Explore every episode of the podcast Tell Me What It's Like
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
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| 22 Days in a Buddhist Monastery: Clarity That Comes From Silence | 04 Mar 2026 | 00:51:16 | |
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:
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| Parenting Tween Girls: Christina King on the Teenage Brain | 25 Feb 2026 | 00:53:25 | |
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:
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| Creating a Walking Shoe for Women: Cori Burns on Filling the Fitness Shoe Gap | 08 Oct 2025 | 00:35:11 | |
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:
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| Fighting Forest Fires: Linda Strader on Breaking Barriers in the U.S. Forest Service | 01 Oct 2025 | 00:42:20 | |
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:
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| Teaching Modern Manners: Jennifer Daniel on Etiquette and Kindness | 24 Sep 2025 | 00:40:52 | |
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:
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| Leaving It All Behind: Valerie Russell on Starting a Business Abroad | 17 Sep 2025 | 00:38:32 | |
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:
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| Singing About Poop: Matt Farley on Creativity and 26,000 Songs | 10 Sep 2025 | 00:38:28 | |
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:
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| Diana Greenlee: Uncovering the Story of Poverty Point | 03 Sep 2025 | 00:36:08 | |
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:
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| Bill Gerhart: Loss and Action in the Opioid Crisis, Part 2 | 27 Aug 2025 | 00:34:26 | |
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:
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This week's music is by Ievgen Poltavskyi from Pixabay. | |||
| Bill Gerhart: Loss and Action in the Opioid Crisis, Part 1 | 20 Aug 2025 | 00:34:10 | |
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:
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Closing music by Ievgen Poltavskyi from Pixabay. | |||
| Mary Hayden: Studying the Human Side of Mosquito Risk | 13 Aug 2025 | 00:35:43 | |
Dr. Mary Hayden recently traveled to Colombia to answer a question about mosquitoes that was actually about us humans. Specifically, she wanted to know how human behavior shapes the risk of mosquito-borne diseases like dengue, Zika, and yellow fever. From unregulated areas with limited water access to neighborhoods in the U.S., she’s found that our daily habits, infrastructure, and even trust in information can either reduce or increase that risk. We tell people all the time, 'Dump standing water in your yard,' but oftentimes people are too busy, or they don't think about it, or they forget about it, or their kids put a toy out there and they didn't realize the toy was out there.Hear Mary talk about:
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| Brandon Phillips: From Childhood Cancer to Supporting Families Through Polo | 06 Aug 2025 | 00:36:44 | |
At 14, Brandon Phillips was a healthy kid with a passion for sports. Then one day he noticed his leg was swollen. Within 24 hours, he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and the outlook wasn't positive. In this episode, Brandon shares what it was like to face a life-threatening diagnosis, fight through months of brutal chemotherapy, and go on to become a professional polo player, as well as a devoted advocate for families battling childhood cancer. "Pressure’s nothing until you’re sitting in a room waiting for doctors to come in to tell you are you gonna live or not.”Hear Brandon talk about:
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| Unexpected Pregnancy at 21: Finding a Safety Net with Kristen Mardis | 18 Feb 2026 | 00:38:36 | |
Kristen Mardis was 21 years old, fresh out of college, and had just been accepted into graduate school when she found out she was pregnant. With no financial safety net and no health insurance, she had to quickly figure out how she would care for a baby while still pursuing her dream of becoming a speech pathologist. In this episode, Kristen shares what it was like to navigate Medicaid, SNAP benefits, and childcare assistance — and how those programs gave her the foundation she needed to build the life she has today. “None of that would have happened without those programs.”Hear Kristen talk about:
