to Human Fear Studies: Schiller's Journey(2:00) – What Happens in the Brain When a Fear Memory is Formed?(3:15) – Flexibility of Emotional Responses: Why Fear Is Not Hardwired(4:51) – Computational Psychiatry & the Brain as an Algorithmic System(6:00) – From Circuits to Consciousness: Can Neuroscience Explain Subjective Experience?(7:11) – The Human Affectome: A Framework Linking Emotion and Consciousness(9:13) – What Is Consciousness? Felt Experience as the Core of Mind(11:04) – Social Navigation: Mapping Human Relationships in the Brain(14:02) – How Social Media Distorts Real Interaction and Social Space(18:15) – Ethics of Modifying Traumatic Memories: Liberation or Risk?(21:27) – Are Emotions Brain Events, Bodily Events, or Psychological Phenomena?(23:16) – The 4E Approach: Embedded, Embodied, Enactive, and Extended Cognition(24:00) – Bringing Philosophy Into Neuroscience: The Human Affectome Project(27:03) – Exciting Advances: Intracranial Recordings, VR, and Naturalistic Neuroscience(33:11) – Can Artificial Intelligence or Machines Ever Be Conscious?(36:26) – Free Will and Probabilities: Neuroscience Meets Philosophy(41:12) – Overcoming Fear as Liberation: Redefining Memory and Identity(46:09) – Living With Multiple Stories: Memory, Authenticity, and Self-Creation(1:02:24) – Future Directions: Reconsolidation, Social Space, and the Human AffectomeEPISODE LINKS:- Daniela' Website: https://profiles.mountsinai.org/daniela-schiller- Daniela's Lab: https://labs.neuroscience.mssm.edu/project/schiller-lab/- Daniela's Publications: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/daniela.schiller.2/bibliography/public/CONNECT:- Website: https://tevinnaidu.com - Podcast: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/mindbodysolution- YouTube: https://youtube.com/mindbodysolution- Twitter: https://twitter.com/drtevinnaidu- Facebook: https://facebook.com/drtevinnaidu - Instagram: https://instagram.com/drtevinnaidu- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/drtevinnaidu=============================Disclaimer: The information provided on this channel is for educational purposes only. The content is shared in the spirit of open discourse and does not constitute, nor does it substitute, professional or medical advice. We do not accept any liability for any loss or damage incurred from you acting or not acting as a result of listening/watching any of our contents. You acknowledge that you use the information provided at your own risk. Listeners/viewers are advised to conduct their own research and consult with their own experts in the respective fields.

Have you ever underestimated the power of small talk? Host, Lisa McGuire, sits down with award-winning storyteller and professional presentation coach Bill Ganon for a raw, insightful, and energizing conversation about the true power of communication. From decades of sales experience to his work as a TEDx coach and multiple-time Moth StorySLAM winner, Bill brings more than just presentation polish—he brings perspective.  Together, Lisa and Bill dive deep into why presentations aren't just for stages, how our over-reliance on digital tools has made us forget how to really connect, and how storytelling and small talk are the overlooked superpowers of successful professionals. This isn't just another episode about public speaking. It's about how you show up. It's about connection over perfection. And it's about becoming unforgettable in every conversation—whether you're leading a team, pitching to stakeholders, or navigating a networking room. Bill also shares his signature “Orange Work” concept that turns transactional relationships into transformational ones—and gives us a sneak peek at what it's like to emcee one of the most authentic networking events in the country, the SELL WELL B2B Sales and Networking Conference in Houston, TX on September 11-12, 2025. KEY TAKEAWAYS Presentation skills aren't optional—they're career catalysts. Small talk isn't fluff—it's a high-impact business strategy. Authenticity > polish when it comes to effective communication. Follow-up questions are the secret sauce of great networking. Storytelling isn't just for speeches—it's a leadership tool. Face-to-face connection is irreplaceable (and becoming rare). Your energy in the room often speaks louder than your words. CONNECT WITH BILL LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bganon/ Website: https://theganongroup.com/    CONNECT WITH LISA Register for the Beyond the Transaction Mastermind -  Apply to join the group: https://beyondthetransactionmm.com/register Sign up for Lisa's "so much more" newsletter: https://www.thediyframework.com/so-much-more-subscribe  Next Steps to the New You Waitlist: https://go.lisamcguire.com/next-steps-to-the-new-you-year  Human Design Masterclass Waitlist: https://go.lisamcguire.com/human-design-masterclass-waitlist  Ideal Client Workshop Waitlist: https://go.lisamcguire.com/ideal-client-workshop-waitlist-icww785155  Get your free Human Design Bodygraph: https://lisamcguire.com/get-your-free-chart/ 

LeeAnn shares the importance of finding joy in simple things, the healing power of storytelling, and how embracing emotions can lead to a more fulfilling life. LeeAnn sharesher journey of creating a one-woman show, the birth of her 'Adventure Girl' persona, and the significance of taking risks. They also delve into the concept of collecting regrets as a means to fuel future growth and the practice of gratitude and presence in everyday life. More about LeeAnn Marie Webster LeeAnn Marie Webster is the creator of No Regrets Formula™and host of the Full Self Expression Forum. She is an attorney turned international Keynote speaker, Moth Story Slam winner, and entrepreneur with 20 years' experience in marketing and business development in a range of industries. LeeAnn has a substantial event background, having successfully produced 130+ virtual summits and founding the largest speed dating company in Southern California. Her entrepreneurial journey started when she became the first person to host a speed dating event outside of the Jewish community, ultimately creating the largest speed dating company in Southern California (“Rapid Dating”).Her first national TV appearance was as a contestant on MTV's Remote Control. Since then, her entrepreneurial insights have been featured in NBC, The Huffington Post, The Los Angeles Times, and dozens more. Through her No Regrets Formula, she helps women leaders find a deeper sense of connection to themselves in order to feel more engaged, increase confidence, and live a more joyful life. She is also the creator of Fancy Meeting Me Here, her inspirational one woman show. Connect with LeeAnnhttps://RegretReleaseMethod.comLinkedin.com/in/leeannmariewebsterInstagram: @leeannmwebster A Moment of Gratitude for our sponsor.⁠ Michele AikenConnect with Melanie⁠⁠Work with Melanie ⁠⁠⁠⁠Download Joy Journal⁠⁠⁠⁠Radical Love Book

Get 1 month free with Shopify: https://shopify.com/calumjohnsonGet Our New Stay Delusional Merch now: https://bit.ly/StayDelusionalTwoGet your copy of Storyworthy by Matthew Dicks, this book made me into a storyteller! https://amzn.to/3IdxsSuFollow Us!https://www.instagram.com/calumjohnson1https://x.com/calum_johnson9https://www.instagram.com/matthewdicks/Timestamps00:00 Intro01:12 The TRUTH about why storytelling is so important for entrepreneurs!07:46 The science behind why stories WORK10:19 “Nothing sells like a story” (real business examples)15:04 Why charisma is a MYTH (it's all about CRAFT)18:30 Can storytelling be TAUGHT?21:13 How to become a master storyteller (find your 5 second moment)26:14 This is where you go wrong with your story33:57 How to locate YOUR life-changing story moments36:18 The fire swallower story (an amazing “aha!” example)41:12 The power of emotional storytelling44:30 How Steve Jobs used storytelling to build the biggest tech company in the world46:06 Step 1: Find your ending (aka the $1M 5‑second moment)50:33 Step 2: Find your beginning (this creates the magic!)55:11 Step 3: Master the middle (add suspense + keep attention)59:55 Why suspense is the storyteller's secret weapon (Wordle principle)1:01:47 The real reason to tell stories: be remembered forever1:04:37 How to live out loud—and be truly knownAbout Matthew DicksMatt Dicks is a 58-time Moth StorySLAM champion, bestselling author of “Storyworthy,” and one of the world's top storytelling coaches. In this episode, he shares a step-by-step masterclass on how to craft unforgettable stories that make people listen, connect emotionally with you, and ultimately buy from you. Whether you're building a brand, selling a product, or trying to be heard—this framework will make you a master storyteller

GatherNYC, a revolutionary concert experience founded in 2018 by cellist Laura Metcalf and guitarist Rupert Boyd, presents concerts every other Sunday at its home venue, Museum of Arts and Design, in New York City's Columbus Circle. Guests at GatherNYC are served exquisite live classical music performed by New York's immensely talented artists, artisanal coffee and pastries, a taste of the spoken word, and a brief celebration of silence. The entire experience lasts one hour and evokes the community and spiritual nourishment of a religious service – but the religion is music, and all are welcome. Spoken word artists perform briefly at the midpoint of each concert, many of whom are winners of The Moth StorySLAM events. “It's an interesting moment of something completely different from the music, and it often connects with the audience,” Metcalf told Strings magazine in a feature about the series last year. “Then we have a two-minute celebration of silence when we turn the lights down, centering ourselves in the center of the city. Then the lights come back on, and the music starts again out of the silence. We find that the listening and the feeling in the room changes after that.”   https://www.rupertboyd.com  https://www.gathernyc.org https://www.instagram.com/rupertboydguitar https://www.instagram.com/gather_nyc   Thanks for joining me on Crushing Classical!  Theme music by DreamVance. You can join my email list HERE, so you never miss an episode! I help people to lean into their creative careers and start or grow their income streams.  You can read more or hop onto a short discovery call from my website. I'm your host, Jennet Ingle. I love you all. Stay safe out there!    

