Story Sessions™: Where Your Story Matters

Just over a year ago, Laura Lyn published her memoir Who Do You Think You Are? through W Brand Publishing — and in this solo episode, she tells the story behind the story.

What made a writer in Tennessee, with no celebrity status, decide to write a memoir? What did she risk? What actually happened in the year that followed — the readers, the book festivals, the connections she never expected?

Laura Lyn traces the origin of the book back to a single podcast episode she heard while driving to Nashville, shares what vulnerability truly cost her, and reads a passage from chapter 45 that started as a book launch reading and became the heart of everything she hoped the memoir would do.

Whether you've read the book or you're hearing about it for the first time, this episode is an invitation to tell your story, because your story matters too.

Resources & Links:

• Who Do You Think You Are? — available on Amazon (paperback + Kindle): itslauralyn.com

• Link to Purchase

• Follow StorySessions: @storysessions_thepodcast

• Follow "Who Do You Think You Are?": @itslauralynauthor

• Follow Laura Lyn: itslauralyn.com

Remember to Follow, Like, Share, and Leave a 5-Star Review

What do a pandemic, a broken sewing machine, and a pile of chopped-up black t-shirts have in common? They're where Curtis and Fergus were born.

Dee Nichols is a union camera operator who has spent his career behind the lens for some of the biggest names in music and film. He's also — somewhat unexpectedly, even to himself — a children's author. During the pandemic, with a tour to 14 countries canceled five days before departure, Dee sat down with a sewing machine he didn't know how to use and started making bears from his own clothing. A friend told him if he wrote a story about them, he could probably sell them. He'd never written a long-form story before. He did it anyway.

What emerged was the world of the Scaredy Bears — Curtis and Fergus, two very different bears living in the Big Woods, whose friendship is at the heart of everything. Curtis, who seems to know everything and worries about nothing. Fergus, who worries about everything and seems to know nothing. And beneath all of it, a quiet question Dee has been sitting with for a long time: what does Home really mean?

In this conversation, Dee talks about the Ohio farm country that shaped his storytelling instincts, the brother he lost in 1994 whose memory lives on in the Curtis and Fergus relationship, the Cherokee grandmother he barely knew but never forgot, and what it means to take the parts of yourself you're least proud of and put them in the mouths of little bears.

This one is for the kids. And it's absolutely for the rest of us too.

StorySessions™ — where your story matters.

Connect with Dee

• Website: scaredybears.com
• Instagram: @curtisandfergusthescaredybears
• Curtis and Fergus and the Sleuth of the New-New on Amazon — link at scaredybears.com
• Audible: available now for the first book

• Website: storysessions.live
• Instagram: @storysessions_thepodcast
• W Brand Publishing: @wbrandpub
• Editor/Producer: @donahuecreates

Every memory has its own soundtrack, and few people understand that more deeply than Shaka Mitchell. As the founder of the Come Together Music Project, a Nashville-based nonprofit, Shaka has built something quietly revolutionary: a framework for using music to create the kind of conversation most of us are starving for.

In this episode, Laura Lyn and Shaka explore the emotional landscape of childhood--a blended families, latchkey afternoons, the homes that shaped them--and trace how music became the thread connecting memory to meaning.

They talk about what it really means to listen, why vulnerability is easier when a song opens the door first, and how sitting in a room with someone you disagree with and sharing a playlist might do more for community than any town hall ever could.

This is a conversation about love, really. For music. For people. For the stories we carry.

In this episode:

• The Come Together Music Project — what it is and why Shaka built it
• Growing up Gen X: latchkey kids, blended families, and what was left unsaid
• Dancing in the living room with his grandmother and why that memory still moves him
• Music as a bridge across difference — and why it works when words don't
• His live events in partnership with TEDx Nashville, featuring Scott Hamilton and John Oates
• The question he wishes someone would ask him — and what it unlocks

Connect with Shaka Mitchell:

• Website: cometogethermusic.org
• Podcast: Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms
• Substack: Shaka's Substack

Subscribe & Follow StorySessions™

🌐 storysessions.live 🎙️ Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, iHeart Radio, and Amazon Music

📸 Instagram & Facebook: @storysessions_thepodcast

Story Sessions™ — where your story matters.

What does a handwritten recipe, a jar of barbecue sauce, and sleeping on a Coleman cot in an empty apartment have in common? They're all part of Charlynda Scales' story, and she's not hiding any of it.

Charlynda is an Air Force veteran, TEDx speaker, serial entrepreneur, and the author of Rock Bottom Has a Trampoline. She's the founder and CEO of Mutt's Sauce, a barbecue sauce company born from her grandfather's original 1956 recipe — and a legacy she inherited on a handwritten piece of paper. What she did with that piece of paper is the story of hard work, grief, grit, entrepreneurship, and ultimately, peace.

In this session, Charlynda talks about the grandfather who she called Daddy because he raised her. He was an Air Force veteran whose call sign was Mutt for his ability to make friends anywhere and blend in everywhere. She shares how she turned his recipe into a product while still on active duty, the mentor who believed in her before she fully believed in herself, and what it looked like to show up on magazine covers and television while sleeping on a cot in an empty apartment.

This is a conversation about what it means to let your work speak for itself, to give grace to your own rock bottom moments, and to discover that peace--real, quiet, uncomplicated peace--might be the greatest trampoline of all.

StorySessions — where your story matters.

• Website: charlyndajean.com
• Instagram: @charlyndajean
• Mutt's Sauce: muttssauce.com
• Mutt's Sauce on Instagram: @muttssauce
• 6888 Kitchen Incubator: 6888kitchen.org
• Rock Bottom Has a Trampoline on Amazon: amazon.com/dp/195690669X

Charlynda Scales is a serial entrepreneur, Air Force veteran, TEDx speaker, and author. She is the founder and CEO of Mutt's Sauce LLC — a multi-flavor barbecue sauce company built on her grandfather's original 1956 recipe — and of OH Taste LLC, with its nonprofit arm the OH Taste Foundation. She is also the co-founder of the 6888 Kitchen Incubator in Dayton, Ohio, a shared-use commercial kitchen for food entrepreneurs.

Charlynda and Mutt's Sauce have been featured in Yahoo! Finance, NPR, Forbes, QVC, Men's Journal, CBS News, NBCUniversal, Black Enterprise Magazine, and Military.com. She was also featured in Shark Tank investor Daymond John's bestselling book POWERSHIFT.

Her book, Rock Bottom Has a Trampoline: How to Turn Every Loss into a Win with the Like-Hearted Mentor, was published by W Brand Publishing in October 2023.

What happens when you're living the dream — working from the beaches of Bali — and something still feels missing? Sarah Aviram, bestselling author, TEDx speaker, and former Fortune 500 HR leader, spent a year working remotely from 12 countries to find out. In this conversation, she and Laura Lyn explore the tension between success and fulfillment, the six core drivers that shape how we thrive, and why the most important journey is always the one that goes inward.

• How Sarah convinced her CEO to let her work remotely from 12 countries in 12 months — before remote work was a thing
• The Bali moment: why freedom and flexibility aren't enough on their own
• The six core drivers of fulfillment: money, identity, routines, growth, impact, and joy
• Why your job doesn't have to be your only source of what you need
• The flamenco dancers of Valencia and what they taught Sarah about peaking at any age
• Two stories from Thailand — a Buddhist monk and a drag show — and the surprising identity question they share
• What Kyoto, Japan revealed about the individual vs. the community
• Why going more personal in your storytelling makes you more professional, not less
• The practice of choosing joy — and giving yourself permission not to, sometimes
• How small tweaks to your routines can unlock the growth that travel provides

Sarah Aviram

• Website: sarahaviram.com
• Instagram: @sarahaviram
• Remotivation: The Remote Worker's Ultimate Guide to Life-Changing Fulfillment — sarahaviram.com/book
• The Scenic Route — thescenicroutebook.com 
• TEDx Talk: "Does more freedom at work mean more fulfillment?" — available on TED.com

• All episodes & streaming platforms: storysessionsthepodcast.riverside.com
• Learn more about StorySessions: StorySessions.live

Summer of Gone — Phil Madeira on Memoir, Music, and the Art of Suffering Well

Phil Madeira came to Nashville from Rhode Island with a dream — to make his own music. What followed was nearly four decades of pouring that gift into other people's careers, including 18 years alongside Emmylou Harris. In this conversation, Phil talks about what it finally meant to turn toward his own story.

We discuss his upcoming memoir Summer of Gone (fall 2026), the origin of its poetic title, and how grief, lost love, and a terminal illness became the unlikely foundation for some of his best creative work. We also dig into Mercyland — the gospel-inspired recording project that quietly became a beloved annual songwriting retreat — and his current Kickstarter for two new albums, The Millionth Mile and More Miles.

Phil is honest, funny, and completely unguarded. This one stays with you.