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| When Characters Talk Back: Carol Hoenig on Writing Fiction That Comes to Life | 30 Jul 2025 | 00:38:25 | |
Carol Hoenig published her first novel in 2005. Years later, while driving home from work, one of her characters suddenly returned, insisting to Carol that her story wasn’t finished. That unexpected moment sparked a new novel about the character's story. In this episode, Carol reflects on her creative process, the career pivots that shaped her path, and the moments when fictional characters come to life. I was leaving work and I'm driving home. I'm on Sunrise Highway, and Grace, a character from my first novel, Without Grace, said to me "They don't know why I really left."Hear Carol talk about: • The day her character, Grace, let her know there was more to the story • Starting her business the same day she lost her job at Borders • How her characters speak to her and sometimes surprise her • The creative process behind Without Grace and Before She Was a Finley • Why honoring the craft of writing matters Mentioned in this episode:
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| Rich "Big Daddy" Salgado: Building a Network by Showing Up for Others | 23 Jul 2025 | 00:35:06 | |
Insurance agent Rich Salgado has spent decades building a reputation as the guy who knows how to help – whether you're an NFL player, a TV producer, or just someone he met at a business event. Known to nearly everyone as “Big Daddy,” Rich shares how he's built a powerful network rooted in generosity, trust, and simply showing up for people. "You never know someone you meet might be the one that takes you outta digging ditches."Hear Rich talk about:
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| Bill Horan: Talking About Success for 37 Years | 16 Jul 2025 | 00:36:50 | |
Bill Horan has spent nearly four decades interviewing people about one elusive idea: success. On his radio show Secrets of Success, he’s spoken with thousands of guests, from authors and business owners to everyday people, about the idea of success. In this episode, Bill shares some of the most memorable stories, the themes that have stuck with him, and how hosting this show has shaped his own understanding of what success really means. " I think we have a false image that these people never fail. They do. They overcome failure, somehow they get through it."Hear Bill talk about:
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| Saving Wild Animals: Alexis Broz on Rehabilitation, Rescue Missions, and a Beaver Named Bo | 09 Jul 2025 | 00:48:01 | |
Alexis Broz didn’t grow up thinking she’d become a wildlife rehabilitator. But when a baby squirrel slid across a restaurant patio toward a petrified customer, Alexis scooped it up and didn’t look back. That moment set her on a path of rescuing, raising, and returning animals to the wild. From squirrels and pigeons to otters and beavers, Alexis has rehabilitated and released hundreds of animals in New York. In this episode, she shares how she became a wildlife rehabilitator, what it’s like to care for wild animals around the clock, and how a beaver named Bo became the Branch Manager of her nonprofit, Wild for Life, Inc. (This episode was recorded in spring 2025.) “People always call me and they say, ‘Somebody do something, somebody come get this [animal]. Somebody come help.’ And I always want to say, ‘You are somebody. You're capable.’”Hear Alexis talk about:
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| What Really Happens to Our Trash: Dr. Morton Barlaz on 40 Years of Studying Landfills | 02 Jul 2025 | 00:35:03 | |
While in graduate school in the early 1980s, Dr. Morton Barlaz was offered a project studying how municipal waste decomposes. He wasn’t sure it was what he wanted to do, but it sounded interesting so he said yes. Forty-two years later, he’s a leading expert on how landfills work and why their management matters. In this episode, he explains what happens to the things we throw away, what biodegrades (and what doesn’t), and how landfills have changed over time. “Landfills are a piece of our public infrastructure, just like wastewater treatment.”
