What if a simple puzzle could rewire your routines, deepen your relationships, and introduce you to a global community? That’s the spark behind our conversation with Monica Marlat, known online as “Puzzled About Everything,” who transformed a quiet hobby into creative storytelling, brand partnerships, and puzzle-filled cruises that bring strangers together.

We trace Monica’s arc from empty nester to Instagram standout: learning stop-motion one tutorial at a time, experimenting with location shoots, and building a feed that feels playful, human, and real. She explains how puzzling became marriage glue—big projects for her, snack-size builds for him—and how walking together to scout scenes reignited curiosity in everyday life. We dig into the pitch that unlocked Royal Caribbean, the logistics of traveling with 200 puzzles, and the thoughtful way she matches each person with the right challenge so every build ends with a win.

You’ll hear why puzzles work so well for families, older adults, and neurodiverse kids; how a husband used whimsy pieces to help his wife with dementia savor success; and where puzzles shine at work—from team bonding and negotiation drills to puzzle-of-the-month tables that turn break rooms into friendly hubs. Monica also shares a realistic social media strategy: focus on one platform, adapt trends without losing your voice, and use giveaways to lift small makers while giving back to followers.

If you’re craving a hobby that blends mindfulness, learning, and community, this story doubles as a blueprint. Grab a puzzle, invite a friend, and see what opens when your hands are busy and your mind clicks into flow. Enjoy the episode, then subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review to help more curious listeners find the show.

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Puzzled About Everything Website

Puzzled About Everything - Instagram

Puzzled About Everything - FaceBook

Puzzled Aboput Everything - YouTube

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Credits

Music Credit: True Living by Patrick Moore

Royalty free music license purchased at soundotcom.com

What if a 40-seat room could feel as big as an arena? We sit down with Jeff Ravilla to unpack his “infinite seat theater” concept—a creator-first model that blends the electricity of a live audience with the reach of a global stream. Jeff’s journey runs from a teenage skateboarding obsession and a basement skate shop to leading digital marketing by day and building a hybrid podcast venue by night. Along the way he collected the skills—ecommerce, video, email, community—that now power a stage designed for intimacy, interactivity, and scale.

Jeff shares why independent podcasters thrive when they own their format, keep decisions close, and get real-time feedback from people in the room. He breaks down the numbers that matter for most shows: four $10 tickets can rival the value of 1,000 ad-driven downloads, and a single live event can fund months of hosting while generating high-credibility assets—on-stage photos, crowd-lifted clips, and new superfans. We dig into how he bootstrapped the venue with smart finds, why he refuses minimums or surprise A/V fees, and how his 50–50 door split plus targeted local promo gets butts in seats without draining creators.

We also look ahead. Podcasting lacks a true “middle tier” between home studios and arena tours. Jeff outlines a path that mirrors comedy: small clubs, bigger rooms, festivals, and touring weekends that pair local audiences with global viewers. He explains how hybrid interactivity turns a stage into a portal—fielding questions from people in the seats and the stream at once—and why affordable entertainment matters for communities that want a night out without a triple-digit ticket. If you’ve wondered how to grow a show without chasing CPMs, or how to add credibility that sponsors and fans instantly recognize, this conversation will reset your roadmap.

Subscribe for more creator stories, share this with a podcaster who needs a spark, and leave a quick review to help others find the show.

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Poduty, LLC

Poduty and the News Podcast

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Credits

Music Credit: True Living by Patrick Moore

Royalty free music license purchased at soundotcom.com

A shaving-cream beard in Vietnam. A department store gig that turned into a calling. A lifetime spent turning belief into service. Meet National Santa, Timothy Conahan, the storyteller and mentor who has trained thousands of Santas and Mrs. Clauses to keep the magic alive long after the tree comes down. We go behind the red suit to unpack the craft: how to read a room in seconds, create photo moments that feel authentic, and handle the questions that break your heart without breaking a child’s hope.

