What It's Really Like with Molly Burke

What It’s Really Like is a podcast hosted by Molly Burke, who draws on her lived experience as a blind woman to go beyond the superficial and uncover the unexpected stories behind fascinating lives. Each episode features honest, revealing conversations with people whose experiences challenge assumptions and change the way we see the world. Prepare to drop the stereotypes, forget the taboo, and open your mind. It’s a show for thoughtful listeners who know every story is more complicated than it appears. For people who listen with empathy, think with openness, and always leave room to be surprised. Expect funny, intimate, and unpredictable stories that are impossible to pause. From pop-culture personalities and remarkable public figures to people who have lived through the unimaginable, every guest brings unexpected turns and unforgettable revelations. Molly built her career by being raw and vulnerable, and she has seen the real-world impact that can have. Now, she is creating a space that empowers others to share with that same openness. Molly believes that when we understand one another better, we build compassion, bridge divides, and realize we have far more in common than we think. Raw, captivating, and deeply human, What It’s Really Like is for people who are more curious than certain—and who know the most fascinating stories begin when we make room for the awkward question.

Get exclusive access to ad-free & bonus content!

$5.99/mo or $49.99/yr after trial

  1. Aug 14

    What It’s Really Like When your Disability is Someone’s Fetish

    The What It’s Really Like podcast is now available on all major podcast platforms! If you love the show, please subscribe wherever you prefer to listen so you never miss a new episode. What’s it really like to become paralyzed after a car crash, navigate relationships as a disabled woman, and discover that some people are sexually attracted to your disability in your teens? In this episode of What It’s Really Like, I sat down with Tara Shetterly for an honest, unfiltered conversation about becoming paralyzed, relationships, disability and sexuality, disability devotees, and navigating a world that isn't always designed with disabled people in mind. Tara shares the story of the car crash that changed her life, what it was like going through her paralysis and recovery during the COVID-19 pandemic, and what happened when her boyfriend was told to leave after she became paralyzed. Tara also opens up about dating and intimacy as a disabled woman, what it's like to have people fetishize your disability, disability parking, accessibility, ableism, and some of her biggest hot takes about living with a disability. This conversation is about so much more than paralysis. It's about love, identity, sexuality, resilience, independence, and challenging the assumptions people make about disabled people. Subscribe to What It’s Really Like with Molly Burke for new episodes every Friday. FOLLOW TARA SHETTERLY: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tara_shett/?hl=en TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tara_shett YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ParaTara   LISTEN TO WHAT IT’S REALLY LIKE: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3blYuCo2n6CkXsEfu7o31e Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-its-really-like-with-molly-burke/id6798020654 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MollyBurkeOfficial Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/b6328833-8f84-4a8f-a675-867c81a01538/what-it's-really-like-with-molly-burke iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-what-its-really-like-with-340307302 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  2. Jul 3

    Her Attacker Was Sentenced to Life in Prison - What It’s Really Like (2/2)

    This is Part 2 of my conversation with the incredible Leigh Collins.After surviving a violent home invasion that changed her life forever, Leigh shares what happened next. We talk about living with PTSD, navigating the criminal justice system, facing her attacker in court, the trial, the life sentence that followed, and what it has really taken to rebuild her confidence, sense of safety, and life after unimaginable trauma.If you haven't watched Part 1 yet, head to last week's episode first. Leigh walks us through the terrifying 13 minutes that changed her life forever, from waking up to find a stranger standing in her apartment holding a knife to the moment she escaped and fought for her survival.Whether you've experienced trauma yourself or want to better understand what life looks like after surviving violent crime, I hope Leigh's story reminds you that healing is possible, even when the road is long.Watch Part 1 here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5HwEQCkFyLV0gaivrRbW9j?si=_7fQmCZ5RV2KfUFycEytBQ Follow Leigh Collins:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heymisscollins/?hl=enTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@heymisscollinsListen to Leigh's podcast, Extraordinary: A First-Hand Story of Survival:https://www.extraordinary-podcast.com/https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/extraordinary-a-first-hand-story-of-survival/id1565762620Listen to What It's Really Like on Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/3blYuCo2n6CkXsEfu7o31e?si=VPQy_0g_Twam20aPuDEfJwWatch more full episodes:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_Xm8PicNxr335yjxP1bjR6Uq2KfgrM14Subscribe for new episodes of What It's Really Like every Friday, where we go beyond the headlines and stereotypes to have honest conversations about the experiences that shape our lives. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Her Attacker Was Sentenced to Life in Prison - What It’s Really Like (2/2)

Shows with Subscription Benefits

Get exclusive access to ad-free & bonus content!

$5.99/mo or $49.99/yr after trial

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

What It’s Really Like is a podcast hosted by Molly Burke, who draws on her lived experience as a blind woman to go beyond the superficial and uncover the unexpected stories behind fascinating lives. Each episode features honest, revealing conversations with people whose experiences challenge assumptions and change the way we see the world. Prepare to drop the stereotypes, forget the taboo, and open your mind. It’s a show for thoughtful listeners who know every story is more complicated than it appears. For people who listen with empathy, think with openness, and always leave room to be surprised. Expect funny, intimate, and unpredictable stories that are impossible to pause. From pop-culture personalities and remarkable public figures to people who have lived through the unimaginable, every guest brings unexpected turns and unforgettable revelations. Molly built her career by being raw and vulnerable, and she has seen the real-world impact that can have. Now, she is creating a space that empowers others to share with that same openness. Molly believes that when we understand one another better, we build compassion, bridge divides, and realize we have far more in common than we think. Raw, captivating, and deeply human, What It’s Really Like is for people who are more curious than certain—and who know the most fascinating stories begin when we make room for the awkward question.

More From Lemonada