Tell Me What It's Like – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Technical and general information from the podcast's RSS feed.

Tell Me What It's Like

Stacy Raine

Society & Culture

Frequency: 1 episode/9d. Total Eps: 32

Have you ever wished for a window into someone else’s world? Tell Me What It’s Like is a podcast about lived experience — the experiences that challenge us, surprise us, and shape how we see the world. Host Stacy Raine sits down with people to explore what it was like to live through them, and how those experiences changed their perspective.

Read moreCollapse

Site

RSS

Apple

Recent rankings

Latest chart positions across Apple Podcasts and Spotify rankings.

Apple Podcasts

🇬🇧 Great Britain - personalJournals
05/03/2026
#95

Spotify

No recent rankings available

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

Links found in episode descriptions and other podcasts that share them.

See all

RSS feed quality and score

Technical evaluation of the podcast's RSS feed quality and structure.

See all

RSS feed quality

Good

Score global : 73%

Publication history

Monthly episode publishing history over the past years.

Year

Latest published episodes

Recent episodes with titles, durations, and descriptions.

See all

22 Days in a Buddhist Monastery: Clarity That Comes From Silence

Season 2 · Episode 29

Wednesday, March 4, 2026 • Duration 51:16

When Laurie Jacobson was 43, she found herself in a deeply unhappy marriage and increasingly isolated and depressed. After years of trying conventional therapies and self-help approaches without relief, she made a decision that felt radical at the time: she signed up for a silent retreat at a Buddhist monastery she’d discovered through a pamphlet in a coffee shop. Over the next 22 days of meditation and silence, Laurie experienced a profound shift in perspective that helped her see her life differently, and ultimately gave her the clarity she needed to make a difficult life decision.

"Don't be afraid to step outside your comfort zone, because sometimes it takes stepping outside your comfort zone to find a better place."
Hear Laurie talk about:

What daily life was like during a silent meditation retreat
Why she decided to go to a Buddhist monastery after trying many other forms of help
The surprising mental clarity that can come from long periods of silence and meditation
How the experience changed the way she saw her marriage and gave her the strength to leave it
The lessons she carried forward about openness, desire, and letting go

Mentioned in this episode:

Support This Show:

Follow Tell Me What It’s Like in your favorite podcast app
Leave a rating & review — it helps others find the show
Share the episode and tag @RaineMediaCo on social media

Read moreCollapse

Parenting Tween Girls: Christina King on the Teenage Brain

Season 2 · Episode 28

Wednesday, February 25, 2026 • Duration 53:25

As a teenager, Christina King looked like she was doing everything right — she had good grades, played sports, took advanced classes. But when her mom paused during an argument and asked, “Are you happy?” it changed the course of her life. Today, Christina is a therapist specializing in tween and teen girls, and she shares what’s really happening in the teenage brain, why emotional ups and downs are often developmentally normal, and how parents can stay connected during one of the most intense seasons of growing up.

"I say with teens that sometimes it's like all gas, no brakes."

Note: This episode is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice. It includes discussion of teen mental health, including self-harm, in the context of helping parents understand and respond.

Hear Christina talk about:

The question that led her to therapy as a teen
What "all gas, no brakes" means for the adolescent brain
Why emotional volatility can be a healthy sign
Tween girl friendship dynamics and indirect aggression
Social media, comparison culture, and feeling left out
The difference between venting mode and problem-solving mode
Why parents should depersonalize their teen's emotions

Mentioned in this episode:

Christina King Family Therapy
Find Christina on Instagram
Inside Out 2 (when discussing adolescent emotions)

Support This Show:

Follow Tell Me What It’s Like in your favorite podcast app
Leave a rating & review — it helps others find the show
Share the episode and tag @RaineMediaCo on social media

Creating a Walking Shoe for Women: Cori Burns on Filling the Fitness Shoe Gap

Episode 21

Wednesday, October 8, 2025 • Duration 35:11

Cori Burns had always loved running, but eventually pregnancy pushed her to walking for exercise. She found she loved it, but quickly realized there weren't any shoes made for women who walked for fitness. So, she set out to create them herself.

In 2023 she launched Raesyn, a technical shoe company making shoes “for women who walk to sweat.” Cori shares how she spotted a gap in the shoe industry, what went into designing a shoe for women who walk for exercise, and the determination it took to turn her idea into Raesyn.

“I wanted something that made me feel effortless in my motion forward. It’s a different movement than running – it’s constant ground contact. So I thought to myself, there's truly a gap in the market."

