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Hosted by Laura Cathcart Robbins, a writer and a recovery thriver and survivor, Laura found herself in an all too familiar position. In September 2018, she was the only black woman in the room at Brave Magic, a famed writer’s retreat. After it was over, she wrote about her “only one” experience in The Huffington Post and comments started flooding into her DM. These comments were from people from all races, ethnicities, creeds, and nationalities who had felt “othered”. Laura beautifully inter ...
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SUNDAY EDITION: Hari Ziyad Is The Only Abolitionist In The Room
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Hari Ziyad is a cultural critic, a screenwriter, and the editor-in-chief of RaceBaitr. They are a 2021 Lambda Literary Fellow, and their writing has been featured in BuzzFeed, Out, the Guardian, Paste magazine, and the academic journal Critical Ethnic Studies, among other publications. They are also currently a writer on the new season CBS show, Th…
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On My Nightstand: Walking Into Another Year by Jennifer Eikenhorst
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We shared Jennifer Eikenhorst’s heart-wrenching/heartwarming story with you in season 10: The Only One Who Found Hope After A Deadly Accident (episode 96). I encourage you to go back and listen as she unravels the events that lead to the death of a motorcyclist named David. This year on the 5th anniversary of his death, Jennifer wrote this beautifu…
Scott Slaughter co-host and producer of The Only One In The Room has a short and casual, yet deep conversation with our guest Tonya Evans right after the show. Special thanks to our sponsors: Pitches With Bitches: Laura Cathcart Robbins and Stefanie Wilder Taylor are conducting a virtual pitching workshop on Oct 23rd from 11-1 pm (PT). We will tell…
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Tonya Evans Is The Only Black Queer Woman Explaining BlockChain Episode 104
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What if you, a tenured professor at a prestigious university wanted to buy your mother a home and the bank treated you like a suspect instead of a prospect? Dr. Tonya Evans, professor at Penn State Dickinson Law School who was recently named to the Forbes 50 over 50 list, in the category of investment, teaches her students how Crypto Currency can b…
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SUNDAY EDITION: AJ Johnson Is The Only Covid Caregiver In The Room
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There are over 4.7 million people in California caring for a relative or close friend, and many of them are COVID 19 patients. The media is filled with the stories of COVID 19 patients and healthcare workers, but what about the people who are dedicating themselves to taking care of a loved one? Scott and I couldn’t find many of those stories, so we…
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On My Nightstand: Insider Publishing Advice By Zibby Owens
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I think I employed every single one of these twenty phenomenal tips from Zibby Owens while looking to get my memoir published, and it is my absolute pleasure to share them all with you! Zibby Owens is the creator and host of award-winning podcast Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books, one of Oprah.com’s favorite book podcasts two years in a row. The C…
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Hispanic Heritage Month: Scott Talks To Emmylou Diaz
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Scott Slaughter co-host and producer of The Only One In The Room has a short and casual, yet deep conversation with our guest Emmylou Diaz right after the show. Pitches With Bitches: Laura Cathcart Robbins and Stefanie Wilder Taylor are conducting a virtual pitching workshop on Oct 23rd from 11-1 pm (PT). We will tell you everything we know about g…
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Hispanic Heritage Month: Emmylou Diaz Is The Only Latinx Woman In The Writer’s Room Episode 103
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Imagine getting your MFA in acting at Harvard and then moving to Los Angeles only to find that the parts you're auditioning for were either the Chola or the gangbanger? Screenwriter, Emmylou Diaz, whose credits include Jane The Virgin and Charmed, decided to take a writing class one day after realizing that she wasn’t being taken seriously as an ac…
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SUNDAY EDITION: Azita Alavi Is The Only One In The Room Who Survived A Home Invasion
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“It was very early and I was still in bed when I heard someone yelling from my backyard. When I pulled the curtain back and saw a bunch of armed men jumping into my backyard, I first thought I was dreaming. But before I could figure out what was going on, they started shooting at my house. I froze by the window and my heart was coming out of my che…
