Tell Me What It's Like

After 30 years of marriage, Victoria Vaughn found herself newly single in her 50s — and back in a dating world that looked nothing like the one she left. She landed many dates, but many of them weren’t what she expected.She calls those dates “frogs.” But through those experiences, she gained a much clearer understanding of what she wanted, what actually matters in a partner, and why finding the right person often starts with being true to yourself."Don’t try to put a square peg into a round hole … don’t settle."Hear Victoria talk about:What it’s like to date again after 30 years off the marketWhy dating later in life comes with more complexity and more clarityThe unexpected realities of finances, baggage, and honesty in datingWhy you might be a “frog” to someone else — and what that meansHow she recognized her “prince” and what made him differentThe lessons she wishes she knew before she started dating againHer husband’s Parkinson’s diagnosis and why she supports the Michael J. Fox FoundationMentioned in this episode:Oh the Frogs I’ve Kissed Before I Finally Found My Prince - Victoria’s book on dating againThe Michael J. Fox FoundationSupport This Show:Follow Tell Me What It’s Like in your favorite podcast appLeave a rating & review — it helps others find the showShare the episode and tag @RaineMediaCo on social media

Mitch Wu thought he knew exactly what his creative career would look like. But after years in product design, a difficult job, and the loss of his brother, he realized how far he’d drifted from the kind of work he actually wanted to be doing. Then one afternoon he and his nephew went to the park with a couple of action figures and from the first photograph he knew he'd found what he was meant to do. In this episode, Mitch shares what it’s like to build miniature worlds, develop a creative niche that didn’t really exist, and turn play into a profession."Then I took the photo and I looked at what I got on the camera and it's like, my God, this is, it was like clear as day that that's what I was going to do for my next career."Hear Mitch talk about:His journey from illustration to product design to wedding photography—and how he realized he’d gotten off his creative pathThe moment in a park with his nephew that instantly shifted his career directionWhat toy photography actually is, and why it’s rooted in storytelling and world-buildingHow he built a career in a niche that barely existed at the timeThe difference between being a “commodity” creative and owning a specialized nicheWhy continual learning and experimentation keep his work evolvingMentioned in this episode:Larger Than Life (documentary) – See Mitch at work and get a behind-the-scenes look at his toy photography processNew York Toy Fair – The largest toy industry convention in North America, where Mitch exhibited his work and connected with major brandsDisney+ Marvel documentary series – A series featuring toy creators, including Mitch and his workMitch Wu’s toy photography work – See examples of his work for major toy companies, including Mattel’s Ever After High, one of Mitch’s first major clientsSupport This Show:Follow Tell Me What It’s Like in your favorite podcast appLeave a rating & review — it helps others find the showShare the episode and tag @RaineMediaCo on social media

Toni King was at a Medicare workshop when she realized how easy it is for someone to misunderstand the system—and how difficult it can be to fix those misunderstandings once they happen.She’s spent years helping people navigate Medicare, a process shaped by rules, timelines, and decisions that aren’t always intuitive. She shares what it’s like to guide people through it, how the system works, and why it can be so challenging to understand from the outside."The whole thing is all about rules."Hear Toni talk about:How she got started helping people navigate MedicareWhy the system can be difficult for people to understandThe structure of Medicare and how the different parts fit togetherThe role of private insurance within MedicareWhat people need to think about as they approach enrollmentMentioned in this episode:Learn more about Toni KingMedicareSocial SecurityMedicare Advantage (Part C)Prescription Drug Plans (Part D)Support This Show:Follow Tell Me What It’s Like in your favorite podcast appLeave a rating & review — it helps others find the showShare the episode and tag @RaineMediaCo on social media

Cities don’t just develop over time — they’re shaped by decisions about transportation, where we build, and what gets prioritized.Urban planner Jahnavi Kirtane explains how those decisions come together, why so many places in the U.S. are built around cars, and how walkability affects independence, access, and everyday life in ways most people don’t realize."Walking is really good for you, both your physical health and your social health and emotional health."Hear Jahnavi talk about:The difference between growing up in a car-dependent suburb and navigating New York CityWhat “walkability” actually means and how it shows up in daily lifeWhy many U.S. communities are designed around carsThe kinds of decisions that shape how cities functionHow design influences independence, access, and connectionMentioned in this episode:Walkable City by Jeff SpeckSpeck Dempsey, the planning and design firm where Jahnavi worksJeff Speck's TED talk, The Walkable CitySupport This Show:Follow Tell Me What It’s Like in your favorite podcast appLeave a rating & review — it helps others find the showShare the episode and tag @RaineMediaCo on social media

