Story Sessions™: Where Your Story Matters

Laura Lyn Donahue

Story Sessions™: Where Your Story Matters is a podcast centered on lived experience and meaningful conversation. Previously published as In the Margins, the show now lives under the Story Sessions™ name—reflecting a clearer focus on intentional storytelling, personal insight, and the human experience beneath the surface. Each episode invites listeners into thoughtful dialogue where stories are honored, explored, and held with care.

  1. 1d ago

    Encore Episode: The Other Side of the Mirror

    This episode is a deeply personal reflection on one woman’s experience witnessing her daughter’s wedding dress journey, and how it illuminated her own transitions, mortality, and growth. It’s a raw, honest look at how we change as we watch others step into new chapters of life—and how those moments shape us for the future. In this episode:The emotional power of shopping for a wedding dress and the symbolism of generational heritageThe moment of realization, watching her daughter try on dresses, and seeing herself in herThe transformation from bride to mother of the bride and the shift in identityReflections on mortality, approaching 57, and the fleeting nature of timeThe significance of doors opening and closing in life’s ongoing storiesHow watching loved ones change can help us define who we are going forwardThe importance of sharing your own stories and reflections to foster connection and growthTimestamps: 00:00 - Opening and personal context of the episode 01:25 - The significance of sharing stories and life lessons 02:11 - A trip to Florida to help find her daughter’s wedding dress 03:52 - Exploring generational heirlooms and nostalgia in wedding dresses 04:40 - The emotional experience in the dress shops and expressing self 05:34 - Watching her daughter in the wedding dress, feeling her transformation 06:47 - The mirror moment and recognizing her own past as a bride 08:14 - Transitioning from the bride to the mother of the bride 09:05 - Contemplating mortality and the passing of time 10:34 - Facing the reality of aging and new roles 11:18 - The metaphor of doors opening and closing in life 12:21 - Reflecting on witnessing loved ones begin new chapters 13:53 - How stories evolve and our lives are forever intertwined with change 14:49 - Inviting listeners to reflect on their own transformational moments 15:34 - An open call for stories and reflections from the audience 16:51 - Expressing gratitude and encouraging sharing and community 17:21 - Final encouragement: Your story matters Resources & Links:StorySessions.live — Join the community and explore more episodesBook: Who Do You Think You Are? by Laura Lyn Donahue — Dive deeper into the themes of identity and transformationConnect with Laura Lyn Donahue:LinkedInTwitterRemember: Your story isn’t finished. Every chapter, every shift, every farewell and new beginning shapes who we are meant to become. Share your story—because it matters.

  2. Jul 1

    What Happens If Your Story Is Never Told? — with JuLee Brand

    JuLee Brand has spent three decades helping people find their voice--first through graphic design and television, then as the founder of W. Brand Publishing, and now through StorySessions Live. In this conversation, Laura Lyn sits down with her longtime friend and publisher to talk about the difference between traditional, hybrid, and independent publishing, why JuLee built a company around the conviction that stories deserve to exist, and the deeply personal loss that inspired StorySessions Live, a conversation-based way to capture stories for people who don't think of themselves as writers. They talk about accessibility, memory care, veterans who never told their stories, and what it really means to listen. Because as JuLee says, "stories matter" isn't just a tagline, it's the whole mission. Connect with JuLee Brand: W Brand Publishing: wbrandpublishing.comStorySessions Live: storysessions.liveStorySessions Live podcast page: storysessions.live/podcastW Brand Publishing social: @wbrandpubStorySessions Live social: @storysessions_live

  3. Jun 24

    She Chose to Go Back: Tiffany Baker Larnicol on War, Witness, and What Home Really Means — Part 2

