Episodes

Facebook Strangers You Know Community Page - Please join the discussion online! Today we are talking about The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron I would love to hear how you manage your inner critic, how you step away from your crazy life and what you do to find peace, and live in the moment. We've had several conversations this week with several of my listeners about what they would like to hear in the show and what would interest them. There is a Strangers You Know Community on Facebook. It is ...

Imagine being ten years old when your family defected from the Soviet Union at the height of the Cold War and moved to the United States, leaving family members behind, bringing only your straw-filled teddy bear. Now take a second to wrap your brain around the big conflicts that light just under the surface of Marie's life. Her ancestors are Russian Jews. Her ex-husband is from the Ukraine. The blood of her children boil with conflict. Today we talk about never quite fitting in and being afraid...

Join the conversation on our Facebook Community Page. --- I am an immersive hobbyist. I love learning about new things and getting deeply involved in new hobbies. To date, one of those hobbies has never been me. I don't like talking about the deep, hidden (buried) parts of me. Don't get me wrong. I'll talk your ear off on any of my favorite topics. Might even try to position myself as an expert on a few of them. But don't ask me deeply personal questions. I won't know how to answer. This is som...

Jaynee: Part 1 of 3 In today's episode, Dr. Jaynee Paulson shares her story of overcoming an eating disorder and how it has shaped her life today. We also talk about: How to get authenticity, connection, and healing in your life Dealing with generational trauma, and Learning how to love yourself "I'm never going to allow this to keep happening in my life, to feel like I'm less than or not good enough and continue on that generational trauma. Like I'm good. I can move on from this b...

Another first for SYK - A return visit from a previous guest - Jaxon (also my very first episode). In his dramatic comeback performance, Jaxon swaps roles with Brian and asks our host a few questions. “It’s a relatively safe endeavor to ask others to be honest, vulnerable, and bold. To share intimate, deeply meaningful parts of their lives. It’s safe to press record, be the one asking questions and having final edit approval. I truly appreciate the many guests who have answered the call an...

(Jaynee: Part 2 of 3) Listen to Jaynee Part 1 - Authenticity, Eating Disorders, and Generational Trauma Support the Show on Patreon Join the Conversation on our FaceBook Community NEW - Complete Show Notes for this episode! What goals do we set for ourselves to be remarkable? And what do those milestones say about who we are and what we value? In this second part of Jaynee’s three-part series we talk about how the goals and values we aspire to has a direct impact on all our closest relatio...

(Jaynee part 3 of 3) Listen to Jaynee Part 1: Authenticity, Eating Disorders, and Generational Trauma; Part 2: Comparing vs. Cheering: Our Expectations - Their Self-Worth. --- Jaynee's TedX talk @ BYU - "How to Give Pain a REAL Purpose" --- I've added several questions for our listeners to discuss based on this episode. (Kind of like a book club for discussion.) Join the Conversation on our FaceBook Community Support the Show on Patreon Jaynee Poulson, mother and step-mother of six shares her ...

At 34-years old, Shayla Benoit, filmmaker and actor, is diagnosed with stage-four cancer. Her treatment also coincided with the early Covid pandemic and she had to fight for her life while battling immunocompromisation and six rounds of chemotherapy. Shayla Benoit is a filmmaker, actor, and entrepreneur based in New York City. Now in remission, she shares her experiences with the following: - Battling cancer and chemotherapy during the COVID  pandemic - The challenges of cancer treatment, including managing side effects, staying compliant with treatment, and battling insurance as a self-employed entrepreneur. - The importance of advocacy and self-care for cancer patients, Especially mental health and holistic rehabilitation. Topics include: Entrepreneurism, Health, Cancer, Toxic Positivity, Insurance, Covid, Mental Health, New York, Performing Arts

Meg brings her husband, Mason, as she returns to the show. Sharing how deconstructing their Mormon religion was only one part of finding their true selves. They also talk about Meg's first appearance on the show and how recording and sharing that episode impacted their lives. Join the Conversation on our FaceBook Community Page "Being vulnerable is nerve-wracking, but it is ultimately rewarding when you share your story and let people see into your soul a bit." - Meg Gajkowski, Mason Gajkowski ...

When a curious Diann Wingert discovers she was adopted as a child and had to mask her true self to keep her chaotic and violent home safe, she embarks on a journey to unearth her true identity and confront the compelling central conflict of her past.

