The Story of Us: From Cosmic Dawn to the Depths of Being

We live in a world that constantly asks us to choose a side. Us or them. Right or wrong. Our people or theirs. But what happens when the label becomes more important than the person? In this solo episode of The Story of Us , Jeff Ellison explores one of the central ideas behind the entire project: it becomes much harder to dehumanize someone once you know their story. Contempt grows when people be...

Everything changes. Our careers. Relationships. Bodies. Beliefs. Families. Health. Circumstances. Eventually, every chapter of life gives way to another. So why are human beings so determined to resist the one thing we know is coming? In this episode of The Story of Us , Jeff Ellison sits down with author and longtime U.S. Army leader J. Reed Durand for a fascinating conversation about change, sel...

How much of the life you're living was actually chosen by you? From childhood, most of us inherit a script: work hard, build a career, achieve, stay productive, make enough money, keep moving. Follow it well enough and eventually, supposedly, fulfillment arrives. But what happens when you do everything you're “supposed” to do and something inside still whispers: this isn't me? In this episode of T...

What if the person you think you are isn’t actually the deepest version of who you are? Fair warning: this episode may require a little mental stretching. In this episode of The Story of Us , Jeff Ellison sits down with Scott Flynn for a fascinating exploration of non-duality, consciousness, identity, suffering, happiness, and one of humanity’s oldest questions: Who am I? Scott’s journey didn’t be...

What happens when the world keeps making assumptions about who you are before it ever takes the time to know you? In this episode of The Story of Us , Jeff Ellison sits down with author, podcaster, athlete, advocate, and motivational speaker Win Charles for a candid, funny, and deeply human conversation about cerebral palsy, resilience, grief, mental health, independence, and refusing to let other...

There are seasons when survival is exactly what life asks of us. We put our heads down. Meet the deadline. Raise the children. Care for someone we love. Endure the loss. Pay the bills. Keep moving. Those survival skills can save us. But what happens when the crisis ends—and we keep living as though it hasn't? In this episode of The Story of Us , Jeff Ellison sits down with author Paul Prien for a...

What if the life you’re waiting for is already happening? In this episode of The Story of Us , Jeff Ellison sits down with Sarah Collins , creator of Living Fully with Sarah , for a thoughtful conversation about purpose, depression, spirituality, intuition, parenting, identity, happiness, and what it actually means to be present for our own lives. Sarah remembers feeling different from an early ag...

What can happen when one person sees possibility in you before you can see it in yourself? In this episode of The Story of Us , Jeff Ellison sits down with artist, author, educator, mentor, and speaker * Deremiah CPE for a deeply personal conversation about resilience, faith, creativity, mentorship, and the people who help shape who we become. Deremiah’s story begins in the Chicago housing project...

What if the worst thing you ever did became the only thing people were willing to remember about you? In this episode of The Story of Us , Jeff Ellison sits down with Cleveland Bell III , whose remarkable life has taken him from addiction and incarceration to decades of service helping others rebuild their lives. Cleveland eventually became the leader of Riverside House , a faith-based reentry org...

In this episode of The Story of Us , Jeff Ellison sits down with Eric Brazau for a challenging and wide-ranging conversation about religion, Islam, identity, certainty, prejudice, and the assumptions beneath what we believe. Eric's story is unusual because his interest in Islam did not begin academically. It grew out of conflict, fear, strong opinions, and eventually personal experiences that forc...

What happens when the life you worked so hard to build suddenly stops feeling like your own? In this episode of The Story of Us , Jeff Ellison sits down with coach and founder of EAT Life Academy , Helena Hamlet, for a deeply personal conversation about identity, motherhood, cancer, anxiety, reinvention, purpose, and learning to slow down long enough to hear yourself again. Helena grew up surround...

What happens when a life refuses to stay in one lane? In this episode of The Story of Us , Jeff Ellison sits down with author, musician, former professional golfer, humanitarian, mentor, and lifelong storyteller Byron Easterling for a wide-ranging conversation about identity, courage, service, faith, and the stories we leave behind. Byron's life has moved through remarkably different chapters: tou...

