Becca Kearl had just moved to a new town when she decided to organize a public conversation about one of the most controversial topics: sex education. No formal training. No guarantees. Just a desire to understand her community better.

What started as an ambitious idea turned into a surprising and powerful night of connection between people with deeply different beliefs. In this episode of Uncomfy, host Julie Rose talks with Becca about how that first event sparked her career in community dialogue, what makes conversations go well (or fall apart), and why your story is always more powerful than your opinion.

Becca is now the executive director of Living Room Conversations, which provides free resources to help people host meaningful discussions across divides. Learn more at https://www.livingroomconversations.org.

Got an Uncomfy story to share? We'd love to hear from you: [email protected].

Episode transcript - https://uncomfypodcastbyu.blogspot.com/2025/06/how-to-have-conversations-that-actually.html

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction

00:40 Meet Becca Kearl: The Power of Community Conversations

01:05 The First Big Conversation: Tackling Sex Education

03:25 Creating a Safe Space for Dialogue

07:25 The Impact of Personal Stories

09:48 Living Room Conversations: Tools and Framework

15:54 Encouragement and Resources for Starting Your Own Conversations

16:41 Conclusion and Next Steps