In the middle of a hot, humid summer, Aaron escapes into a story about his favorite season: fall. From crisp morning air and colorful leaves to apple orchards, pumpkin patches, bonfires, and hayrides, this nostalgic episode is an invitation to slow down and remember the simple magic of autumn.

Featuring an original score by TJ Duke.

Get access to Aaron's Stories in a Snap series. A weekly series of written adaptations of the 7 Minute Stories you love, reimagined for the page and delivered straight to your inbox via Substack. Plus, once a quarter, you’ll receive a thoughtful note with storytelling insights, behind the scenes reflections, and exclusive bonus content.

At his daughter’s annual father-daughter dance, Aaron enters an air guitar competition he has never managed to win. This year, however, the stakes feel different. As Stairway to Heaven builds toward its legendary solo, his daughter gives him one simple instruction: “Dad, win.”

What begins as a ridiculous contest between awkward dads becomes a funny and unexpectedly moving story about fatherhood, growing up, and the fear every parent carries of one day becoming uncool. Armed with dark sunglasses, years of imaginary guitar training, and a daughter playing air drums beside him, Aaron finally gets his chance to melt faces and prove that, for at least one more night, Dad is still a rock star.

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Once a month, you’ll receive a thoughtful note with storytelling insights, behind the scenes reflections, and exclusive bonus content. You’ll also have access to Stories in a Snap, his weekly short written adaptations of the 7 Minute Stories you love, reimagined for the page and delivered straight to your inbox via Substack with no algorithm in between.

In this short installment of 7MS Presents: The Storytelling University, Aaron sits down with Bill Moyer, host of the Reconnect America podcast and one of the driving voices behind Solutionary Rail.

On the surface, this is a conversation about trains, rail corridors, freight, electrification, and infrastructure. But underneath all of that is a much bigger storytelling lesson.

Bill talks about how he first got into rail not simply because of transportation policy, but because he saw an opportunity to build alliances across divides. What began as a challenge from someone on the other side of an issue eventually became a broader vision for how rail could reconnect communities, reduce harm, move freight more efficiently, and create a more resilient future.

Partner with Storytelling University: reach a global audience of thoughtful, highly engaged listeners across generations, from parents and professionals to creators, leaders, and lifelong learners, all connected by a deep appreciation for powerful stories, meaningful ideas, and human connection.

⁠⁠Reach out to us for exclusive sponsorship opportunities⁠⁠

TSU Team:

Created & Hosted by: Aaron Calafato

Produced and Edited by: Brooks Borden

Guest Coordinator: Dania Khalife

Love 7MS & TSU? Here's how to support:

*Follow the pod wherever you're listening

*Tap 5 Stars

*Text one person you love a link to your favorite episode.

On this premiere episode of 7MS Presents: Night Stories LIVE, Aaron, Cori and Lisa return with another late-night mix of nostalgia, strange true history, 90s memories, and live storytelling that may or may not spiral completely off the rails.

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Aaron never wanted to go to a high school reunion.

But when his wife Cori asks him to come along to hers, he says yes. Then he realizes someone from his past might be there: a guy he got into a fistfight with more than 25 years ago.

What starts as an awkward night becomes a funny, honest story about old memories, unfinished business, and the relief of realizing you are not who you used to be.

Be sure to follow the podcast and leave a five star review so you never miss a new episode.

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⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠📬⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Be a part of the 7 Minute Stories Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Once a month, you’ll receive a thoughtful note with storytelling insights, behind the scenes reflections, and exclusive bonus content. You’ll also have access to Stories in a Snap, his weekly short written adaptations of the 7 Minute Stories you love, reimagined for the page and delivered straight to your inbox via Substack with no algorithm in between.

This month’s Stories of Hope centers around two women in Fort Worth, Texas, whose lives became connected through one complicated family.

At first, there was tension. One was the ex-wife. One was the new wife. But over time, through co-parenting, sacrifice, and the ordinary work of putting children first, something unexpected began to change.

Years later, one of them would face a life-altering crisis. And when a miracle was needed, the person who stepped forward was the last person anyone expected.

This week on 7 Minute Stories, a story about hunger, frustration, and the emotional collapse caused by one impossible-to-find turkey sandwich.

What starts as a simple lunch craving turns into a full-blown suburban odyssey involving an empty deli counter, an Arby’s without turkey, a pharmacy mix-up, a family of eight at Subway, and one very unfortunate sandwich artist.

But beneath the absurdity is a small but powerful reminder about perspective. Sometimes the thing we think is ruining our day is really just revealing how much beauty we already have.

Be sure to follow the podcast and leave a five star review so you never miss a new episode.

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⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠📬⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Be a part of the 7 Minute Stories Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Once a month, you’ll receive a thoughtful note with storytelling insights, behind the scenes reflections, and exclusive bonus content. You’ll also have access to Stories in a Snap, his weekly short written adaptations of the 7 Minute Stories you love, reimagined for the page and delivered straight to your inbox via Substack with no algorithm in between.

Tricia Rose Burt is a storyteller, TEDx speaker, longtime instructor for The Moth, podcast host, consultant, and creator of No Time To Be Timid. In this episode of 7MS Presents: The Storytelling University, Trisha joins Aaron to talk about courage, craft, finding the story already inside you, and why the riskiest thing you can do is play it safe.

Tricia shares how she moved from the corporate world into art school, live performance, The Moth, and a life built around storytelling. She also breaks down her process for shaping personal stories out loud, finding the emotional change inside an experience, and turning a funny anecdote into something meaningful.

And near the end of the conversation, Tricia tells an unforgettable story about saying goodbye to her mother by bringing her ashes home to the University of Tennessee. It is funny, poignant, deeply human, and a beautiful masterclass in how personal storytelling works when something inside the storyteller changes.

*Learn more about Tricia and No Time to be Timid

Partner with Storytelling University: reach a global audience of thoughtful, highly engaged listeners across generations, from parents and professionals to creators, leaders, and lifelong learners, all connected by a deep appreciation for powerful stories, meaningful ideas, and human connection.

⁠Reach out to us for exclusive sponsorship opportunities⁠

TSU Team:

Created & Hosted by: Aaron Calafato

Produced and Edited by: Brooks Borden

Guest Coordinator: Dania Khalife

Love 7MS & TSU? Here's how to support:

*Follow the pod wherever you're listening

*Tap 5 Stars

*Text one person you love a link to your favorite episode.

Welcome to Summer 2026 | The Best of Season 3.

What begins as a funny story about teenage ego, sudden popularity, and a brief taste of fame slowly reveals something much deeper about ambition, attention, creativity, and where we often look for validation.

A story about chasing recognition, learning what actually matters, and discovering that sometimes the process is far more meaningful than the applause.

Be sure to follow the podcast and leave a five star review so you never miss a new episode.

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⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠📬⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Be a part of the 7 Minute Stories Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Once a month, you’ll receive a thoughtful note with storytelling insights, behind the scenes reflections, and exclusive bonus content. You’ll also have access to Stories in a Snap, his weekly short written adaptations of the 7 Minute Stories you love, reimagined for the page and delivered straight to your inbox via Substack with no algorithm in between.

Aaron closes out Season 6 of 7 Minute Stories with a check-in about gratitude, growth, and the small moment at home that helped him pause and take it all in.

After his wife Cori surprised him with balloons to celebrate the end of the season, Aaron reflects on where Season 6 began, how the 7 Minute Stories community continues to expand it's programming, how to keep up, what is coming next, including summer “best of” episodes and an early preview of Season 7!

This is a thank-you note to listeners, a look back at another season of stories, and a reminder to stop long enough to hold the balloons and appreciate the road behind you.