In part 2 of our conversation with Raphael, we talk about our shared passion of filmmaking. Raphael shares his journey in photography, his involvement with PBS Hawaii, and more creative projects. We’re grateful to Raphael for sharing his story with us.   ----- Big thanks to Proud Stutter's recurring supporters: Jennifer Bolen, Jerry Slaff, Josh Compton, Pablo Meza, Dustin Wells, Alexandra Mosby, Ingo Helbig, Jonathan Reiss, Paige McGill, Wayne Engebretson, Swathy Manavalan, and Martha...

Raphael Stark is the founder and president of the nonprofit CHATS. Raphael wanted to meet other teens who stuttered in his community but realized there wasn't an organization to help him so he started his own. Find out how Raphael balances being a teen founder and school. This is Part 1 of our conversation. Stay tuned for Part 2 in two weeks! We’re grateful to Raphael for sharing his story with us.   Big thanks to Proud Stutter's recurring supporters: Jennifer Bolen, Jerry Slaff, Josh...

Randy Panzarino is a clinician, researcher, and person who stutters. He's also a surfer. Randy shares his journey through the challenges and anxieties associated with stuttering and how he found his passion for speech language pathology. Randy has studied stuttering-related anxiety and life partners of people who stutter. He also talk about the therapeutic role of surfing in his life and underscores the importance of embracing one's stutter and the positive impact of authenticity. We’re...

Ryan Cowley is the author of All the Right Words: My Journey as a Sportswriter Who Stutters. He talks about his early experiences with stuttering, his journey through speech therapy, and how he found his passion for sports writing. Ryan shares his struggles and triumphs, including his initial apprehensions about verbal communication, particularly over the phone, his experience with speech therapists, and his successful career as a writer. He opens up about his motivation behind writing a...

Maya and Tessa share their experiences from 10 days of filming in New Jersey for their documentary. They discuss the challenges and rewards of the project, the impact of stuttering on their interactions, and the support they received from the local community. The episode provides insights into their creative process and the emotional journey of capturing the lives of a family navigating stuttering and parenthood. Support this podcast at —...

A new study published in Brain has identified a specific brain network hub that plays a key role in stuttering. The author Professor Catherine Theys explains the research and what it means for the stuttering community and others with similar brain activity. We’re grateful to Catherine for sharing her story and research with us.  Big thanks to Proud Stutter's recurring supporters: Jennifer Bolen, Jerry Slaff, Josh Compton, Pablo Meza, Dustin Wells, Alexandra Mosby, Ingo Helbig, Jonathan Reiss,...

LeRon L. