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To the world, Victor “Little Vic” Orena became known as a powerful figure in New York’s Colombo crime family. To Jackie Orena, he was simply her grandfather.

Jackie joins Rachel for a deeply personal conversation about growing up with the Orena name, the moment she realized her family wasn’t like everyone else’s, and why she has dedicated herself to fighting for her grandfather after more than three decades behind bars.

Now elderly and suffering from serious health problems, Orena remains incarcerated—and Jackie is asking a difficult question: At what point should punishment give way to compassion?

Rachel doesn’t shy away from the other side of the story. She challenges Jackie on her grandfather’s conviction, the victims connected to the case, whether Jackie is arguing for his innocence or simply asking for mercy, and how she responds to people who believe she was too young to understand the man her grandfather was accused of being.

Jackie also reveals what she would say if she had five minutes with President Trump, why every rejection has made her fight harder, and whether her advocacy will continue even after her grandfather is gone.

This isn't just a conversation about organized crime. It's about what happens when the person the world knows from headlines is the person you simply know as family.

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Executive Producer: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠George Carmona

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With Lee Asher back in the news following the recent attention surrounding Velveteen, I wanted to bring back one of my favorite interviews.

For those who aren’t familiar with him, Lee is the founder of The Asher House and one of the most influential voices in animal rescue today. Nearly 3 million people follow his work across Instagram and YouTube as he documents the realities of rescuing animals and running a sanctuary.

Years ago, I interviewed Lee for Miss Understood. At the time, we released the conversation in two separate episodes. We’ve never published it as one complete interview—until now.

The interview was recorded well before the recent Velveteen story, so it isn’t about the current headlines. This is a candid conversation about Lee’s childhood, how he built The Asher House, why he devoted his life to rescue, and what it’s really like caring for so many animals every day.

One of the most fascinating parts of our conversation is Lee’s honest perspective on running an animal sanctuary. The biggest challenge often isn’t the animals—it’s the people. We talk about the emotional toll, public expectations, criticism, and the realities of rescue work that most people never see.

Whether you’ve followed Lee for years or you’ve only recently discovered him because of the Velveteen story, this is the full interview you’ve never heard in one place.

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Why do so many men struggle to open up? Why do relationships break down even when both people care? And what does "manning up" actually mean today?

Rachel sits down with therapist and Rugged Counseling founder Trey Tucker for one of the most honest conversations we've had about masculinity, rejection, anxiety, childhood trauma, and why so many men quietly carry emotional burdens they never talk about.

Together they explore how our earliest experiences shape who we become, why rejection affects us more than we realize, the differences between how men and women process emotions, and the misconceptions both sides have about each other.

Whether you're trying to better understand yourself, your partner, your son, or the men in your life, this conversation challenges conventional thinking while offering practical insight into what healthy masculinity really looks like.

In this episode:

Why rejection hurts more than we realize

The childhood experiences that shape adult relationships

Why many men shut down emotionally

What anxiety is actually trying to tell you

Therapy, EMDR & modern mental health

What "manning up" really means

Why women often misunderstand men's emotional responses

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Email us [email protected]

Executive Producer: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠George Carmona

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What if high school wasn't about preparing students for a job—but teaching them how to build a business instead?

Rachel sits down with Nat Eliason, co-founder of Founders School, an innovative high school redefining what education can look like in the age of AI.

For $150,000 per year, students spend their mornings learning through AI-powered instruction and their afternoons building real businesses alongside experienced entrepreneurs. The boldest promise? If students don't generate $1 million in gross profit by graduation, Founders School refunds their tuition.

Rachel and Nat discuss:

Why Founders School has no traditional teachers

How AI is changing education

Why students spend most of their day building businesses

The admissions process and why families are turned away

The $1 million guarantee explained

Whether college is still necessary

What skills today's kids actually need to succeed

Whether you think it's the future of education or one of the boldest experiments ever attempted, this conversation will challenge the way you think about school, entrepreneurship, and preparing the next generation.

Founders School Website: https://founders.school/

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Email us [email protected]

Executive Producer: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠George Carmona

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For nearly two decades, Reality Steve (Steve Carbone) has been the internet's most trusted source for reality TV spoilers and behind-the-scenes information.

In this episode, Rachel sits down with Steve to discuss how he built his reputation breaking Bachelor spoilers long before the finales aired—and why his reporting has changed the way fans watch reality television.

They dive into the latest headlines surrounding Taylor Frankie Paul's unaired Bachelorette season, why ABC pulled the show just days before its premiere, what Steve's sources have told him, and whether the season could still air.

Plus, they discuss the latest Love Island drama, the reality behind production, Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce's wedding, and what viewers don't see happening behind the cameras.

