Uncorking a Story

I’ve been following Cindy Gallop for some time on LinkedIn—she’s one of those LinkedIn influencers who certainly takes the boring out of the platform. If there is one word that I would use to describe her, it’s provocative, and I know that I’m not alone in feeling that way—she caught the attention of my moderator friend and colleague Laura Nozicka too. So, when Cindy said yes to an interview reque...

Many of you long-time listeners know that I’m the proud father of triplets—the fact that they are turning twenty in a few short weeks is mindboggling to me. What many of you don’t know is that my wife was on supervised bedrest in the hospital for six weeks before giving birth to them. I spent all but two nights with her in the hospital during that time, and, while I admired the hell out of her for...

I’ve always been fascinated by tales of demonic possession. I fully realize that is an odd thing to admit, but it’s true. I’ve seen The Exorcist more times than I can count and include similar movies such as The Exorcism of Emily Rose, The Rite, and anything from the Conjuring series as classics. Maybe it’s my Catholic upbringing, but if we believe that goodness exists and came to Earth in the for...

Have you ever had a chance encounter with someone who changed your life forever? Nita Prose did and wrote a bestseller about it. Allowing herself to follow her curiosity was key and it paid off—The Maid is a #1 New York Times Bestseller and is deserving of every accolade it has received. MEET NITA PROSE Nita Prose is a longtime editor, serving many bestselling authors and their books. What drew he...

Imagine having a tool at your disposal that could help spark innovation and that this magical tool didn’t require capital investment. Now imagine that we are all capable of possessing this tool, if only we were able to open ourselves up to the vulnerability that makes it possible. What am I talking about? I’m glad you asked. I’m talking about empathy. Empathy is defined as the ability to understan...

INTRODUCTION Are you someone who has a hard time putting themselves first? Do you have a hard time vocalizing what your needs are? Many of us who answer yes to both of these questions often struggle with our interpersonal relationships, especially romantic ones. We do things for other people while ignoring or not even realizing what it is we really want. This can lead to resentment, frustration, a...

Welcome to the first ever best of episode of Uncorking a Story. Today, we revisit our first ever episode with Fr. Dave Dwyer, who talks about how he pivoted from working in comedy to becoming a Catholic priest after hearing a calling at a World Youth Day. I hope you find this story as inspiring as I did. Check out Fr. Dave on Instagram @fatherdavedwyer and at BustedHalo.com.   Learn more about you...

William Sullivan, known as Sully to his friends, is a former Division 1 basketball coach who discovered a love of Shakespeare later in life. He penned his first novel back in 2001 and kept his fans waiting for two decades before publishing his second—Tilting with Lips, a comedic mystery to setting four friends on an adventure to uncover who William Shakespeare really was. How did he become a D1 ba...

Growing up without a father figure can be difficult for someone who has no other male role models in their lives. Author Kendall Smith, son of a single mother, joins me to share the wisdom he has gathered from his own experience as a father, from observing other dads, and from interviewing various generations of men.  How did being raised by a single mother lead to his desire to write this book? W...

An editor should be an author’s best friend, but oftentimes authors view editors as taskmasters. Editor and author coach Claudia Volkman wants to smash this notion! Editors not only help correct errors in grammar and spelling but can also provide valuable insights to make a story stronger and polished to perfection Claudia joins me today and we explore how she helps authors journey through the wri...

There is a rise in anxiety and depression among teens resulting from several factors including increased pressures on kids to succeed, unrealistic expectations set through social media, and, of course, social restrictions due to the pandemic. In this episode, Jay Reid joins me to uncork an intense story about teenage suicides with a personal story about losing his son to suicide. What are the fact...

Is it possible that a simple phone could change your life? This is where Lori Jean Glass’ story begins, in a Chicago hotel room where she had suicidal thoughts and a timely call to her therapist saved her life and started her on the path to becoming a better version of herself. Join me and Lori Jean as we uncork her story from being suicidal to becoming an educator, mentor, and certified relations...

One of the biggest misnomers in publishing is that there are overnight successes. Being a writer requires hard work, creativity, and persistence. All authors, including new and experienced, will face setbacks and many challenges. Rea Frey was a former boxer who became an Author, and she joined me recently to share the story about how she became a successful author. How did she go from flop to a mu...