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On My Nightstand: Everywhere You Don’t Belong by Gabriel Bump
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I love this book so much by first-time novelist, Gabriel Bump, that I chose to read not one, but two of its chapters to you today. Gabriel Bump grew up in South Shore, Chicago. He received his MFA in fiction from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. His debut novel, Everywhere You Don't Belong, was a New York Times Notable Book of 2020 and has…
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Scott Talks With Special Guest Jeff Kober
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In this unique episode of Scott Talks, we feature a special reading created and also read by Jeff Kober. A former The Only One In The Room guest and friend of the show. A little about Jeff Kober: As an actor, Jeff has appeared in many TV series, General Hospital and recently recurring on NCIS: Los Angeles, Shameless, The Walking Dead, Sons of Anarc…
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Nadya Okamoto is The Only One Posting Her Period Blood On TikTok Episode 102
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Once there was a girl who discovered that while period products seemed to be widely available to everyone, there were still many girls and women who were forced to use trash to absorb their menstrual flow every month. Twenty-Three year-old Harvard graduate, Nadya Okamoto founded PERIOD.org at the age of sixteen and in 2020 she co-founded August, a …
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SUNDAY EDITION: MJ Fievre Is The Only One Who Saw A Man Burned Alive
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Right now there are thousands of Haitian immigrants encamped at Del Rio, Texas after entering the U.S. through the Rio Grande who are awaiting either deportation from U.S. authorities or a decision to stay put and seek asylum. Here to speak with us today is M.J. Fievre who grew up in Haiti and now lives in the US. M.J. has authored nine books in Fr…
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On My Nightstand: A White Woman Told Me She Didn’t Think Of Me As Black, Here’s How I Reacted By Laura Cathcart Robbins
13:32
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I’m excited to share this personal essay with you (my 17th published HuffPost essay). I’ve received so many uplifting comments and direct messages from people who have said, “This is exactly how I feel, thank you.” Laura Cathcart Robbins is an author, freelance culture writer, and host of the popular podcast, The Only One In The Room, living in Stu…
Scott Slaughter co-host and producer of The Only One In The Room has a short and casual, yet deep conversation with our guest Robert Kabera right after the show. Special thanks to our sponsors: Voyage et Cie: Voyage et Cie's curator Melanie Apple has cultivated a passion for notable moments using the sense of smell. Voyage et Cie is the ultimate lu…
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Robert Kabera Is The Only One Who Survived A Genocide and Landed On The Forbes 30 under 30 List Episode 101
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Picture this, you’re five years old and your mom is cooking dinner, like she does every night. Suddenly the air around your home is filled with screams and gunfire. Robert Kabera, Stanford graduate, co-founder, and COO of Sync Energy A.I., survived the 1994 Rwandan Genocide with his family by hiding in tunnels, evading soldiers, and spending six ye…
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RE-RELEASE SUNDAY EDITION: Dr. Petra Deeter Is The Only One Talking About Parental Alienation
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Parental alienation occurs during a high-conflict divorce in which the child identifies strongly with one parent, usually the custodial parent. The alienating parent programs the child to despise their other parent by criticizing the alienated parent and interfering with their relationship. Here to dive into this with us is Dr. Petra Deeter. Dr. De…
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Suicide Prevention Awareness Month- On My Nightstand: My 20-Year-Old Brother Died By Suicide. Here’s Why I Almost Joined Him by Lisa Cooper Ellison
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On this final Friday of Suicide Prevention Awareness month, we wanted to bring you this powerful piece that my friend, writer, writing coach, speaker, and editor, Lisa Cooper Ellison wrote for Huffpo. Lisa Cooper Ellison is a speaker, writing coach, and editor with an Ed.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and a background in mindfulness. Her l…
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Hispanic Heritage Awareness Month: Scott Talks To Ever Gonzalez
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Scott Slaughter co-host and producer of The Only One In The Room has a short and casual, yet deep conversation with our guest Ever Gonzalez right after the show. Special thanks to our sponsors: We love our new sponsor, ReadySlim! Say Hello to a better, brighter you. And right now, for a limited time, you can save 25% on your first order of ReadySli…