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| Running 7 Marathons on 7 Continents: Becca Pizzi on Grit, Endurance, and Making History | 25 Jun 2025 | 00:35:00 | |
When Becca Pizzi got dozens of messages from friends about an extreme endurance race – seven marathons on seven continents in seven days – she knew she had to run it. In 2016, she became the first American woman to complete the World Marathon Challenge, winning with a total time of 27 hours, 26 minutes, and an average marathon time of just under four hours. Then in 2018, she did it again. Hear what it took to win it and what the miles have taught her in this episode. “If my dreams don’t scare my parents, they’re not big enough.”Hear Becca talk about:
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| Saundra Pelletier: Bringing a New Birth Control to Market | 18 Jun 2025 | 00:43:53 | |
Saundra Pelletier has spent her career focused on women’s health, from Big Pharma to nonprofit work around the globe. Then she got the opportunity to lead a startup bringing a new kind of birth control to market: a non-hormonal gel designed to give women more control. In this episode, she shares what it’s like to fight for FDA approval, push for insurance coverage, and rethink what birth control can look like when women are the ones making the decisions. Note: This episode includes discussion of reproductive health and birth control in an educational context. It is not intended as medical advice. Please consult your healthcare provider for personal recommendations. “We made an appeal to the FDA that this drug was so safe. The ingredients were food grade. That all of these women were suffering... Why won’t they approve this safe drug?”Hear Saundra talk about:
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| Inventing from Home: April Mitchell on Turning Everyday Problems into Products That Sell | 11 Jun 2025 | 00:44:05 | |
April Mitchell realized one day that she actually knew the answer to the problem she was having when her kids left their towels on the floor ... she just had to invent it. Since then, she’s created dozens of products, from housewares to toys and games, and learned a lot along the way. In this episode, she shares what it’s like to have a spark of inspiration, go through the invention process, and co-create with her kids to bring her creations to life. "I was just a mom trying to solve a problem and realized just how many people could benefit from the product."Hear April talk about:
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| Trash Wolf: Becoming Leader of the Anti-Litter Pack | 04 Jun 2025 | 00:42:02 | |
If you want to bring attention to litter, what do you do? For one man in Florida, the answer was to ... put on a wolf suit. In 2022, Trash Wolf began prowling the streets picking up litter and quietly building a movement. In this episode, he shares what inspired the wolf, what it’s like to collect literal tons of trash, and why his mission is really about awareness, community, and taking that first step. “The number one lesson is just go for it. Whatever you're wanting to do, just do it. Go for it."Hear Trash Wolf talk about:
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| Leigh Dzvonick: Living Through Guillain-Barré Syndrome | 04 Jun 2025 | 00:34:53 | |
Military spouse and mom Leigh Dzvonick was busy raising young kids when she started to feel off. After three ER visits and a misdiagnosis of anxiety, she was finally told she had Guillain-Barré Syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that left her unable to walk. In this episode, Leigh shares the confusion of misdiagnosis, the shock of sudden paralysis, and the determination it took to reclaim her health. Disclaimer: This episode is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider regarding your health. “You know your body better than anybody. And it sounds very generic, but you have to appreciate being able to do physical activity—because not everybody has that blessing.”Hear Leigh talk about:
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| Behind the Scenes of News and Life: Carol Lin on Reporting History | 18 Feb 2026 | 00:41:57 | |
Carol Lin spent her career inside newsrooms built for breaking news. She covered some of the most difficult moments in recent history, including being the first person to report the attacks on September 11. In this conversation, she reflects on her career in journalism and the behind-the-scenes moments that shaped her life. She also discusses what it was like to revisit those experiences while writing her memoir. "And then I hear the music, the breaking news animation comes up and we are live."Hear Carol talk about:
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| Keri Nelson: Life and Work in Antarctica | 04 Jun 2025 | 00:42:18 | |