IN THIS EPISODE: How Phil's early career shaped and delayed his own artistic voice / The story behind Summer of Gone and the woman who unknowingly wrote the title / Why he threw out 135 pages and started over / What terminal illness reveals about a person / The Providence album, red flags, and what eternal optimists overlook / Mercyland: from Kickstarter to community to unexpected calling / A tribute to John Mulder, beloved friend and hospice pioneer / Why all good art comes from suffering / The Millionth Mile Kickstarter and what's next

Links & Resources:

🎵 Phil's Kickstarter — The Millionth Mile & More Miles

📖 Summer of Gone — coming fall 2026 (Pre-order/info available via Kickstarter)

📖 God on the Rocks — Phil's first memoir [Search on Amazon or your favorite bookseller]

🌐 Phil Madeira's website [INSERT PHIL'S WEBSITE URL]

📲 Follow Phil on socials INSTAGRAM: @PhilMadeira FACEBOOK: PhilMadeira1

Listen & Watch StorySessions™: 🎙️ Apple Podcasts | Spotify | iHeart Radio | Amazon Music ▶️ YouTube youtube.com/@StorySessionsPodcast :

Subscribe: StorySessions™ Podcast

🌐 StorySessions.live

StorySessions™ — where your story matters. Hosted by Laura Lyn Donahue | Produced by Don Donahue | Sponsored by W Brand Publishing

In this episode, we introduce our new name, StorySessions™, and delve into the importance of storytelling. We explore why your story matters and how sharing it can transform relationships and personal growth.

Learn the art of listening without judgment and the impact of creating safe spaces for vulnerability. Join us as we share real stories and insights on embracing authenticity and connection.

Tune in to understand how your story, with all its imperfections, is a powerful tool for deeper connections and healing.

www.storysessions.live

In this deeply moving episode, Rebecca Black shares her powerful story of surviving childhood abuse, confronting the justice system’s failures, and using her voice to inspire change. Her journey through court cases, healing traumas, and creating a documentary that exposes the raw truth is nothing short of extraordinary. If you’ve ever felt silenced or overwhelmed by your story, this is a bold reminder that your voice can spark transformation.In this episode:

• Rebecca’s experience with childhood sexual abuse and the decades-long fight for justice
• How her books, Facing the Elephants and Raising Prey, serve as tools for resilience
• The pivotal moment when medical trauma surfaced her suppressed past
• The importance of breaking intergenerational trauma cycles and raising awareness
• Insights into her upcoming documentary and the power of sharing stories on multiple platforms
• The role of community, vulnerability, and hope in healing from trauma
• Reflection on societal perceptions that hinder justice and change
  Resources & Links:

• Facing the Elephants by Rebecca Black

Connect with Rebecca Black:

• LinkedIn
• Twitter

This episode isn’t just about Rebecca’s story — it’s about the universal truth that healing is possible, that our voices matter, and that sharing our stories can light the way for others. Let her experience remind you: your Elephant is not insurmountable when you find your voice and community. Speak up, heal, and keep pushing forward. The world needs your story.

Are you searching for stories that breathe life into your soul, ignite your hope, and remind you of the profound power of our personal histories? Today, we’re diving into Emily Nydam’s captivating novelJourneying Home— a story woven across centuries, echoes of war, resilience, and the unbreakable thread that connects us all.In this episode, you’ll discover:

• How Emily’s personal journey from law to storytelling infused her novel with authenticity and depth
• The inspiration behind the parallel lives of Lizzie, a WWI nurse, and Gwen, a modern woman unraveling her family’s secrets
• The deep symbolism of the house — a home that is more than just a setting, but a sacred intersection of memories and identity
• How the universal struggles of inadequacy, hope, and redemption resonate through both characters’ stories
• The creative process of weaving timelines, the importance of character authenticity, and the magic of small details like keepsake boxes and poetic interludes
• Emily’s reflections on the balancing act of storytelling, her writing journey, and her bold leap into publishing her first novel
• Heartfelt insights on embracing vulnerability, the societal pressures around rest and reflection, and the power of giving yourself permission to search for “more”

The conversation with Karin Tramm explores her experiences of teaching and living overseas, raising a family in different countries, and the challenges of virtual learning during the pandemic. Karin's journey reflects the theme of adapting to constant change and navigating upheaval with openness and grace. The discussion also delves into the unique experiences of teaching in Department of Defense schools and the challenges of transitioning from virtual to in-person teaching. The conversation covers the importance of loving school, the origin of the book title '100 Days Smart', journaling through the pandemic, reflecting on the pandemic experience, life changes and new beginnings, writing memoirs and stories, and embracing change and growth. The key takeaways include the importance of fostering a love for school and navigating change with grace and resilience.

Takeaways

• Adapting to constant change
• Navigating upheaval with openness and grace Love for School
• Navigating Change

Chapters

• 00:00 Challenges of Virtual Learning and Return to In-Person Teaching
• 25:53 The Importance of Loving School
• 32:13 Reflecting on the Pandemic Experience
• 41:06 Embracing Change and Growth