Tracks That Matter

What happens when losing someone you love changes the way you think about your own life?

And what does it mean to truly show compassion for someone whose experiences are different from yours?

In this episode of Tracks That Matter, Nicole sits down with Jason for a deeply personal conversation about grief, mortality, living with HIV, and the choices we make with the time we have.

Through two powerful songs—Hope There's Someone by Antony and the Johnsons and Just to Say Goodbye by Lost Dog Street Band—Jason shares pieces of his journey and the music that helps him navigate it.

They also explore the importance of empathy, the assumptions we make about others, and why understanding someone's story can change the way we see the world.

Jason's commitment to making a difference extends to his work with Shine Bright and Live, a nonprofit dedicated to inspiring communities and positively impacting rural individuals and families living with, at risk for, or affected by HIV/AIDS across North Dakota.

This conversation isn't just about loss. It's about living, connecting, and recognizing that compassion shouldn't require a shared experience.

Because maybe the question isn't how long we get to live. Maybe it's what we choose to do while we're here.

More info about Shine Bright & Live shinebrightlive.org

Songs mentioned in this podcast
Hope There's Someone by Antony and the Johnsons
Just to Say Goodbye by Lost Dog Street Band

What track has shaped your life? Share your story at TracksThatMatter.com.

Want to listen to the songs from the show? Check out the playlist at https://tinyurl.com/ttmplaylist

To purchase Growing Up Happy In A Lonely World - A Mixtape Memoir https://tinyurl.com/growinguphappy

ABOUT TRACKS THAT MATTER:
Audio production and editing by URL Radio.
Show theme song by NikFrequency.

For the full Tracks That Matter experience—including the music behind the stories—tune in live to URL Radio every Tuesday at 11:30 AM Central at urlrad.io.

There’s a Lizzo song called “Good as Hell.”

Except that’s not what I sing.
Somewhere along the way, I started singing “good enough.”

Not because I don’t think I’m good enough. It’s more like an answer to a question:
How are you?
Good enough.
And when you live with chronic pain, sometimes that really is enough of an answer.

I’ve spent years talking about pain. Where it hurts. How much it hurts. Whether it’s better or worse. What I’ve tried. What worked. What didn’t. At some point, I even asked my wife to stop asking me how I feel.
Not because I don’t want her to care.
Because sometimes I don't want pain to be the headline of my day.

In this solo episode of Tracks That Matter, I follow one rewritten Lizzo lyric into chronic pain, the automatic answers we give when someone asks how we're doing, and the difference between hiding what you're going through and simply not wanting to talk about it.

And because I love a statistic, we’ll also get into just how many people are walking around with pain you probably can’t see—and what research says about the choices people with chronic pain make about when, how, and with whom they talk about it.

Maybe caring about someone doesn't always mean asking for an update.
Maybe sometimes we just need permission to be something other than the thing we're going through.

So how am I?
Good enough.
And today, that's all I want to say about it.

Song mentioned in this podcast
Lizzo - Good As Hell

What track has shaped your life? Share your story at TracksThatMatter.com.

Want to listen to the songs from the show? Check out the playlist at https://tinyurl.com/ttmplaylist

To purchase Growing Up Happy In A Lonely World - A Mixtape Memoir https://tinyurl.com/growinguphappy

ABOUT TRACKS THAT MATTER:
Audio production and editing by URL Radio.
Show theme song by NikFrequency.

For the full Tracks That Matter experience—including the music behind the stories—tune in live to URL Radio every Tuesday at 11:30 AM Central at urlrad.io.

Before you even get to Chapter One of Growing Up Happy in a Lonely World, there’s a song on My Gift Playlist: “Fearless” by Kat Perkins.

I’ve known Kat for nearly 20 years, so when she joined me for Tracks That Matter, I knew we were going to talk about Fearless—where it came from, what it means to her, and what it’s like to create a song that eventually becomes part of someone else’s story.

Mine included.

But you can't tell the story of one track without following all the tracks that came before it.