We talk about the real work families rarely see—background checks, insurance, wardrobe care, and the performance skills that make wonder feel effortless. Tim shares why authenticity matters more than ever as visits run longer and kids notice details, and how small moves turn nervous smiles into keepsakes. He also opens the door to a bigger world of Santa: libraries, tree farms, corporate gatherings, hospitals, convalescent homes, and disaster zones where a simple hello can carry a family through a hard season.

As the official Santa for the Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots, Tim brings candid stories from parades, TV stages, and relief efforts, including how his team pivoted during COVID to deliver books and games to kids without internet access. We also dig into his holiday planning system that starts in July, designed to protect joy, avoid burnout, and give families back their December. The throughline is clear: compassion is a skill, and wonder is a responsibility.

Listen for practical tips, moving stories, and a fresh sense of what the holidays can be when we lead with heart. If this conversation sparked something for you, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review—then visit ToysForTots.org to help a child feel seen this season.

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Tim Connaghan is National Santa

Toys for Tots

School for Santa

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Credits

Music Credit: True Living by Patrick Moore

Royalty free music license purchased at soundotcom.com

What if a theme park could change the way you lead your life? We sit down with Dr. Jeffrey Barnes—Dr. Disneyland—to explore how Walt Disney transformed setbacks into a story-driven blueprint for vision, risk, and relentless execution. From a disappointing first visit to a deep dive into Walt’s life, Jeffrey traces the moment he realized Disneyland isn’t just rides—it’s a living narrative that invites each of us to become the hero of our own story.

We walk through the four C’s Walt championed—confidence, consistency, curiosity, courage—and how they show up in real decisions: betting on synchronized sound in Steamboat Willie, greenlighting Snow White during the Great Depression, and building a park no one believed in. Jeffrey breaks down why leaders need vision, not just management, and shares how Roy Disney’s caution and Walt’s boldness collided to create something bigger than either brother could do alone. You’ll hear how Fantasyland’s design targets pure emotions—fear, wonder, humor—to shape choices, and how Main Street USA blends memory and momentum to set a powerful opening scene.

Expect practical takeaways. Jeffrey reveals the habit strategy that helped him finish his book during a brain tumor battle, the tiny detail Walt personally fixed with a paintbrush to uphold standards, and a snack-sized innovation that went global: Doritos, born from leftover tortillas at a Disneyland restaurant. We also tackle Epcot’s original city vision, what changed after Walt’s death, and how the parks still reflect America’s evolving culture while keeping his spirit alive.

If you’re craving a nudge to start, this is your 20-foot headlight and your next gas station. Hit play, then tell us the small step you’ll take today toward your bigger dream. Subscribe, share with a fellow Disney lover or leader, and leave a review so more curious listeners can find the show.

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The Wisdom of Walt Home Page

The Wisdom of Walt Book

Beyond the Wisdom of Walt Book

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Credits

Music Credit: True Living by Patrick Moore

Royalty free music license purchased at soundotcom.com

A snowstorm at Springer Mountain. Two brothers in their seventies, both Vietnam veterans, staring down 2,190 miles of Appalachian Trail and a tangle of pain that maps can’t solve. That’s where our conversation with Rand Timmerman begins—raw, funny, and unexpectedly tender—as we unpack the hike that stretched into a three‑year passage through grief, addiction, and the kind of honesty only a long trail demands.

Rand walks us through the blueprint that made the miles possible: two vehicles, opposite‑direction section hikes, camps near trailheads. We dig into what the AT really asks of older hikers—elevation, rocks, relentless climbs. The stories are vivid and human: a rattlesnake guarding its meal, seven straight days of bear sightings in Shenandoah, and the day a bad slip on a Massachusetts rock slide turned into blood, shock, and eventually a hip replacement. Through it all, the brothers’ differences become their strength—Ron’s pilot‑precise logs and spiritual reflections, Rand’s people‑first eye and gritty humor, including a running gag where hikers mistake “Ran Bow” for the movie Rambo.