Suzanne Smith has spent her career working with nonprofits and has witnessed a reality many people outside the field don’t see: solving big social problems requires more than passion and good intentions. It requires organizations strong enough to grow and build long-term sustainability.In this episode, Suzanne shares what it’s like to work in the social impact world, and what she’s learned from working with organizations trying to turn big ideas for change into lasting results and stronger communities."One of the things I saw was the fact that the issues were scaling, but the organizations were not scaling along with them."Hear Suzanne talk about:Growing up in a family that talked about social issues at the dinner tableHer early career working in lobbying and the nonprofit sectorWhy many nonprofits struggle to scale their impactThe intersection of nonprofit, business, and government in creating changeWhy she believes social change work is a calling, not just a jobMentioned in this episode:Social Impact ArchitectsSuzanne Smith’s Substack blog, Social TrendspotterSupport This Show:Follow Tell Me What It’s Like in your favorite podcast appLeave a rating & review — it helps others find the showShare the episode and tag @RaineMediaCo on social media

When Laurie Jacobson was 43, she found herself in a deeply unhappy marriage and increasingly isolated and depressed. After years of trying conventional therapies and self-help approaches without relief, she made a decision that felt radical at the time: she signed up for a silent retreat at a Buddhist monastery she’d discovered through a pamphlet in a coffee shop. Over the next 22 days of meditation and silence, Laurie experienced a profound shift in perspective that helped her see her life differently, and ultimately gave her the clarity she needed to make a difficult life decision."Don't be afraid to step outside your comfort zone, because sometimes it takes stepping outside your comfort zone to find a better place."Hear Laurie talk about:What daily life was like during a silent meditation retreatWhy she decided to go to a Buddhist monastery after trying many other forms of helpThe surprising mental clarity that can come from long periods of silence and meditationHow the experience changed the way she saw her marriage and gave her the strength to leave itThe lessons she carried forward about openness, desire, and letting goMentioned in this episode:Theravada BuddhismLaurie's book, Unexpected Awakening: 22 Days at a Buddhist Monastery Freed Me from AbuseSupport This Show:Follow Tell Me What It’s Like in your favorite podcast appLeave a rating & review — it helps others find the showShare the episode and tag @RaineMediaCo on social media

As a teenager, Christina King looked like she was doing everything right — she had good grades, played sports, took advanced classes. But when her mom paused during an argument and asked, “Are you happy?” it changed the course of her life. Today, Christina is a therapist specializing in tween and teen girls, and she shares what’s really happening in the teenage brain, why emotional ups and downs are often developmentally normal, and how parents can stay connected during one of the most intense seasons of growing up."I say with teens that sometimes it's like all gas, no brakes."Note: This episode is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice. It includes discussion of teen mental health, including self-harm, in the context of helping parents understand and respond. Hear Christina talk about:The question that led her to therapy as a teenWhat "all gas, no brakes" means for the adolescent brainWhy emotional volatility can be a healthy signTween girl friendship dynamics and indirect aggressionSocial media, comparison culture, and feeling left outThe difference between venting mode and problem-solving modeWhy parents should depersonalize their teen's emotionsMentioned in this episode:Christina King Family TherapyFind Christina on InstagramInside Out 2 (when discussing adolescent emotions)Support This Show:Follow Tell Me What It’s Like in your favorite podcast appLeave a rating & review — it helps others find the showShare the episode and tag @RaineMediaCo on social media