LeeAnn Marie Webster is the creator of the Regret Release Method and author of the forthcoming book “That's Regrettable! Releasing the Past to Fuel Your Future.”. She is an attorney turned international Keynote speaker, Moth StorySLAM winner, and entrepreneur with 20+ years' experience in coaching, marketing, and business development in a range of industries. Her first national TV appearance was as a contestant on MTV's Remote Control. Since then, she has been featured in NBC, The Huffington Post, The Los Angeles Times, and dozens more. Social handles:o Instagram = https://www.instagram.com/leeannmwebster/o LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/in/leeannmariewebster/• Regret Release Method = http://regretreleasemethod.com/ ***********Susanne Mueller / www.susannemueller.biz TEDX Talk, May 2022: Running and Life: 5KM Formula for YOUR Successhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oT_5Er1cLvY 700+ weekly blogs / 450+ podcasts / 1 Ironman Triathlon / 5 half ironman races / 26 marathon races / 4 books / 1 Mt. Kilimanjaro / 1 TEDx Talk

Think you need a big, dramatic life moment to tell a powerful story?In this episode, I sit down with bestselling author, master storyteller, and 61-time Moth StorySLAM winner Matthew Dicks to explore the magic of everyday storytelling—and how the smallest moments often carry the biggest impact.From his life-changing “Homework for Life” practice to the science of what makes a story stick, Matthew walks us through the exact tools and mindset shifts that can turn anyone into a better storyteller—on stage, on camera, or around the dinner table.Whether you're a speaker, entrepreneur, or someone who just wants to communicate more powerfully, this episode will transform the way you see your own story—and help you share it in a way that truly connects.About Matthew: Matthew Dicks is the internationally bestselling author of six novels and three nonfiction titles:Storyworthy: Engage, Teach, Persuade, and Change Your Life Through the Artof StorytellingSomeday Is Today: 22 Simple, Actionable Strategies to Propel Your Creative LifeStories Sell: Storyworthy Strategies to Grow Your Business and BrandHis novels have been translated into more than 25 languages worldwide.Matthew is a record 62-time Moth StorySLAM champion and 9-time GrandSLAM champion whose stories have been featured on their nationally syndicated Moth Radio Hour.His solo show “You're a Monster, Matthew Dicks” debuted at Theater Works in Hartford, CT in 2023.He has also performed in the New York City Comedy Festival in 2022 and 2023. Teacher of the Year and a Connecticut Teacher of the Year finalist.Matthew's client roster includes Google, Salesforce, Amazon, Microsoft, Smucker's, the FBI, The Eric and Wendy Schmitt Foundation, Yale University, MIT, and many more. He also works with Olympic athletes, world-class mountaineers, standup comedians, magicians, attorneys, breast cancer survivors, the children of Holocaust survivors, world champion memorizers, the clergy, and more.Matthew is also the CEO of Storyworthy — a company that creates and distributes online education on storytelling, marketing, sales, and branding. He is also the founder and artistic director of Speak Up, a Hartford-based storytelling organization that produces storytelling shows throughout New England.Connect with VeronicaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/vromney/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vromney/If you're serious about advancing your career in marketing and you're looking for some personal insights into how then I invite you to schedule a free Pathway to Promotion call with me: https://pathwaycall.com/If you found value in today's episode, I would appreciate it if you could leave a rating and review.

Anne Abel is an author and storyteller. Her first memoir, published in 2024 , “Mattie, Milo, and Me,” about unwittingly rescuing an aggressive dog, was inspired by her Moth StorySLAM win in New York City. Her second memoir, “High Hopes Bruce Springsteen and Me,” about fighting depression by following Bruce Springsteen's Australia tour, at the age of 60, even though she hates to travel and hates to be alone, won a Moth StorySLAM in Chicago. It will be published September 23, 2025, Bruce Springsteen's 76th birthday. Her credentials include an MFA from The New School for Social Research, an MBA from the University of Chicago, and a BS in chemical engineering from Tufts University. She has published on topics ranging from dogs lovable and difficult, to coping with depression, family dysfunction, generational trauma, overcoming writer's block and being a FaceTime grandmother. She has freelanced for Lilith; Philadelphia Daily News; The Jewish Exponent; Philadelphia Weekly, Main Line Life and Main Line Today, and formerly wrote a weekly column, “The Homefront,” for Main Line Welcomat. She taught English and creative writing at the Community College of Philadelphia. Anne lives in New York City with her husband, Andy, their 15-year-old rescue bischon, Chase, and Wendell, a three-month old cavapoo. (They make their appearance in the background)(Moth GrandSlam) Growing up:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBfXJ-c-LW8(Moth StorySlam) Milo:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vz1Z6bvwrZI(Moth StorySlam) Love Hurts:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osLo5JWfinw(Moth StorySlam) Bruce Springsteen: Australia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1BZPQuXvho

About Candlelight Bridge In 1910, twelve-year-old Candelaria Rivera and her family flee across the Chihuahuan Desert to America to escape the rising storm of the Mexican Revolution. Meanwhile, twenty-year-old Yan Chi Wong flees the Chinese Revolution and a shattering loss, also bound for America, where he's nicknamed Yankee. They meet in El Paso, Texas, where they fight to make a home in a world that does not want them, until a terrible desire threatens to destroy their lives. Candlelight Bridge is not a romance but a tale of grudging partners struggling to survive the American Dream.   Purchase now from Bookshop.org  https://bookshop.org/a/10588/9781963245073   Purchase now from Amazon https://amzn.to/3EhJM2i   About Cara Lopez Lee Cara Lopez Lee is the author of the historical novel, Candlelight Bridge (FlowerSong Press, May 2024) and the memoir, They Only Eat Their Husbands (Bower House Books). Her writing has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Rivet, and Manifest-Station. She was an award-winning TV journalist in Alaska. She's a winner of The Moth StorySLAM and is featured in many storytelling shows, including Unheard L.A. and Risk. Lopez Lee and her husband live in Ventura, California.     _______________________________________________________________ One easy way to support this show is to rate and review Read Between the Lines wherever you listen to our podcast.  Those ratings really help us and help others find our show. Read Between the Lines is hosted by Molly Southgate and is produced/edited by Rob Southgate for Southgate Media Group.    Follow this show on Facebook @ReadBetweentheLinesPod Follow our parent network on Twitter at @SMGPods Make sure to follow SMG on Facebook too at @SouthgateMediaGrouLearn more, subscribe, or contact Southgate Media Group at www.southgatemediagroup.com.   Check out our webpage at southgatemediagroup.com

Every leader carries the weight of decisions past, but what if you could release those regrets and move forward empowered? In this transformative episode of Women Leaders on the Move, host Natalie Benamou welcomes LeeAnn Marie Webster, attorney, keynote speaker, and creator of the Regret Release Method. Discover how LeeAnn's personal tragedy shaped her mission to help women leaders let go of their "what ifs" and embrace life without limits.In this episode, you'll learn:The power of the Regret Release Method: Turn your past regrets into future actions.How releasing regrets can lead to decisive leadership and personal growth.Practical steps to begin your journey of regret release today: From understanding your past to planning a regret-free future.Hear powerful stories from women who have transformed their deepest regrets into life-changing realizations.LeeAnn also shares insights from her upcoming book, That's Regrettable: Releasing the Past to Fuel Your Future, a graphic exploration of real-life regrets and recoveries. Join us for an episode that not only delves deep into the emotional landscape of leadership but also provides a clear path to a more empowered and regret-free life.Remember to rate and review us on the Apple Podcast app and help other women discover and harness their leadership potential. Your light is needed—shine brightly and lead the way to a future where regrets don't hold you back.About LeeAnn Marie Webster: LeeAnn Marie Webster is an attorney, keynote speaker, and the creator of the Regret Release Method. With over 20 years of experience in coaching and marketing, LeeAnn has dedicated her career to empowering women to achieve their fullest potential without regrets. She is also a Moth StorySLAM winner and has been featured on MTV, NBC, The Huffington Post, and The Los Angeles Times. Join LeeAnn as she guides you through releasing your past and embracing a future filled with possibilities.Visit LeeAnn's website: https://leeannmariewebster.com/Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leeannmariewebster/Follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leeannmwebster/Thank you LeeAnn for being a guest on the show and for being a valued member of Women on the Move in HerCsuite®.Keep shining your light bright. The world needs you.Connect with Host Natalie Benamou, Founder HerCsuite®Natalie is the host of "Women Leaders on the Move'', a top 25 Women's Leadership podcast by Feedspot. She is also the Founder of HerCsuite®, a powerful women's network with membership programs that advance women in the second half of their career. Natalie is also the President of HER HEALTHX, a nonprofit focused on improving health outcomes for women.Natalie Benamou on LinkedInHerCsuite® on LinkedIn

Davine Ker, is a trilingual stand-up comedian and multidisciplinary artist. Her art emerges from thought-provoking jokes, left-field concepts, and unique storytelling that bridges culture, comedy, and music. She headlines throughout the DC area and also performs as a feature comedian in comedy clubs and festivals from NYC to LA and Montreal, Canada. Credits include: International Lady Laughs Comedy Festival, Moth StorySlam winner, Funny Bones, Comedy Nest, Kennedy Center and Amazon Prime.#davineker#standupcomedian#multidisciplinaryartist#livewithcdp#chrispomay#barrycullenchevrolet#wellingtonbrewery Want to create live streams like this? Check out StreamYard: https://streamyard.com/pal/d/54200596...https://beacons.ai/chrisdpomayhttps://www.cameo.com/chrispomay  / davinedc  Want to create live streams like this? Check out StreamYard: https://streamyard.com/pal/d/54200596..

In this week's episode, both of our storytellers share stories about times their deepest secrets were discovered.Part 1: Growing up in Ghana, Pauline Owusu-Ansah hides her secret desire to study lizards.Part 2: Saad Sarwana's secret identity as a standup comedian threatens to ruin his burgeoning physics career.Pauline Owusu-Ansah is a first year PhD student whose passion for evolutionary biology didn't fade off despite growing up in a place where scientists are known to be just medical doctors or engineers. Her story, "The lizard's leap..." capture's a journey from curiosity in Ghana, West Africa to becoming a scientist in this part of the world.Saad Sarwana also know as “The Standup Physicist” has been a comedian for 25+ years. He has performed in every major comedy club on the east coast, and over 25 states. As a certified geek, Saad hosts the “Science Fiction and Fantasy Spelling Bee”. Saad is also a four time MOTH StorySLAM champion, has appeared on the Story Collider podcast six times, and is Arizona Story Collider producer. As a Physicist/Engineer, Saad has 40+ peer reviewed papers and is the past president of the US Committee on Superconductor Electronics. Saad had appeared on multiple Scifotainment (Scientific Entertainment) shows on Discovery / Science Channel, including over 100 episodes on the TV show “Outrageous Acts of Science.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this week's episode, both of our storytellers share stories about times their deepest secrets were discovered. Part 1: Growing up in Ghana, Pauline Owusu-Ansah hides her secret desire to study lizards. Part 2: Saad Sarwana's secret identity as a standup comedian threatens to ruin his burgeoning physics career. Pauline Owusu-Ansah is a first year PhD student whose passion for evolutionary biology didn't fade off despite growing up in a place where scientists are known to be just medical doctors or engineers. Her story, "The lizard's leap..." capture's a journey from curiosity in Ghana, West Africa to becoming a scientist in this part of the world. Saad Sarwana also know as “The Standup Physicist” has been a comedian for 25+ years. He has performed in every major comedy club on the east coast, and over 25 states. As a certified geek, Saad hosts the “Science Fiction and Fantasy Spelling Bee”. Saad is also a four time MOTH StorySLAM champion, has appeared on the Story Collider podcast six times, and is Arizona Story Collider producer. As a Physicist/Engineer, Saad has 40+ peer reviewed papers and is the past president of the US Committee on Superconductor Electronics. Saad had appeared on multiple Scifotainment (Scientific Entertainment) shows on Discovery / Science Channel, including over 100 episodes on the TV show “Outrageous Acts of Science.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Matthew Dicks makes stories come alive. He began competing in live storytelling events in New York City in 2011 and is a record 58-time Moth StorySLAM winner and 9-time GrandSLAM champion. Fortune 500 companies such as Johnson & Johnson, Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Slack, and Salesforce hire Matt to inject the power of storytelling into their sales and marketing, corporate training programs, onboarding processes, and customer service systems. Listen to Matthew, and you, too, will become captivated by the power of storytelling. Learn how to find, collect, store, and craft a great story that will be a game-changer for you, your leadership and your company.   LINKS   Matthew Dicks' website https://matthewdicks.com   Matthew's Books on Amazon   The Mojo Sessions website www.themojosessions.com   The Mojo Sessions on Patreon www.patreon.com/TheMojoSessions Full transcripts of the show (plus time codes) are available on Patreon.   The Mojo Sessions on Facebook www.facebook.com/TheMojoSessions   Gary on LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/gary-bertwistle   Gary on Twitter www.twitter.com/GaryBertwistle   The Mojo Sessions on Instagram www.instagram.com/themojosessions   If you like what you hear, we'd be grateful for a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Happy listening!   © 2024 Gary Bertwistle. All Rights Reserved.    