The heart of the episode lives in their inner work. Ron, shattered after losing his wife, stumbles into a literal halo of light on a gray Father’s Day and feels peace wash in. Rand, four years sober when they start, carries recovery into the woods and finds that the rhythm of hiking mirrors the 12 steps: one step at a time, surrender, service. A terrifying night on a knife‑thin ridge in the Smokies becomes a prayer and a turning point. By the end, one brother tags the terminus with his son, the other chooses to stop with integrity—and both finish with something larger than a summit photo.

If you care about the Appalachian Trail, long‑distance hiking, resilience or how to keep moving when the map turns mean, this one’s for you. Share it with a friend who needs courage, and leave a quick review to help others find the show. 

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Rand Timmerman's Home Page.  

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Credits

Music Credit: True Living by Patrick Moore

Royalty free music license purchased at soundotcom.com

We talk with author and sailor Alison Geischen about leaving corporate life to circumnavigate the globe, the brutal realities that tested her resolve, and the moments of wonder that made it all worth it. From heavy‑weather training to hand‑steering 650 miles, the story blends grit, humor, and hard‑won wisdom.

• deciding to sell up and go in their fifties
• training for storms and safety with John Kretschmer
• seasonal route planning and why timelines fail
• joining an Atlantic rally and the first severe storm
• managing PTSD, fear, and finding mentors
• autopilot loss, steering repairs, and heaving to
• Chinese fishing nets, detours, and a tsunami alert
• COVID delays, Ireland base, and Azores highlights
• Mediterranean chaos, Gibraltar currents, naked anchoring
• budgeting shocks, bad yard work, and parts logistics
• writing two sailing books and building community
• where to follow: allisongieschen.com and sailmates.org

Alison's Links:

Author Page - Grab her first two books about her sailing adventures and check out what else she's written!

Sailmates.org - Follow along through her blog postings and pictures of the high seas adventures she and Dan are having!

Just a reminder hit that subscribe or follow button wherever you downloaded this podcast so you don't miss any of the great episodes coming up!
If you enjoy the podcast, tell a friend about us and don't forget to leave us a 5 star written review wherever you listen.  Thos written reviews help the podcast get noticed by more folks so we can share these stories to an even larger audience.  Thanks for listening!

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Credits

Music Credit: True Living by Patrick Moore

Royalty free music license purchased at soundotcom.com

A house can change your mind—or demand that you finally trust it. We sit down with paranormal investigator and tour manager Christy Parrish to trace her path from a silenced childhood sensitive to the steward of one of Massachusetts’ most active and historic homes: the Oliver House in Middleboro.

Christy recounts the Tennessee years that forced her to take her abilities seriously: a violent strike in an empty bathroom, a chilling 911 call traced to her landline, and a barrage of phenomena that drove her to build her own experiments when outside teams walked away. You’ll hear how “ghost mats,” powder-dusted surfaces, and patient EVP sessions led to one of her most startling cases—Peg Leg Eddie—complete with footprints, a confirmed toe bone, and the peace that followed.

Then we step into the Oliver House, a 1760s landmark where Revolutionary War history collides with careful investigation. Christy and a dedicated volunteer crew blend technical rigor and empathy to document at least fifteen resident spirits, including a chambermaid tied to the saga of Governor Thomas Hutchinson’s letters and Benjamin Franklin’s fateful visit. We explore how Loyalist archives, Franklin’s retrieval, and the judge’s ammunition mill shaped the run-up to revolution—and why telling that story matters as much as any EVP.

What makes this conversation different is the model: accessible public tours, pro nights for seasoned investigators, and daytime history walks that fund preservation without sensationalism. Guests learn to use equipment, separate real signals from noise, and engage with respect. Along the way, we share our own visit highlights, from the “house dog” brushing an ankle to a device blurting “bacon… eggs” at the exact closet linked to Franklin’s letters.

If you care about haunted places, Revolutionary history, or how community-powered programs can keep fragile sites alive, this one’s for you. Subscribe, share this episode with a friend who loves ghost stories and archives, and leave a review to help more curious listeners find the show.