Hear Cori talk about:

What makes walking for exercise different from running
When she noticed there was a need for walking shoes
What she looked for in the ideal women’s walking shoe
The process to get from prototype to a shoe ready for market

Mentioned in this episode:

Raesyn Shoes — Cori’s footwear brand
Girls Who Walk Baltimore, the walking group Cori mentioned
Cori’s walking workouts and Substack

Support this show:

Follow Tell Me What It’s Like in your favorite podcast app
Leave a rating and review
Share on social media and tag @rainemediaco

Read moreCollapse

Fighting Forest Fires: Linda Strader on Breaking Barriers in the U.S. Forest Service

Episode 20

Wednesday, October 1, 2025 • Duration 42:20

When Linda Strader joined a US Forest Service fire crew in the 1970s, she didn’t know how rare it was for women to do that kind of work - she just wanted an interesting job. But she quickly realized she was stepping into a world that didn’t necessarily welcome her. In this episode, Linda shares what it was like to be one of the first women on a fire crew, the discrimination she faced, and why she loved the work enough to keep coming back for seven seasons.

"I wasn't trying to prove anything to them. I just wanted to be accepted as part of the crew. And working twice as hard, I had hoped, would mean that they would accept me."

Hear Linda talk about:

What a fire crew actually does beyond just battling flames
How she got the job with no idea women weren’t “allowed”
The hostility she faced from many coworkers and supervisors
The physical and emotional toll of working to prove herself again and again
Why she loved the job regardless of the hardships

Mentioned in this episode:

Learn more about Linda's work on her website
Linda's memoir, Summers of Fire: A Memoir of Adventure, Love and Courage by Linda Strader
U.S. Forest Service
Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
Read more information about the Federal Women’s Program
Learn more about the Catalina Hotshots

Teaching Modern Manners: Jennifer Daniel on Etiquette and Kindness

Episode 19

Wednesday, September 24, 2025 • Duration 40:52

When Jennifer Daniel landed her first job after college, she quickly realized she didn’t quite know how to navigate the world of business meetings with confidence. That led her to the Protocol School of Washington and, eventually, to founding her own etiquette business, Polished Peyton Etiquette Essentials. For nearly 25 years, she’s been teaching children, young professionals, and executives the skills they need to succeed - with etiquette as a foundation for confidence and kindness.

"Etiquette seems like such an awful snobby word. And maybe long, long, long ago it was. I do not think it is now.”

Hear Jennifer talk about:

How she found her way from a resort job to opening her own etiquette and protocol school
The difference between etiquette and protocol, and why both matter in business and social life
Why young professionals often struggle with communication in the age of smartphones
How etiquette classes can build confidence and relational skills, not just table manners
Why kindness is the most important rule of all

Mentioned in this episode:

Support this pod:

Follow in your favorite podcast app
Leave a rating and review in your app
Share on social media and tag @rainemediaco

Read moreCollapse

Leaving It All Behind: Valerie Russell on Starting a Business Abroad

Episode 18

Wednesday, September 17, 2025 • Duration 38:32

Valerie Russell spent a decade in criminal justice. She worked as a corrections officer, a narcotics investigator, even on the 9/11 Human Recovery Project. But one day, she realized she wanted something entirely different. She sold everything, moved to Guatemala with just a backpack, and built a thriving travel agency from scratch.

"I got rid of everything that I owned, basically sold it all on a weekend, my pajamas through Facebook marketplace. And I packed up and came just with a backpack."

Hear Valerie talk about:

The book that inspired her to walk away from law enforcement to start a new life abroad
What it was like to arrive in Guatemala alone, not knowing anyone
How she grew Due South Travels into a successful business without advertising
Why she feels like she lives in paradise
The importance of resilience, community, and creativity in building a life abroad

Mentioned in this episode:

Due South Travels, Valerie's travel agency in Guatemala
The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss, the book that inspired her

Support this show:

Follow in your favorite podcast app
Leave a rating and review
Share on social media and tag @rainemediaco

Read moreCollapse

Singing About Poop: Matt Farley on Creativity and 26,000 Songs

Episode 17

Wednesday, September 10, 2025 • Duration 38:28

Matt Farley has created over 26,000 songs ... many of them about poop. But behind the absurd humor is a thoughtful approach to creativity, productivity, and making things without fear.

In this episode of Tell Me What It’s Like, Matt shares how he embraced the ridiculous, built an empire of searchable songs, and let go of perfectionism — all while homeschooling, making movies, and continuing to make music.

"We as creative people are not good judges of our work. And that's wonderful. So I think it frees us up."