Anne Abel is an author and storyteller. Her first memoir, Mattie, Milo, and Me, about unwittingly rescuing an aggressive dog, was inspired by her Moth StorySLAM win in New York City. It was published in 2024. Her second memoir, High Hopes Bruce Springsteen and Me, about fighting depression by following Bruce Springsteen's Australia tour, at the age of 60, even though she hates to travel and hates to be alone, won a Moth StorySLAM in Chicago. It will be published September 23, 2025, Bruce Springsteen's 76th birthday. Her credentials include an MFA from The New School for Social Research, an MBA from the University of Chicago, and a BS in chemical engineering from Tufts University. She has published on topics ranging from dogs lovable and difficult, to coping with depression, family dysfunction, generational trauma, overcoming writer's block and being a FaceTime grandmother. She has freelanced for Lilith; Philadelphia Daily News; The Jewish Exponent; Philadelphia Weekly, Main Line Life and Main Line Today, and formerly wrote a weekly column, “The Homefront,” for Main Line Welcomat. She taught English and creative writing at the Community College of Philadelphia. Anne lives in New York City with her husband, Andy, their 15-year-old rescue bischon, Chase, and Wendell, a three-month old cavapoo.  website: https://anneabelauthor.com/ tiktok: @annesimaabel Facebook: @anne.abel --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/maria-leonard-olsen/support

Matthew Dicks is an award-winning bestselling author, speaker, and marketing consultant to some of the world's biggest companies including Amazon, Slack, and Salesforce. As a record 58-time Moth StorySLAM winner and 9-time GrandSLAM champion, he is widely regarded as one of the best storytellers in the world.For more than a decade, Matthew has been advising C-suite executives and their teams. Whether it's a product launch, sales deck, or keynote, he surfaces the real stories behind the spreadsheets – stories that resonate and connect on a meaningful level. He has taught at multiple universities including Yale, MIT, and Harvard, and his work has been featured on Lenny's Podcast, TEDx Talks, Newsweek, and many more.His latest book, ‘Stories Sell: Storyworthy Strategies to Grow Your Business and Brand', reveals the ingredients of a compelling story and demonstrates how they can be incorporated into persuasive marketing copy, productive face-to-face conversations, and presentations that people actually want to hear. It gives readers permission to be themselves, take risks, and make a splash in a sea of empty corporate jargon, helping readers find their voice and share their stories with the world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What do the stories we tell say about who we are? In this episode of Know What You See, host Brian Lowery sits down with Dr. Ray Christian—storyteller, educator, ten-time Moth Story Slam champion, and host of the award-winning podcast What's Ray Saying? —to explore how the narratives we share, and the ones we leave out, shape our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.Join Brian and Ray for a thought-provoking conversation about how our stories might be the key to answering life's biggest question: what's the point?

In Mattie, Milo, and Me, Moth StorySLAM winner, Anne Abel, shares her moving memoir about the role her dogs, Mattie and Milo, played in her journey of recovery from her traumatic childhood. Her first dog was Mattie, one she took in when her son was 10 years old, and ended up falling completely in love Read More

In this digital age, technology can connect us in ways we never imagined. In this week's episode, both of our storytellers share stories of the weird and wonderful ways technology created new opportunities and forged new relationships. Part 1: In an attempt to be seen as “cool” by his friends, Azhar Bande-Ali reaches out to the Steve Wozniak and invites him for coffee. Part 2: Don Picard can't stop using technology to keep tabs on his son. Azhar Bande-Ali is a storyteller who likes his tales with a side of laughs. His award-winning debut solo show, "Curry and Catharsis," presented at the NYC Fringe Festival, won hearts for telling an Indian story hyphenated by an American upbringing. As a former Moth StorySLAM winner, he obsesses over story structure that leaves plenty of room for silliness to highlight the complexities of the human experience. Don Picard has worked in the Boston area for 30 years as a software developer. He was a double major in Theatre Arts and Computer Science at Cornell, and chose to work as an engineer in order to be able to live in Cambridge and feed his family. Don enjoys telling live stories about his kids, husband, and extended family as it is fun, therapeutic, and allows him to exercise the other half of his college degree so he doesn't become bitter.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this digital age, technology can connect us in ways we never imagined. In this week's episode, both of our storytellers share stories of the weird and wonderful ways technology created new opportunities and forged new relationships.Part 1: In an attempt to be seen as “cool” by his friends, Azhar Bande-Ali reaches out to the Steve Wozniak and invites him for coffee.Part 2: Don Picard can't stop using technology to keep tabs on his son.Azhar Bande-Ali is a storyteller who likes his tales with a side of laughs. His award-winning debut solo show, "Curry and Catharsis," presented at the NYC Fringe Festival, won hearts for telling an Indian story hyphenated by an American upbringing. As a former Moth StorySLAM winner, he obsesses over story structure that leaves plenty of room for silliness to highlight the complexities of the human experience. Don Picard has worked in the Boston area for 30 years as a software developer. He was a double major in Theatre Arts and Computer Science at Cornell, and chose to work as an engineer in order to be able to live in Cambridge and feed his family. Don enjoys telling live stories about his kids, husband, and extended family as it is fun, therapeutic, and allows him to exercise the other half of his college degree so he doesn't become bitter.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Thank you to our existing patrons for believing in our work offline and here in the podcast.  Become a patron of the arts at Patreon.com/valerieihsan for books, writing instruction, coaching, and planning. Go to Patreon.com/strangeairstories for short stories in the paranormal mystery genre.   Segment 1 (Announcements/Author Updates): (Accidental Stranger Book 2 out) Print out NOW! On Amazon.  Write in the Harbor (Erick teaching.) (Valerie will be at  Write in the Harbor in Gig Harbor, WA this year, too!  back from Ghost Story Weekend in Rainbow, OR. (Erick) https://wordcrafters.org/unlock-the-heart-of-your-memoir/  (Valerie's teaching a class in Eugene, Oregon on Saturday, December 7, 2024; 10am-5pm.) EMBODY (fit and intuitive) on Patreon. writing new short stories from Ghost Story Weekend inspiration (Erick) re-thinking Patreon (Erick) (Anne) first book published in April (She Writes Press); next book on September 2025; writing third book; social media IG went viral just from showing off apartment. Tip: do videos/reels.   What are you reading? Valerie: Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman; The Year of the Puppy (Alexandra Horowitz) Roland Rogers isn't Dead Yet (Samantha Allen); A Happy Pocketful of Money (David Cameron Gikandi) Erick: The October Country (Ray Bradbury) The Great When (Alan Moore) (Shout out to local bookstore: Parallel Worlds; NE Portland, OR); Safe Enough (Lee Child) Anne: The Wedding People (Alison Espach); I Hope This Finds You Well (Natalie Sue)   Segment 2 (Resources/Tips/Tidbits): Tidbit #1:  Tidbit #2:  Segment 3 (Mindset-Craft-Biz Check):  Segment 4 (Main Topic):   Anne Abel Anne Abel's story about unwittingly rescuing an aggressive dog, Milo, won a Moth StorySLAM in New York City. She has won two additional Moth StorySLAMs in Chicago. Her credentials include an MFA from The New School for Social Research, an MBA from the University of Chicago, and a BS in chemical engineering from Tufts University. She has freelanced for Lilith; Philadelphia Daily News; The Jewish Exponent; Philadelphia Weekly, Main Line Life and Main Line Today, and formerly wrote a weekly column, “The Homefront,” for Main Line Welcomat. She also taught English and creative writing at the Community College of Philadelphia. Anne lives in New York City with her husband, Andy, and their three rescue dogs, Ryan, Megan, and Chase. She grew up outside Boston, MA. Suffered from depression and writers block, and start telling stories is what saved her. Following Bruce Springsteen's tour for the structure. Started writing stories through emails for hours a day. Storytelling open mic. Worked on seven minute story. 7 minute story framework. MOTH is 5 minutes. Don't question what comes out. Positive immediate feedback. Use story beats. Outline. Tell myself the story over and over. (Absolute key points.) (Tell them what they don't expect.) Everyone sees art in a different way. If Bruce Springsteen was saying, "How do we get through the day?" maybe I can do this. Australia changed the trajectory of my life. Blinded by the Light. (Movie about a British-Pakastani teen who discovers Bruce Springsteen's music.) A lot of courage and connection. The courage led to the connectivity. "I live outside my comfort zone." She tried and she tried and she tried. (For my tombstone.) "I don't let fear stop me."  "What's the worst? Just do it." anneabelauthor.com (Listen to a couple of Anne's stories from the MOTHSlam.)   Next episode:  Find Us:   Valerie's Linktree: https://linktr.ee/valerieihsan Erick's Linktree link: https://linktr.ee/erickmertzauthor Patreons:  https://patreon.com/valerieihsan    https://patreon.com/strangeairmysteries Tools: Passion Planner: https://passionplanner.rfrl.co/e86j8 (affiliate link) Discount Code: VALERIE184 ProWriting Aid: https://prowritingaid.com/?afid=9378 (affiliate link)