If you've ever wondered how Reality Steve gets his information—or why millions of fans trust his reporting—this conversation is for you.

🎙️ New episodes of Miss Understood every week.

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Email us [email protected]

Executive Producer: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠George Carmona

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Rachel sits down with author and longtime entertainment journalist Mark Gray, who was covering the Route 91 Harvest Festival for Rolling Stone on October 1, 2017—never imagining he'd become part of one of the darkest nights in American history.

Mark shares what it was like to be inside the festival as gunfire erupted, the lasting impact of surviving the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history, and why he chose to write Las Vegas Massacre Connections.

But this conversation isn't just about tragedy.

It's about the extraordinary people who found purpose after unimaginable loss. From widows and first responders to survivors who transformed grief into acts of kindness, Mark reveals the remarkable stories that inspired his book and changed his perspective on resilience.

Rachel also reflects on her own experiences with trauma, healing, and why moving forward doesn't always mean moving on.

A powerful conversation about loss, hope, and the strength of the human spirit.

Buy Mark's Book: https://www.amazon.com/Las-Vegas-Massacre-Connections-Deadliest-ebook/dp/B0FQ4GGHSW/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1Z1W41ZMXJFCY&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.rzKHC8KJ_9S5-YdrIsh65Q.YGoToUtQVYHCf1q6vIFkImFnB2yzsOK30TvHxKgksKM&dib_tag=se&keywords=las+vegas+shooting+route+91+harvest+festival+mandalay+bay+massacre+survivor+memoir&qid=1757974447&sprefix=the+las+vegas+massacre+connections+finding+strength+through+tragedy+after+america%27s+deadliest+mass+shooting%2Caps%2C96&sr=8-1

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Executive Producer: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠George Carmona 

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Sarah Edmondson never thought she'd join a cult.

Like so many others, she was searching for personal growth, community, and purpose when she discovered NXIVM—a self-help organization that promised to help people become the best version of themselves.

Instead, she found herself trapped inside one of the most notorious cults in modern history.

In this eye-opening conversation, Sarah shares how she became involved with NXIVM, the red flags she noticed from the beginning, and why she ignored them. She opens up about the secret inner circle known as DOS, the shocking branding ritual that changed everything, and the moment she realized the organization was far more dangerous than she ever imagined.

Rachel also shares her own experiences with coercive environments and explores the psychology behind manipulation, control, and why intelligent, successful people can find themselves caught in systems they never intended to join.

This is more than a story about NXIVM.

It's a conversation about trust, belonging, influence, and how easily our instincts can be overridden when the right person—or organization—knows exactly what we want to hear.

Sarah's New Book "A Little Bit Culty: Navigating Cults, Control and Coercion" : https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GSLMQSNG/ref=cm_sw_r_as_gl_api_gl_i_1SRVB8CAP59353KWMAFF?linkCode=ml1&tag=sarahjedmonds-20&linkId=392e3fe96936a691bf47e4d22bdf4b09

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Executive Producer: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠George Carmona 

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For decades, Joey Merlino has been one of the most controversial and recognizable figures in America. Federal prosecutors called him the boss of the Philadelphia crime family. He's spent years behind bars, fought some of the biggest federal cases of his life, and recently became the subject of renewed public attention through a Netflix documentary.

In this candid conversation with Rachel Uchitel, Joey opens up about prison, solitary confinement, loyalty, betrayal, gambling addiction, family, second chances, and how he navigates a world where everyone seems to have an opinion about him. Whether you view him as a mob boss, businessman, survivor, or something else entirely, this conversation reveals a side of Joey Merlino that rarely makes the headlines.

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Executive Producer: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠George Carmona 

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After Netflix's The Crash reignited national attention around Mackenzie Shirilla, Rachel Uchitel sits down with former inmate Kat Crowder, who spent time incarcerated with her in Ohio prison.

Kat shares what Mackenzie was really like behind bars, why she says the woman featured in the documentary didn't match the person she observed in prison, and what inmates thought about one of the most talked-about true crime cases in recent years. She also discusses Mackenzie's prison reputation, disciplinary reports, relationships behind bars, and the reaction inmates had to seeing the documentary while incarcerated.

But this conversation becomes much more than a story about Mackenzie. Kat opens up about her own troubled past, her father's suicide, addiction, multiple arrests, a high-speed police chase that landed her in prison, and the daughter she believes ultimately saved her life. It's a powerful story about accountability, redemption, second chances, and rebuilding after prison.

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PLEASE LIKE, SHARE, SUBSCRIBE, AND GIVE US A 5-STAR REVIEW!:  ratethispodcast.com/missunderstood 

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⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Rachel on Instagram!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/racheluchitelnyc/?hl=en

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Executive Producer: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠George Carmona 

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.