Tell Me What It's Like

Stacy Raine
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Have you ever wished for a window into someone else’s world? Tell Me What It’s Like is a podcast about lived experience — the experiences that challenge us, surprise us, and shape how we see the world. Host Stacy Raine sits down with people to explore what it was like to live through them, and how those experiences changed their perspective.

  1. Scaling Social Impact: Suzanne Smith on Helping Organizations Create Change

    4H AGO

    Scaling Social Impact: Suzanne Smith on Helping Organizations Create Change

    Suzanne Smith has spent her career working with nonprofits and has witnessed a reality many people outside the field don’t see: solving big social problems requires more than passion and good intentions. It requires organizations strong enough to grow and build long-term sustainability. In this episode, Suzanne shares what it’s like to work in the social impact world, and what she’s learned from working with organizations trying to turn big ideas for change into lasting results and stronger communities. "One of the things I saw was the fact that the issues were scaling, but the organizations were not scaling along with them."Hear Suzanne talk about:Growing up in a family that talked about social issues at the dinner tableHer early career working in lobbying and the nonprofit sectorWhy many nonprofits struggle to scale their impactThe intersection of nonprofit, business, and government in creating changeWhy she believes social change work is a calling, not just a job Mentioned in this episode:Social Impact ArchitectsSuzanne Smith’s Substack blog, Social Trendspotter Support This Show: Follow Tell Me What It’s Like in your favorite podcast appLeave a rating & review — it helps others find the showShare the episode and tag @RaineMediaCo on social media

    42 min
  2. 22 Days in a Buddhist Monastery: Clarity That Comes From Silence

    MAR 4

    22 Days in a Buddhist Monastery: Clarity That Comes From Silence

    When Laurie Jacobson was 43, she found herself in a deeply unhappy marriage and increasingly isolated and depressed. After years of trying conventional therapies and self-help approaches without relief, she made a decision that felt radical at the time: she signed up for a silent retreat at a Buddhist monastery she’d discovered through a pamphlet in a coffee shop. Over the next 22 days of meditation and silence, Laurie experienced a profound shift in perspective that helped her see her life differently, and ultimately gave her the clarity she needed to make a difficult life decision. "Don't be afraid to step outside your comfort zone, because sometimes it takes stepping outside your comfort zone to find a better place."Hear Laurie talk about:What daily life was like during a silent meditation retreatWhy she decided to go to a Buddhist monastery after trying many other forms of helpThe surprising mental clarity that can come from long periods of silence and meditationHow the experience changed the way she saw her marriage and gave her the strength to leave itThe lessons she carried forward about openness, desire, and letting go Mentioned in this episode: Theravada BuddhismLaurie's book, Unexpected Awakening: 22 Days at a Buddhist Monastery Freed Me from Abuse Support This Show: Follow Tell Me What It’s Like in your favorite podcast appLeave a rating & review — it helps others find the showShare the episode and tag @RaineMediaCo on social media

    51 min
  3. Parenting Tween Girls: Christina King on the Teenage Brain

    FEB 25

    Parenting Tween Girls: Christina King on the Teenage Brain

    As a teenager, Christina King looked like she was doing everything right — she had good grades, played sports, took advanced classes. But when her mom paused during an argument and asked, “Are you happy?” it changed the course of her life. Today, Christina is a therapist specializing in tween and teen girls, and she shares what’s really happening in the teenage brain, why emotional ups and downs are often developmentally normal, and how parents can stay connected during one of the most intense seasons of growing up. "I say with teens that sometimes it's like all gas, no brakes."Note: This episode is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice. It includes discussion of teen mental health, including self-harm, in the context of helping parents understand and respond. Hear Christina talk about:The question that led her to therapy as a teenWhat "all gas, no brakes" means for the adolescent brainWhy emotional volatility can be a healthy signTween girl friendship dynamics and indirect aggressionSocial media, comparison culture, and feeling left outThe difference between venting mode and problem-solving modeWhy parents should depersonalize their teen's emotions Mentioned in this episode:Christina King Family TherapyFind Christina on InstagramInside Out 2 (when discussing adolescent emotions) Support This Show: Follow Tell Me What It’s Like in your favorite podcast appLeave a rating & review — it helps others find the showShare the episode and tag @RaineMediaCo on social media

    53 min
  4. Unexpected Pregnancy at 21: Finding a Safety Net with Kristen Mardis

    FEB 18

    Unexpected Pregnancy at 21: Finding a Safety Net with Kristen Mardis

    Kristen Mardis was 21 years old, fresh out of college, and had just been accepted into graduate school when she found out she was pregnant. With no financial safety net and no health insurance, she had to quickly figure out how she would care for a baby while still pursuing her dream of becoming a speech pathologist. In this episode, Kristen shares what it was like to navigate Medicaid, SNAP benefits, and childcare assistance — and how those programs gave her the foundation she needed to build the life she has today. “None of that would have happened without those programs.”Hear Kristen talk about:Finding out she was pregnant just weeks after being accepted into graduate schoolHow Medicaid and SNAP helped her access prenatal care and feed her babyNavigating childcare assistance so she could finish her master’s degreeThe stigma around government assistance — and the dignity everyone deservesHow her experience shaped the way she now serves families in her work as a speech pathologist Mentioned in this episode:SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program)MedicaidChildcare assistance programs Support This Show: Follow Tell Me What It’s Like in your favorite podcast appLeave a rating & review — it helps others find the showShare the episode and tag @RaineMediaCo on social media

