The youngest of nine children, Rulon Gardner was raised on a dairy farm in Wyoming, where the family grew crops and milked cows twice a day. Rulon learned about hard work and determination which became core values in Rulon’s life. As Rulon shares his story, he talks about how his upbringing has helped him deal with the adversity that has come his w…

Sam Mitchell hosts his own podcast, Autism Rocks and Rolls. Sam was diagnosed with autism at age 4 but as he would say, the spectrum is vast and he's been able to accomplish much. Sam started Autism Rocks and Rolls Corporation in October of 2019 at age 20. It began with a simple interest in media when he was a junior in high school and has led to h…

Mark Collins grew up in a military family which we all know means he moved a lot. For some, this would mean making new friends every few years but Mark was the quiet, loner type. So how did he go from this quiet, loner personality to teaching life mastery? That's an interesting story. You just may see a bit of yourself in Mark's story. I know I did…

Lance Hillsinger worked in social services for 34 years. As he shares his story he talks about what he saw as a cycle for families that was difficult to break free from. Growing up in Southern California, he was fortunate to have parents who were a good example of what a marriage should be. He talks about these early years and how this positive upb…

Dave Nordel grew up on a dairy farm in Northern California learning important life lessons. As Dave recalls his life we discuss some of these lessons which include what it means when cows lie down. (Yes, this is a tease.) We talk quite a bit about what Dave learned on his varied assignments around the world. He took much of what he learned and foun…

Living the Aloha Life is a podcast I have listened to since 2018. This is where I was introduced to Wayde Fishman. Wayde loves Hawaii the way I love Hawaii so naturally as Wayde shares his story, we talk at length about Hawaii. We discuss what we love about Hawaii, what first attracted Wayde to Hawaii, and the reality of living in Hawaii today. We …

Laura Lynch grew up in Virginia with a tight knit Christian upbringing. When her parents decided to build a home, Laura got ahold of the blueprints and found them fascinating. As she tells her story, she talks about being interested in blueprints and drawing homes in her youth. There was time in the U.S. Air Force, college, a home purchase that wen…

Richard Deming discovered music at an early age. He played drums. Like many, he thought it would be great to be in a band and play music for a living. Today Richard teaches at Yale where he also directs the creative writing program. Sometimes in life, you must take the other fork. The fact that Richards dream of playing drums for a living didn’t pa…

Often as I sit and talk story with my guest, I have such a fun, therapeutic experience that before I know it twenty, or thirty minutes have flown by. This is how it was as I visited with Utkarsh Narang. Today, Utkarsh is a happiness coach but as he tells his story, he recalls just how his life path took him from New Delhi, India to Melbourne, Austr…

Zoey Rana grew up in Southeast England in the community of Crawley. As a Muslim, she was raised with strict parents, especially a strict father. Her parents had her life all mapped out but from an early age, Zoey wasn’t interested in the life they had planned. It took moving to another country to free herself of the religious oppression she felt in…

Patricia Malanga was born in Africa more specifically, in Zaire which is now known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was not a safe place and her family wanted to leave. They spent six years in a refugee camp hoping to relocate to a country that would provide a better opportunity for her parents and siblings. As I visited with Patricia, s…

Edward Di Gangi was adopted at birth in New York City. An only child, he made no effort to explore his heredity until, at age 69, a visit to a cemetery where members of his adoptive mother's family were buried stirred his interest. The above paragraph from Edward’s website speaks to what Edward has been up to these past five or six years. We talk q…

Jacia Kornwise has a life story unlike any told here on NKYS. Before listening, I want to issue a trigger warning for those who may be affected by sexual assault. Jacia is a Master Embodied Soul Coach, Transformational Experience Facilitator, and TEDxSpeaker, with an impressive 31-year career dedicated to helping individuals, couples, and groups tr…

James Phelps was the first guest to appear on Nobody Knows Your Story. In this episode we find out what has changed in James life over the past four years. (It's a lot!) We also asked James wife Jolene to sit in and share her story. In the April 28, 2020 episode with James he talked about leaving Mormonism. Lots of folks are doing that these days b…

Josh Coffin grew up as a pleaser. He loved the praise he received for doing what others wanted him to do. He also grew up in super conservative southeastern Idaho and as he states, "In high school 75 to 80% of the students attended Mormon seminary. I assumed the rest were just inactive Mormons." As Josh relates his life story, he recalls a happy ch…

Let me start off by saying that Joe Elder tells his story in a way that I believe anyone who has battelled alcohol or drugs would find not only relatable, but inspiring. Like many, Joe Elder has had challenges in his life. In his youth, Joe's family moved often which made it hard to make and then leave friends. But he also experienced differing ide…

Confidence is Contagious is a podcast hosted by Sharon McLaughlin. It's similar to Nobody Knows Your Story as the episodes contain insightful conversations and thought-provoking discussions from women who have confidence and inspire others. Guests share personal stories of resilience, mental fitness, and leadership, providing practical advice and m…