Kristen Mardis was 21 years old, fresh out of college, and had just been accepted into graduate school when she found out she was pregnant. With no financial safety net and no health insurance, she had to quickly figure out how she would care for a baby while still pursuing her dream of becoming a speech pathologist. In this episode, Kristen shares what it was like to navigate Medicaid, SNAP benefits, and childcare assistance — and how those programs gave her the foundation she needed to build the life she has today.“None of that would have happened without those programs.”Hear Kristen talk about:Finding out she was pregnant just weeks after being accepted into graduate schoolHow Medicaid and SNAP helped her access prenatal care and feed her babyNavigating childcare assistance so she could finish her master’s degreeThe stigma around government assistance — and the dignity everyone deservesHow her experience shaped the way she now serves families in her work as a speech pathologistMentioned in this episode:SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program)MedicaidChildcare assistance programsSupport This Show:Follow Tell Me What It’s Like in your favorite podcast appLeave a rating & review — it helps others find the showShare the episode and tag @RaineMediaCo on social media

Carol Lin spent her career inside newsrooms built for breaking news. She covered some of the most difficult moments in recent history, including being the first person to report the attacks on September 11. In this conversation, she reflects on her career in journalism and the behind-the-scenes moments that shaped her life. She also discusses what it was like to revisit those experiences while writing her memoir."And then I hear the music, the breaking news animation comes up and we are live."Hear Carol talk about:What it’s like inside a newsroom built for breaking newsThe moment she realized she was going live on September 11 without a scriptHow anchors rely on producers, reporters, and unseen teams during national crisesThe emotional discipline required to deliver information in uncertain momentsThe intersection of her career with major personal turning pointsWhy writing her memoir required revisiting both professional and private painWhat she hopes readers — and her daughter — take away from her storyMentioned in this episode:The first moments reporting 9/11 (viewer discretion advised)Carol Lin’s memoir, When News BreaksSupport This Show:Follow Tell Me What It’s Like in your favorite podcast appLeave a rating & review — it helps others find the showShare the episode and tag @RaineMediaCo on social media

What’s it like to spend weeks inside a monastery in complete silence?What’s it like to find out you’re pregnant with no idea how you’re going to support yourself?And what’s it like to be the first person to tell the world a plane has just hit the World Trade Center?Season two of Tell Me What It’s Like gives you a window into someone else’s world - the moments that challenge us, scare us, and shape who we become.Join host Stacy Raine as she uncovers what each experience was like, and the lessons learned along the way.Coming in Season 2:Breaking historic news and facing profound lossA silent retreat inside a monastery, and what happens when the outside world falls awayNavigating unexpected pregnancy without a safety netHelping nonprofits do meaningful work in complex systemsMaking sense of Medicare and aging in a system few people truly understandSupporting girls in their tween and teen yearsFinding connection, confidence, and love again later in lifeSeason two of Tell Me What It’s Like is coming soon.Support This Show:Follow Tell Me What It’s Like in your favorite podcast appLeave a rating & review — it helps others find the showShare the episode and tag @RaineMediaCo on social media

As the year comes to a close, guests from Season 1 of Tell Me What It’s Like share the holiday traditions that matter most to them. From longtime family rituals to traditions shaped by loss, life season, culture, and even wildlife, this bonus episode reflects on how traditions evolve and how new ones are created along the way.Season 1 Guests Featured in this Episode:Keri NelsonMorton BarlazAlexis BrozBill HoranRich "Big Daddy" SalgadoCarol HoenigLinda StraderSarah TeresinskiMentioned in this episode:Midwinter DayFeast of the Seven FishesCardinali Bakery, Carle Place, NYSupport This Show:Follow Tell Me What It’s Like in your favorite podcast appLeave a rating & review — it helps others find the showShare the episode and tag @RaineMediaCo on social media

