New Episodes of Stories from Real Life Every Tuesday and Friday.

Personal Journals Episodes

Dec. 5, 2025

Ep. 175 - Karen Bates: More Than a Bus Driver

Episode Show Notes In this heartfelt episode of Stories from Real Life , we sit down with “Miss Karen” Bates, a Utah school bus driver who has spent 14 years shaping young lives from the driver’s seat. Miss Karen opens up abo...

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Dec. 2, 2025

Ep. 174 - Scott Martin: How a Coach Lost His Identity -- and Found Hi…

Guest: Scott Martin — Author, Coach, Advocate Episode Description In this deeply moving episode of Stories from Real Life , we sit down with Scott Martin — former elite soccer coach, author of Play From Your Heart , and livin...

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Nov. 28, 2025

Ep. 173 - Matt Roberson & Gene Bowles: Beyond The Dugout

What does it truly mean to coach — not just athletes, but young men navigating life? In this powerful and reflective episode, we sit down with Boyd-Buchanan high school baseball coaches Matt Roberson and Gene Bowles for a con...

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Nov. 25, 2025

Ep. 172 - Tami Gaines: The Story That Changed Everything

Today on Stories from Real Life , we’re joined by Tami Gaines , author of Preemie Parents: 26 Ways to Grow With Your Premature Baby , resilience strategist, and speaker who has inspired audiences of hundreds of thousands. Tam...

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Nov. 14, 2025

Ep. 169 - Dr. Tomás Estrada: Engineering a Meaningful Life

🎧 Stories from Real Life 🎙️ Episode Title: “Engineering a Meaningful Life” Episode Summary: Dr. Tomás Estrada doesn’t just teach engineering — he teaches perspective. In this conversation, the Elizabethtown College professor ...

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Nov. 11, 2025

Ep. 168 - Susan Snow: The Other Side of the Gun

🎧 Stories from Real Life Episode: “The Other Side of the Gun – Susan Snow’s Journey Through Trauma, Grief, and Forgiveness” Summary: When Susan Snow was 17, her father — Los Angeles Police Detective Thomas C. Williams — was m...

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Nov. 7, 2025

Ep. 167 - Rand Timmerman: Redemption on the Appalachian Trail

Beware: This conversation includes a discussion of alcoholism and suicide. At 72, most people are slowing down. But for Rand Timmerman, life’s greatest challenge — and greatest healing — came on a 2,000-mile trek through the ...

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Oct. 24, 2025

Ep. 163 - Unbroken: One Woman’s Fight to Reclaim Her Life

TRIGGER WARNING: Child trauma discussed in this episode. In this episode of Stories from Real Life , we sit down with Adriene Caldwell — author of Unbroken: Life Outside the Lines — to explore what it really means to survive,...

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Oct. 21, 2025

Ep. 162 - She Started Her First Business at 16, Then She Hit Her Stri…

In this episode of Stories from Real Life, host Melvin E. Edwards interviews Azgari Lipshy , an entrepreneur who shares her journey from starting her first business at 16 to navigating the complexities of entrepreneurship. Az...

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Oct. 17, 2025

Ep. 161 - From Studio Bassist to Music Legend

In this episode of Stories from Real Life, host Melvin E. Edwards welcomes back music legend Norbert Putnam for a deep dive into his storied career. Norbert shares captivating anecdotes about his experiences with iconic artis...

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Sept. 30, 2025

Ep. 156 - Navigating the Sounds of Silence

In this episode of Stories from Real Life, host Melvin E. Edwards speaks with Maria Gallucci, a real estate agent and author who grew up in a deaf family. They discuss the unique challenges and experiences of navigating both ...

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Sept. 19, 2025

Ep. 153 - Faith, Intuition, and the Mystical Side of Grief

Dr. Gregg Korbon’s life was rooted in science, discipline, and achievement—through medicine, military service, martial arts, and teaching. But when his son, Brian, a deeply intuitive and gifted child, died just before his ten...