What can an eight-year-old teach the rest of us about living a meaningful life? Quite a lot, actually. In this special Next Gen episode of The Story of Us , Jeff sits down with his eight-year-old nephew, Arlo Edlin , for a conversation about books, animals, math, infinity, video games, friendship, creativity, family, and a few questions about the universe that most adults stopped asking a long tim...

What happens when the life you've built no longer fits the person you're becoming? In this episode of The Story of Us , Jeff Ellison sits down with traveler, writer, entrepreneur, and founder of Embolden Adventures , Sara Roccisano, for a conversation about walking away from certainty, answering life's quieter invitations, and discovering that the greatest journey is often the one within. Sara's p...

What if the peace we're searching for isn't somewhere out in the world... What if it's already here? In this deeply contemplative episode of The Story of Us , Jeff Ellison sits down with mindfulness teacher, psychotherapist, martial artist, entrepreneur, and author Colin Chenery for a conversation that spans more than four decades of seeking wisdom across cultures, disciplines, and traditions. Fro...

What if the most important treatment a physician can offer isn't just medicine... But hope? In this deeply moving episode of The Story of Us , Jeff Ellison sits down with pain specialist, entrepreneur, and healthcare visionary Dr. Paul Lynch for a conversation that reaches far beyond medicine into the heart of what it means to relieve human suffering. Although Jeff and Paul lead organizations that...

What if peace isn't something we achieve? What if it's something we uncover after we stop resisting life? In this deeply reflective episode of The Story of Us , Jeff Ellison welcomes mindfulness teacher, contemplative mentor, and spiritual guide Gayathri Narayanan for a conversation that gently bridges ancient Eastern wisdom with the challenges of modern life. Raised in India and profoundly influe...

What if one of the most powerful acts of courage isn't something extraordinary—but simply choosing to live another day? In this deeply personal episode of The Story of Us , Jeff Ellison sits down with nurse educator, entrepreneur, and mental health advocate Pakesta Washington for an honest conversation about living with bipolar disorder, breaking stigma, and finding hope after a lifetime of strugg...

How do we lose ourselves? Usually, not all at once. In this episode of The Story of Us , Jeff Ellison sits down with brand strategist and mindfulness coach Cassidy Smith for a fascinating conversation about identity, authenticity, mindfulness, neuroscience, and the quiet ways we drift away from who we really are. Cassidy describes that process as an accumulation of “small moments of quiet self-bet...

What if resilience isn't something you build for the end of the world—but for everyday life? In this thoughtful episode of The Story of Us , Jeff Ellison sits down with bestselling author, martial artist, homesteader, and entrepreneur Sara Hathaway for a conversation about choosing a life that looks radically different from the one our culture often celebrates. From her family's homestead in the p...

There comes a point in life when you realize you've become the person who gets excited about birds. Not stock prices. Not college football scores. Not the latest headline engineered to spike your blood pressure. Birds. In this solo episode of The Story of Us , Jeff Ellison reflects on an unexpected morning ritual: sitting on the back porch with coffee, binoculars, a backyard bird feeder, and his l...

What if the worst day of your life became the beginning of your life's true calling? In this inspiring episode of The Story of Us , Jeff Ellison sits down with musician, author, and transformational teacher Michele Blood to explore an extraordinary journey of resilience, healing, and hope. Before she became known around the world for her affirmation music, Michele was living her dream as a success...

What if history isn't really about the past? What if it's about learning to see one another more clearly in the present? In this compelling episode of The Story of Us , Jeff Ellison sits down with journalist and novelist, Frank Joseph for a conversation that spans decades of American history while asking timeless questions about identity, prejudice, memory, and our shared humanity. As a young repo...

What do you do when life burns everything to the ground? You keep climbing. In this inspiring episode of The Story of Us , Jeff Ellison sits down with musician, author, entrepreneur, husband, and father Ben Barbic for a conversation about resilience, purpose, and the quiet decision to keep moving forward—even when life refuses to go according to plan. Ben's story begins with profound loss. As a yo...

What does it really mean to leave one home and build another? In this heartfelt episode of The Story of Us , Jeff Ellison sits down with wellness entrepreneur Dasha Grankina for a conversation that begins with ancient Russian healing traditions but grows into something much deeper—a reflection on identity, family, belonging, and what we carry with us when we cross borders. Growing up in Russia, Da...