So we went back.
From Fleetwood Mac and Phil Collins to Alice in Chains, Shawn Colvin and the songs from Kat’s own catalog, we followed the soundtrack through different chapters of her life—including her time on The Voice, the songs she chose, the songs she didn't, and the music that means something different to her today.

And somewhere along the way, after knowing each other for nearly two decades, we discovered a musical connection between our families that neither of us knew existed.

We started with Fearless.
We ended up with an hour-long soundtrack.
Kat’s Track to Fearless

Episode Links:
Aftermath: Life After Reality TV Kat's podcast with Tryton Landsiedel 


katperkinsmusic.com

The book Absolutely Unqualified

Songs mentioned in this episode:
Kat Perkins - Fearless
Kat Perkins The Voice Performance - Landslide
Ella Langley - Choosin' Texas
Phil Collins - In the Air Tonight
Tear to Fears - Everybody Wants to Rule the World
Fleetwood Mac - Go Your Own Way
Hayley Williams - Negative SelfTalk
Shawn Colvin - Sunny Came Home
Alice in Chains - Man in the Box
Fleetwood Mac - Rhiannon
Kat Perkins - Fight for Me
Juice Newton - Queen of Hearts

What track has shaped your life? Share your story at TracksThatMatter.com.

Want to listen to the songs from the show? Check out the playlist at https://tinyurl.com/ttmplaylist

To purchase Growing Up Happy In A Lonely World - A Mixtape Memoir https://tinyurl.com/growinguphappy

ABOUT TRACKS THAT MATTER:
Audio production and editing by URL Radio.
Show theme song by NikFrequency.

For the full Tracks That Matter experience—including the music behind the stories—tune in live to URL Radio every Tuesday at 11:30 AM Central at urlrad.io.

What does it look like to build a life on your own terms—and make sure other people have the opportunity to do the same?

This week on Tracks That Matter, my friend Elizabeth joins me with a song that fits her story pretty perfectly: “For Good” from Wicked.

Elizabeth has Down syndrome. She’s also a college graduate, works at a university, is a public speaker, and recently stepped onto the stage as a keynote speaker at a national convention.

But this conversation isn’t about a list of accomplishments. We talk about inclusion. Advocacy. Trust. Independence. The people who have believed in her—and why it matters when people with disabilities are given the opportunity to speak for themselves instead of having others speak for them.

And, of course, we talk about the song she chose and the people who have changed her life for good.

This is Elizabeth’s story.

And she has plenty to say.

What person has changed your life for good?

The emails mentioned in the episode:
[email protected]
[email protected]

Songs mentioned in this episode:
Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande - For Good
Cynthia Erivo - I'm Not That Girl

What track has shaped your life? Share your story at TracksThatMatter.com.

Want to listen to the songs from the show? Check out the playlist at https://tinyurl.com/ttmplaylist

To purchase Growing Up Happy In A Lonely World - A Mixtape Memoir https://tinyurl.com/growinguphappy

ABOUT TRACKS THAT MATTER:
Audio production and editing by URL Radio.
Show theme song by NikFrequency.

For the full Tracks That Matter experience—including the music behind the stories—tune in live to URL Radio every Tuesday at 11:30 AM Central at urlrad.io.

What are you putting after the words “I am”?

It started with I Am Woman coming through my headphones during a workout—and the realization that some songs are basically affirmations set to music. Which sent me down a rabbit hole. What about the songs that would make terrible affirmations? What about the things other people tell us about who we are? And when do those words become the things we start telling ourselves? 

In this solo episode of Tracks That Matter, I follow the “I am” statements through music, memories, and my own life—from the song I used to sing to myself walking up to bat, to the affirmations I’ve been saying to Scout since before she was born. Because there’s a difference between feeling something and deciding that feeling is who you are.

And there’s also a difference between saying who you want to be and actually living like you believe it. This isn’t about policing your playlist. It’s about paying attention to your internal playlist.

What are you putting after “I am”? And if you don’t like what’s playing, maybe it’s time to change the track.