Hear Matt Talk About:

Why he shares his music (even when it feels humiliating)
How he uses song titles and streaming platforms to get discovered
Why embracing imperfect work led to his most popular songs
The Motern Method: his creative productivity system explained
How he balances homeschooling, filmmaking, and songwriting
How making movies with friends helps him stay creative and connected

Mentioned in This Episode:

The Odd Man Who Sings About Poop, Puke, and Pee on Spotify – one of Matt's many musical personas
All About Highlighters, surely Matt's next big hit
The Hungry Food Band in case you need a song about mac & cheese
Dropped My Phone in the Toilet, by The Very Nice Interesting Singer Man
The Guy Who Sings About Cities and Towns, and sometimes just the zip code
Matt's list of Matt's Most Popular Songs

Diana Greenlee: Uncovering the Story of Poverty Point

Episode 16

Wednesday, September 3, 2025 • Duration 36:08

More than 3,000 years ago, a Native American community in what is now Northeast Louisiana built monumental earthworks - such as mounds, ridges, and a vast plaza - at Poverty Point, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For nearly two decades, Dr. Diana Greenlee, station archaeologist at Poverty Point, has worked to uncover what life was like for the people who lived there so many years ago.

"Every time I do some work there I think, this is the first time in over 3,000 years that somebody has touched this. That's a pretty cool feeling."

Hear Diana talk about:

How the massive earthworks at Poverty Point were constructed
Evidence of art, craftsmanship, and daily life at the site
What we know about the mounds and ridges built by the people who lived there
How modern tools like ground-penetrating radar reveal insights without excavation
The moment she discovered a previously undocumented mound

Mentioned in this episode:

Support this show:

Follow in your favorite podcast app
Leave a rating and review
Share on social media and tag @rainemediaco

Read moreCollapse

Bill Gerhart: Loss and Action in the Opioid Crisis, Part 2

Episode 15

Wednesday, August 27, 2025 • Duration 34:26

In Part 1, Bill Gerhart shared his son Connor’s story and discussed the dangers of fentanyl. In Part 2, Bill shares more about the fentanyl crisis, why he feels prosecuting those who sell it is necessary, and what he’s doing to raise awareness. He also reflects on his belief that there’s opportunity in every event, and how he moves forward with that perspective.

"I'm a big believer that there's opportunity in every negative event and even horrible, tragic events like this, where you have a child pass away early in life. And I'm not sure if I've found the opportunity yet, but one of the clear opportunities is to cherish life, cherish your friends, your family."

Hear Bill talk about:

Giving away Narcan at Connor’s memorial service so others might be saved
Why awareness and access to treatment matter more than ever
The role of cartels, supply chains, and prosecution in the fentanyl epidemic
His hopes for developing a new, non-opioid addiction treatment
How this tragedy has made him appreciate his friends and family even more

Mentioned in this episode and references:

If someone you care about is battling opioid addiction, find resources here
Learn more about Naloxone (Narcan), the reversal drug Bill and his family gave out at Connor's Celebration of Life
Read more about the crisis and the DEA's "One Pill Can Kill" awareness campaign

This week's music is by Ievgen Poltavskyi from Pixabay.

Read moreCollapse

Bill Gerhart: Loss and Action in the Opioid Crisis, Part 1

Episode 14

Wednesday, August 20, 2025 • Duration 34:10

In 2023, nearly 80,000 Americans died from opioid overdoses. Bill Gerhart's son Connor was one of those people. In this first part of a two-part conversation, Bill shares who Connor was, from his childhood and football days to his career as a civil engineer, and how a series of surgeries and pain prescriptions led to an opioid addiction that few around him knew about. He also reflects on when he realized what was happening with Connor, and why awareness is so important.

"He had a successful career, didn't miss much at work, he was highly functioning. He was around family - none of us really knew that he had this issue."

Hear Bill talk about:

Connor’s childhood, football years, and what made him “every dad’s dream”
The challenges of college and how he found his way forward
Rebuilding confidence after setbacks and starting a successful career
The injuries and surgeries that introduced opioids into his life
How his family discovered his addiction, and what Bill has since learned about awareness and prevention

Mentioned in this episode and references:

See Bill's tribute to his son Conner at Connor's Celebration of Life
If someone you love is battling opioid addiction, find resources here
Read more about Suboxone, a medication used to treat opioid addiction
Learn more about Naloxone (Narcan), an opioid overdose reversal drug
Find out more about Fentanyl test strips, a tool to detect fentanyl in recreational drugs

Closing music by Ievgen Poltavskyi from Pixabay.