"Together, we fight for a better future for our undocumented community, for a world where everyone is treated with humanity and afforded equal rights." "If we're not fighting for all of us, it's not good for anybody. We all deserve to be treated as human and to have access to the same rights and opportunities." - Sol Vargas LISTEN TO THE ENTIRE EPISODE Sol Vargas was only 15 when her father was deported and is now presumed dead. She is a community organizer who works for the non-profit organiza...

Do we have difficult conversations or allow the silence of suicide to create stigma, shame, and isolation? Talking with her 3-year-old daughter about her father’s death by suicide was almost unthinkable. But to Dani Bates, a 29-year-old widow, not talking about it wasn’t even an option. "I don't want ‘suicide’ to be a swear word for my children. I want them to be able to say it and be okay with it, just like if their dad died of cancer." COMPLETE SHOW NOTES We must normalize conversations a...

After thousands of hours of leadership training and tens of thousands of hours of committed service Jed and I independently left the Mormon religion. In this conversation, we evaluate how well/poorly we handled our exits. We both stumbled through uncharted waters, weighed down by guilt and shame. Disoriented and angry, we made many mistakes and damaged relationships with good people. LISTEN to Jed's original episode "#112: Jed-- Deconstructing the House of Cards" or See his complete SHOW NOTES ...

Is your life transition leading to authentic discovery or are you falling victim to another toxic trap? James Barnes has spent the majority of his life trying to find his authentic self in a world that desperately needed him to conform to pre-approved stereotypes. Several times he tried to find his true path, only to find himself trying to fit into a different, equally ill-fitting, pre-defined box. "We're deeply trained to please other people. Often, in key transitions, we trade one false ide...

How does being an identical twin influence your understanding of yourself? What if people only knew you by way of reference to another person? You're the tallest in your family, you're much quieter than your sister. Who takes more after their mom? What if your referent looked just like you? Had the same smile, same face, an exact DNA replica? "The irony with being an identical twin is that people think they know you because you have someone who shares your same DNA. You feel like a ghost beca...

#137 James Hadlock: Human beings can lose themselves in even the noblest of causes. Understanding ourselves and our motivating factors can raise us to great heights, or crush us. In the case of James Hadlock, it did both. "The more that I went on that journey, the more that I started to notice that transformation is possible for anyone, any time." The same motivation that drives us to success can also drive us to complete ruin. Understanding what is driving our feelings and tapping into our i...

Samantha Hodder has explored the power of storytelling since she was five-years-old. Today she shares the behind-the-scenes stories that led her to the most remote spot on earth and why that story was nearly silenced forever. Four years of setbacks, separation from family, taking risks at the end of the world, and nearly losing everything to fire, only to start from scratch and then put everything on hold indefinitely. "I wanted to be in another world, another zone. I wanted to communicate. I h...

Matt Gilhooly's life took a sharp turn at the age of eight when a tragic accident claimed the life of his mother. Thrust into a world of grief and confusion, Matt struggled to make sense of his loss, eventually burying his pain deep within. As he grew older, he strived for perfection in all aspects of life, fearing abandonment and seeking validation from those around him. It wasn't until his 30s that Matt confronted his grief head-on and began the process of healing, thanks in part to a therapis...

OTHER EPISODES YOU WILL LOVE! #124 - Marie: Finding a Space to Belong #104 - Amanda - Understanding Real Poverty #132 - Sol Vargas' Journey to Justice: An Immigrant's Story of Resilience and Hope LISTEN to Amira's episode and all other episodes and show notes at www.StrangersYouKnowPodcast.com #Refugees, #NewAmericans, #Resiliance, #Entrepreneurship, #BreastCancerAwareness Support the show Loved this episode? Leave us a 5-Star review and rating here! Financial contributions greatly appreciated...

Support the show Loved this episode? Leave us a 5-Star review and rating here! Financial contributions greatly appreciated! Join the conversation online at our Facebook Community Page with many of our listeners and guests. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Linked-In, or TikTok. Email us at Brian@StrangersYouKnowPodcast.com

As we reach the one-year mark of "Strangers You Know," I want to express my gratitude and provide some important updates. I apologize for letting the anniversary slip by without acknowledgment, as it was a disservice to my guests and listeners. The podcast's inception was an unexpected shift from a novel project, and since then, it has become a platform for transformative conversations with remarkable guests. We've released over 40 episodes in the past year and achieved significant milestones. ...