Truthfully, Tracy Podcast

Tracy Dando
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Mental Health
  • Updated Weekly

Truthfully, Tracy is a podcast about what it means to be human — in all its beautiful, messy, honest forms. Hosted by speaker and coach Tracy Dando, this show invites you into real conversations with real people about the stories that shape us — the ones we carry, question, heal from, and grow through. From solo episodes to deep, meaningful interviews with men and women from all walks of life, you’ll find connection, reflection, and a reminder that you’re never alone in what you’re feeling.

  1. Sep 28

    Ep 30 | Dr. Emad Rahim — One Last Chance

    Dr. Emad Rahim was born in a concentration camp in Cambodia. His father was killed there. His brother died of starvation. His mother escaped with him to a refugee camp, then to Brooklyn — into Sunset Park in the 1980s at the height of the crack epidemic — where Emad was shot in the leg as a child while playing with friends. Strangers from the neighborhood pooled money from their pockets and saved his life. His stepfather was abusive. He ran at 12 or 13 with $40 and was homeless in Syracuse. He stole cars to help his mother keep the lights on after she finally got the abuser out. A school counselor told him in 10th grade she couldn't see a path for him to graduate. And then a vice principal named Mr. Darnell pulled him into a hallway and said: meet me halfway. I will too. In this episode of Truthfully, Tracy, Emad shares his full story — the survival, the grief, the homeless nights behind the bushes of a church on James Street, the healing that came decades later through therapy after panic attacks finally forced him to stop and look in the mirror. He talks about the judge who caught him stealing a car and sent him to volunteer instead of juvenile detention. The comic book store owner on Salina Street who let a cold, bullied kid stay warm without ever asking for anything. The community that gave him second chances he had no reason to expect. And why he came back to Syracuse — because this city saved his life, and he intends to return the favor. This is what it looks like when someone refuses to let their beginning be their ending. 🎥 Watch the full episode on YouTube: [INSERT YOUTUBE LINK]🌐 EmadRahim.com | 📱 @dremadrahim 📸 @lovingmycompany | 🛋️ @kayleenspicer | Season sponsor: @tangosquared ✨ A huge thank you to our season sponsor Tangosquared — you make Truthfully, Tracy possible every single week! Truthfully, Tracy is a CNY podcast dedicated to real conversations with real people. New episodes every week.

  2. Sep 21

    Ep 29 | Bob Searing — You Can't Fake the Funk

    Bob Searing moved to Syracuse in 2006 for graduate school. He never left. And nine years into his role as Curator of History at the Onondaga Historical Association, his love for this city and its stories is still completely uncontrollable. In this episode of Truthfully, Tracy, Bob pulls on one of the most remarkable threads in CNY history — the story of Reverend Jermain Loguen, who escaped enslavement as a teenager from Tennessee and made his way to Syracuse, where he and his wife Caroline helped over 1,500 enslaved people reach freedom in Canada. Together with his compatriots, Loguen helped turn Syracuse into what became known as the Grand Central Depot of the Underground Railroad. We talk about the Jerry Rescue of 1851 — a major event in antebellum American history celebrating its 175th anniversary on October 1st — and the ways the parallels between that era and today are impossible to ignore. We also talk about the Onondaga Nation and the sacred history of this land, what it means to do public history in a way that actually reaches people, and Bob's own journey from would-be history professor to the city's most beloved storyteller. Plus Syracuse football, rock and roll, Buddhism, the universe, and why you absolutely cannot fake the funk. This one is a pure joy. 🎥 Watch the full episode on YouTube: [INSERT YOUTUBE LINK] 🌐 cnyhistry.org📱 @robertsearingsghost on Instagram📻 Repeating History podcast on WCNY 📸 Branding photos: @lovingmycompany🛋️ Set design & furniture: @kayleenspicer — everything on set is FOR SALE! Season sponsor — marketing: @tangosquared ✨ A huge thank you to our season sponsor Tangosquared — you make Truthfully, Tracy possible every single week! Truthfully, Tracy is a CNY podcast dedicated to real conversations with real people. New episodes every week.

