Conversations with Rich Bennett

March 1933. The Great Depression has Americans on edge, banks are shutting their doors, and fear is moving faster than facts. In this America Explained episode, Rich Bennett sets the scene and then shares a historic voice that helped steady the country: Franklin D. Roosevelt’s first Fireside Chat, delivered March 12, 1933. Roosevelt doesn’t talk like a politician here. He talks like a neighbor, br...

What if the biggest missing piece in fighting poverty isn’t food or housing—but furniture? In this powerful episode, Alicia Hamilton of Fresh Start Furnishings joins Rich alongside Natalie Johnson, COO of Inner County Outreach, to announce a major partnership that will expand services across Harford and Cecil Counties. After furnishing 321 households and serving over 900 individuals in one year, A...

What happens when a marriage looks successful on the outside but feels disconnected behind closed doors? In this powerful episode, Rich Bennett sits down with intimacy coach and bestselling author Xanet Pailet to talk about sexless marriages, emotional safety, and why intimacy does not die overnight—it slowly goes underground. After leaving a 26-year marriage at age 50, Xanet rebuilt her life and...

When was the last time you showed up for someone when it cost you something? In this solo episode of Conversations with Rich Bennett , Rich explores the art of showing up for people even when it’s inconvenient. Not the social media version. Not the easy version. The real version that requires sacrifice, humility, and effort. From sitting in hospital waiting rooms to attending small events when no...

Have you ever lost track of time inside a book? That’s no accident. In this episode of Conversations with Rich Bennett, mystery romance author Melissa Roos shares how she went from growing up seven miles outside a small Iowa town to publishing six emotionally layered suspense novels in just five years. Melissa opens up about overcoming shyness, choosing indie publishing for creative control, build...

Jenny C. Cohen’s story will move you. An award-winning dancer, embodiment coach, and cancer survivor, Jenny shares how dance became her lifeline through breast cancer, trauma, and unimaginable family challenges. From competing internationally while in treatment to supporting her daughter through mental health struggles, Jenny reveals how reconnecting with the body can restore strength, clarity, an...

Noah May joins Rich Bennett for one of the most honest conversations yet about mental health, resilience, and survival. Diagnosed with clinical depression at 14 and anxiety at 18, Noah shares how his symptoms escalated into severe nausea, dramatic weight loss, and daily fear that left him physically shaken. As a member of the Class of 2020, he also faced the emotional toll of graduating during the...

What if play wasn’t just for kids, but for parents too? In this episode of Conversations with Rich Bennett , Rich welcomes Carter Polakoff, President and CEO of Port Discovery Children’s Museum, for a powerful conversation about why children’s museums are really family museums. Carter shares her journey from intern to CEO, how Port Discovery supports neurodiverse families and military households,...

Tony DeMaio, founder of Helping Heroes USA, joins Rich Bennett for one of the most important conversations you will hear this year. Together, they dive into veteran suicide prevention, the warning signs too many people miss, and why connection and compassion save lives. Tony shares powerful real-world stories, explains how family and friends can become “Support Angels,” and introduces listeners to...

What if protecting the ocean did not have to come with fear, guilt, or doom and gloom? In this episode of Conversations with Rich Bennett, marine biologist and podcast host Andrew Lewin shares how storytelling, curiosity, and human connection can inspire real action for ocean conservation. Andrew is the host of the How to Protect the Ocean podcast and founder of the Speak Up For Blue Podcast Netwo...

What if midlife isn’t a decline, but your greatest opportunity yet? In this powerful episode of Conversations with Rich Bennett , Rich sits down with Broadway performer, bestselling author, and speaker Troy Horne to talk about reinvention, resilience, and redefining success after 40. From starring on Broadway in Rent to co-creating a number-one youth basketball podcast with his son, Troy shares ho...

Music has a way of stopping time, unlocking memories, and reminding us who we were—and who we still are. In this episode of Conversations with Rich Bennett , Rich sits down with friends for a powerful roundtable conversation about the songs and albums that shaped their lives. From classic rock and heavy metal to punk and emotional deep cuts, this episode dives into how music connects to family, gr...