Guest Links

Tour the Emery Estate

Emery Estate FB Page

More about the Emery Estate

The History of the Oliver House

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Credits

Music Credit: True Living by Patrick Moore

Royalty free music license purchased at soundotcom.com

We sit down with award-winning indie filmmaker Jason Morris to map the real path from micro-budget ideas to memorable horror-comedy and lasting rights. He shares hard-won lessons on distribution, festivals, team culture, and why owning your work changes everything.

• leaving film school to learn the business
• first feature Hellhouse and distributor pitfalls
• why owning rights keeps films alive
• starting a distribution label and seeing scams
• building reality projects without hype
• Haunted Objects format choices and host value
• Echoes of the Unknown and oversaturation
• Space Rodent concept, tone, and creature design
• improvisation, practical effects, and on-set wins
• making a feature for $2,000 with resources
• passion vs paychecks on teams
• guidance for writers without budgets
• learning by working every crew role
• finding or starting local film communities
• running festivals and rising venue costs
• what festivals taught about audience memory
• awards at HorrorHound and defining success
• favorite collaborators and wow moments
• creature dreams, Pumpkinhead, and influences
• where to watch and how to follow Jason

Space Rodent is in pre-order now at resurrectionfilms.net and deadendfilms.org

#buzzsprout #horror #horrorfilm #podmatch #jasonmorris #resurrectionfilms #deadendfilms #interview #podcast

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Credits

Music Credit: True Living by Patrick Moore

Royalty free music license purchased at soundotcom.com

Imagine taking everything you need for a multi-day backpacking trip in a pack weighing less than 10 pounds. That's ultralight backpacking, and our guest, adventurer Jerry Dugan, is here to share his passion and expertise in this unique outdoor pursuit. With a rich history tracing back to George Sears in the late 1800s and Grandma Gatewood in 1955, ultralight backpacking offers a minimalist approach to exploring the great outdoors. Jerry shares his journey from hammock camping to ultralight backpacking, and provides invaluable advice on what essentials to pack for various trips, all while keeping the load under 10 pounds.

Going solo or in a group, each backpacking trip presents its own challenges and dilemmas. Whether it’s planning for solo trips or managing the dynamics within a group, Jerry imparts his wisdom on these often overlooked aspects of backpacking. He candidly shares stories of wildlife encounters during his solo journeys, and how his ultralight gear enables him to move faster, see more, and have unique experiences off the beaten path. Learn how to adjust your gear based on weather, the importance of knowing your water sources, and crucial safety measures to keep in mind, particularly when camping in wildlife-dense areas.

Taking ultralight backpacking a step further, Jerry also talks about his plans to conquer sections of the Appalachian Trail and shares some of his upcoming trips. Tune in for a compelling exploration of ultralight backpacking and gather invaluable tips for your next outdoor adventure!

Guest Links:
Beyond the Rut Podcast
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Credits

Music Credit: True Living by Patrick Moore

Royalty free music license purchased at soundotcom.com

Can you imagine a 17-year-old helping his peers navigate the complex world of mental health? Join us as we sit down with the inspiring Filimon Meaza, the creator of The Brief Dive podcast. Filimon shares his personal journey of self-reflection, emotional resilience, and positive self-talk, showing us how he transformed his own mental health and now empowers other teenagers on their journey towards mental well-being.

In this heartfelt conversation, we explore the meditation tools Filimon uses to stay focused, as well as his unique ability to attract an older audience while still focusing on teen mental health. We also discuss his observational skills and script-writing process for his podcast, highlighting the power of open discussions around mental health and the importance of taking breaks to avoid burnout. Join us for this incredibly insightful episode where we delve into personal growth and mental health with a young, passionate, and determined individual.

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The Brief Dive on Apple Podcasts
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Credits

Music Credit: True Living by Patrick Moore

Royalty free music license purchased at soundotcom.com