The Stuttering Springboard

Meet Megan Lynch, a young speech and language pathology graduate student. In this deeply person podcast, Megan tells her story of growing up as a person who stutters and her decision to become an SLP.   She shares how she uses mindfulness techniques in the moments when she awaiting her turn to speak. Megan also shares the speech trauma she experienced as a middle school student and even a few year...

Meet Vince Vawter, renowned author, former newspaper editor and a person who stutters. In this podcast Vince shares his wisdom from his lifelong journey as a person who stutters, much of which he captures in his four books, starting with Paperboy, the story of an 11 year old paperboy and his challenges as a boy who stutters.  This podcast dives deep into his  most recent book: The Stuttering Stoic...

Meet Luke McCann, a Vice President at Valuation Research Corporation and a person who stutters. Luke performs a wide range of financial advisory work in the business valuation sector. In this educational, high energy and yes, at times emotional (that's Brian!) podcast, Luke shapes how: He moved from just focusing on tools to focusing on tools and acceptance.  His powerful experience working with h...

This podcast covers so much ground from being a covert stutterer in high school and starting therapy for the first time, to becoming an SLP who stutters and leading  Friends, The National Association of Young People Who Stutter. This podcast is for people who stutter, parents of kids who stutter and all friends of people who stutter.  It takes a deep look at the mind of a person who stutters and w...

Meet Tim Fox, a highly successful insurance professional who stutters. Tim shares his journey as a person who stutters, from "round robin reading" to a highly important business presentation.  Tim has learned to manage his stutter well, but he also shares that at times, "it's everything".  Tim and Brian explore life as a "covert" stutterer"...  hiding it at all costs.  They talk about the importan...

In this episode, the fathers of two young men who stutter, Bob Rafferty and Dan Quinn, discuss their sons' experiences and resilience in managing their speech challenges. Brian Nolan, also a father of two sons who stutter, shares his own journey as a parent and a lifelong stutterer, and why he became an advocate later in life. What's extra special here is that Bob and Dan are the fathers of Kevin...

Welcome back Kevin.  Since we last spoke Kevin's career has taken off, both in the profit and nonprofit world. In business, Kevin's journey as a wealth manager with GVA Wealth Management has taken off.  Brian now uses Kevin as well and says that "nobody will work harder for you than Kevin".  In the nonprofit world, Kevin is the Treasurer of The Stuttering Springboard, the new organization that was...

There is a lot of silence around stuttering. Many of us who stutter spent years running from it and doing everything possible to hide it…  to “not be found out”.  It was the stigma, how people think about people who stutter, that forced us into hiding.  So, we don’t talk, we switch words and avoidance becomes our operating system.  With some of us, like Pat Festa, our guest today, the light bulb g...

Meet Aidan Marchall-Cort: Co-Chapter Leader of the National Stuttering Association's DC Chapter and the Young Adult Committee Chair for the entire organization. Aidan is also founder of the support group/interview series called Manifest - a community and space for black men who stutter. This is a podcast that should provide hope for all young people who stutter as Aiden is proudly leading the way...

U.S. and Irish participants unite in Ireland for cultural immersion, leadership training, and a celebration of stuttering pride. The inaugural Clonakilty Stuttering Leadership Exchange brought together 17 young adults who stutter from the United States and Ireland for a groundbreaking program promoting personal growth, acceptance, and leadership development. From August 1–8, 2025 , participants tr...

Meet Jake Sniras, a recent graduate of Garnet Valley High School in Glen Mills, PA and incoming Freshman at Wilkes College. Jake was the leading boys scorer in Basketball at Garnet Valley and will be joining the Wilkes College basketball team. Brian had the privilege of recently traveling to Ireland with Jake as part of the Clonakilty Stuttering Leadership Exchange. This podcast spans two timefram...

Kyle Pelkey is a Speech and language pathologist at the Chmela Communication Center in Illinois.  Kyle is also a person who stutters. In this deeply educational podcast, Kyle joins the Stuttering Springboard Career Peer Group to talk about how the brain governs our reaction to our stutter. In technical terms, it’s the neuroscience behind emotional reactivity (ie: stress responses).  The group disc...