Link to video of Affirmations with Scout as mentioned in episode https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTU4HRfFN

Song mentioned in the episode:
Emmy Meli - I am Woman 

What track has shaped your life? Share your story at TracksThatMatter.com.

Want to listen to the songs from the show? Check out the playlist at https://tinyurl.com/ttmplaylist

To purchase Growing Up Happy In A Lonely World - A Mixtape Memoir https://tinyurl.com/growinguphappy

ABOUT TRACKS THAT MATTER:
Audio production and editing by URL Radio.
Show theme song by NikFrequency.

For the full Tracks That Matter experience—including the music behind the stories—tune in live to URL Radio every Tuesday at 11:30 AM Central at urlrad.io.

What happens after the wedding song ends?

For Hilary and Shannon, Shania Twain’s From This Moment On marked one moment in a love story that has now spanned 28 years. In this episode of Tracks That Matter, they share the story of how they met, the song they chose for their wedding—and what it has meant to build a life together through all the years that followed.

Because wedding songs capture a moment. But relationships are built in all the moments that come after. And sometimes, hearing that song years later can take you right back to where it all began.

This is the first wedding-song story on Tracks That Matter—and hopefully not the last. What was your wedding song? And after everything you’ve lived through together, does it mean something different to you now?

Song mentioned in this episode:
Bryan White & Shania Twain - From This Moment On

What track has shaped your life? Share your story at TracksThatMatter.com.

Want to listen to the songs from the show? Check out the playlist at https://tinyurl.com/ttmplaylist

To purchase Growing Up Happy In A Lonely World - A Mixtape Memoir https://tinyurl.com/growinguphappy

ABOUT TRACKS THAT MATTER:
Audio production and editing by URL Radio.
Show theme song by NikFrequency.

For the full Tracks That Matter experience—including the music behind the stories—tune in live to URL Radio every Tuesday at 11:30 AM Central at urlrad.io.

What if finding yourself isn’t something you do once?

In this solo episode of Tracks That Matter, P!nk’s I Am Here sparks a conversation about identity, change, and having the courage to keep becoming.

Nicole has lived a lot of lives—and she has a feeling she isn’t done yet.

There have been seasons of playing small. Seasons of starting over. Times when belonging meant hiding pieces of herself, and others when becoming required finally letting them be seen.

Along the way, she’s wrestled with the pressure to choose between seemingly competing versions of herself:
Strong or vulnerable.

Leader or learner.

Professor or entrepreneur.

But what if we were never supposed to choose?

What if becoming isn’t about finding one final version of ourselves at all?

What if it all gets to be true?

I Am Here is about owning who you are today while leaving room for whoever you might become next.

Song mentioned in this episode:
P!NK - I Am Here

What track has shaped your life? Share your story at TracksThatMatter.com.

Want to listen to the songs from the show? Check out the playlist at https://tinyurl.com/ttmplaylist

To purchase Growing Up Happy In A Lonely World - A Mixtape Memoir https://tinyurl.com/growinguphappy

ABOUT TRACKS THAT MATTER:
Audio production and editing by URL Radio.
Show theme song by NikFrequency.

For the full Tracks That Matter experience—including the music behind the stories—tune in live to URL Radio every Tuesday at 11:30 AM Central at urlrad.io.

What if you could tell your life story through eight songs?

In this episode of Tracks That Matter, Nicole sits down with longtime friend, former business partner, and the owner of Thomas & Moriarity's & URL Radio Stacy to do exactly that.

Stacy’s mixtape starts with the first record she ever owned and travels through a summer romance with a hilariously misunderstood ring, the radio contest that changed the direction of her career, the song that launched URL Radio, divorce, cancer, motherhood, keeping two businesses alive during COVID, and finally—the track that represents the woman she is today.

Along the way, Stacy shares stories about unexpected opportunities, rebuilding when life falls apart, finding strength when you need it most, and the strange way a song can hold an entire chapter of our lives.