LeeAnn Marie Webster is the creator of the No Regrets, No Limits Weekend, True-90, and No Regrets Formula™.  She is an attorney turned international Keynote speaker, Moth StorySLAM winner, and entrepreneur with 20+ years' experience in coaching, marketing, and business development in a range of industries.  Her first national TV appearance was as a contestant on MTV's Remote Control. Since then, her entrepreneurial insights have been featured in NBC, The Huffington Post, The Los Angeles Times, and dozens more.  She is an Ironman triathlon finisher and recently summited Mount Kilimanjaro. LeeAnn is the creator and star of Fancy Meeting Me Here, her inspirational one woman show. Tune in as Amy and LeeAnn have a candid conversation about how to implement the No Regrets Formula into your life. Email: leeann@leeannspeaks.comWebsite: https://leeannmariewebster.com/ IG = https://www.instagram.com/leeannmwebster/ More Resources For The Thrive Her Community:  Facebook Group Instagram Website If you aren't part of the community, stop missing out and ⁠JOIN HERE!⁠ It'll be a decision you don't regret! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thriveher/support

Host Raheel Ramzanali and Dusti Rhodes, comedian, educator, host of the Moth Story Slam in Houston, are getting you ready for the week as they discuss why HISD is making their audit committee meetings private and what it means for transparency, how a local university just set a new record, a bizarre theft which has Houstonians baffled, and more! Featured stories: Houston ISD's audit committee has held public meetings for more than 17 years. It no longer will. University of Houston enrolls record-breaking first year class of more than 6,200 students Judge rejects Attorney General Ken Paxton's attempt to shut down Houston immigrant rights group Once-popular Megabus departs Houston and Texas after bankruptcy filing 'Who steals trees?' Neighborhood baffled by unusual crime caught on camera in north Houston Superintendent Mike Miles Answers YOUR Questions About HISD The Moth Story Slam in Houston Learn more about the sponsors of this August 27th episode here: Downtown Houston+ Holocaust Museum Houston Looking for more Houston news? Then sign up for our morning newsletter Hey Houston  Follow us on Instagram  @CityCastHouston Don't have social media? Then leave us a voicemail or text us at +1 713-489-6972 with your thoughts! Have feedback or a show idea? Let us know!  Interested in advertising with City Cast? Let's Talk! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join me on a new series as I share my journey from buying books to renting them from the library, a transition I began in January 2022. I discuss the numerous benefits of this approach, such as saving money, reducing clutter, and the accountability of return deadlines. Over the past two years, I've read at least 24 books and started taking notes to enhance my learning. This journey has inspired me to solidify the content by teaching it, interviewing authors, and reviewing their books on the show. In this episode, I kick things off by exploring "Storyworthy: Engage, Teach, Persuade, and Change Your Life Through the Power of Storytelling" by Matthew Dicks, highlighting the importance of storytelling in public speaking and encouraging listeners to check out The Moth and its podcast for inspiration. Next, we delve into the art of storytelling through the expertise of Matthew Dicks, a seasoned storyteller who has won the Moth Story Slam 36 times and the Grand Slam five times. We'll discuss the significance of storytelling in various contexts, from marketing to personal growth, and how everyone has story-worthy moments, even if they seem ordinary. Drawing insights from Dicks's book "Storyworthy," I'll share techniques such as keeping a story log and identifying the five-second story to help craft engaging narratives. Additionally, I'll introduce a new series where I review impactful books and invite their authors for interviews, encouraging listeners to send in their book recommendations. If you're an author interested in having your book reviewed or being interviewed, reach out via email or social media. I'm excited to embark on this enriching literary journey with you!   Check out Storyworthy: Engage, Teach, Persuade, and Change Your Life through the Power of Storytelling by Matthew Dicks. https://amzn.to/3SMe6Gz    Let's keep the conversation going!Website: martaspirk.com Instagram: @martaspirk Facebook: Marta Spirk Want to be my next guest on The Empowered Woman Podcast?Apply here: www.martaspirk.com/podcastguest  Watch my TEDx talk: http://bit.ly/martatedx  Get ready to take notes and elevate your business's presence as we share over 30 visibility-boosting ideas (access it here: www.martaspirk.com/visibility) and introduce a mastermind program designed to keep you accountable and support your entrepreneurial journey. Get a 30-day free trial of my membership!freegiftfrommarta.com MORE VISIBILITY MASTERMIND application:https://forms.gle/jegEmwzYsTPrH4oP8  

Is storytelling the ultimate business tool?A simple story can transform your business and personal brand.Today we're sitting down with Matthew Dicks to discover the power of storytelling.Matthew Dicks is an internationally bestselling author, columnist, blogger, podcaster, playwright, and teacher. A 59-time Moth StorySLAM champion and 9-time Moth GrandSLAM champion, Matthew teaches storytelling and public speaking to individuals, corporations, universities, entrepreneurs, religious institutions, and school districts around the world.In this episode, discover how authentic, relatable stories can set you apart, build trust, and make your message unforgettable. Matthew shares practical tips on using vulnerability, strategic listening, and real-life moments to connect deeply with your audience. Plus, we explore why human creativity still beats AI in crafting stories that truly resonate.Ready to elevate your storytelling game?Hit like, drop a comment, and subscribe for more insights from experts like Matthew.Connect with Matthew:Website: https://matthewdicks.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-dicks-84a95711/My Socials:Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/darrenlee.ksLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/darren-lee1X - https://x.com/darren_ks(00:00)  Preview and Intro(01:27) The Power of Storytelling(03:31) Storytelling and Brain Chemistry(06:26) The Impact of Personal Stories(11:05) Authentic Origin Stories vs. Overdramatized Backstories(12:43) The Power of Small, Relatable Moments(17:21) Finding Relatable Stories in Big Events(21:12) Becoming an Internationally Bestselling Novelist(23:05) Matthew Dick's Storytelling Framework(27:31) Storytelling in Business(33:45) Choosing Storytelling Over Traditional Marketing(39:46) The Value of Authenticity in Content Creation(42:03) The Domino's Pizza Turnaround Story(44:45) Personalized Storytelling Approach (48:31) The Role of AI in Content Creation(53:22) The Importance of AuthenticitySupport the Show.

He tells stories for a living. He gets paid by the world's biggest brands to create stories for them. He's won Moth StorySLAM (a storytelling competition in NYC) a record 59 times. There is no better storyteller in the world than Matthew Dicks.Every founder knows storytelling is a critical skill. But 95% of founders I meet are terrible storytellers. They overcomplicate, they include too much information, they try to convince with data. Like Matthew says, "Most of what people say in business is forgettable". Whether you want to close customers, investors or employees, you need to stand out and be remembered. And the best way to do that is to tell compelling stories that resonate.Here's how to do it.Why you should listenWhy the key being remembered is being differentHow to use stories to stand out and resonate with customers, investors and employees Learn how to tell an effective story that is relatable, creates suspense, and includes personal connections.How to use personal stories to sell more product. Why you often shouldn't start a story at the beginning.Keywordsstorytelling, business, relatability, suspense, personal connection, Slack, Salesforce, communication, connection, simplicity, contrast, value proposition, trustTimestamps(00:00:00) Intro(00:02:52) A Story About Why Storytelling is Important(00:11:18) Deconstructing the Story(00:15:07) Keeping a Story in Present Tense(00:16:58) Start With Location and Action(00:20:41) When to Tell a Story Chronologically(00:28:13) The Story for Slack(00:35:33) Making a Pitch with No Data(00:41:51) It's not B2B or B2C-- it's H2H(00:47:57) The Goal is to be Remembered(00:52:23) Use Truth in Your Story for Relatability(00:55:11) Making up stories on the fly for portfolio companiesSend me a message to let me know what you think!