    In Part 2 of my conversation with lifelong friend Tiffany Baker Larnicol, we pick up where the world got complicated. After nearly a decade of calling Dubai home, a city she once said she would never live in, Tiffany found herself in the middle of a regional conflict she couldn't fully process in real time. Nightly missile alerts. Rattling windows. A drone passing her apartment window in broad daylight on her birthday. And a husband telling her she had two hours to pack like she was never coming back. But this isn't just a story about leaving. It's about what happened when she got angry enough to return. Tiffany shares what it felt like to be an American in a war zone with no clear lifeline from her own government, to drive through the oldest Emirate in silence wondering what comes next, and to cross the border into Oman with a US passport and a bag full of medication during Ramadan. And then, five weeks later, to choose to fly back alone. This episode holds grief, clarity, cultural humility, and one of the most honest reflections on humanity, belonging, and what it means to stay that I've ever been part of. 00:00 — Welcome back: picking up the story in Dubai00:16 — From Paris to the Middle East: why Dubai after the ISIS attacks01:39 — Life under the National Guard in Paris: the weight of constant surveillance02:26 — The unexpected move: Airbus, the Middle East, and a counterintuitive decision03:34 — Arriving in Dubai: first impressions, culture shock, and adjusting to the heat05:33 — Nine years in: how her understanding of the region deepened09:16 — The Islamic Jesus and the surprising similarities she discovered12:51 — What studying history can teach us about why things are the way they are14:01 — "A sticky moment in history": February 28th and the first alerts16:40 — What "take shelter" means when you've never expected to need it17:31 — Her husband's calm — and why he knew the interception system would hold18:27 — Nightly alerts, the airport under fire, and the US government's silence21:44 — Trying to reach the State Department for a week24:00 — Her birthday. A drone. A ball of fire. And the decision to leave.27:35 — Two hours to pack like you're never coming back29:20 — The drive through Alain and Oman: COVID in a war zone32:16 — The Oman border crossing: a US passport, a white dress, and "woman medicine"35:34 — Paris. Five weeks. And then anger.36:30 — Why she chose to return alone39:00 — The discomfort of having privilege enough to leave44:06 — What she's learned from workers across 200 nationalities living side by side48:10 — Just be present. Just listen. Just be an open heart.50:18 — The photo of the Strait of Hormuz and the beauty beneath the conflict51:57 — Closing reflection: stories that recalibrate us@storysessionspodcast@lauralyn_author @tiffanybakerlarnicol @wbrandpub @storysessions_live

  4. Jun 17

    Tiffany Baker Larnicol: An Unscripted Life, Beautifully Lived — Part 1

    Some friendships begin before we're old enough to remember, and those are often the ones that carry the most truth. This week, I'm joined by my lifelong friend Tiffany Baker Larnicol, known to those who've loved her longest as Tiffy, for a rich, wide-ranging conversation about a life fully and bravely lived. Tiffy grew up alongside me in Nashville, and from those early days together — including a Nashville Magazine cover with Santa in 1974 — she went on to build a remarkable career in international modeling, living and working in Japan, Europe, and now Dubai. In Part 1 of our two-part conversation, Tiffy shares what it was like to leave the comfort of a "boutique" Nashville for the precision and beauty of Japanese culture, the early lessons that shaped her career, and how, looking back now, she recognizes just how protected she was during an era when so many young women were not. We also talk about finding your voice, the freedom that comes with age and experience, and how living across cultures reshapes who you are. This one is personal, warm, and full of wisdom. I think you'll love her as much as I do. Part 2 drops next week. Tiffany: @tiffanybakerlarnicol Follow StorySessions at www.storysessionspodcast.riverside.com KEY WORDS: StorySessions, memoir, women's stories, international living, modeling, Japan, Paris, Dubai, Gen X women, finding your voice, friendship, human trafficking awareness, cultural immersion, Laura Lyn Donahue, Tiffany Baker Larnicol

  5. Jun 10

    The Other Side of the Mirror — A Story with Laura Lyn

    What does it mean to watch someone you love begin something you've already lived? This week, host Laura Lyn steps away from the guest chair to share a personal story — a weekend in St. Augustine with her youngest daughter Eliza, shopping for a wedding dress. What unfolded was part joy, part déjà vu, and part quiet reckoning with time, identity, and the chapters that quietly close as new ones open. Short, personal, and thought-provoking. 📩 Share your story: lauralyn@storysessions.live 🎙 Learn more: StorySessions.live

  6. Jun 3 ·  Bonus

    Phil Madeira: Where He's Been, Where He's Headed, and the Conversation That Started It All

