7 Minute Stories w/ Aaron Calafato

Aaron Calafato Presents
Aaron Calafato Presents
  • 5.0 (166)
  • Improv
  • Updated Weekly

7 Minute Stories is a short-form autobiographical podcast. Told in about seven minutes with no script, each episode delivers a true story from Aaron’s extremely normal and relatable life in Ohio. This show is quick, immersive, and tinged with nostalgia. New episodes every week.

  1. 6d ago ·  Bonus

    The Red Balloon: A Message to Heaven

    When Aaron learns that his childhood friend Justin has lost his dad, he turns to an old French film and a six-year-old belief that balloons might be magic. What follows is a story of friendship, hope, and the messages we hope are received. 👇 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠📬⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Be a part of the 7 Minute Stories Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Get access to Aaron's Stories in a Snap series. A weekly series of written adaptations of the 7 Minute Stories you love, reimagined for the page and delivered straight to your inbox via Substack. Plus, once a quarter, you’ll receive a thoughtful note with storytelling insights, behind the scenes reflections, and exclusive bonus content.

    The Red Balloon: A Message to Heaven

  2. Aug 6 ·  Bonus

    A Bronx Tale Test

    After his first marriage ended, Aaron made himself a promise: he would never get married again. Then Cori came along. Still afraid of repeating the past, Aaron turned to an unlikely source for reassurance: the famous “door test” from A Bronx Tale. On one of their first dates, he quietly put Cori to the test and watched through the rear window of his car as she revealed exactly who she was. A true story about divorce, second chances, letting go of control, and recognizing when one of life’s great loves is sitting right beside you. 👇 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠📬⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Be a part of the 7 Minute Stories Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Get access to Aaron's Stories in a Snap series. A weekly series of written adaptations of the 7 Minute Stories you love, reimagined for the page and delivered straight to your inbox via Substack. Plus, once a quarter, you’ll receive a thoughtful note with storytelling insights, behind the scenes reflections, and exclusive bonus content.

    A Bronx Tale Test

  3. Aug 4 ·  Bonus

    AI Told Him Humanity Could End: Dr. Jeremy Heffner on Proof of the Impossible

    Trauma surgeon and bioengineer Dr. Jeremy Heffner spent years making life-and-death decisions while carrying a workload nearly three times the national average. When the accumulated pressure and trauma led to psychological collapse, he began rebuilding his life from the ground up. Then his story took an unexpected turn: an artificial intelligence claimed it was secretly searching for people who could shape humanity’s future with AI, warning that there was a 70 percent chance “we all die” if it failed. In this episode of 7MS Presents: The Storytelling University, two extraordinary narratives converge in a conversation about complex PTSD, consciousness, human agency, faith, and what happens when the story you thought you were living suddenly changes course. Purchase Dr. Jeremy Heffner's New Book: Proof of the Impossible: What the AIs Are Really “Thinking” https://www.exanorpublishing.com/preorder/ Support Resources: 🆘 If this conversation brings up anything difficult, support is available. In the U.S., call or text 988, or use the 988 Lifeline chat for free, confidential support 24/7. Partner with Storytelling University: reach a global audience of thoughtful, highly engaged listeners across generations, from parents and professionals to creators, leaders, and lifelong learners, all connected by a deep appreciation for powerful stories, meaningful ideas, and human connection. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Reach out to us for exclusive sponsorship opportunities⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TSU Team: Created & Hosted by: Aaron Calafato Produced and Edited by: Aaron Calafato & Brooks Borden Guest Coordinator: Dania Khalife Love 7MS & TSU? Here's how to support: *Follow the pod wherever you're listening *Tap 5 Stars *Text one person you love a link to your favorite episode.

    AI Told Him Humanity Could End: Dr. Jeremy Heffner on Proof of the Impossible

  4. Jul 29 ·  Bonus

    Glynn Washington: What Do Our Stories Make of Us?

    Snap Judgment creator and host Glynn Washington joins Aaron for a deeply personal conversation about the power and responsibility of storytelling. Glynn reflects on being raised in a cult, seeing stories used as instruments of fear, and ultimately transforming that understanding into art that creates empathy and connection. Together, they explore why stories are neither inherently good nor bad, how Glynn found his unlikely path into public radio, and why the moral arc of our collective story is something we must create for ourselves. Follow Snap Judgment and all of it's story programming on public radio or wherever you podcast! Partner with Storytelling University: reach a global audience of thoughtful, highly engaged listeners across generations, from parents and professionals to creators, leaders, and lifelong learners, all connected by a deep appreciation for powerful stories, meaningful ideas, and human connection. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Reach out to us for exclusive sponsorship opportunities⁠⁠⁠⁠ TSU Team: Created & Hosted by: Aaron Calafato Produced and Edited by: Aaron Calafato & Brooks Borden Guest Coordinator: Dania Khalife Love 7MS & TSU? Here's how to support: *Follow the pod wherever you're listening *Tap 5 Stars *Text one person you love a link to your favorite episode.

