Proud Stutter

Today’s episode is Part 2 of my conversation with Benedict Sheehan, a person who stutters, and Talia Sheehan, his wife. We talk about the different forms of speech therapy Benedict has tried over the years, from fluency shaping to acceptance. Benedict changed the way he looked at his stutter after his speech therapist gave him the option to work towards hiding their stutter or becoming a better st...

Benedict Sheehan is a Grammy-nominated conductor and composer who stutters. His wife, Talia Sheehan, is a professional vocalist and musical educator. In this episode, we talk about the psychology behind people’s responses to stuttering and how people who don’t stutter can be stronger allies for people who stutter. This episode is part one of a two-part conversation with the Sheehans. Additionally,...

For this special bonus episode of Proud Stutter, Maya is rebroadcasting an episode from the TheeClutterQueen podcast. Host Simone Robinson interviews Maya and they talk about the intersections between cluttering and stuttering, their very different experiences with speech therapy, public speaking during class, problematic headlines in the media, thinking you can’t do certain things because of spee...

Did you know there is a vibrant stuttering community on Reddit? Cynthia Chin, Season 1 co-host, is back on the pod doing a second round of going through stuttering subreddit posts. Our first Stuttering Subreddit episode is our most listened-to episode, so let's dive in. What kinds of posts do we talk about on the Stuttering Subreddit? We dig into college presentations, being labeled the quiet-...

Steff Lebsack, a speech language pathologist, grew up with a brother who stutters. When she developed a neurogenic stutter later in life, she accepted it right away. In this new episode, we talk about Steff and her journey in juggling multiple disabilities, including lung disease, the power of language in gaining self-acceptance, and the importance of owning your story. Our guest co-host is Tiffan...

Johnnie Pina does not let his stutter get in the way of being a successful lobbyist where public speaking is a main part of his job. Joining us is Alexandra Leal, host of Democracy Is, a podcast from California Common Cause. We discuss the importance of community in building confidence and overcoming public speaking fears. We also talk about the local resolution process and how it can be used to g...

Navigating the ups and downs of being a teenager is hard enough. Adding living with a stutter to the already existing anxieties and insecurities we go through can make things even more difficult.  Priya is a 17-year old living in Sydney, Australia. She is filling a much needed gap in the stuttering community: creating and sharing content around stuttering for her fellow teenagers who stutter from...

As a young child, Stevie Soul used his stutter to his strength when he started arranging repetitive sounds into beats and patterns. We talk to Stevie about his journey to becoming an Award-winning beatboxer and an independent, multimedia producer. I am joined by Andrew Menegat, a former teacher who is now working in EdTech. The guide for this episode, with resources, transcript, show notes, and mo...

Journalist John Hendrickson spent most of his life ignoring the elephant in the room, his stutter. We talk about what it was like going back in time, dating, and ask questions from Proud Stutter listeners. His upcoming memoir is Life On Delay: Making Peace With A Stutter. The guide for this episode, with resources, transcript, show notes, and more, can be found here:  www.proudstutter.com/proud-st...

Enjoy this sneak preview of my interview with John Hendrickson, author of  Life on Delay: Making Peace With a Stutter , coming January 2023 from Knopf. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/proud-stutter/exclusive-content Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

We can’t create sustainable change for the stuttering community without disrupting cultural norms around speech. The first step towards breaking down ableist systems is to identify them.  In this episode, we talk about disrupting ableism by discussing the many systems for which it appears. We also dissect a new term in the ever expanding stuttering vernacular: the non-standard voice.  Host: Maya C...

Having a stutter can be extremely frustrating and stressful, especially while at work. Stuttering as a Marine though might take the cake for the most stressful work environment. What was it like being a person who stutters in the military?  Brady Wilson, a Marine Veteran, is our guest and opens up about his experiences and how he coped with his stutter in stressful situations. Our guest co-host is...

Replacing words is common experience among people who stutter. What we find out in this episode is people in recovery may have similar experiences. Lupita Dorado just recently opened up about her stutter with her sister. We talk about what that experience has been like for their relationship. Other topics include filler words, stuttering as a woman in the professional setting, and interactions wit...