In this week's episode, we highlight two stories from this year's Proton Prom, Story Collider's annual fundraiser and celebration of science storytelling.Part 1: Pamela Toh is dead set on being the “bad kid” at school.Part 2: On a family vacation to Disney, Matthew Dicks becomes more and more frustrated by his daughter's strange behavior.Pamela Toh is an aspiring writer and graduate student at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai where she conducts research on how the brain and body coordinate to elicit the symptoms of PTSD. Originally from Singapore, Pamela moved to NYC after completing her undergraduate studies at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa (because the proximity to sun and surf was simply too much to bear). When not hunched over a lab bench, Pamela can be found coveting the latest LEGO sets, or in a yoga studio trying to correct her bad posture. Matthew Dicks is the internationally bestselling author of six novels and three nonfiction titles, including Storyworthy: Engage, Teach, Persuade, Change Your Life Through the Art of Storytelling, and Stories Sell: Storyworthy Strategies to Grow Your Business and Brand. His novels have been translated into more than 25 languages worldwide. When not hunched over a computer screen, he fills his days as an elementary school teacher, storyteller, comedian, blogger, wedding DJ, minister, and communications consultant. He's been teaching for 25 years and is a former West Hartford Teacher of the Year and a Connecticut Teacher of the Year finalist. Matthew is a record 60-time Moth StorySLAM champion and 9-time GrandSLAM champion whose stories have been featured on their nationally syndicated Moth Radio Hour. Matthew is the founder of Speak Up, a Hartford-based storytelling organization that produces shows throughout New England. He teaches storytelling and public speaking worldwide to individuals, corporations, school districts, hospitals, universities, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this week's episode, we highlight two stories from this year's Proton Prom, Story Collider's annual fundraiser and celebration of science storytelling. Part 1: Pamela Toh is dead set on being the “bad kid” at school. Part 2: On a family vacation to Disney, Matthew Dicks becomes more and more frustrated by his daughter's strange behavior. Pamela Toh is an aspiring writer and graduate student at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai where she conducts research on how the brain and body coordinate to elicit the symptoms of PTSD. Originally from Singapore, Pamela moved to NYC after completing her undergraduate studies at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa (because the proximity to sun and surf was simply too much to bear). When not hunched over a lab bench, Pamela can be found coveting the latest LEGO sets, or in a yoga studio trying to correct her bad posture. Matthew Dicks is the internationally bestselling author of six novels and three nonfiction titles, including Storyworthy: Engage, Teach, Persuade, Change Your Life Through the Art of Storytelling, and Stories Sell: Storyworthy Strategies to Grow Your Business and Brand. His novels have been translated into more than 25 languages worldwide. When not hunched over a computer screen, he fills his days as an elementary school teacher, storyteller, comedian, blogger, wedding DJ, minister, and communications consultant. He's been teaching for 25 years and is a former West Hartford Teacher of the Year and a Connecticut Teacher of the Year finalist. Matthew is a record 60-time Moth StorySLAM champion and 9-time GrandSLAM champion whose stories have been featured on their nationally syndicated Moth Radio Hour. Matthew is the founder of Speak Up, a Hartford-based storytelling organization that produces shows throughout New England. He teaches storytelling and public speaking worldwide to individuals, corporations, school districts, hospitals, universities, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode focuses on how to tell a story out loud. In May 2024, our own Andrea Askowitz made her way to a Moth storytelling competition and for the 15th time (over nine years), dropped her name in the bag. The prompt was snooping. Before she left home, her wife told her to look at this evening, if chosen, as practice instead of assuming this would be her Moth. So, when her name was chosen, Andrea had not memorized a story but instead decided to have fun telling the audience about the time she snooped on her daughter's Insta account. Did she win at long last? Listen to find out. In this episode, you will also hear tips on how to hone your story for both the page and the stage. If you want to tell a story out loud or if you want to hone a story you're writing for the page, sign up here to workshop with Andrea. Page to Stage and Back to Page is happening June 27, 2024 7-8:30 p.m. ET on Zoom.A transcription of this episode can be found on the Network Page.Writing Class Radio is hosted by Allison Langer and Andrea Askowitz. Audio production by Matt Cundill, Evan Surminski, and Aiden Glassey at the Sound Off Media Company. Theme music is by Justina Shandler.There's more writing class on our website including stories we study, editing resources, video classes, writing retreats, and live online classes. Join our writing community by following us on Patreon. If you want to write with us every week, you can join our First Draft weekly writers groups. You have the option to join Allison on Tuesdays 12-1 ET and/or Mondays with Eduardo Winck 8-9 pm ET. You'll write to a prompt and share what you wrote. If you're a business owner, community activist, group that needs healing, entrepreneur, or scientist and you want to help your team write better, check out all the classes we offer on our website, writingclassradio.com.Join the community that comes together for instruction, an excuse to write, and the support from other writers. To learn more, go to www.Patreon.com/writingclassradio. Or sign up HERE for First Draft for a FREE Zoom link.A new episode will drop every other WEDNESDAY. There's no better way to understand ourselves and each other, than by writing and sharing our stories. Everyone has a story. What's yours?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today we have a special treat for y'all, we are joined by author and storyteller, Care Lopez Lee, she is the of The Moth StorySLAM, and a featured performer for many live personal storytelling shows, including Strong Words, RISK!, Unheard L.A., Storytellers Project, and Turbine Arts Collective. In this episode, we will discuss her historical novel, Candlelight Bridge. Order the book here! Candlelight Bridge:In 1910, twelve-year-old Candelaria Rivera and her family flee across the Chihuahuan Desert to America to escape the rising storm of the Mexican Revolution. Meanwhile, twenty-year-old Yan Chi Wong flees the Chinese Revolution and a shattering loss, also bound for America, where he's nicknamed Yankee. They meet in El Paso, Texas, where they struggle to make a home in a world that does not want them, until a terrible desire threatens to destroy their lives. Candlelight Bridge is not a romance but a tale of grudging partners struggling to survive the American Dream.

Writer/Storyteller Julia Lechner (Two-time MOTH StorySLAM winner, MOTH GrandSLAM Winner, RISK!, Story Smash Winner, Paramount, TVGuide.com, ET Online)was sitting at work one day when a co-worker announced her Apple Airpods has been stolen. Julia took the lead and formed a "gang" to find the Airpods. Did she jump too fast? Listen and find out!  Each week Hollywood's most talented people in the entertainment industry share true, personal stories on the Story Worthy Podcast. Story Worthy celebrates 14 years of podcasting in July 2024 and has over 800 episodes recorded. Christine Blackburn is the creator, host and producer of Story Worthy, Story Smash the Storytelling Game Show, and My Life In 3 Songs exclusively on Spotify. Listen to the entire episode wherever you hear podcasts. If you get a chance, will you please give Story Worthy 5 stars and a good review on Apple Podcasts? It always helps, thank you! And join the mailing list!  Follow Christine's new show, My Life In 3 Songs. Independent Podcast Producer Christine Blackburn talks to comedians about the 3 songs in their lives that have impacted them, not necessarily their favorite songs, but songs that paint a picture of the of the comedian and where they're from. Listen exclusively on Spotify Find My Life In 3 Songs on Insta and at the website ! PLUS! Watch Story Smash The Storytelling Game Show! Comedians spin a wheel and tell TRUE 1-3 minute stories on the topic they land. You can watch episodes from the pandemic and from summer 2023 right now on YouTube. See Story Smash LIVE at the Lyric/Hyperion Theater in Los Angeles now! Check the website for upcoming dates and tickets! And here's Christine  everywhere. THANK YOU!

Madison's getting a new live music venue. Kevin Willmott II is soon opening the Gamma Ray Bar in the former Barley Pop Live and The Frequency music venue space on West Main Street. You may know long-time local musician and live event host Kevin from his storytelling on the Moth Story Slam, his band Don't Mess With Cupid or from his time working at the High Noon Saloon. Host Bianca Martin sits down for an exclusive with Kevin to learn about his plans for Gamma Ray and his vision for how it might serve Madison local arts.  Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We're also on Instagram!  Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter.  Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Storyteller Margot Leitman joins Tim to talk about the art of storytelling, and how you can be a better storyteller.  Margot is an award-winning storyteller, best-selling author, speaker and teacher and a Moth Storytelling “GrandSlam” winner. This episode was originally released January 17, 2022. https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/shapingopinion/222_-_Margot_Leitman_Storyteller_auphonic.mp3 If you're a regular podcast listener, there is a good chance you heard about a group called The Moth. It's a nonprofit group based in New York City that's dedicated to the art and craft of live storytelling. The organization was founded in 1997 and now hosts storytelling events across the United States. Storytellers are from all walks of life, and each one takes the stage to tell a personal story, and each has a chance to have that story and the performance of telling it ranked. The Moth has branched out into more than simply live events. The Moth podcast is one of the most popular podcasts in the medium. Some Moth storytellers can become champion storytellers. Its published books on storytelling, and it hosts other events. If you have the chance to tell your story on a Moth stage, you could become a Champion. Some of the best storytelling performers are recognized as Moth Grandslam Champions. Our guest today is one of those champions. Margot Leitman is an author who has written books about storytelling. She's written for NBC, Dreamworks TV, the Hallmark Channel and others. She is a five-time winner of The Moth StorySLAM, and was the Moth GrandSLAM winner in New York City. Links Margot Leitman (website) The Moth Radio Hour (website) The Moth (official website) About this Episode's Guest Margot Leitman Margot Leitman is the author of the best-selling book LongStory Short: the Only Storytelling Guide You'll Ever Need, What's Your Story? & Gawky: Tales of an Extra Long Awkward Phase. She has written for DreamWorks TV, the Hallmark Channel, and the Pixl Network and worked for “This American Life” as the West Coast story scout. She is the founder of the storytelling program at the Upright Citizen's Brigade Theatre and is a five-time winner of the Moth Storyslam and a winner of the Moth Grandslam, receiving the first ever score of a perfect 10. She travels all over the world teaching people to tell their stories.

Join Danielle and Galeet Dardashti as they share their journey of discovery  to learn why their father's family left Iran during the Golden Age for Jews. With limited access to records to answer their questions, the sisters relied on interviewing over 85 individuals, including family members, scholars, and unexpected acquaintances.  They have reconstructed an engaging story that transcends cultural boundaries and challenges preconceived notions.  What they learned sheds light not only on their familial roots, but also on universal themes of identity, belonging, and the intricate connections that tie us all together. About Danielle and Galeet:Danielle Dardashti is an Emmy award-winning documentary writer/producer, a former on-air TV news reporter, an author, and a Moth storySLAM champion who leads corporate storytelling workshops all over the world.Dr. Galeet Dardashti is a vocalist, composer, and anthropologist of Middle Eastern Jewish culture. In her new album, Monajat, she sings with samples of her grandfather who was called The Nightingale of Iran. She's currently a Fellow at University of Pennsylvania's Katz Center.Connect with Danielle on LinkedIn  Connect with Galeet on Instagram @galeet.dardashti or Facebook @galeetHead to nightingaleofiran.com to listen to their story and join their list for bonus materials.Are we connected on Instagram or Facebook yet? Find me @msheathermurphyReady to share your experience of uncovering your family's past as a guest on Stories in Our Roots? Take the first step and fill out this short application.

Perhaps you shared yours with three, six, twelve people? Eileen Kelly chats with playwright and filmmaker Cristina Pippa, author and three-time Moth StorySlam winner Kimmi Berlin, and comedian Maryanne Murray about life with the family phone. 