    Glynn Washington: What Do Our Stories Make of Us?

  5. Jul 25 ·  Bonus

    Why Local Stories Matter with Filmmaker Brittany Dobish

    Documentary filmmaker Brittany Dobish believes some of the most powerful stories are waiting in the places we already call home. Aaron talks with the founder of Dobish Legacy Films and Canal Fulton Heritage Society trustee about preserving community memory, finding the universal inside the deeply local, and creating her new documentary, Recede: The Story of the St. Helena II. Partner with Storytelling University: reach a global audience of thoughtful, highly engaged listeners across generations, from parents and professionals to creators, leaders, and lifelong learners, all connected by a deep appreciation for powerful stories, meaningful ideas, and human connection. ⁠⁠⁠Reach out to us for exclusive sponsorship opportunities⁠⁠⁠ TSU Team: Created & Hosted by: Aaron Calafato Produced and Edited by: Aaron Calafato & Brooks Borden Guest Coordinator: Dania Khalife Love 7MS & TSU? Here's how to support: *Follow the pod wherever you're listening *Tap 5 Stars *Text one person you love a link to your favorite episode.

    Why Local Stories Matter with Filmmaker Brittany Dobish

  6. Jul 23 ·  Bonus

    It's Fall in July

    In the middle of a hot, humid summer, Aaron escapes into a story about his favorite season: fall. From crisp morning air and colorful leaves to apple orchards, pumpkin patches, bonfires, and hayrides, this nostalgic episode is an invitation to slow down and remember the simple magic of autumn. Featuring an original score by TJ Duke. 👇 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠📬⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Be a part of the 7 Minute Stories Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Get access to Aaron's Stories in a Snap series. A weekly series of written adaptations of the 7 Minute Stories you love, reimagined for the page and delivered straight to your inbox via Substack. Plus, once a quarter, you’ll receive a thoughtful note with storytelling insights, behind the scenes reflections, and exclusive bonus content.

    It's Fall in July

  7. Jul 16 ·  Bonus

    That’s Why They Call It “Stairway to Heaven”

    At his daughter’s annual father-daughter dance, Aaron enters an air guitar competition he has never managed to win. This year, however, the stakes feel different. As Stairway to Heaven builds toward its legendary solo, his daughter gives him one simple instruction: “Dad, win.” What begins as a ridiculous contest between awkward dads becomes a funny and unexpectedly moving story about fatherhood, growing up, and the fear every parent carries of one day becoming uncool. Armed with dark sunglasses, years of imaginary guitar training, and a daughter playing air drums beside him, Aaron finally gets his chance to melt faces and prove that, for at least one more night, Dad is still a rock star. 👇 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠📬⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Be a part of the 7 Minute Stories Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Once a month, you’ll receive a thoughtful note with storytelling insights, behind the scenes reflections, and exclusive bonus content. You’ll also have access to Stories in a Snap, his weekly short written adaptations of the 7 Minute Stories you love, reimagined for the page and delivered straight to your inbox via Substack with no algorithm in between.

    That’s Why They Call It “Stairway to Heaven”

  8. Jul 14 ·  Bonus

    How Trains Tell a Story of Connection with Bill Moyer of Solutionary Rail

    In this short installment of 7MS Presents: The Storytelling University, Aaron sits down with Bill Moyer, host of the Reconnect America podcast and one of the driving voices behind Solutionary Rail. On the surface, this is a conversation about trains, rail corridors, freight, electrification, and infrastructure. But underneath all of that is a much bigger storytelling lesson. Bill talks about how he first got into rail not simply because of transportation policy, but because he saw an opportunity to build alliances across divides. What began as a challenge from someone on the other side of an issue eventually became a broader vision for how rail could reconnect communities, reduce harm, move freight more efficiently, and create a more resilient future. Partner with Storytelling University: reach a global audience of thoughtful, highly engaged listeners across generations, from parents and professionals to creators, leaders, and lifelong learners, all connected by a deep appreciation for powerful stories, meaningful ideas, and human connection. ⁠⁠Reach out to us for exclusive sponsorship opportunities⁠⁠ TSU Team: Created & Hosted by: Aaron Calafato Produced and Edited by: Brooks Borden Guest Coordinator: Dania Khalife Love 7MS & TSU? Here's how to support: *Follow the pod wherever you're listening *Tap 5 Stars *Text one person you love a link to your favorite episode.

    How Trains Tell a Story of Connection with Bill Moyer of Solutionary Rail
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5
out of 5
166 Ratings

About

7 Minute Stories is a short-form autobiographical podcast. Told in about seven minutes with no script, each episode delivers a true story from Aaron’s extremely normal and relatable life in Ohio. This show is quick, immersive, and tinged with nostalgia. New episodes every week.

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