    39 min
  5. Behind the Scenes of News and Life: Carol Lin on Reporting History

    FEB 18

    Behind the Scenes of News and Life: Carol Lin on Reporting History

    Carol Lin spent her career inside newsrooms built for breaking news. She covered some of the most difficult moments in recent history, including being the first person to report the attacks on September 11. In this conversation, she reflects on her career in journalism and the behind-the-scenes moments that shaped her life. She also discusses what it was like to revisit those experiences while writing her memoir. "And then I hear the music, the breaking news animation comes up and we are live."Hear Carol talk about: What it’s like inside a newsroom built for breaking newsThe moment she realized she was going live on September 11 without a scriptHow anchors rely on producers, reporters, and unseen teams during national crisesThe emotional discipline required to deliver information in uncertain momentsThe intersection of her career with major personal turning pointsWhy writing her memoir required revisiting both professional and private painWhat she hopes readers — and her daughter — take away from her story Mentioned in this episode: The first moments reporting 9/11 (viewer discretion advised)Carol Lin’s memoir, When News Breaks Support This Show: Follow Tell Me What It’s Like in your favorite podcast appLeave a rating & review — it helps others find the showShare the episode and tag @RaineMediaCo on social media

    42 min
  6. Season 2 Trailer: Tell Me What It’s Like

    SEASON 2 TRAILER

    Season 2 Trailer: Tell Me What It’s Like

    What’s it like to spend weeks inside a monastery in complete silence? What’s it like to find out you’re pregnant with no idea how you’re going to support yourself? And what’s it like to be the first person to tell the world a plane has just hit the World Trade Center? Season two of Tell Me What It’s Like gives you a window into someone else’s world - the moments that challenge us, scare us, and shape who we become. Join host Stacy Raine as she uncovers what each experience was like, and the lessons learned along the way. Coming in Season 2:Breaking historic news and facing profound lossA silent retreat inside a monastery, and what happens when the outside world falls awayNavigating unexpected pregnancy without a safety netHelping nonprofits do meaningful work in complex systemsMaking sense of Medicare and aging in a system few people truly understandSupporting girls in their tween and teen yearsFinding connection, confidence, and love again later in life Season two of Tell Me What It’s Like is coming soon. Support This Show: Follow Tell Me What It’s Like in your favorite podcast appLeave a rating & review — it helps others find the showShare the episode and tag @RaineMediaCo on social media

    1 min
  7. What’s Your Favorite Holiday Tradition? Season 1 Guests Share

    12/18/2025 · BONUS

    What’s Your Favorite Holiday Tradition? Season 1 Guests Share

    As the year comes to a close, guests from Season 1 of Tell Me What It’s Like share the holiday traditions that matter most to them. From longtime family rituals to traditions shaped by loss, life season, culture, and even wildlife, this bonus episode reflects on how traditions evolve and how new ones are created along the way. Season 1 Guests Featured in this Episode:Keri NelsonMorton BarlazAlexis BrozBill HoranRich "Big Daddy" SalgadoCarol HoenigLinda StraderSarah Teresinski Mentioned in this episode:Midwinter DayFeast of the Seven FishesCardinali Bakery, Carle Place, NY Support This Show: Follow Tell Me What It’s Like in your favorite podcast appLeave a rating & review — it helps others find the showShare the episode and tag @RaineMediaCo on social media

    25 min
  8. Sustainable Style: Sarah Teresinski on Upcycling for Stylish Home Decor

    11/05/2025

    Sustainable Style: Sarah Teresinski on Upcycling for Stylish Home Decor

    When Sarah Teresinski was a single mom, she couldn’t afford the beautiful little dresses she saw in stores for her daughter. So she decided to teach herself how to sew. That simple decision sparked a movement — and eventually, Redeux Style, where Sarah transforms old, unused items into something new and beautiful. Today, she helps people see the potential in what they already have or what they might find at the thrift stores — proving that sustainable can be stylish too. “If everyone who follows me did just one upcycle a year, we could keep 60,000 pounds of waste out of landfills — that’s 5,600 garbage trucks saved.” Hear Sarah talk about: How teaching herself to sew turned into a full-time creative businessWhat it was like to face criticism early on — and why it fueled her missionThe difference between fast fashion, fast furniture, and true sustainable styleHer viral ceiling fan upcycle that caught the attention of The Drew Barrymore Show and Architectural DigestHow small, beautiful changes can make a big impact — for your home and the planet Mentioned in this episode: Find Sarah on TikTok, Instagram, and FacebookSee Sarah's appearance on The Drew Barrymore ShowUnited Nations Fashion & Lifestyle NetworkSarah's placemat upcycleSarah's fan blade upcycleFire starter upcycle15 ways to use silica packetsOrganizing a pantry on a budgetSarah's friend Dan the Organizer Man Support This Show: Follow Tell Me What It’s Like in your favorite podcast appLeave a rating & review — it helps others find the showShare the episode and tag @RaineMediaCo on social media

    42 min
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About

Have you ever wished for a window into someone else’s world? Tell Me What It’s Like is a podcast about lived experience — the experiences that challenge us, surprise us, and shape how we see the world. Host Stacy Raine sits down with people to explore what it was like to live through them, and how those experiences changed their perspective.

Information

  • Creator
    Stacy Raine
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    33
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Stacy Raine
  • Show Website
    Tell Me What It's Like