What does it really take to design learning that works? In this episode of Conversations with Rich Bennett , Rich is joined by instructional designer, professor, and podcast host Jackie Pelegrin , who brings nearly two decades of experience in higher education and curriculum design. Jackie breaks down what instructional design actually is, why so many online courses fail to engage learners, and ho...

What if just seven words could change your life? In this powerful episode of Conversations with Rich Bennett , Rich sits down with award-winning author and publisher Aurora Winter to explore how the right message can transform heartbreak into healing, stories into income, and ideas into lasting impact. Aurora shares deeply personal experiences of loss, resilience, and reinvention, along with pract...

What does it really mean to love someone through addiction? In this powerful and unfiltered episode of Conversations with Rich Bennett , Rich is joined by cohost Wendy Beck for a deeply moving conversation with Alicia Bloss. Alicia shares her personal journey of marriage, motherhood, mental health, and standing beside a spouse through active addiction and long-term recovery. Together, they unpack...

Screens are everywhere, but at what cost to our families, our kids, and our joy?  In this powerful conversation, Rich Bennett sits down with S. S. Coulter to explore how families can reclaim heart, mind, and joy in a screen-filled world. S. S. Coulter is an author, joy coach, and the creator of Planet FASSA, a playful ecosystem designed to help children unplug from screens and reconnect with imagi...

Recorded live at Edgewood American Legion Post 17, this episode of Conversations with Rich Bennett spotlights the incredible work of the 755 Alliance. Founder Bangtam Miller and her leadership team share how a small group of committed volunteers is revitalizing Edgewood and Southern Harford County through action, not talk. From eliminating school lunch debt and preventing evictions to building ska...

Carefree Kitchens is more than a cabinet company. It’s a living example of what the American Dream can look like when it’s built on faith, family, integrity, and service. In this episode of Conversations with Rich Bennett , Rich is joined by cohost Joe Ayler for a powerful conversation with the family behind Carefree Kitchens. What begins as an immigration story quickly unfolds into a decades-long...

Most podcast guests show up, share great insights, and walk away with nothing to show for it. In this episode of Conversations with Rich Bennett , podcast guesting expert Lyndsay Phillips explains why that happens and how to fix it. Lyndsay breaks down how entrepreneurs should treat every podcast appearance like a strategic launch, from choosing the right topic to guiding the conversation and repu...

What if true healing starts by listening to your body’s energy and nervous system? In this episode of Conversations with Rich Bennett , Rich welcomes Dr. Mary Sanders, a chiropractor, medical intuitive, and energy medicine expert with over 30 years of experience. Dr. Mary explains how chiropractic care, neuroscience, and energy healing work together to help people release burnout, trauma, and chro...

Poet and author Laura Dilworth joins Rich Bennett and Wendy Beck for a powerful conversation about heartbreak, healing, and the transformative power of poetry. Laura shares the deeply personal journey behind her poetry collection The Heartbreak Chronicles , including writing through heartbreak, postpartum depression, anger, grief, and self-discovery. Throughout the episode, Laura reads several poe...

Alan Katz, the legendary writer and producer behind Tales from the Crypt , joins Rich Bennett for one of the most honest and powerful conversations ever recorded. Alan opens up about Hollywood success, creative betrayal, the disastrous making of Bordello of Blood , and the depression that nearly cost him his life. This episode goes far beyond film and television. Alan shares how healing from traum...

What happens when grief shatters everything you thought you knew about life, faith, and healing? In this powerful episode of Conversations with Rich Bennett, Rich sits down with Michael Reed, author of The Million Stages of Grief . After losing his wife and two daughters in the 2016 Gatlinburg wildfires, Michael discovered that grief is not a five-step process. It is messy, nonlinear, and deeply p...

As America approaches its 250th anniversary, Rich Bennett and cohost Greg Derwart take a deeper look at what America’s Founding Fathers got right and wrong. This episode explores the real stories, leadership decisions, and human flaws behind Ben Franklin, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson. From Franklin’s entrepreneurial mindset and inventions, to Washington’s quiet leadership and willingnes...

What happens when a veteran, podcaster, and truth-teller shows up every day for over a decade? In this episode of Conversations with Rich Bennett , Rich sits down with Pete A. Turner, host of The Break It Down Show , to talk about what it really takes to build a podcast that matters. Pete shares real, no-nonsense advice on consistency, monetization, evergreen content, guest relationships, and why...