Some tracks make us laugh.
Some get us through.
Some remind us exactly who we were.
And some show us who we've become.

This is Stacy’s Mixtape.

Songs mentioned in this episode:
Kenny Rogers - Lucille
Diesel - Tip of My Tongue
Sly Fox - Let's Go All The Way
Def Leppard - Let's Get Rocked
John Mayer - In Repair
Electric Light Orchestra - Mr. Blue Sky
Maren Morris - GIRL
P!NK - 18 Wheeler
Qveen Herby, THOT SQUAD - The Fool

What track has shaped your life? Share your story at TracksThatMatter.com.

Want to listen to the songs from the show? Check out the playlist at https://tinyurl.com/ttmplaylist

To purchase Growing Up Happy In A Lonely World - A Mixtape Memoir https://tinyurl.com/growinguphappy

ABOUT TRACKS THAT MATTER:
Audio production and editing by URL Radio.
Show theme song by NikFrequency.

For the full Tracks That Matter experience—including the music behind the stories—tune in live to URL Radio every Tuesday at 11:30 AM Central at urlrad.io.

What does a song become after four years of hope, seven attempts, IVF, a global donor shortage, and one unforgettable day that changed everything?

In this solo episode of Tracks That Matter, Nicole shares the deeply personal story behind Yellow by Coldplay (but the Rockabye Baby version)—a song that became the soundtrack to her journey to motherhood a second time around.

From the heartbreak and uncertainty of infertility to becoming a mom again at 49, Nicole reflects on the resilience it took to keep believing, the terrifying moments surrounding Scout's birth, and how one familiar melody became an anchor in the middle of unimaginable fear.

This isn't just a story about welcoming a child into the world. It's a story about hope that refused to let go, love that traveled the long way, and a song that forever changed its meaning.

Song mentioned in this episode:
Coldplay (Rockabye Baby version) - Yellow

What track has shaped your life? Share your story at TracksThatMatter.com.

Want to listen to the songs from the show? Check out the playlist at https://tinyurl.com/ttmplaylist

To purchase Growing Up Happy In A Lonely World - A Mixtape Memoir https://tinyurl.com/growinguphappy

ABOUT TRACKS THAT MATTER:
Audio production and editing by URL Radio.
Show theme song by NikFrequency.

For the full Tracks That Matter experience—including the music behind the stories—tune in live to URL Radio every Tuesday at 11:30 AM Central at urlrad.io.

What if the chapters of your life were told through a mixtape?

In this episode of Tracks That Matter, Nicole sits down with her sister, Kari, to explore the songs that have shaped her life. Together they revisit childhood memories, unforgettable friendships, motherhood, unexpected loss, and the people who have left a lasting mark on her heart.

Some stories are filled with laughter. Others carry quiet reminders of love, resilience, and the moments that change us forever.

Through each track, Kari shares another chapter of her story and the memories that continue to live on every time the music plays.

It's a conversation about family, love, loss, and the songs that help us remember who we are. 

Songs mentioned in this episode:
The Highwomen - Crowded Table
Ben Platt - imagine
Zach Bryan - You Are My Sunshine
Kelly Clarkson - A Moment Like This
Johnny Cash - Ring of Fire
Kylie Minogue - The Loco-Motion
Celine Dion - It's All Coming Back to Me Now
Led Zeppelin - Stariway to Heaven
Diddy, Faith Evans, 112 - I'll be Missing You
Chumbawanba - Tubthumping
Miley Cyrun - The Climb

What track has shaped your life? Share your story at TracksThatMatter.com.

Want to listen to the songs from the show? Check out the playlist at https://tinyurl.com/ttmplaylist

To purchase Growing Up Happy In A Lonely World - A Mixtape Memoir https://tinyurl.com/growinguphappy

ABOUT TRACKS THAT MATTER:
Audio production and editing by URL Radio.
Show theme song by NikFrequency.

For the full Tracks That Matter experience—including the music behind the stories—tune in live to URL Radio every Tuesday at 11:30 AM Central at urlrad.io.