After a career first as a journalist and then as a traveling nurse, Keri Nelson chased an even grander adventure and secured a job in Antarctica. Seventeen seasons later, she’s done a lot of different jobs at various research stations, she's experienced both summers and winters on the continent, and even helped with scientific research. In this episode, Keri shares what it’s really like to live at the bottom of the world, giving insights into the routines, the landscape, the excursions, and the vibrant community that keeps beckoning her back. (Note: This episode was recorded earlier in the year, near the end of the Antarctic summer season.) "I guess just kind of knowing my speck of what I am in this universe is something that Antarctic has taught me, among many, many other things."Hear Keri talk about:
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| Tell Me What It's Like trailer | 21 May 2025 | 00:00:59 | |
What’s it like to set a world record? To invent a new product? To survive an extremely rare illness? Tell Me What It’s Like is a show about those experiences and the people who lived them. Host Stacy Raine sits down with individuals who’ve faced uncommon, life-altering challenges to learn how it happened, why it mattered, and what it was really like. 🔔 Subscribe now so you don’t miss the episodes. 🌐 tellmewhatitslike.com 📸 @rainemediaco 🎧 A Raine Media Production | |||
| Season 2 Trailer: Tell Me What It’s Like | 04 Feb 2026 | 00:01:09 | |
What’s it like to spend weeks inside a monastery in complete silence? What’s it like to find out you’re pregnant with no idea how you’re going to support yourself? And what’s it like to be the first person to tell the world a plane has just hit the World Trade Center? Season two of Tell Me What It’s Like gives you a window into someone else’s world - the moments that challenge us, scare us, and shape who we become. Join host Stacy Raine as she uncovers what each experience was like, and the lessons learned along the way. Coming in Season 2:
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| What’s Your Favorite Holiday Tradition? Season 1 Guests Share | 18 Dec 2025 | 00:25:28 | |
As the year comes to a close, guests from Season 1 of Tell Me What It’s Like share the holiday traditions that matter most to them. From longtime family rituals to traditions shaped by loss, life season, culture, and even wildlife, this bonus episode reflects on how traditions evolve and how new ones are created along the way. Season 1 Guests Featured in this Episode:
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| Sustainable Style: Sarah Teresinski on Upcycling for Stylish Home Decor | 05 Nov 2025 | 00:41:50 | |
When Sarah Teresinski was a single mom, she couldn’t afford the beautiful little dresses she saw in stores for her daughter. So she decided to teach herself how to sew. That simple decision sparked a movement — and eventually, Redeux Style, where Sarah transforms old, unused items into something new and beautiful. Today, she helps people see the potential in what they already have or what they might find at the thrift stores — proving that sustainable can be stylish too. “If everyone who follows me did just one upcycle a year, we could keep 60,000 pounds of waste out of landfills — that’s 5,600 garbage trucks saved.” Hear Sarah talk about:
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| The Woman Who Changed Chess: Susan Polgar on Becoming a Grandmaster | 29 Oct 2025 | 00:37:37 | |
Susan Polgar’s father believed geniuses weren’t born, they were made. So when his three-year-old daughter found an old chess set in their Budapest apartment, he saw an opportunity to prove it. Susan quickly learned the game, but soon realized the real challenge: convincing the world that girls could play just as well as boys - which she did by becoming the first woman to earn the Grandmaster title under the same standards as men. In this episode, she shares how she rewrote the gender norms of chess, overcame deeply rooted sexism, and helped redefine what young girls believe they can achieve. Hear Susan talk about:
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| Becoming Wise in the Age of AI: Jeff Burningham on What It Means to Be Human | 22 Oct 2025 | 00:40:16 | |
After decades of chasing success as a tech entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and even a candidate for Utah governor, Jeff Burningham found himself questioning what it all meant. When the governor’s race ended in 2020, Jeff finally had space to pause—and that pause changed everything. It led him to write The Last Book Written by a Human, a deeply personal reflection on consciousness, connection, and wisdom in an age increasingly defined by artificial intelligence. “As our machines become smarter, we have to become wiser.”Hear Jeff talk about:
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| Growing Up Millennial: Charlie Wells on What Shaped a Generation | 15 Oct 2025 | 00:35:02 | |
Journalist Charlie Wells is a Millennial — and by now, something of an expert on the Millennial generation, too. In his debut book, What Happened to Millennials: In Defense of a Generation, he shares the stories of five people whose lives reveal what it’s really been like to grow up Millennial — through the early optimism, the crises that shaped us, and all the change we’ve weathered along the way. "We're adults and we've overcome a lot of obstacles as this group of people. It's okay to celebrate that."Hear Charlie talk about:
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