    He's back — and he came bearing good news. Phil Madeira, 35-year Nashville veteran, multi-instrumentalist in Emmylou Harris's band, songwriter, painter, and author, returns to StorySessions™ for a bonus update episode that delivers on every front. Since his original episode — one of our top-rated conversations — Phil has been everywhere. He successfully Kickstarted three projects at once: two albums (The Millionth Mile and More Miles) and a memoir. He's returned from Emmylou Harris's farewell European tour, including a sold-out night at the Royal Albert Hall, dinner with friends near Jimmy Page's house, and a gin and tonic with Downton Abbey's Elizabeth McGovern. He ran his annual Mercyland songwriter workshop in Gorey, Ireland, and is gearing up for his American Mercyland in July. And his memoir? Summer of Gone — a title given to him, unexpectedly, by someone who didn't even mean it as a gift — arrives in October 2026. This episode is a reunion, a celebration, and a preview of more Phil to come. If you haven't heard his original episode, stay tuned — we replay it in full. If you have, welcome back to a conversation that always goes somewhere worth going. About This Episode This is a bonus update episode. Don Donahue opens with an intro, Phil delivers a personal update, and the original StorySessions™ interview with Phil replays in full — one of our most beloved conversations to date. In This Update, Phil Shares: His successful Kickstarter for two vinyl albums and a memoir — goal: $45,000Life on the road with Emmylou Harris — her European farewell tour, Royal Albert Hall, Liverpool, AmsterdamThe 4th annual Mercyland songwriter workshop in Gorey, Ireland — and a flying shoeWhat it takes to run a successful Kickstarter (hint: it's not passive)His memoir Summer of Gone — the title's origin, the publisher, and the October 2026 releaseHis upcoming July Mercyland Nashville workshop (open to attendees)Phil Madeira website: www.philmadeira.netMercyland Nashville workshop (July 12, 2026) — contact Phil directly via his websiteSummer of Gone — W Brand Publishing, October 2026StorySessions™ all episodes + links: www.storysessionsthepodcast.riverside.comPrimary site: storysessions.live

  7. May 27

    Hope Starts Now: Melissa Lewis on Reinvention, Grief, and the Gift of a Second Act

    Melissa Lewis spent 25 years teaching middle school, raising her family, and pouring herself into other people's kids. Then, at 51, she did something most people in her season of life wouldn't dare — she went back to school, earned her master's in marriage and family therapy, and opened her own counseling practice in Franklin, Tennessee. But the story underneath that story is the one worth hearing. In this conversation, Melissa and Laura Lyn — friends of 25+ years who raised their kids side by side — talk about what it actually costs to reinvent yourself, the voices that tell you not to, and the grief that can arrive right alongside your greatest new beginning. Melissa shares what she's learning in the counseling room, why she hands every new client a snail, and what she wants anyone in the middle of a hard season to know: change is always possible, and hope starts right now. Topics covered: second acts and reinvention | self-care across generations | going back to school at 51 | loss, grief, and "brutally beautiful" moments | Brainspotting for trauma | loneliness as a universal theme | the courage to stop people-pleasing | finding hope in the last third Guest contact: melissalewiscounseling.com | melissa@melissalewiscounseling.com | Franklin, TN | 615.210.7724

  8. May 20

    Brent Bourgeois: From Bill Graham to Billy Graham — A Life in Music, Faith, and The Real Things

    Musician, songwriter, producer, and now author — Brent Bourgeois has lived many lives inside one remarkable journey. In this conversation, Laura Lyn sits down with her longtime friend to talk about his memoir, The Real Things: An Intimate Journey of a Working Musician from Bill Graham to Billy Graham to Instagram. Brent traces a 50-year path through New Orleans, New Jersey, Dallas, California, Nashville, and back again — playing bars at 14, chasing record deals in the Bay Area, producing Point of Grace in Nashville, sharing a stage (and a piano) with Billy Graham, and eventually building the music library at Meta. Along the way: addiction, sobriety, faith, family, loss, reinvention, and the hard-won wisdom of a man who finally stopped hurrying to get somewhere. His memoir is available now on Amazon in print, e-book, and audiobook —which is something special. About Brent Bourgeois Brent Bourgeois is a musician, songwriter, producer, and author based in California. He was one half of the 1980s duo Bourgeois Tagg (Island Records), a Nashville-era producer whose credits include Point of Grace, and the architect of Meta's music library — a catalog of over 16,000 original tracks. His memoir, The Real Things: An Intimate Journey of a Working Musician from Bill Graham to Billy Graham to Instagram, is available now on Amazon. Find Brent and his book community on Facebook: search "Brent Bourgeois and The Real Things." Resources & Links •  The Real Things by Brent Bourgeois — available on Amazon (print, e-book with color photos and music links, and audiobook) •  Brent's Facebook book community: search "Brent Bourgeois and The Real Things" •  StorySessions™ the Podcast: www.storysessionsthepodcast.riverside.com •  Subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Amazon Music, and iHeart Radio Connect with StorySessions™ Instagram: @storysessions_thepodcast W Brand Publishing: @wbrandpub Producer: @donahuecreates Website: www.storysessionsthepodcast.riverside.com

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Story Sessions™: Where Your Story Matters is a podcast centered on lived experience and meaningful conversation. Previously published as In the Margins, the show now lives under the Story Sessions™ name—reflecting a clearer focus on intentional storytelling, personal insight, and the human experience beneath the surface. Each episode invites listeners into thoughtful dialogue where stories are honored, explored, and held with care.

Information

  • Creator
    Laura Lyn Donahue
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    39
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Laura Lyn Donahue