When Sarah Teresinski was a single mom, she couldn’t afford the beautiful little dresses she saw in stores for her daughter. So she decided to teach herself how to sew. That simple decision sparked a movement — and eventually, Redeux Style, where Sarah transforms old, unused items into something new and beautiful. Today, she helps people see the potential in what they already have or what they might find at the thrift stores — proving that sustainable can be stylish too. “If everyone who follows me did just one upcycle a year, we could keep 60,000 pounds of waste out of landfills — that’s 5,600 garbage trucks saved.”Hear Sarah talk about:How teaching herself to sew turned into a full-time creative businessWhat it was like to face criticism early on — and why it fueled her missionThe difference between fast fashion, fast furniture, and true sustainable styleHer viral ceiling fan upcycle that caught the attention of The Drew Barrymore Show and Architectural DigestHow small, beautiful changes can make a big impact — for your home and the planetMentioned in this episode:Find Sarah on TikTok, Instagram, and FacebookSee Sarah's appearance on The Drew Barrymore ShowUnited Nations Fashion & Lifestyle NetworkSarah's placemat upcycleSarah's fan blade upcycleFire starter upcycle15 ways to use silica packetsOrganizing a pantry on a budgetSarah's friend Dan the Organizer ManSupport This Show:Follow Tell Me What It’s Like in your favorite podcast appLeave a rating & review — it helps others find the showShare the episode and tag @RaineMediaCo on social media

Susan Polgar’s father believed geniuses weren’t born, they were made. So when his three-year-old daughter found an old chess set in their Budapest apartment, he saw an opportunity to prove it. Susan quickly learned the game, but soon realized the real challenge: convincing the world that girls could play just as well as boys - which she did by becoming the first woman to earn the Grandmaster title under the same standards as men. In this episode, she shares how she rewrote the gender norms of chess, overcame deeply rooted sexism, and helped redefine what young girls believe they can achieve."You need to set a goal. And in this case, you need to set the highest goal possible. So even if we fall short somewhat, we still get further than if we set a lower goal."Hear Susan talk about:How, at six, she decided to specialize in chess (and not math)The sexism she faced as a young girl rising in a male-dominated fieldWhy her grandmother's words shaped her sense of perseveranceWhat came after winning world championshipsThe lessons chess teaches about focus, decision-making, and resilienceMentioned in this episode:Rebel Queen: The Cold War, Misogyny, and the Making of a Grandmaster by Susan PolgarThe Susan Polgar Foundation - scholarships, training, and outreach for young chess playersIntroduction: Learn Chess in 30 Minutes (first instructional video for beginners)Support This Show:Follow Tell Me What It’s Like in your favorite podcast appLeave a rating & review — it helps others find the showShare the episode and tag @RaineMediaCo on social media

After decades of chasing success as a tech entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and even a candidate for Utah governor, Jeff Burningham found himself questioning what it all meant.When the governor’s race ended in 2020, Jeff finally had space to pause—and that pause changed everything. It led him to write The Last Book Written by a Human, a deeply personal reflection on consciousness, connection, and wisdom in an age increasingly defined by artificial intelligence.“As our machines become smarter, we have to become wiser.”Hear Jeff talk about:What it was like to step back from chasing success and re-evaluate what mattersWhy he believes AI is a mirror showing us who we areThe four stages he sees as part of every human and technological evolution: disruption, reflection, transformation, and evolutionWhy slowing down might be the most human thing we can doMentioned in this episode:The Last Book Written by a Human by Jeff BurninghamRead more about JeffThe Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle Support This Show:Follow Tell Me What It’s Like in your favorite podcast appLeave a rating & review — it helps others find the showShare the episode and tag @RaineMediaCo on social media

Journalist Charlie Wells is a Millennial — and by now, something of an expert on the Millennial generation, too. In his debut book, What Happened to Millennials: In Defense of a Generation, he shares the stories of five people whose lives reveal what it’s really been like to grow up Millennial — through the early optimism, the crises that shaped us, and all the change we’ve weathered along the way."We're adults and we've overcome a lot of obstacles as this group of people. It's okay to celebrate that."Hear Charlie talk about:Why he wanted to explore what it’s really been like to grow up as a MillennialHow he chose the five people whose lives he shares in the bookHow major moments like 9/11 and the rise of the internet shaped Millennial identityThe nostalgia objects — from Tamagotchis to AIM screen names — that connect us across dividesWhy he feels proud of Millennials, and what he hopes we carry forward into the next chapter of adulthoodMentioned in this episode:What Happened to Millennials: In Defense of a Generation by Charlie WellsCharlie Wells on Instagram and X (Twitter)Support this show:Follow Tell Me What It’s Like in your favorite podcast appLeave a rating and reviewShare on social media and tag @rainemediaco