“Dressing as a woman for the first drag for the first time certainly had an enormous impact on my life.” An award-winning author, artist and journalist with Ivy League degrees, Meredith Talusan’s story has humble beginnings. She grew up in a rural village in the Philippines, born an albino boy. As the only light-skinned and light-haired child for miles and miles -- who also happened to like other boys -- Meredith was used to feeling different. But when she immigrated to the U.S., her sense of...

“There's a tremendous amount of stigma about coming forward, especially for men.” It wasn’t until Phil Goldstein was 30 years old he began unpacking a childhood trauma subconsciously affecting his adult life. As a kid, Phil was sexually abused by his older brother, and he kept it to himself for years, along with feelings of shame, guilt and fear. But when Phil met the woman who'd become his wife, sex and intimacy problems led him to therapy, where he opened up about his childhood sexual...

“Every single day was just complete hell.” Ashley Brumbaugh’s father was her hero without a cape. So, when he was diagnosed with cancer, Ashley fell apart. Internalized stress led to chronic pain, which brought about an addiction to painkillers at 14. After her father died, Ashley spent years in and out of depression, self-isolation and substance abuse. But this wasn’t the end of her trauma. While in recovery, Ashley was trapped in an abusive relationship that lasted 6 years. Eventually, she ...

"I knew that if we were to share people's stories, we would help connect others and help others find a positive path forward in some way." For two seasons, we've shared the stories of ordinary people overcoming extraordinary struggles -- and now, it's time for our story! In this bonus episode, we share the genesis of the podcast, who we are and why we're doing this. We also highlight some of the episodes that resonated especially with us -- although it's hard to pick a few: Marcus Bullock f...

"It’s so surreal to lose two people at the same time, especially in this sort of really dramatic, violent, unthinkable sort of way. " Sara Cobb is, unfortunately, no stranger to death and grief. Her oldest brother, Steven, died as a child when he climbed up a power line he mistook for a tree. He was electrocuted while his younger brother, Skyler, helplessly watched. Skyler was never the same after that. Decades later, Sara received a call that Skyler and his fiancee had died in a murder-suic...

"I deceived myself to believe that I was being empowered." Aaron Crowley was attending college in LA when a talent scout for a gay porn studio reached out to him with a proposition. Being short on cash, Aaron said yes. He spent the next few years doing gay porn, thinking it was empowering and providing him control over his own sexuality. But that’s what the porn industry wanted him to think. Deep down, Aaron felt degraded, exploited and unloved. It wasn’t until he heard the words “Jesus love...

“Starting your own business is this perfect incubator for a mental health crisis.” On paper, Jessica Manuszak totally has her life together. She owns a marketing agency and has written copy for companies like Nike and Levi’s. But beneath the surface-level image of successful client bookings and cash flow, Jessica was chronically mentally and physically sick. Then one day, she checked herself into a mental health facility to address her diagnoses. Over the past 7 years, Jessica has worked to...

“Near the end of the worst part of my schizophrenia break, I really wasn't living in reality; I was living in hell.” Apollo Ellis’ resume reads like a who’s who of the tech world: Sony, Intel, Apple, Oculus and NVIDIA. This Ph.D. engineer has three degrees in computer science from renowned schools -- and he speaks Chinese. But one thing you’d never guess from his long list of accolades is his past in a gang or his history of drug abuse. Or more notable: his lifelong battle with schizophrenia....

“My opportunity to be a kid got taken from me very early in my life.” Brenda Myers-Powell was just a child when she turned to prositution to support herself and her two young daughters. Over the next 25 years, Brenda’s life was in the streets, selling her body and numbing herself with drugs. She finally escaped after a customer nearly killed her, and she sought refuge at a safe house where she got counseling and job training. Today, Brenda helps trafficking victims through The Dreamcatc...

“The very first thing I thought when I heard the first shot wasn't why, but it was, "I can't believe the Columbine is happening here.” In the blink of an eye, an ordinary day can turn into horror. On Dec. 14, 2012, Sandy Hook Elementary School teacher Kaitlin Roig-DeBellis was with her class when she heard the unmistakable sounds of gunshots. Without hesitation, she crammed herself and her students into a small bathroom -- and saved 16 lives in what's now known as the deadliest element...