Jamie Brickhouse joins Let's Talk Memoir for a conversation about writing and teaching memoir, performing and telling stories, alcoholism and life as a sober artist, being a 5-time Moth StorySLAM winner, his Texas tornado of a mother, why we don't need good a memory to write a memoir, and his memoir Dangerous When Wet.   Also in this episode:  -why we share stories -the generosity of wondering -what all memoirs are ultimately about   Books mentioned in this episode: The Liar's Club by Mary Karr Cherry by Mary Karr Lit by Mary Karr Before Night Falls by Reinaldo Arenas The Night of the Gun by David Carr The Situation and the Story by VIvian Gornick The Art of Memoir by Mary Karr Braving the Fire: A Guide to Writing About Grief and Loss  by Jessica Handler   Called a natural raconteur by the Washington Post, Jamie Brickhouse is a writer, comedic storyteller, TikTok sensation, podcast host, and public speaker. He's the author of the critically acclaimed Dangerous When Wet: A Memoir of Booze Sex and My Mother (St. Martin's Press). It's “Required Reading” in Mary Karr's The Art of Memoir; an Amazon Editors' Pick (Biographies & Memoirs), an Amazon “Best Book of May 2015,” and a Book Chase “2015 Nonfiction Top 10.” His essays and articles have been published in the New York Times (multiple times), International Herald Tribune, Washington Post, The Daily Beast, Salon, Interview, Out, Huffington Post, POZ, Amtrak's Arrive, Lambda Literary Review, Publishers Weekly, and Shelf Awareness. His recent HuffPost Personal essay, adapted from his memoir in progress, I Favor My Daddy: A Tale of Two Sissies, has over 500,000 views, and Merriam-Webster featured a sentence from the piece in its “Word of the Day” as a perfect usage example of the word effulgence.  Brickhouse's daily TikTok #storiesinheels videos in which he tells a true story have over 5 million views, nearly a million likes, and over 75,000 followers. He is the host of the weekly podcast, Sober Podcast, part of Sober Network, and is an award-winning storyteller who tours two solo shows based on his memoirs, Dangerous When Wet and I Favor My Daddy. Brickhouse has taught memoir, personal essay, creativity, and book marketing at the Columbia Publishing Course (17 years), San Miguel Writers' Conference (San Miguel de Allende, Mexico), HippoCamp: A Conference for Creative Nonfiction, Creative Nonfiction Writers' Conference, the Northern California Writers' StoryTellers Conference & Expo, and Cape Cod Writers' Conference.  Connect with Jamie: Website: https://www.jamiebrickhouse.com/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jamie_brickhouse  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamiebrickhouse Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JamieBrickhouseRedBrickAgency YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jamiebrickhouse Dangerous When Wet: A Memoir of Booze, Sex, and My Mother Ebook & audiobook read by the author: https://amzn.to/2YxvMNl    — Ronit's writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The Rumpus, The New York Times, The Iowa Review, Hippocampus, The Washington Post, Writer's Digest, American Literary Review, and elsewhere. Her memoir WHEN SHE COMES BACK about the loss of her mother to the guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and their eventual reconciliation was named Finalist in the 2021 Housatonic Awards Awards, the 2021 Indie Excellence Awards, and was a 2021 Book Riot Best True Crime Book. Her short story collection HOME IS A MADE-UP PLACE won Hidden River Arts' 2020 Eludia Award and the 2023 Page Turner Awards for Short Stories. She earned an MFA in Nonfiction Writing at Pacific University, is Creative Nonfiction Editor at The Citron Review, and lives in Seattle with her family where she teaches memoir workshops and is working on her next book. More about Ronit: https://ronitplank.com Sign up for monthly podcast and writing updates: https://bit.ly/33nyTKd   Follow Ronit: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/ https://twitter.com/RonitPlank https://www.facebook.com/RonitPlank   Background photo credit: Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash Headshot photo credit: Sarah Anne Photography Theme music: Isaac Joel, Dead Moll's Fingers

What's the best way to usher in the New Year? On this week's episode, legendary voiceover artist Bill Ratner shares a true story from his early days in Radio: When his green card bride Claudine leaves him, he's alone during the Holidays in an empty double wide and his evening shift duties at KJOI (LA's easy listening music station). So when a fan requests something a bit more intimate than the Percy Faith Orchestra, why not make her happy? And on New Year's Eve, they produce their own live show together over the air waves, using the station's 50,000 watts of power to make the world a bit less lonely.  And Dixie ends the year with the story you've been asking her for. #HappyNewYear   Song: ‘Love's A Stranger' (Warhaus)   New Year l Radio DJ l Drive by Fucking l Anonymous Sex | Music Request Line l Radio Antenna l 1970's l Lubrication l Harlequin Romance Novel l Top of Topanga Mobile Home Park l Double Wide l Vaseline l Instrumental Radio l Muzak l Muumuu | Terrycloth Bathtub Animals l FM Transmitter l Top of the Hour l Station ID l Honda Civic l Radio Console l Blinking LEDs I Percy Faith Orchestra l Middle Age l Smog l Order Up a Man l Microphone l Los Angeles l Happy New Year l Divorce l Radio Tower l Lawrence Welk l Green Card l Quell l Radio Station l Marriage l Swiss l London l LA l Radio Announcer l Chief Engineer l Sales Manager l   About our Storyteller:   Bill Ratner is one of Hollywood's premier voiceover artists and a published poet, essayist, and fiction writer. He narrates movie trailers for Pixar's Inside-Out, Marvel's Ant Man, The Kid Who Would Become King, Cold Pursuit, The Emoji Movie, Coen brothers' Hail Caesar, Will Ferrell's The Campaign, MegaMind, Talladega Nights, etc., commercials for Hyundai, Sprint, Pizza Hut, etc., promos for CBS-TV, NBC-TV, ABC-TV, Cartoon Network, documentary narrations for Discovery, History Channel, Smithsonian Channel, Disney World, and is the game voice of "Donnel Udina" on Mass Effect 1, 2 & 3, and the cartoon voice of "Flint" on G.I. Joe, Robot Chicken, Community, and Family Guy.   One of America's leading storytellers, Bill is a 9-time winner of The Moth Story Slam and a 2-time winner of The Best of The Hollywood Fringe Festival Extension for solo performance. Bill's spoken word performances can be heard on National Public Radio's Good Food, The Business, and KCRW's Strangers. He has told stories at Comedy Central Stage, National Storytelling Festival, Long Beach Comic Con, G.I. Joe Con, Portland Storytelling Festival, Timpanogos Storytelling Conference, National Storytelling Network Conference, and Los Angeles Unified School District classrooms since 1992.   Episode links: Needle Play Acupuncture: Needle Play Acupuncture was made by and for the Kink, Leather, and LGBTQIA+ communities. We deserve to have our whole selves treated, because feeling great, playing hard and having spectacular sex can be health goals too. NeedlePlay specializes in Transgender-affirming, kink-aware, and trauma-informed care that is sex and body-positive. They offer Expertise in Transgender care, from HRT enhancement to hair growth support. Plus, as you'd expect: Back pain, muscle pain, injuries, digestive issues, libido issues, mental health, inflammation, graceful aging through micro-needling, cosmetic acupuncture, and more.   For a limited time, Bawdy Storytelling Listeners  can use the discount code “May I Have Another”, and you'll get 25% off. It's holiday time and an Acupuncture certificate is the perfect gift for your Dominant, your Metamours, or for the self-care you need after those exhausting family gatherings.   SUBSCRIBE: Want to be the first to know where Bawdy is headed to on our National Tour? The best place to stay abreast is our email newsletter. Ticket links will be released on the Bawdy newsletter; as soon as we confirm a date, you can find out there.   You'll be the first to see upcoming Tour Dates, get access to Tickets, Storytelling Workshops, Livestreams, Podcasts, Fan Meetups and Special Events. I've been shadowbanned on Social Media (which means no one can see my posts - and that sucks when you're headed out on a big Tour). So having my social media accounts deleted is probably next. If that happens, the only sure way for you and I to stay in touch is for you to sign up for Bawdy's email newsletter. Please ask your friends to sign up, TOO. Let's be Friends!   Subscribe to the Bawdy Storytelling email list at https://bawdystorytelling.com/subscribe   TOUR DATES for Bawdy's East Coast Tour : • Baltimore MD (Friday, January 19th, 2024) https://tinyurl.com/BawdyBaltimoreFriday   • Baltimore MD (Saturday, January 20th, 2024) https://tinyurl.com/BawdyBaltimoreSaturday Philadelphia PA (City Winery on January 26th, 2024)http://tinyurl.com/BawdyPhilly   Pittsburgh PA (City Winery on February 4th, 2024)https://tinyurl.com/BawdyPittsburgh   Nashville TN (City Winery on Friday, February 9th, 2024):http://tinyurl.com/BawdyNashville   New York City (City Winery on Wednesday, February 14th, 2024):http://tinyurl.com/BawdyNYC   Atlanta GA (City Winery on Saturday, February 17th, 2024): Tickets at https://tinyurl.com/BawdyAtlanta2024 Boston (City Winery on Friday, February 25th, 2024):http://tinyurl.com/BawdyBoston   I'm currently working on Bawdy in Chicago, Milwaukee and St Louis too. Fingers crossed! Want me in your city? Send me a message and let's make a plan! BawdyStorytelling@gmail.com   And YES, Bawdy is truly struggling right now. This Tour is my Hail Mary pass. So If you love the podcast and want it to continue, please HELP.   Your one-time Donation can make a huge difference to Bawdy. Our donation links are: Venmo: Venmo.com/BawdyStorytelling Paypal: paypal.me/bawdystorytelling Zelle: BawdyStorytelling@gmail.com BuyMeACoffee: buymeacoff.ee/bawdy Ca$hApp:   I'll need to fly to certain shows, so Your Airline Miles can help immensely, too. Message me at BawdyStorytelling@gmail.com - and Thank You.   Patreon Special Offer:   All-You-Can-Eat Video Special: Need some Entertainment to keep you thrilled and connected til the world warms up again? Right now, I have an End of Year Special Offer: 40+ Hours of Bawdy on Video! Sign up (or Increase your support) for Bawdy's Patreon and you get: Stories from Margaret Cho, Sunny Megatron, Dirty Lola, Slutever, ReidAboutSex and many more Music from Rachel Lark, Jefferson Bergey, Shirley Gnome - All your favorites 16 Full Livestreams You'll be helping Dixie fulfill her Bawdy Storytelling Tour Dreams • Available at the $25/month or greater level at: https://www.patreon.com/Bawdy   Not a Patreon member yet? Join Bawdy's Patreon now to get exclusive Patreon-only rewards (and my eternal gratitude)   And by the way: THANK YOU for everything you do to keep Bawdy going!   PRIVATE COACHING with Dixie: Want to work one-on-one with me? Right now I'm offering personal branding (your dating profile, website, etc), Storycoaching a nervous new keynote speaker, and I help develop documentaries, craft personal stories for the stage, and write their books - because storytelling is everywhere you wanna be. I can help you live the life that you've always dreamed about: communicate with clarity, help you land your dream job, and discover your own story … Whether it's getting onstage for the first time, writing your memoir, creating a podcast, or learning brand storytelling for your business, I can help. Email me at BawdyStorytelling@gmail.com and let's make it happen.   My upcoming Substack 'The Dixie Ramble' is at https://substack.com/profile/22550258-dixie-de-la-tour #Subscribe   Bawdy Got Me Laid perfume, Bawdy Butter & more: Dixie has created her own fragrance: You'll love #BawdyGotMeLaid perfume, scented with golden honey, amber, ylang ylang, and warm vanilla. There's also our (scented or unscented) creamy Bawdy Butter, Hair & Bawdy Oil, & more. Bawdy Got Me Laid Merchandise means you can deliver your own great smelling Motorboats while supporting Dixie and Bawdy. Get yours today at https://bawdystorytelling.com/merchandise   Check out our Bawdy Storytelling Fiends and Fans group on Facebook - it's a place to discuss the podcast's stories with the storytellers, share thoughts with your fellow listeners, & help Dixie make the podcast even better. Just answer 3 simple questions and you're IN! https://www.facebook.com/groups/360169851578316/ Thank you to the Team that makes this podcast possible! Team Bawdy is:   Podcast Producer: Roman Den Houdijker Sound Engineer: David Grosof Storytelling support by Mosa Maxwell-Smith Dixie's Virtual Assistant is Roillan James Video & Livestream support from Donal Mooney Bawdy's Creator & Host is Dixie De La Tour & Thank you to Pleasure Podcasts. Bawdy Storytelling is proud to be part of your s*x-positive podcast collective! Website: https://bawdystorytelling.com/ On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bawdystorytelling/ Like us at www.Facebook.com/BawdyStorytelling Join us on FetLife: https://fetlife.com/groups/46341 Support us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/Bawdy Watch us on YouTube at http://bit.ly/BawdyTV Find out about upcoming Podcast episodes - & Livestreams - at www.BawdyStorytelling.com/subscribe  

