Leaving My Echo Chamber

In this episode of Leaving My Echo Chamber, I sit down with Mona to talk about her story, her family, her identity, and the work she is doing in her community. Mona was born in upstate New York to immigrant parents and grew up in a big, blended family surrounded by different cultures and experiences. She talks openly about her heritage, her parents’ divorce, growing up feeling like she didn’t quit...

Welcome to Back Porch with Suzanne, a new series from Leaving My Echo Chamber. You’ve heard me sit down with guests and ask them about their stories, their experiences, their faith, and the things that have shaped them. But I realized there is another story that needs to be part of this journey too: mine. Every other week, I’m going to sit down in front of the camera and talk to you about my life,...

In this episode of Leaving My Echo Chamber, I sit down with my friend Johnny to hear the incredible story of his family’s journey from Vietnam to America. Johnny’s father was a commander in the South Vietnamese army who fought alongside the Americans during the Vietnam War. After the war, his father spent five years as a prisoner, and Johnny was born after his father finally came home. Eventually,...

In this episode of Leaving My Echo Chamber, I sit down with Eric for a conversation about loss, family, identity, and growing up Black in a small Tennessee town. One of Eric’s very first childhood memories is the death of his little sister. Years later, he experienced another devastating loss when his father suddenly passed away from a heart attack. His dad was stern, a disciplinarian, and the onl...

What happens when you have to grow up long before you're ready? In this conversation, I sit down with Marlette to hear a story filled with hardship, unexpected turns, mistakes, faith, and ultimately, resilience. Marlette grew up in Detroit in the projects and lost her father when she was just four months old. At nine years old, witnessing a man being beaten with a bat changed the way she looke...

What happens when you spend your whole life feeling different, only to discover there is a reason why? In this episode of Leaving My Echo Chamber, I sit down with Gray to hear his story of growing up in Memphis, Tennessee, navigating school, college, relationships, work, and life without knowing he was autistic. Gray shares what it was like to go through much of his life undiagnosed, learning how...

One of the reasons I started Leaving My Echo Chamber is because I believe our stories help us understand each other in ways opinions never can. Especially with family!! In this episode, I'm joined by my brother, Drew Talbert, and my sister-in-law, Andrea Talbert, the husband-and-wife team behind Bistro Huddy. Long before millions of people were watching their videos online, Drew and Andrea wer...

In this episode of Leaving My Echo Chamber, I sit down with my sister-in-law, Andrea Talbert, for one of the most honest conversations we've ever had. Andrea shares what it was like growing up in South Florida, being raised by young parents, including navigating their divorce. We talk about the childhood she wishes she'd had, the people who shaped her, and why giving her own children a car...

What happens when two siblings grow up in the same home, with the same parents, the same church, and the same beliefs... but end up on very different faith journeys? In this episode, I'm joined by my younger brother, Drew Talbert, whose career in entertainment and social media has reached millions of people. But this conversation isn't about social media. It's about the journey behind...

In Part 2 of my conversation with Kaci, we pick up where Part 1 left off: Kaci has just discovered she's pregnant after the worst night of her life. Together, we walk through the impossible decisions and conversations that followed. Kaci shares what it was like telling her parents she was pregnant, wrestling with whether to place her baby for adoption, and navigating a future she never could h...

I sit down with my friend Kaci to talk about her life growing up in a small town in South Carolina, her Southern Baptist upbringing, and the experiences that shaped her faith. We talk about what it was like being the daughter of a pastor, the painful church conflict that led to her father suddenly losing his job, and how that season changed the way she viewed faith and church. We also dive into Ka...

In this episode, I sit down with Dahron, a chaplain who has spent years walking with people through grief, hospice care, and some of life’s most tender moments. Dahron trained at the VA, served in bereavement and hospice spaces, and comes to this conversation with a deep understanding of what it means to sit with people in their hardest seasons. We talk about Dahron’s life growing up in the United...

Jon Michael grew up in the Church of Christ in Dixon, Tennessee, where his dad was a preacher and church was his entire world. He shares what it was like growing up in that environment, the beauty of it, and also the pressure that came with not having space to openly wrestle with struggles or questions. We talk about divorce in the church, free will, suffering, and how he thinks about God in a wor...

This was my first time meeting Tausha and hearing her whole story. She grew up in Oregon in a single mom household, experiencing homelessness and instability at a young age, and feeling like she had to protect her brother. She shares what it was like navigating church while life at home felt chaotic, and how by middle school she was already drinking and smoking weed as a way send this to cope and...

I sat down with Lauren Pinkston, an independent candidate for governor of Tennessee, and found her so refreshing! Raised in Tennessee (like me!) with a strong sense of who she is and what she believes, Lauren shares how her upbringing, faith, and curiosity about others have shaped the way she sees the world today. From living in Laos and Uganda to earning a PhD in International Family and Communit...

Growing up in Los Angeles with very little, Ed learned early what it meant to work hard, stay grounded, and not take opportunity for granted. As a Mexican American whose parents came to the United States to build a better life, his story is shaped by sacrifice, resilience, and a deep sense of gratitude. But his early experience with the church was complicated. Raised Catholic but only attending sp...

In this conversation, Sara dives deeper into her journey after the accident that changed her life at 19. She reflects on the four phases of trauma—denial, anger, depression, and acceptance—and how allowing herself to feel the pain was necessary to begin truly healing. There is also an important life update for Sara regarding her relationship with her dad that happened after Part 1 was filmed! Don&...

During her freshman year of college, Sara was in a devastating car crash that changed everything. The accident left her with multiple broken bones, a punctured lung, and a stroke. In this conversation, Sara shares what it looked like to rebuild her life after trauma and spend years finding a new sense of normal. We also talk about how experiences like this can reshape faith and perspective, and wh...

Strapped to a bed in a Russian orphanage, Connor learned before kindergarten that crying doesn’t always bring help. From collecting dead bumblebees as “pets” to praying for the day he’d finally be adopted, his childhood was marked by survival, silence, and an aching hope for family. In this raw conversation, he shares how gratitude—not victimhood—reshaped his story, transformed his faith, and rede...

I sat down with my dear friend Jaz—now a Black Christian attorney—and our conversation honestly stretched my mind in the best way. He explained what Critical Race Theory actually is (not the internet version), and why he calls race a “fiction” that the American legal system has helped keep alive. We talked faith, justice, and the moments that shifted his perspective—from law school to the intensit...

I sat down with my dear friend Jaz—now a Black Christian attorney—and our conversation honestly stretched my mind in the best way. He explained what Critical Race Theory actually is (not the internet version), and why he calls race a “fiction” that the American legal system has helped keep alive. We talked faith, justice, and the moments that shifted his perspective—from law school to the intensit...

In Episode 1 of Leaving My Echo Chamber, I sit down with Alex, a trans man whose story of faith, identity, and survival will stay with you long after the credits roll. What starts as an honest conversation turns into a jaw-dropping reckoning when Alex recounts the day a church mob showed up at his job, threw Bibles at him, and his life publicly unraveled in real time. But the deepest truth hits ev...