Tell Us Something

Jesse Ballard and her family are stranded in the Kenyan desert where they faced danger, dehydration, and exhaustion. Come along with Jesse on a wild adventure filled with unforgettable memories in a story she calls “The Best Walker”. 📷 kmr studios Jesse Ballard is a perinatal care coordinator who moonlights as an actor and a birth doula. She lives in Missoula with her husband, 2 kids and 2 cats....

In our first story, listen to James Crosby share his disastrous sailing camp experiences and life-changing moments as a lifeguard. James shares his journey of self-discovery and resilience and discovers how a seemingly simple act of kindness led him to find his true calling and inspire others along the way in a story he calls “Too Big to Sail”. 📷kmr studios The oldest and tallest among dozens of...

Michelle Reilly finds herself homeless in 10th grade in a challenge that begins a lifetime of challenges. After earning a PhD despite her alcohol use disorder, she struggles to overcome addiction and finds unexpected hope in an online ad. Sensitive listeners, please note that Michelle’s story contains mentions of suicidal thoughts and the her father contemplating suicide, which may be distressing...

In this episode of the Tell Us Something podcast, four storytellers share their true personal story on the theme “Going Home". Our stories today were recorded live in person in front of a packed house on June 11, 2024, as part of the opening Missoula Pride events. In our first story, Kiki Hubbard, her mother and her grandmother are on a plane returning back to the United States from former Yugosla...

What happens when the things we hold dear start to crumble?  Join us as our first storyteller faces a heartbreaking choice: let go of her family legacy or fight for a piece of the past while making a discovery about nonperminance in herself. And facing loss isn't just about places, our next storyteller defies death itself, a therapist grapples with a hidden truth while our final storyteller naviga...

A mother and daughter in Belize work together to navigate the challenges of entering the country with an expired passport, a determined diver confronts the depths of the ocean swimming against sudden swells and learns some harrowing news the next day when she returns to the water. An artist wrestles with self-doubt and the meaning of success. And a woman on a wilderness adventure faces a grizzly b...

Our first storyteller is Erin Scoles, a mother, who watches in shock as a terrifying avalanche buries her young son. Strangers and community come together in Missoula to save lives amid chaos. Erin calls her story “Found”. Erin Scoles is grateful to have lived such a full life. She’s given birth to 5 children, hitchhiked across the country, lived in a school bus before it was cool, endured huge lo...

In this episode of the podcast, a child, traveling alone, encounters hotel trouble, a young woman begins her healing journey thanks to a sexual assault victim's advocate, a woman recovering from open heart surgery finds respite with a gruff nurse and post-avalanche, Missoula unites. Four storytellers share their true personal stories on the theme “The Kindness of Strangers”. Their stories were rec...

Our first storyteller is Ben Catton, a tall man in Chile who tries to connect with a Deaf grandmother, culminating in the around a parakeet cage. Ben calls his story “Periquitos” 📷Donal Lakatua Ben Catton is Missoula born and raised but spent the majority of his adult life elsewhere, orbiting to Wyoming, Idaho, Wisconsin, Alaska, and Chile. In the midst of those orbits, he studied at the Universi...

Our first story comes to us from Chris Hallberg who shares his story in which Dr. Steve, an American doctor, gives a Salvadoran patient a pizza cutter as a gift. The patient returns with a plastic baggie full of poop and a neon orange pizza cutter inside. Chris calls his story Pizza Cutter Medicine”. 📷Donal Lakatua Chris Hallberg is a family medicine doctor who's worked with patients in rural Ala...

This episode of the podcast features an interview with Rick White who shared his story in front of a sold-out crowd live at The Wilma on December 10, 2019. It was the last in-person Tell Us Something event before COVID struck. The theme was "Tipping Point". When I talked with Rick, we talked about the story that he told at The Wilma, about podcasting, his writing, his artist residency, and about s...

This episode of the podcast features an interview with Rick White who shared his story in front of a sold-out crowd live at The Wilma on December 10, 2019. It was the last in-person Tell Us Something event before COVID struck. The theme was "Tipping Point". When I talked with Rick, we talked about the story that he told at The Wilma, about podcasting, his writing, his artist residency, and about s...

 Charlene Brett takes her 2 children and 2 golden retrievers into the backcountry for a backpacking weekend and survives a terrible overnight thunderstorm. Charlene calls her story “A Backcountry Weekend Adventure”. Charlene Brett is a K-5 teacher in the Bitterroot Valley and has been teaching music for 14 years.  She is a fan of the great outdoors and enjoys escaping into various high-mountain la...

Our first story comes to us from Stephen Tucker. Stephen Tucker accidentally learns who his favorite cat is when his apartment complex catches fire. Stephen calls his story Midnight Mayhem. Thanks for listening. Stephen Tucker is a third-grade teacher in the Bitterroot Valley with ten years of experience. As a teacher, he has a passion for science, technology, and coaching Lego Robotics. He is a l...

Our first story comes to us from Devin Carpenter, who shares a verbal love letter to his grandmother, who taught him to be a good neighbor and to be bold. He calls his story “Mimi on my Shoulder”. 📷kmr studio Devin Carpenter is a Cali-Rado-Tanan who has lived in Pennsylvania and New York and is joined tonight by his Mom, Patty, and his Dad, Jeff…who do not know he is about to tell this story. Gro...

For a High-Quality Version, CLICK HERE .   Our First story comes to us from  Katie Condon. Katie shares her story about an unlikely neighborly friendship. It's an ode to neighbors, to Fran the dog, and to the community. Katie calls her story "The Bologna House". Katie Condon 📷kmr studio Katie Condon is a humanitarian at heart. She believes in the connection of all things. Katie is a lover of art...

For a High-Quality Version, CLICK HERE .   Our First story comes to us from  Katie Condon. Katie shares her story about an unlikely neighborly friendship. It's an ode to neighbors, to Fran the dog, and to the community. Katie calls her story "The Bologna House". Katie Condon 📷kmr studio Katie Condon is a humanitarian at heart. She believes in the connection of all things. Katie is a lover of art...

Four storytellers share their true personal story on the theme “It’s the Little Things”. Their stories were recorded live in-person in front of a sold-out crowd on December 15, 2022 at The Wilma in Missoula, MT.

Four storytellers share their true personal story on the theme “It’s the Little Things”. Their stories were recorded live in-person in front of a sold-out crowd on December 15, 2022 at The Wilma in Missoula, MT.

This episode of the podcast was recorded in front of a live audience on July 8, 2010 at The PEAS Farm in Missoula, MT at an event that predates Tell Us Something. Missoula residents Jeremy N. Smith and Josh Slotnick hosted the event, which they called “Eat our Words”. 5 storytellers shared their true personal story on the theme “Leaving Home”. Jeremy Smith recently reached out to me because one of...

Tell Us Something Board member Jason Sloat recalls his impactful experience of visiting Missoula with a buddy and calling an old professor from a payphone - a phone call that changed his life trajectory.

Jason Forges, Tell Us Something storyteller alumni and Board member sits down with Sierra Tai-Brownlee to talk about his impactful experiences for her podcast "Impactful Experiences with Sierra Tai-Brownlee."