As we say goodbye to 2023 and ring in the New Year, this week's classic episode is all about the novel. Part 1: Feeling isolated in her new job as a particle accelerator operator at Fermilab, Cindy Joe finds comfort in the friendship of her unconventional pet. This story originally aired on July 27, 2018 in an episode titled “Loneliness: Stories about finding friends”. Part 2: Actor Gail Thomas is invited to take part in a study testing mushrooms as treatment for depression in cancer survivors. This story originally aired on Dec. 1, 2017 in an episode titled “Psychotropic Substances: Stories about altered states”. Cindy Joe is an engineering physicist at Fermilab, America's particle physics and accelerator laboratory. She got her bachelor's degree in physics and became a licensed senior nuclear reactor operator at Reed College in Portland, Oregon. After starting at Fermilab, she worked as a particle accelerator operator for seven years before taking her current role with several experiments studying neutrinos, tiny particles that might hold the answers to some of the universe's biggest mysteries. Cindy is a frequent and deeply passionate contributor to Fermilab's educational outreach programs and has spoken to audiences from elementary school students to members of Congress. Gail Thomas has several resumes: writer/actor/teacher/filmmaker/lawyer. She is a Moth StorySLAM winner and has performed with RISK!, Sideshow Goshko, the Liar Show. She teaches for the Story Studio. Voiceover credits include David Letterman, Beavis and Butthead and Angelo Rules. Her short comedy, My BFF, rated 95% funny on Funny or Die and audience favorite at New Filmmakers. As a speechwriter for the Tribeca Film Festival and the Gotham Awards, her words were uttered by Oscar winners and fancy people with great clothes. Gail is currently working on her fashion sense. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As we say goodbye to 2023 and ring in the New Year, this week's classic episode is all about the novel.Part 1: Feeling isolated in her new job as a particle accelerator operator at Fermilab, Cindy Joe finds comfort in the friendship of her unconventional pet.This story originally aired on July 27, 2018 in an episode titled “Loneliness: Stories about finding friends”.Part 2: Actor Gail Thomas is invited to take part in a study testing mushrooms as treatment for depression in cancer survivors.This story originally aired on Dec. 1, 2017 in an episode titled “Psychotropic Substances: Stories about altered states”. Cindy Joe is an engineering physicist at Fermilab, America's particle physics and accelerator laboratory. She got her bachelor's degree in physics and became a licensed senior nuclear reactor operator at Reed College in Portland, Oregon. After starting at Fermilab, she worked as a particle accelerator operator for seven years before taking her current role with several experiments studying neutrinos, tiny particles that might hold the answers to some of the universe's biggest mysteries. Cindy is a frequent and deeply passionate contributor to Fermilab's educational outreach programs and has spoken to audiences from elementary school students to members of Congress. Gail Thomas has several resumes: writer/actor/teacher/filmmaker/lawyer. She is a Moth StorySLAM winner and has performed with RISK!, Sideshow Goshko, the Liar Show. She teaches for the Story Studio. Voiceover credits include David Letterman, Beavis and Butthead and Angelo Rules. Her short comedy, My BFF, rated 95% funny on Funny or Die and audience favorite at New Filmmakers. As a speechwriter for the Tribeca Film Festival and the Gotham Awards, her words were uttered by Oscar winners and fancy people with great clothes. Gail is currently working on her fashion sense. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today on the podcast, master storyteller and marketing expert Matthew Dicks joins Bradley to discuss how to tell your brand story in a compelling and engaging way.Matthew Dicks is the internationally bestselling author of the novels Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend, Something Missing and Unexpectedly, Milo, The Perfect Comeback of Caroline Jacobs, Twenty-one Truths About Love, The Other Mother, and the nonfiction titles Storyworthy: Engage, Teach, Persuade, and Change Your Life Through the Art of Storytelling and Someday Is Today: 22 Simple, Actionable Strategies to Propel Your Creative Life. His novels have been translated into more than 25 languages worldwide. He is also the author of the rock opera The Clowns and musicals Caught in the Middle, Sticks & Stones, and Summertime. He is an advice columnist for Slate magazine and the humor columnist for Seasons magazine. He has written comic books for DoubleTake Comics. Matthew is a record 59-time Moth StorySLAM champion and 9-time GrandSLAM champion whose stories have been featured on their nationally syndicated Moth Radio Hour and their weekly podcast. When not hunched over a computer screen, he fills his days as an elementary school teacher, storyteller, blogger, wedding DJ, minister, and marketing and speaking consultant. He has been teaching for 24 years and is a former West Hartford Teacher of the Year and a finalist for Connecticut Teacher of the Year.Matthew is also the founder and artistic director of Speak Up, a Hartford-based storytelling organization that produces shows throughout New England and Speak Up Storytelling, a podcast on storytelling. He teaches storytelling and public speaking throughout the world to individuals, corporations, school districts, hospitals, universities, advertising agencies, and more. ** JOIN THE PRIVATE LEADERSHIP PODCAST COMMUNITY! **This community has access to a seat at the live recordings for all Monday podcast episodes, monthly, live Q&As with our favorite podcast guests, a private community on Facebook, and more. It launches June 1st, 2023 - grab your spot using this link: www.club.capital/podcastThanks to our sponsors:Club Capital offers monthly accounting, tax, and CFO services for insurance agency owners. Learn more at www.club.capital.Coach P found great success as an insurance agent and agency owner. He leads a a large, stable team of professionals who are at the top of their game year after year. Now he shares the systems, processes, delegation, and specialization he developed along the way. Gain access to weekly training calls and mentoring at www.coachpconsulting.com. Be sure to mention the Club Capital Podcast when you get in touch.

Jitesh Jaggi is a recent immigrant storyteller, poet, and dancer from India, currently living in Chicago. He ended his career in Finance one day when he lost all his data that he forgot to save on an Excel sheet, and realized that he just didn't care. That tipping point led to him becoming a writer and he is currently working on a book of essays. A two-time Moth StorySlam winner and a producer for the Story Collider, he also coaches clients in telling their stories. You can reach out to him at jaggi.jitesh@gmail.com. He loves writing bios because he can refer to himself in the third person. Jitesh can be easily bribed with books and chocolates. The First Time is hosted by Jenn Sodini. Produced by Bobby Evers and Julie Mueller. Podcast produced by Andy Vasoyan. Recorded by Tony Baker.

LeeAnn Marie Webster's life is truly a one-woman show. Multiple reinventions took her through a series of careers that include lawyer, speed dating event owner, and business coach. Next week she will add "star of the stage" to her list. Her autobiographical stage production, "Fancy Meeting Me Here", which plays at Chicago's Den Theatre from June 22-24, recounts her journey of coping with the loss of her brother when she was a child, searching for her calling, and the personal transformation that happened along the way. In this conversation with CoveyClub founder Lesley Jane Seymour, Webster shares the hard-won lessons of reinventing across the years and explains why she refused to stay in a professional box. "I want to do something that makes my heart sing," she says. "The more women can tap into their story and inspire and encourage others...the better the world is." Free gift! Grab our new ebook, 5 Days to More Time for You! We've packed it full of our favorite time management hacks to help you conquer your to-do list and create more time for the things that matter most. About LeeAnn Marie Webster LeeAnn Marie Webster is the creator of No Regrets Formula™, host of the Full Self Expression Forum, and star of Fancy Meeting Me Here, an autobiographical stage show. She is an attorney turned international keynote speaker, Moth Story Slam winner, and entrepreneur with 20+ years' experience in marketing and business development. LeeAnn guides accomplished women leaders to live with no regrets so that they can have more impact, fulfillment & fun.  LeeAnn is also an Ironman® finisher and she recently summited Africa's Mount Kilimanjaro Connect with LeeAnn Marie Webster Website Facebook Instagram LinkedIn YouTube   Connect with Lesley Jane Seymour & CoveyClub: Website | Instagram | LinkedIn | Join CoveyClub

Kim Kalish also went to the same high school as Tom Kelly but 12 years later. They share some of the same mentors and some of the same starting points and completely different out looks on life. Despite similar beginnings and careers, the two have different outlooks on life. Does failure lead you to destiny? Where have failures lead Kim to bigger things? Where has Tom's failures just lead to disappointment? With over 30M views of her digital work, Kim has multiple wins at The Moth Story Slam, top accolades at the LA Storytelling Fest, and contributions to storytelling powerhouse, Soul Participant. Kim has performed on Conan, College Humor and has been featured on The Huffington Post, Cheek, and Indiewire, among other publications. Show Notes: Kim Kalish: Kim's Instagram  