  3. Sep 14

    Ep 28 | Barb Shepard — From Clinician to Advocate: PANS & PANDAS Movement in CNY

    Barb Shepard spent 16 years as a pediatric mental health counselor in Central New York — treating OCD and anxiety in hospitals, schools, foster care, and her own private practice. She thought she knew what she was walking into. And then PANS showed up in her own home. In this episode of Truthfully, Tracy, Barb breaks down exactly what PANS and PANDAS are — why a child can seem completely fine and then change overnight, why the medical community remains divided on the diagnosis, and what it costs families when the system doesn't have answers. She shares what she has built in response: a training for mental health counselors across New York State, legislative advocacy for insurance coverage and disability services for children with PANS, the first-ever parent-led PANS support group in CNY, and her work with the MIND Global Council. She also gets honest about her own OCD diagnosis — discovered in adulthood — and why so many helpers end up walking the same path as the people they set out to serve. PANS/PANDAS Awareness Day is October 9th at the National Grid Building and Salt City Collective in Syracuse. Come out and show up for these families. If you are a parent who has been told to wait and see — don't wait. 🧡 🎥 Watch the full episode on YouTube: [INSERT YOUTUBE LINK] 🌐 barbshepardcounseling.com | 📱 @anxietyOCDfamily🧡 CARE Loudly merch (100% to ASPIRE): etsy.com/shop/CareLoudlyUSResources: aspire.care | pandasnetwork.org | mindglobalcouncil.com 📸 Branding photos: @lovingmycompany🛋️ Set design & furniture: @kayleenspicer — everything on set is FOR SALE!Season sponsor — marketing: @tangosquared ✨ A huge thank you to our season sponsor Tangosquared — you make Truthfully, Tracy possible every single week! Truthfully, Tracy is a CNY podcast dedicated to real conversations with real people. New episodes every week.

  4. Sep 7

    Ep 27 | Leah Stiles — Battle Scars & Body Wars

    Leah Stiles served 20 years in the Navy with an eating disorder she had carried since she was 11 years old. She watched a gap in care exist, tried to ignore it, nearly lost her life trying to find help within it, and then decided if not her, then who. In this episode of Truthfully, Tracy, Leah — retired Navy Senior Chief, Syracuse University alum, and founder of SEA WAVES — opens up about what it means to carry something invisible through a culture that demands strength above all else. We talk about the military's weight standards and the perfect storm they create, the devastating overlap between eating disorders and military suicide, the 2023 law requiring eating disorder education for military leadership that still isn't being implemented, and her book Battle Scars and Body Wars — with a foreword by the legendary Carolyn Costin — which is already being used by therapists and treatment centers across the country. We also talk about the hallway at Syracuse University's IVMF where Leah and I met for the very first time, and the moment that changed everything. SEA WAVES stands for Support, Education, Awareness, Wellness, Advocacy, Validation, and Suicide Prevention. Every letter is a gap Leah is personally closing. Need a light? Be a light. 🎥 Watch the full episode on YouTube: [INSERT YOUTUBE LINK] 🌐 sea-waves.org📱 @seawavesinc📖 Battle Scars & Body Wars: a.co/d/08Fpx25o Also follow: @carolyncostin | @syracuseuniversity 📸 Branding photos: @lovingmycompany🛋️ Set design & furniture: @kayleenspicer — everything on set is FOR SALE!Season sponsor — marketing: @tangosquared ✨ A huge thank you to our season sponsor Tangosquared — you make Truthfully, Tracy possible every single week! Truthfully, Tracy is a CNY podcast dedicated to real conversations with real people. New episodes every week. ⚠️ This episode contains discussions of eating disorders, suicide, and trauma. Please listen with care.

  5. Aug 31

    Ep 26 | Tommy Lincoln — Stay Fresh: Building a Creative Legacy in Syracuse

    Tommy Lincoln didn't leave Syracuse when he could have. And everything about Stay Fresh is the reason why. Tommy is the founder and creative director of Stay Fresh — a design studio and art gallery on Syracuse's Near West Side that has quietly become one of the most important creative anchors in Central New York. He grew up here, skated these streets, snuck into swing nights at the Phantom Club, and absorbed the city's creative energy long before he started shaping it. From the branding and packaging for Beak & Skiff and 1911 Hard Cider to the visual identity for Ayrloom, Glazed & Confused, and Mayor Ben Walsh's campaign — Tommy has helped define what this city looks like. He's also built a gallery that hosts monthly shows, created the annual Chalk Jam, the Nickelodeon Tribute Show, and a December artist portrait exchange that brings the creative community together every year and regularly moves people to tears. But this conversation goes well beyond the portfolio. Tommy gets honest about imposter syndrome — the door that opens for every creative whether they admit it or not — and about the creative burnout he's been quietly navigating, what it took to finally admit it, and how therapy, rest, and a road trip across the country have all been part of finding his way through. He talks about why he stayed in Syracuse when leaving felt like the easier call, what the Near West Side arts corridor means for the future of the city, and what's coming next — an expanded gallery space that will bring workshops, local artists, and community energy under one roof. This one is for every creative who has ever wondered whether the work is worth it. It is. 🎥 Watch the full episode on YouTube: [INSERT YOUTUBE LINK] 📲 @stayfresh.design | @stayfresh.gallery | @designpackets | @saturdaydetentionradio🌐 stayfresh.design | stayfresh.gallery 📸 Branding photos: @lovingmycompany🛋️ Set design & furniture: @kayleenspicer — everything on set is FOR SALE!Season sponsor — marketing: @tangosquared ✨ A huge thank you to our season sponsor Tangosquared — you make Truthfully, Tracy possible every single week! Truthfully, Tracy is a CNY podcast dedicated to real conversations with real people. New episodes every week.