Josh Compton is a Professor of Speech at Dartmouth College. Joining me as this week’s co-host is Josel Gaston, host of Find Your Daily Calm Podcast. How did Josh end up teaching speech for a living? This is one of the many topics we get into about the intersections between stuttering and public speaking. Episode Overview [3:55- 6:52] Early Memories of Stuttering [6:52- 10:45] Covert stuttering [10...

DJ Portugal is a creative Chicano soul from South Central Los Angeles. His current job is a community organizer in Phoenix, AZ where he works towards environmental justice within the Latinx community. Joining me as this week’s co-host is Brenda Hernández Jaimes, founder of Ellas Media.  How does the Latino community approach stuttering? This is one of the central themes of our conversation. We als...

Gina Chin-Davis is a writer and filmmaker. Growing up with a stutter and being a bi-racial woman has influenced the kind of stories she wants to tell visually and on the page. Her first feature film, I Can’t Sleep, won several awards. Joining me as this week’s co-host is Stuart Schuffman (aka Broke-Ass Stuart), a writer, performer, TV host, and newspaper columnist. Episode Overview [2:54 - 4:04] P...

Dustin Wells drives the 5 Fulton bus route in San Francisco. He didn’t identify with being a stutterer until he heard about Proud Stutter on his local NPR station. The first part of the episode is Maya interviewing Dustin while riding on his bus route. The second part is a sit-down interview with Dustin. Our rotating co-host is Christin Evans, an advocate for San Francisco’s unhoused residents and...

Desiree Tracie Cole wanted to act ever since she first saw Annie . When she saw a post on Facebook looking for a young woman who stutters to play the lead character in an animated series, she jumped on the opportunity and landed the job. Joining me to talk to Desiree about her acting career and the animated series is Nicki Woodard, host of history podcast As The Money Burns.  Episode Overview [4:2...

Proud Stutter’s 1-year anniversary is right around the corner. I wanted to take this bonus episode to reflect on the first year, what’s ahead for the show, and share a couple of short stories from people who stutter. Show Notes Reflecting on almost 1 year of Proud Stutter National Stuttering Awareness Week Local Resolution Passes in San Francisco Youth Today OpEd San Diego Union-Tribune OpEd San F...

Maya speaks with Kyeli Eastland, an elementary school teacher who stutters. The co-host for this week is Melissa Herrera, host and producer of Mimosa Sisterhood, a history podcast that celebrates women’s stories, past and present. Episode Overview [3:37- 4:55] Being the new kid at school [5:10 - 6:40] Teaching virtually during the pandemic [6:40 - 8:41] How Did Kyeli become a teacher? [9:25 - 10:3...

Amanda Mammana’s America’s Got Talent audition put a national spotlight on stuttering. At first, I couldn’t understand why it made me feel so uncomfortable watching it. Shouldn’t I be happy for a fellow woman who stutters getting this opportunity? And then I read Courtney Margulis’ post. She put words into what I had been feeling while watching the video of the audition. In Season 2’s first bonus...

In our debut episode of Season 2, Maya speaks with the show's first Australian who stutters, Cameron Raynes, a lecturer at the University of South Australia. The co-host for this week is Dana Amihere, executive director of Afro LA, a community focused news outlet centering the black experience in and around greater LA. Also listen if you want to hear Maya try a British accent. Topics Covered S...

Intersectional identities overlap, connect, disconnect and can even attempt to cancel each other out. During a live interview at the National Stuttering Association's 39th Annual Conference in Newport Beach California, I talked with multiple people who stutter about their intersectional identities and how these different identities show up in their lives.  Interviewees include Christian, an As...

Maya’s dad is one of her biggest fans. He’s listened to every episode and now it’s time for his podcast debut. In this bonus episode, Maya talks to her dad, also known as “Aba,” about his experience moving to a country where he didn’t speak the language, what he’s learned from listening to Proud Stutter, and more! Mentions:  Proud Stutter S1, Ep12: A Teenager’s Journey to Finding Pride In HIs Stut...

It’s always National Stuttering Awareness Week with Proud Stutter. Maya highlights the festivities from NSAW for this bonus episode, including an edited version of the Creating Safe Spaces For People Who Stutter panel, featuring Mariam Elba , Mike Meaney , and Dr. Rick Herder .  Be sure to listen to the entire episode to find out about Season 2 - launch date and theme!  You can find everything we...