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Hispanic Heritage Awareness Month: Ever Gonzalez Is The Only Hispanic Conservative In The Room
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What if, after crossing the US border with your mother, you joined the Mormon church and began to reject the clichés associated with immigrants, deciding that handouts were not for you and with hard work, anything was possible for anyone. Ever Gonzalez, podcaster, and founder of Outlier HQ media and events company, found that his morals and princip…
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Recovery Awareness Month: Laura Cathcart Robbins & Scott Slaughter Are The Only Ones Who Met in Rehab & Fell In Love
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In this very special episode we turn the tables with our dear friend and former Only One In The Room guest from Season 1 episode 2 Dr. Troy Byer. Troy interviews hosts Laura Cathcart Robbins and Scott Slaughter (aka Hon) on all things relationships and what it's been like working together in creating this podcast. More from Troy Byer: Explore the m…
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National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day- On My Nightstand: Don’t Forget This Happened by Melanie Brooks
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Tomorrow, September 18, is National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day, and to honor all those that are living longer and even thriving with a disease that has killed so many of us, I wanted to read this beautiful essay by my friend, author/writer, Melanie Brooks. Melanie Brooks is the author of Writing Hard Stories: Celebrated Memoirists Who Shaped …
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A Spoken Word By Valyn Lyric Turner: Race In The Classroom - Seeing Color
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The Only One In The Room is extremely proud to partner with 19-year old poet, Valyn Lyric Turner. From time to time, we will be bringing you her phenomenal spoken word poetry. Scott and Laura feel that today’s presentation, Race In The Classroom: Seeing Color could not have come at a better time in our history. You’ll want to share this episode wit…
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Soleil Moon Frye Is The Only Child Actor In The Room Who Documented Her Teenage Years
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Imagine if, as a teenager, you saved every journal entry, every voicemail and filmed every moment with your friends, including, smoking weed and doing mushrooms, including epic late-night phone calls, including -- their cries for help? Actor, director, and writer, Soleil Moon Frye, who began her career at age seven as the iconic Punky Brewster, rec…
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9/11 Twentieth Anniversary Special Re-Release: Tim Brown Is The Only 911 Survivor Telling Stories Of Heroism In National Intelligence Communities
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Imagine responding to an emergency call on September 11, 2001 and finding yourself at the base of the south tower as it collapsed. Tim Brown, retired, decorated 20-year FDNY firefighter and a survivor of the 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, lost 93 of his friends on Sept. 11th, including his two best friends. So what would you do if…
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On My Nightstand: Ninety-Nine Fire Hoops by Allison Hong Merrill
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After interviewing Allison about her soon-to-be-launched book, I couldn’t wait to read you from the first two (riveting) chapters. Allison is a Taiwanese immigrant in Utah. She holds an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Her work has won both national and international awards. Her memoir, Ninety-Nine Fire Hoops is available on Sep. 21, 2021. Vi…
Scott Slaughter co-host and producer of The Only One In The Room has a short and casual, yet deep conversation with our guest Allison Hong Merrill right after the show. Special thanks to our sponsors: Best Fiends: Join us and the millions of Americans who are already playing this game. Download Best Fiends for FREE on The Apple APP store or Google …
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Allison Hong Merrill Is The Only One Who’s Husband Left Her In Under Two Hours Episode 100
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Imagine if as a kid you were chased by your parent with a butcher knife, and instead of intervening, all the other adults just sat around and watched. Author, Allison Hong Merrill grew up in Taiwan and never felt secure in her home until Mormon missionaries arrived, so she married one, and against her father’s wishes, moved back to Texas with him, …
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SUNDAY EDITION: Dr. Erica Miller Is The Only One In The Room Who Won’t Be Defined By Her Age (87!)