  6. Aug 24

    Ep 25 | Matt Reed — Spatchcock, Not Sanitized

    Matt Reed joins Truthfully, Tracy for a conversation about building a media brand from scratch, staying authentic on camera, and why "boring" content never wins. Matt is co-founder of Spatchcock Funk, a food and culture show airing on PBS Syracuse (now in Season 3, with Season 4 in the works), created alongside his creative partner Alex. We get into how the show's name came together, why every episode starts with a theme and a social justice message before the food ever gets picked, and how they've built a brand that's edgy, inclusive, and unapologetically itself. Matt and Tracy talk about the vulnerability behind creative work, learning from bad decisions instead of hiding from them, and why authenticity is the thing audiences actually stick around for. Matt opens up about his own growth, his marriage to Stephanie Crockett (CEO of MOA), and how having a genuinely supportive partner changes what you're able to build. We also get into the business side: what it's really like pitching sponsors, chasing viral moments that never go the way you expect, working with brands like Heirloom, and the mindset shift from Fans First by the founder of the Savannah Bananas. If you're into behind-the-scenes stories on content creation, podcasting, building a media company, marriage and partnership in business, personal growth, and staying real in a world of polished branding, this episode is for you. Topics covered: Spatchcock Funk origin story, PBS television production, building a media company, branding and authenticity, social justice in content creation, podcast growth and going viral, marriage and creative partnership, Stephanie Crockett and MOA, personal growth from past mistakes, Fans First and the Savannah Bananas, sponsorship and advertising in content, Central New York media.

  7. Aug 17

    Ep 24 | Emily Gozy — Nourished, Not Perfect

    Emily Gozy has spent her career helping people stop fighting their food — and start trusting themselves around it. As a Registered Dietitian, Founder and CEO of Nourished with Emily, and 2022 Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year, Emily's approach lives entirely in the gray area. No rigid rules. No guilt. No impossible standards of perfection. In this episode she walks us through her PCC framework — Protein, Carbohydrates, and Color — a simple, practical tool for building balanced meals that works in real life. She talks about why consistency will always beat perfection, why convenience foods are nothing to be ashamed of, and why her ultimate goal is to make herself unnecessary — giving every client the tools to become their own dietitian for life. She also gets honest about disordered eating, something she says touches the vast majority of people, often rooted in societal pressure, family conditioning, or trauma, and what it really takes to slow down and reconnect with your body's own hunger and fullness cues. Plus a look at her growing corporate wellness work and why workplaces are finally paying attention to nutrition. Practical, freeing, and full of permission to just eat the food. 🎥 Watch the full episode on YouTube: 📲 @nourishedwithemily 📸 Branding photos: @lovingmycompany🛋️ Set design & furniture: @kayleenspicer — everything on set is FOR SALE!🎨 Marketing & logo: @tangosquared ✨ A huge thank you to our official sponsor Tangosquared — you make Truthfully, Tracy possible every single week! Truthfully, Tracy is a CNY podcast dedicated to real conversations with real people. New episodes every week.

  8. Aug 10

    Ep 23 | Andrew Lunetta — A Tiny Home for Good: Housing, Hope & the Long Game

    Andrew Lunetta wasn't a developer or a housing expert when he started A Tiny Home for Good in 2014. He was a 24-year-old who had spent years working in Syracuse homeless shelters and couldn't stop thinking about a better way. The answer he landed on was simple and radical at the same time: build real homes, on permanent foundations, with no roommates, no time limits, and a landlord who actually cares. Then stay. Keep showing up. Do the case management. Navigate the crises. Celebrate the small wins. In this episode, Andrew walks us through what that model looks like in practice — 47 occupied units, a 92% year-over-year tenant retention rate, 22 more fully funded units on the way, and a weekly Tuesday morning neighborhood walk open to anyone who wants to be part of the community. He talks about why getting someone housed is just the beginning, and why the slow, careful, consistent work that comes after is where the real change happens. Andrew was recently named a CNN Hero — and after hearing this conversation, you'll understand exactly why. 🌐 atinyhomeforgood.org🎥 Watch the full episode on YouTube: [INSERT YOUTUBE LINK] 📲 [INSERT ANDREW'S HANDLE] 📸 Branding photos: @lovingmycompany🛋️ Set design & furniture: @kayleenspicer — everything on set is FOR SALE!🎨 Marketing & logo: @tangosquared ✨ A huge thank you to our official sponsor Tangosquared — you make Truthfully, Tracy possible every single week! Truthfully, Tracy is a CNY podcast dedicated to real conversations with real people. New episodes every week.

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Truthfully, Tracy is a podcast about what it means to be human — in all its beautiful, messy, honest forms. Hosted by speaker and coach Tracy Dando, this show invites you into real conversations with real people about the stories that shape us — the ones we carry, question, heal from, and grow through. From solo episodes to deep, meaningful interviews with men and women from all walks of life, you’ll find connection, reflection, and a reminder that you’re never alone in what you’re feeling.

Information

  • Creator
    Tracy Dando
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    30
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Tracy Dando
  • Show Website
    Truthfully, Tracy Podcast

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