Story Junkies Podcast

In this episode you'll meet John Olsen, who was born and raised in Cache Valley. At the age of 8, he began to realize that the home he lived in (built in the mid-1880s) was peculiar. In this episode he tells us all about his experiences, and they're pretty fascinating!  Fueled by his own experiences with the unknown, John has spent the last 30 years interviewing and documenting first-hand accounts of those who have witnessed all kinds of strange and unusual phenomena in the western United States. The Stranger Bridgerland series contains firsthand accounts of ghosts, monsters, hauntings, glitches in the matrix, Sasquatch, and UFOs. Learn more about John and his books at www.strangerbridgerland.com.

What would it be like to work in hospice care; helping patients and their families navigate the ends of their lives? Hospice nurse Nichole Olmsted answers that for us. She loves what she does and believes that the end of someone's life can be just as beautiful as the beginning.  Give this episode a listen to find out what hospice is really all about, how the program works, and the valuable resources they have available to all of us.   

Get ready to meet Rachel's awesome nephew, Ahaise.  Born in Uganda, Ahaise was adopted as a young child and raised in the U.S. In this episode we chat all about his life's journey; including what it was like in the Ugandan orphanage, what his first impressions of America were, how he got started in acting, and the hilarious way he landed a gig as a North Face model (along with the unique reason he decided to try modeling in the first place.) He also shares his amazing strategy for how he handles the stress of auditioning, and how we can use it during the stressful times in our lives, too! Learn more about the nonprofit Come Let's Dance on Instagram at _comeletsdance_  

Kick off the new year right by listening to a conversation that Lisa and Rachel have with Susie Schwartz, author of the book "Help the Doctor Help You...31 Secrets and Tips for Self-Advocacy for Getting the Best from Your Appointments." Susie's been dealing with numerous health challenges ever since she was a young child. Through those experiences she's learned a lot about dealing with difficult and uncertain times, ultimately learning that while we can't control our emotions, we can control our attitude.  From this discussion you'll learn strategies for gaining perspective to help you get through difficult circumstances, tools for coping with the anticipation of upcoming procedures or dreadful situations, advocating for your wellbeing and the wellbeing of those you love, and the value of seeing your doctors and other medical personnel as real people.  Learn more about Susie at www.lesshealthstress.com All of Susie's socials can be found here: https://linktr.ee/SusieSchwartz 

What would it be like to be in NYC on September 11, 2001? Not only was now-retired New York City Police Department Sergeant John Ferriso there that day, he was on duty. In this powerful episode John gives us his first-hand account of what he experienced on that horrific morning, the citizens he encountered, the feelings he had, and the aftermath of New Yorkers in the weeks and months that followed. To share even more details and to ensure that no one ever forgets that day, he wrote a short-story titled New York Minute: An Officer's Eyewitness Account of the Events of September 11, 2001. During this chat with Rachel and Lisa he shares how and why he wrote the piece. You can read the story in its entirety on his website under the "short stories" heading: https://ferrisinvestigations.org John now has his own Private Investigation Company, Ferris Investigations, specializing in Missing Persons Cases. John volunteers his investigative experience to nationwide nonprofit organizations conducting missing person investigators. He helps other investigators with their missing investigations and looks at new aspects of cold cases, while assisting family members in finding answers. In this Story Junkies episode he even tells us what it's like being a private investigator - and he says it's nothing like what we see on TV! Connect with John on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-ferriso/ P.S. We even got into a fascinating convo about John's New York accent and our resident professional linquist Rachel shares some fascinating info about the art of language! So much fun!

In this episode you'll meet Pamela Thompson, a professional facilitator who lived and worked in Afghanistan for a year to help the Ministry of Public Health develop their first strategic plan. Hear all about it, including how she manifested the opportunity, what the Afghan people were like, how she navigated the language barrier, how she stayed safe in such a volatile environment, how she managed the stressful conditions, and how she knew at 4 years old that she was destined to work internationally someday.  As a bonus, the facilitation process and strategies that Pamela used with the ministry may also help your team or organization improve business results, teamwork, and efficiency.  Rachel also shares a little bit about her British background, where she thinks she got her love of travel from, and her tips for traveling internationally.  Learn more about Pamela and her books at www.pamela-thompson.com. 

In this episode we chat with Angela Fuller, a 42 year old Highlands Ranch, Colorado mom who recently competed on American Ninja Warrior. Being on the show was a dream come true, especially considering what her health was like for fourteen years. After being in a car accident back in college she was left with severe injuries that changed her life, and not in a good way.  A former athlete, she was then no longer able to be active, leading to a downward spiral, both physically and mentally. A dear friend going through a major health challenge was what gave her the motivation to fight her way out of it....and now her life has changed, in a very good way.  Hear her story, and be sure to watch American Ninja Warrior to see Angela and cheer her on! 

In this episode you'll meet Erin Huff; a great mom, loving wife, supportive friend, and successful makeup artist. She's also an alcoholic. During this raw and real conversation she shares her journey - from taking her first sip of alcohol in the 9th grade to the day she attended her first AA meeting while visibly pregnant.  The conversation morphs from alcoholism and addiction to the topics of shame, judgement, expectations, empathy, parenting challenges, and so much more. It's an authentic conversation that will give you powerful first-hand insight into what living with alcoholism is like...and we can all learn a thing or two from her story. Connect with Erin on Facebook at erin.huff.90.  

In this episode Rachel and Lisa chat with superstar mom Crystal Hand, who is a hearing mom to two deaf children and host of the podcast "The Other Side of Deaf". In our conversation (and on her podcast) she shares the ins and outs of what it's like raising deaf children.  Listen in to find out how she discovered they were hearing impaired when they were little, how the family learned to communicate with each other, the strong bond her children share with each other, how the pandemic affected her kids, and strategies to keep in mind when meeting and interacting with people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Check out the "Other Side of Deaf" podcast here. Check out her Etsy shop here.

In this episode, Lisa and Rachel chat with Stephanie Thompson, who was in a life-changing car accident on her way home from church a few miles from her house. In addition to changing her physically, the experience changed her in other ways too.  We talk about letting go of our need of wanting to control everything, navigating feelings of helplessness, and having to face fear right in the face.(Speaking of fear, Lisa shares the story of how, a few years ago, she freaked out and wanted to break out of the hospital the morning of a scheduled surgery.) Learn more about Stephanie at www.stephaniejthompson.com.