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Dr. Miller is an entrepreneur, international best-selling author, inspirational speaker, a mental health professional with a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and Holocaust survivor. In each of her books, The Dr. Erica Miller Story: From Trauma to Triumph, Don’t Tell Me I Can’t Do It and her most recent, Chronologically Gifted: Aging with Gusto, she ins…
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On My Nightstand: Introduction, Quit Like A Woman by Holly Whitaker
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Today is the first weekend of National Recovery Awareness Month and I’m excited to read you a piece written by my dear friend Holly. A woman whose name, in the last couple of years, has become synonymous with sobriety. This is actually the introduction to Holly’s book, Quit Like A Woman (we all call it QLAW for short) and when I first read it I fel…
Scott Slaughter co-host and producer of The Only One In The Room has a short and casual, yet deep conversation with our guest Peter Sage right after the show. Special thanks to our sponsors: Voyage et Cie: Voyage et Cie's curator Melanie Apple has cultivated a passion for notable moments using the sense of smell. Voyage et Cie is the ultimate luxur…
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Peter Sage Is The Only One In The Room Who Was Grateful to go to Prison Episode 99
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Imagine going to court on a civil matter and then finding yourself being sentenced to prison - for contempt of court. Motivational Speaker, Tedx Speaker and best-selling author, Peter Sage, thought he’d be back in time to finish his workday when he went to court in January of 2017, but instead, he was sent to Pentonville, the UK’s most violent pris…
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SUNDAY EDITION: Ariel D. Smith Is The Only One Who Started A Ph.D. And A Podcast Because She Was Hungry
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Ariel D. Smith, M.Ed is the founder of The Food Truck Scholar and the host of its podcast of the same name. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in American Studies, where her research examines the role of the food truck industry in American Culture and African American entrepreneurs’ experiences and involvement in the mobile food industry specificall…
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On My Nightstand: I’m Regular Sober, Here’s How I Feel About Demi Lovato Being California Sober by Laura Cathcart Robbins
13:16
13:16
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My friend Amy Bond, (episodes 25 and 54) sent me a screenshot of an article about Demi Lovato last month and then texted, “Oooh you could write about this.” Turns out she was right. I had a lot to say about California Sober vs Regular Sober. Laura Cathcart Robbins is an author, freelance culture writer, and host of the popular podcast, The Only One…
Scott Slaughter co-host and producer of The Only One In The Room has a short and casual, yet deep conversation with our guest Christie Tate right after the show. Special thanks to our sponsors: We love our new sponsor, ReadySlim! Say Hello to a better, brighter you. And right now, for a limited time, you can save 25% on your first order of ReadySli…
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Christie Tate Is The Only One Who Healed Her Shame Through Group Therapy Episode 98
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Imagine going to group therapy to address your shame and discovering that the therapist’s methods were a bit, say, unconventional. Chicago-based writer and essayist, Christie Tate was upset when her therapist, Dr. Rosen, asked her to tell everyone in “Group” some of her most closely guarded secrets, like listing everything she’d had to eat that day…
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SUNDAY EDITION: The Only One Telling Women To Make Some Noise
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Andrea Owen is an author, global speaker, and professional certified life coach who helps high-achieving women maximize unshakeable confidence and master resilience. She has taught hundreds of thousands of women tools and strategies to be able to empower themselves to live their most kick-ass life through speaking, her books, coaching and her wildl…
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On My Nightstand: Fish Heads and Duck Skin By Lindsey Salatka
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18:13
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I couldn’t help but laugh (out loud) when Lindsey told me about chapter 28 of her incredible new novel, Fish Heads and Duck Skin and it was even funnier when I actually had the pleasure of reading it for myself. Lindsey Salatka is an author, editor, and ghostwriter. You can find Lindsey at www.lindseysalatka.com, on Instagram @mywhatlovelygillsyouh…
Scott Slaughter co-host and producer of The Only One In The Room has a short and casual, yet deep conversation with our guest Joon Han right after the show. Special thanks to our sponsors: EveryPlate: One meal from EveryPlate is equal to the price of a cup of coffee! EveryPlate provides a super easy-to-prepare, delicious, fresh, inexpensive, meal f…
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Joon Han Is The Only U.S Citizen Who Was Deported And Came Back Episode 97
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58:06