I've had the pleasure of getting to know Maile Jewkes and her husband Jerry over the past couple of years. But in a reversal of the norm, I actually met and became friends with Maile's parents almost thirty years ago. Maile will talk about this a bit as she shares her story. TRIGGER WARNING: Maile's story also includes a marriage where she was phys…

As with a number of guests I've interviewed, I know Wayne Cavicchioni on a personal level. We played softball against each other for a couple of years but I noticed that Wayne was a people person. He was also an above average player. People person, softball skill level high; it's easy to see why I reached out to Wayne to play on OUR softball team. …

Life is all about pivoting, some might say transitioning. Mac McGregor knows all about transitioning and he talks freely about his life as a high level martial arts competitor representing the United States, as a female. As you listen to Mac's story, you will learn that Mac knew from a very young age that he was different. Over time, he learned tha…

Marc Schafler's story was a particularly fun one for me and I suspect many other boys now in men's bodies. Many of us who grew up in the 60's & 70's dreamed of playing baseball in the major leagues. Marc was a good player in his youth and he recalls some of the highlights as he tells his life story. Hawaii has been a place Marc has visited more tha…

Frank Ring grew up in Palisades Park, NJ with a view of the New York City skyline. He loved sports and played both basketball and baseball. He was always into physical fitness and took to running on a regular basis. Frank discovered the benefits of walking almost by accident. A severe back injury caused him to discontinue his habit of running and r…

MISSION STATEMENT: I live to inspire and light a fire in the hearts of others. I want people to desire a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ. ~Traci Neal~ When you listen to Traci tell her story, you'll soon find that there's lots of reasons for Traci to have lost her faith. You'll also find out why she didn't. CONTACT TRACI: Tracinealspeakerpoet…

“I write so I can explain things to myself. That they are explained to you in the process is just as important to me, but the motivation has been intrinsic to simply trying to explain things to myself in an attempt to making some kind of sense.” -Eric Young I copied this statement from the forward in Eric’s book, I’m No Saint. It resonated with me …

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a Secret Service Agent? We all think of the Secret Service protecting the President and Vice President of the United States, but they do much more. Dan Dluzneski did have security details where he protected the leaders of the United States, but he did other things too which I found to be very inter…

Bret Magpiong has a bit of a Hawaiian connection, but he grew up in Southern California. As Bret shares his life story, he talks about his family and how living in the shadow of his older brother caused a bit of a course direct. Bret has dedicated his entire professional career either advising executives, entrepreneurs, professional athletes, and e…

When Shelley Perry tells her story, you'll discover that when she sets her mind to something, she sticks with it. Words like courage, mettle, or tenacity are good describers. So how did Shelley develop these traits? Her family was involved in the restaurant business and she started working at a young age. Anyone who has worked in a restaurant knows…

Trang Nova had a very academic-focused upbringing In Melbourne, Australia. In addition to typical schooling, Trang had tutoring after school and attended Saturday School to learn Vietnamese as she is Vietnamese Australian. As we discussed her life, she really didn't think her six day a week educational studies were that unusual, until she got a bit…

Let me start off saying that yes, Rebecca did take a slow boat to New Zealand, and it's certainly an interesting part of her story. But I'm not going to talk about it here. You'll need to listen to the episode. But Rebecca's story is worth listening to. How did a Jewish girl from Bethlehem, PA become a law professor and author? Yep, once again, you…

I’ve thought of having Brian West tell his life story for some time. It’s not that I knew he had some unique life experiences, (which it turns out he did), but more that I knew that talking about his life would produce a few laughs. Brian has had a couple of careers, but for the past 18 years, Brian’s been a licensed residential loan consultant. Th…

If ever there's been an example of someone marching to their own drummer, well that would be Leslie Olpin Peterson. As Leslie recalls her life, her story is full of twists and turns; ups and downs. From flying to Samoa at 18 on a whim, to discovering midlife a hidden talent for art, to finding out not too long ago that she... Yeah, you'll want to l…

So, just Who the F*ck is Nikki La Croce? You'll want to listen to her story to find out how life's twists and turns have put her in a space now where she can better understand herself. Once you've figured out who you are, you can do some pretty impactful things, like create a podcast. Nikki's podcast is aimed at creating connection through vulnerab…

In my "talk story" session with Paul, we talk about his life, but also about his health related passions. Here's an excerpt from Paul's buy me a coffee link which I included in the notes. "I am a West Point graduate and Army veteran. After leaving the military in 2002, I was in poor health - 275 pounds, pre-diabetic, suffering from high blood press…

I asked Dean Jamison to describe himself. Here's what I got back. "I'm a good natured, determined competitor who thrives on a good challenge. I busted my ass all my working life to provide for my family by working every shift possible. Now that I'm retired, it's time to have fun". Dean is a friend of mine. He's proud of his Pennsylvania roots, and …