This is a rebroadcast. The episode originally ran in July 2019. Matthew Dicks is an author, columnist, teacher, storyteller, podcaster, blogger, playwright, and more. He is the co-founder and artistic director of Speak Up, a storytelling organization that produces shows throughout New England as well as a weekly podcast, and the author of Storyworthy. He's also the CEO of StoryworthyMD, where he teaches storytelling online. He consults with Fortune 500 companies, universities, attorneys, entrepreneurs, the clergy, and many more on storytelling and communication. Matthew is a 58-time Moth StorySLAM champion and 9-time GrandSLAM champion and has told stories for a wide range of events, radio shows, and performance venues. He lives in Connecticut with his wife, Elysha, and their two children. Highlights 07:26 With his wife runs an organization called “Speak Up” which puts on storytelling events 08:13 The science of telling a good story, i.e., public speaking in an engaging way 10:15 Basic storytelling principles: Know what a story is: a moment in your life that is transformational and reflects change over time, as opposed to a simple retelling of chronological events. Ask yourself: Am I speaking about a moment in my life that changed me in some way? You can't really change your audience with a story unless that story changed you. Share something of yourself, that makes you authentic and vulnerable. Being vulnerable to others also makes you safe to others, and they will be more willing to be vulnerable with you. Set out to have your listeners feel like they connected with you in the end. Showing emotion is acceptable so long as you can speak your truth in a clear way. 21:10 Teaching from scripture versus sharing of yourself It is hard for people to care about the scriptural content or lesson unless they can see a relatable example of application from a person they trust. 24:26 Using our own stories versus using “borrowed” stories, e.g., using a story given in General Conference in a sacrament meeting talk Telling your own story is the best way to be authentic. 26:50 Improving our storytelling: “Homework for life”: Before going to bed, ask yourself “what's the most story-worthy moment of today?” Write it down. Explore why and how the experience changed you. Matt has noticed that he has changed every day of his life, as documented in his “Homework for life” spreadsheet. Frame of the story is most important: what is the end, and what is the beginning? Must have some entertainment value. Jump right into the story. Stay within the story. Remember the story without memorizing–rehearse! Tell the story in “scenes”. How to tell a story “on the spot”: what does something mean to me? Listeners should know how you are different at the end of the story from the beginning. Asking “why?” five times about your storyworthy moments. I.e.: Today I was changed by X experience. Why did X experience change me? Why A? Because B. But, why B? Because C. Why C? Because D. Etc. 55:21 Storytime! 65:49 Reviewing and deconstructing the story 72:25 How storytelling has helped him become a better person Links MatthewDicks.com Storyworthy: Engage, Teach, Persuade, and Change Your Life through the Power of Storytelling TED Talk: Homework for Life Speak Up Storytelling StoryworthyMD.com YouTube stories Art of Manliness podcast episode Watch this podcast on YouTube Read the TRANSCRIPT of this podcast Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library The Leading Saints Podcast is one of the top independent Latter-day Saints podcasts as part of nonprofit Leading Saints' mission to help Latter-day Saints be better prepared to lead. Learn more and listen to any of the past episodes for free at LeadingSaints.org. Past guests include Emily Belle Freeman, David Butler, Hank Smith, John Bytheway, Liz Wiseman, Stephen M. R. Covey, Julie Beck, Brad Wilcox, Jody Moore, Tony Overbay, John H. Groberg,

Matthew Dicks is an author, columnist, teacher, storyteller, podcaster, blogger, playwright, and more. He is the co-founder and artistic director of Speak Up, a storytelling organization that produces shows throughout New England as well as a weekly podcast, and the author of Storyworthy. He's also the CEO of StoryworthyMD, where he teaches storytelling online. He consults with Fortune 500 companies, universities, attorneys, entrepreneurs, the clergy, and many more on storytelling and communication. Matthew is a 58-time Moth StorySLAM champion and 9-time GrandSLAM champion and has told stories for a wide range of events, radio shows, and performance venues. He lives in Connecticut with his wife, Elysha, and their two children. Highlights 07:26 With his wife runs an organization called “Speak Up” which puts on storytelling events 08:13 The science of telling a good story, i.e., public speaking in an engaging way 10:15 Basic storytelling principles: Know what a story is: a moment in your life that is transformational and reflects change over time, as opposed to a simple retelling of chronological events. Ask yourself: Am I speaking about a moment in my life that changed me in some way? You can't really change your audience with a story unless that story changed you. Share something of yourself, that makes you authentic and vulnerable. Being vulnerable to others also makes you safe to others, and they will be more willing to be vulnerable with you. Set out to have your listeners feel like they connected with you in the end. Showing emotion is acceptable so long as you can speak your truth in a clear way. 21:10 Teaching from scripture versus sharing of yourself It is hard for people to care about the scriptural content or lesson unless they can see a relatable example of application from a person they trust. 24:26 Using our own stories versus using “borrowed” stories, e.g., using a story given in General Conference in a sacrament meeting talk Telling your own story is the best way to be authentic. 26:50 Improving our storytelling: “Homework for life”: Before going to bed, ask yourself “what's the most story-worthy moment of today?” Write it down. Explore why and how the experience changed you. Matt has noticed that he has changed every day of his life, as documented in his “Homework for life” spreadsheet. Frame of the story is most important: what is the end, and what is the beginning? Must have some entertainment value. Jump right into the story. Stay within the story. Remember the story without memorizing–rehearse! Tell the story in “scenes”. How to tell a story “on the spot”: what does something mean to me? Listeners should know how you are different at the end of the story from the beginning. Asking “why?” five times about your storyworthy moments. I.e.: Today I was changed by X experience. Why did X experience change me? Why A? Because B. But, why B? Because C. Why C? Because D. Etc. 55:21 Storytime! 65:49 Reviewing and deconstructing the story 72:25 How storytelling has helped him become a better person Links MatthewDicks.com Storyworthy: Engage, Teach, Persuade, and Change Your Life through the Power of Storytelling TED Talk: Homework for Life Speak Up Storytelling StoryworthyMD.com YouTube stories Art of Manliness podcast episode Watch this podcast on YouTube TRANSCRIPT coming soon Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library The Leading Saints Podcast is one of the top independent Latter-day Saints podcasts as part of nonprofit Leading Saints' mission to help Latter-day Saints be better prepared to lead. Learn more and listen to any of the past episodes for free at LeadingSaints.org. Past guests include Emily Belle Freeman, David Butler, Hank Smith, John Bytheway, Liz Wiseman, Stephen M. R. Covey, Julie Beck, Brad Wilcox, Jody Moore, Tony Overbay, John H. Groberg, Elaine Dalton, Tad R. Callister, Lynn G. Robbins, J. Devn Cornish, Dennis B.

Science isn't always pretty. In fact, more often than not it's kinda disgusting. In this week's episode, both our storytellers share stories of the less glamorous side of science. Part 1: In order to score extra credit in her high school anatomy class, Amy Segal embarks on a journey to build a cat skeleton. Part 2: Dave Coyle goes on a smelly mission to find the endangered American burying beetle for his undergraduate project. Amy Segal works in finance by day but by night finds herself drawn to storytelling shows on the Lower East Side. She is a Moth Story Slam winner, has been featured on The Story Collider podcast and is the proud recipient of 200 one-dollar bills from a One Up! storytelling competition. She is developing a one-person show, the beginnings of which she performed at the MarshStream International SoloFest in 2020 and 2022. Dr. Dave Coyle is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation at Clemson University. His Extension Forestry program focuses on forest and tree health and invasive species management in natural and managed landscapes across the Southeast. Dave's research program focuses on the biology and management invasive plants and insects. Dave completed his B.A. in Biology at Luther College, a M.S. in Entomology and Forestry at Iowa State University, and a PhD in Entomology at the University of Wisconsin. Dave is Past-President of the North American Invasive Species Management Association, is on the South Carolina Invasive Species Advisory Committee, and the Advisory Committee for the South Carolina Exotic Plant Pest Council. Dave lives near Athens, GA. He is married to an amazing woman and they have two young boys. He grew up on a farm in Harmony, MN, and spent most of his time in the woods. He was an active member of the Carimona Cruisers 4-H club and once had a pet cow named Kari. Together, then won a trophy at the 1986 Fillmore County Fair. He still loves cows but thinks horses are shifty. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Science isn't always pretty. In fact, more often than not it's kinda disgusting. In this week's episode, both our storytellers share stories of the less glamorous side of science.Part 1: In order to score extra credit in her high school anatomy class, Amy Segal embarks on a journey to build a cat skeleton.Part 2: Dave Coyle goes on a smelly mission to find the endangered American burying beetle for his undergraduate project.Amy Segal works in finance by day but by night finds herself drawn to storytelling shows on the Lower East Side. She is a Moth Story Slam winner, has been featured on The Story Collider podcast and is the proud recipient of 200 one-dollar bills from a One Up! storytelling competition. She is developing a one-person show, the beginnings of which she performed at the MarshStream International SoloFest in 2020 and 2022. Dr. Dave Coyle is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation at Clemson University. His Extension Forestry program focuses on forest and tree health and invasive species management in natural and managed landscapes across the Southeast. Dave's research program focuses on the biology and management invasive plants and insects. Dave completed his B.A. in Biology at Luther College, a M.S. in Entomology and Forestry at Iowa State University, and a PhD in Entomology at the University of Wisconsin. Dave is Past-President of the North American Invasive Species Management Association, is on the South Carolina Invasive Species Advisory Committee, and the Advisory Committee for the South Carolina Exotic Plant Pest Council. Dave lives near Athens, GA. He is married to an amazing woman and they have two young boys. He grew up on a farm in Harmony, MN, and spent most of his time in the woods. He was an active member of the Carimona Cruisers 4-H club and once had a pet cow named Kari. Together, then won a trophy at the 1986 Fillmore County Fair. He still loves cows but thinks horses are shifty. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When you're a kid, anything seems possible, whether it's becoming an astronaut or a princess, or even convincing your parents to get you that puppy. In this week's episode, both our storytellers set themselves some lofty goals when they were young.Part 1: On the top bunk in her childhood bedroom, Kayla Hernandez makes plans to escape her home life and become a scientist.Part 2: As a teenager, Marc Abbott dreams of finding a wife and having kids, but a case of testicular torsion could ruin it all.Kayla Hernandez is an electrical engineer at Brookhaven National Laboratory's Collider Accelerator department. You can find her mentoring students, advocating for women's issues in STEM, and on Habitat for Humanity build sites across Long Island.Marc L Abbott is a Brooklyn based author, actor and storyteller. His horror short stories are featured in numerous anthologies including the Bram Stoker Nominated horror anthology New York State of Fright, Hell's Heart and Hell's Mall and most recently Even in the Grave. He is the co-author of Hell at Brooklyn Tea and Hell at the Way Station, the two-time African American Literary Award-winning horror anthology. He is a Moth Story Slam and Grand Slam Storyteller winner and one of the hosts for the podcast Beef, Wine and Shenanigans. Find out more about him at www.whoismarclabbott.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.