William (Bill) Peters is a Denver-based writer, father, and advocate whose life has been shaped by the quiet, persistent challenge of stuttering. A lifelong stutterer himself, William understands the deep emotional terrain of being misunderstood-not for what one thinks, but for how one speaks. This silent struggle, paired with experiences of depression and PTSD, has only fueled his resilience and...

Meet Robert O'Brien; author, speaker and trainer from Dublin, Ireland.  Robert is  a person who stutters and is gay. Robert spent many years learning to accept and love himself. By embracing his speech and sexuality with the help of amazing people and communities, he began to find peace, and direction in his life. Robert describes this journey in his book ‘Just One More Drive' the true story of a...

Alex Koenig’s approach to his stutter is to face it head on.  He has purposely taken on bold roles in his young career to get in the reps and get his stutter out of his head. From door to door sales to selling on a floor with many other sales reps in ear shot, he has learned that being a covert stutter is not an option if you’re ambitious.   Alex says, “being covert now is out of the question”.  A...

Get ready for a different approach to speech therapy for people who stutter. In this podcast Jack takes on a journey and shows us how improv and Shakespeare can shed fear and help people who stutter find their voice. Jack and Brian explore the sound of a stutter and encourage people who stutter to “stay in the pocket” and embrace it. More about Jack Henderson: Jack Henderson is the founder of Hend...

Julia Unger and Steve Hoff are the  founders of Invivo Institute: Invivo provides Teletherapy for speech and language disorders and clinical education for graduate students and professionals. They help our clients become more empowered, feel happier and thrive in all areas of life.   They also enable colleges and universities across the nation to offer students virtual clinical education and train...

It's been three years since Brian Nolan and Joe Donaher started the Nolan Stuttering Foundation and Stuttering Springboard podcast. In this short podcast Brian shares details on two exciting programs::  The Career Peer Group and The Clonakilty Stuttering Leadership Exchange.  It's a great little clip on how we're making a difference!  Take a listen!

Meet Daniele Rossi: Author and illustrator by night, UX Designer and Digital Strategist by day and the creator of @heyfrankybanky comics. If you were to express your stutter as a picture, what would it look like?  Daniele, a person who stutters from Toronto Canada, is using his creativity and art skills to help young people who stutter look at their stutter differently. He runs workshops where peo...

Dr. Farzan Irani is a professor and chair of the Department of Communication Disorders at Texas State University and a leading thinker in stuttering therapy. This podcast takes twists and turns.  Farzan was originally invited as a podcast guest on the Springboard to share his results of a study on how sleep efficiency impacts people who stutter.  We cover that and a lot more! Great podcasts often...

Dr. Michael Azios is an associate professor at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, in the Department of Communicative Disorders.  He is a speech and language pathologist, training future SLPs  and working with groups of people who stutter. In this vulnerable and authentic podcast, Michael shares his journey as a younger person who stuttered and his incredible transformation and courage to us...

Please join me in listening to this very emotional, educational and authentic podcast on what it's like to be a person who stutters in the dating world....  and what it's like to date a person who stutters.  Our very own Jack Nolan and his wonderful girlfriend, Arianna Einsig, share their experience in meeting each other, learning about each other and accepting each other for who they are.

Meet Andrew Snedeker, Kavin Rafferty and Conor Quinn, three young adults who stutter who boldly and bravely gave speeches at the recent Stuttering Springboard Fundraiser. Listen as our podcast guests share their approaches to preparing for the speech and getting up the courage to speak to a large audience about their journey.  The fundraiser event  on November 21st was very special in that many of...

Today, October 22, 2024, leaders from Ireland and the United States gathered to recognize the significance of international Stuttering Awareness Day, a day that reminds us of the profound impact stuttering can have on individuals, and families. Stuttering affects millions, transcending borders, cultures, and ages. Awareness is the first step toward understanding. By observing this day, we foster a...

Jason Heffler is a musician and author whose stories help young readers overcome speech disorders and fears around speaking. Drawing from his own childhood experiences growing up with a stutter, he writes uplifting tales that build confidence in kids who lack self-esteem. As a child, Heffler was cruelly bullied for his stutter, knocking his self-acceptance, but he eventually decided to "own" it ra...