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Sept. 16, 2025

Ep. 152 - Lt. Colonel to Crime Writer

Kenneth Webb has lived a life of constant reinvention—retired U.S. Army Lt. Colonel, former American Airlines employee, defense contractor, and now debut crime-thriller author. In this episode, we dive into his journey from T...

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Sept. 2, 2025

Ep. 148 - Living Room Startup to '20 Under 40'

Our guest today is Paden Squires, an entrepreneur, CPA, tax strategist, and host of the podcast Behind Their Success . From leaving corporate finance to building his own firm from his living room, Paden has made it his missio...

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Aug. 8, 2025

Ep. 141 - The Art of Science & The Science of Peace

Today’s guest is a world-renown scientist and an educator — and a fearless peacebuilder. Dr. Zafra Lerman has spent her life using science not just to understand the world, but to change it. From creating groundbreaking scien...

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Aug. 5, 2025

Ep. 140 - Misha Jones: Raw

In this episode of 'Stories from Real Life', host Melvin E. Edwards speaks with Misha Jones about her book 'About Damn Time'. Misha shares her journey of overcoming 15 years of silence and pain, motivated by the desire to giv...

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Aug. 1, 2025

Ep. 139 - Andrew-Ryan Walked Away from a Cult (Part 2/2)

Part 2 of 2: He was once “Father God” — the chosen partner of cult leader Amy Carlson. In this raw, powerful conversation, Andrew-Ryan Profaci shares how he got pulled into Love Has Won , what life inside the movement was rea...

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Aug. 1, 2025

Ep. 138 - He Walked Away from a Cult. Then He Told Me Everything. (Pa…

He was once “Father God” — the chosen partner of cult leader Amy Carlson. In this raw, powerful conversation, Andrew-Ryan Profaci shares how he got pulled into Love Has Won , what life inside the movement was really like, and...

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July 29, 2025

Ep. 137 - Smoke, Salt, and Southern Grit: The Story of Bill-E’s

In this episode of "Stories from Real Life," host Melvin E. Edwards sits down with Bill Stitt, the mastermind behind Bill-E's Small Batch Bacon and restaurant. Dive into Bill's journey from a backyard bacon enthusiast to a na...

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July 22, 2025

(Video) Adapt and Advancing: Dr. Oluwole Babatunde's Inspiring Journey

Episode Description: Join host Melvin E. Edwards as he sits down with Dr. Oluwole Babatunde, a physician, psychiatrist, researcher, and author, to explore his remarkable journey from personal loss to professional success. Dis...

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July 22, 2025

Ep. 135 - Adapting and Advancing: Dr. Oluwole Babatunde's Inspiring J…

Episode Description: Join host Melvin E. Edwards as he sits down with Dr. Oluwole Babatunde, a physician, psychiatrist, and author, to explore his remarkable journey from personal loss to professional success. Discover how Dr...

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July 11, 2025

Ep. 132 - Voices Carry: Lea Sakran’s Adventures in Storytelling

In this episode of Stories from Real Life, host Melvin E. Edwards speaks with voice actor Lea Sakran about her journey in storytelling, voice acting, and the life lessons learned from her characters. Lea shares insights from ...

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July 4, 2025

Ep. 130 - Keeping Promises in Freefall: Lyubim Kogan’s Journey from O…

Today’s guest, Lyubim Kogan, is a five-time first-generation immigrant, Winter Olympian, NYU Stern grad, and 9/11 survivor. From Wall Street to war zones, Lyubim’s life has been anything but ordinary. He’s the founder of Wing...

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June 24, 2025

Ep. 127 - Breast Cancer Warrior: A Father's Perspective on His Daught…

Bob Furniss is a father who turned his grief into advocacy after losing his daughter Keesha to breast cancer. Bob discusses the mission of his organization, Warrior Princess, which focuses on early detection of breast cancer ...

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