It took many years for Lois Hollis to overcome the physical and emotional pain she had dealt with. Along the way, she discovered areas surrounding shame and guilt that were unhealthy and has made overcoming "shame-guilt" her main focus. Here's information directly from her website; Loishollis.com What is shame and what is guilt? How are shame and g…

Growing up a bookworm allowed Collette Szymborski to let her mind run free. She was studious, and got good grades, but reading was her escape. Growing up in the Sacramento, CA area, one of her first escapes happened while in high school when she became an exchange student and spent six months in Spain. As Collette recalls her life, she talks about …

Life has a way of mixing things up, sometimes when you least expect it. Branch Isole was living life, but he felt there was more he could be doing. Listen as he tells his story, which includes a twelve year stint on Maui, but also why he felt his life needed a re-direct. About Branch: Born in Osaka, Japan Branch traveled extensively growing up call…

I'm not sure when I first discovered the art of Wyland. It was probably one of his famous Whaling Walls that are spread around the world. Personally, I can't recall how many of the 102 I've seen, but I've seen quite a few including walls in San Francisco, Long Beach, and Laguna Beach, CA, American Samoa, Alaska, Kauai, Oahu, Orlando and Key West, F…

As we close out season three here on Nobody Knows Your Story, my final guest is Brian Beckcom. This was a positive experience for me and once again, I spent an hour doing something I really enjoy... talking. Brian is one driven individual. He lost his Mother to breast cancer when he was ten, and though his Mother's passing forever changed him, it a…

In this episode of the Nobody Knows Your Story podcast, I talk with Sean Robinson. We discuss his life, his family situation, but our conversation drifts to what Sean has been doing the past couple of years. When COVID-19 shut down Canada and countries worldwide, Sean experienced a dark year. You see, Sean didn't like the way things were going for …

Judy and I have had the pleasure of getting to know Melissa and Sam Zitting Wyson family over the past year. They agreed to share their story on my podcast, and recently stopped over for a visit. Judy spent two hours playing games and keeping the kids involved, so I want to recognize Judy for her contribution to this Nobody Knows Your Story episode…

I asked Rob Dubin to tell his story because I thought it was a pretty bold move to retire at 42 and along with wife Dee, sell their home, and move onto a 40’ sailboat. Oh but there's more. For the next 17 years, Rob and Dee sailed around the world studying human happiness and fulfillment. Today Rob gives back by teaching courses in employee happine…

That's right. Ivana and I connected when I was looking for a rental for my men's softball team, and of course we mention this factoid in our discussion of Ivana's life. Ivana's life is much more interesting than this little side note. Civil war drove her from her home in Serbia, to Toronto, Canada and a new career. But, it's Ivana's love of travel …

Becki Agar appeared on my podcast January 4th, 2023 as part of the Team Agar episode where I spoke with Becki's husband Jeff and son Johnny. In the behind the scene arrangements of that episode, I got to know Becki's own story and knew that you listeners would be impacted in a positive way by what she had to share. As we talked about Becki's life, …

Kim Norman grew up In the small town of Moab, UT where she did just about anything she wanted at Grand County High School. She went out for the football team as a freshman, but decided track and field, tennis, basketball, volleyball, and playing trombone in the marching band was more to her liking. Robert Norman, Kim's father was a renowned geologi…

As a young man, Isaac Mathews always wanted to do the right thing. Raised as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints aka Mormon, in a very Mormon St George, UT, Isaac wanted nothing more than to please his parents, his teachers, his friends, and his church leaders. He was all in as a people pleaser. Isaac ended up serving a two …

Michigan is a long way from the island of Maui, but Michigan is where Sherrie Stinger's story began. There was a move to Arizona, actually to Gilbert where Sherrie attended high school. But after high school, she followed her high school sweetheart to Hawaii, and has been there ever since; over thirty three years. I met Sherrie when I was doing rea…

Like many of you, I first became aware of Johnny and Jeff Agar through a story I'd seen on TV. I'm guessing that those of you who saw a TV piece also wanted to know more about "Team Agar". You're welcome. "Johnny Agar is a true inspiration as a person and an athlete. Where most might see nothing but obstacles, he sees nothing but opportunities. Joh…

Melanie Merrill grew up in Evanston, WY in what many would call difficult circumstances. As a child her parents divorced, and her grandparents became key figures in her life. This doesn't mean Melanie's parents weren't part of her life, but the combination of divorce, a mother who was gone a lot and shuffling between homes certainly impacted Melani…

Ken Negron has been in the United States Air Force for seventeen years and as one might imagine, he's been all over the world. I had a chance to visit with Ken on Veterans Day, November 11th. Ken talked about growing up as the child in a military family and how that meant constant moving around, which meant constant goodbyes to friends. He also exp…