Is it possible to experience healing after having a traumatic childhood characterized by neglect, sexual assault, and crime? The answer is yes, but it takes a brave soul to stare down the trauma of their past only to come out the other side stronger and able to love oneself. Join me and Lauren Dollie Duke as we uncork the story about how writing, therapy, and yoga helped her empowered her to heal...

As the daughter of a college professor, Kaira Rouda moved around a lot as a kid. Being constantly thrust into new environments helped her develop the resilience that she’s carried with her throughout her life; which is a good thing because it's a big requirement for becoming an author! Kaira is a USA TODAY, Amazon charts, and international bestselling, multiple award-winning author of contemporary...

What happens when you skip doing your chemistry homework so that you can read historical romance novels? You might not learn about the substances of which matter is composed, but if you are Jill Shalvis it just might set you up to become a bestselling romance novelist. What proof do I have (and man, I wish proofs were used in Chemistry and not just geometry so I could keep this comparison going)?...

Authors get to play God when writing a character. We shape them, give them characteristics to make them memorable, and ultimately control their destiny. Elizabeth George knows this well, and takes the role of God seriously when writing her mysteries. If you love a good mystery but aren’t familiar with her work, allow me to introduce you to Elizabeth George. She’s The New York Times and internation...

Art is medicine—that’s the core message that poet, musician, and artist Aliana Kann Michals wants to convey with her forthcoming poetry collection entitled In Defense of Science.  What valuable life lessons did a relationship coming to an end during the pandemic teach her ? Why does she believe that vulnerability is her superpower? What words of advice would she give her younger self? Listen in as...

I’ve had many different types of storytellers on Uncorking a Story including authors, comedians, and filmmakers. What I haven’t had yet is one of the most popular types of storytellers these days—fellow podcasters! That changes with today’s episode featuring Kathy Kay, the host of Strictly Anonymous.  I came upon her show by accident. Over the past few years I’ve been on a self-improvement kick, p...

Out of the many guests I’ve hosted on Uncorking a Story, Michael Macari may have one of the most varied tales to tell. The son of immigrant parents, he was in Adonis, an up and coming rock band that was just about to feel the sensation of stardom with a record contract until a kidney stone sidelined his musical ambitions and put him on the path to a career in film and television. There’s no way he...

Nadine Crocker survived a suicide attempt when she was 23 years old. After leaving home at 16 to pursue a career in front of the camera, maybe she thought she could leave the intense feelings of loneliness, depression, and anxiety back in Fresno. Also, really pretty and talented people aren’t supposed to have those kinds of feelings, are they? Well, they do and Nadine wasn’t immune to the feelings...

Cindy Finch is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) who specializes in helping people through their darkest times. She trained at the Mayo Clinic and has been featured in the Los Angeles Times, HuffPost, and CURE magazine. A survivor of traumatic life events, Cindy writes and works from lived experiences. She's helped thousands of people through their suffering, encouraging them to move forwar...

C. Frederic John enjoys a global reputation as a strategic researcher with a career spanning over 40 years. He specializes in melding profound insights into concrete recommendations for clients, and in crafting compelling research deliverables using story-telling techniques. Fred and I have a few things in common; we both worked in the market research industry, we both worked for MasterCard, and w...

In her 30+ year career as an author, Laura Davis has written seven non-fiction books that have changed peoples’ lives. The Courage to Heal paved the way for hundreds of thousands to heal from the trauma of sexual abuse. Becoming the Parent You Want to Be helps parents develop a vision for the families they want to create. And I Thought We’d Never Speak Again: The Road from Estrangement to Reconcil...

Kris Clink is the author of Goodbye, Lark Lovejoy and Sissie Klein is Completely Normal, which have received praise from Bustle, Midwest Book Review, Kirkus Reviews, Women.com, Lone Star Literary, Brit + Co, Travel and Leisure Magazine, and Entertainment Weekly, among others. Set in middle America, her novels are laced with love, heartbreak, and just enough snark to rock the boat for the relatable...