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What if two strange men arrived at your school with your mother, and told you and your brother to get into a waiting car? Leading strategist, TEDx speaker, and mentor, Joon Han, was just a kid when immigration officers showed up and put his whole family on a plane, back to the place where his parents were born, South Korea. But what would you do if…
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SUNDAY EDITION: Chris Cochran Is The Only One Humanizing Cybersecurity
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Chris Cochran is the Director of Security Engineering for a financial technology company, founder of Hacker Valley Media and producer and host of the popular Hacker Valley Studio podcast. Chris is prior active duty US Marine Corps intelligence, which led him to a career in cybersecurity. He has dedicated that career to building and leading advanced…
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On My Nightstand: The Rules Of Arrangement by Anisha Bhatia
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12:58
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As soon as I heard the title of Anisha Bhatia’s first novel, The Rules of Arrangement, I knew that I wanted to read it. Her book is a marvelous, candid, yet humorous peek into the world of arranged marriages in India and I can’t wait to share this passage with you. Born and brought up in Mumbai, India, Anisha Bhatia now lives in San Diego, Californ…
Scott Slaughter co-host and producer of The Only One In The Room has a short and casual, yet deep conversation with our guest Jennifer Eikenhorst right after the show. Special Thanks to our Sponsors: EveryPlate: One meal from EveryPlate is equal to the price of a cup of coffee! EveryPlate provides a super easy-to-prepare, delicious, fresh, inexpens…
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Jennifer Eikenhorst Is The Only One Who Found Hope After A Deadly Accident Episode 96
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Imagine driving home, your daughters in the backseat, and suddenly a flash of light on the driver’s side warns you that there’s a vehicle approaching and you and your girls brace for impact. Jennifer Eikenhorst, teacher, wife, mother of four, and a woman of strong faith was almost home when she’d realized that vehicle she’d collided with was a moto…
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SUNDAY EDITION: Simone Reyes Is The Only One Who Got The Call To Save The Cows
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35:09
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I’m sure you remember our interview with Simone Reyes last summer, Episode 56 Season 6 - The Only Animal Activist In Country Music. But I had to ask her to come back on the show when I started following the story of the Manning Beef cows that broke out of the slaughterhouse in Pico Rivera and tried to run to safety. Simone is a 25+ year vegan and h…
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On My Nightstand: I Thought A Home Birth Was An Awesome Idea - Until I Was 1 Centimeter Dilated by Sara Dean
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Today’s reading is a hilarious essay by our wonderfully prolific friend and podcaster Sara Dean of the Shameless Mom Academy Podcast. Sara is a generous resource for women, mothers, and her fellow podcasters. She also gave me the honor of being the opening keynote speaker at Shameless Mom Con 2020 and has been a huge supporter of The Only One In Th…
Scott Slaughter co-host and producer of The Only One In The Room has a short and casual, yet deep conversation with our guest Wally Green right after the show. Special Thanks to our Sponsors: Voyage et Cie: Voyage et Cie's curator Melanie Apple has cultivated a passion for notable moments using the sense of smell. Voyage et Cie is the ultimate luxu…
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Wally Green Is The Only One Who Saved His Life With Ping-Pong Episode 95
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Imagine that everyone you grew up with was destined for jail or an early death? Celebrity Table Tennis pro and co-founder of SPIN, New York, Wally Green joined a gang while growing up in one of the most dangerous housing projects in Brooklyn and was constantly abused by his stepfather who told him repeatedly that he would never amount to anything. …
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SUNDAY EDITION: Jessica Frew Is The Only One Who Is Still In Love With Her Gay Ex-Husband
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Jessica Frew is the co-host of the podcast Husband In Law. Along with her husband and ex-husband, they share their stories of love, marriage, coming out, infidelity, divorce, and co-parenting. Jessica and her ex-husband were married for just over a year when he came to terms with the fact he was gay. They then remained married for another seven yea…
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On My Nightstand: Immigrant Daughter: Stories You Never Told Me by Catherine Kapphahn
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Today’s reading is from the chapter titled, Catherine’s Brestovac by the critically acclaimed author, Catherine Kapphahn. I have to admit that I was afraid to approach the reading at first, because of all the Croatian words, but her story is so poetically beautiful that it seemed to just carry me along. American-born Catherine knows little of her C…
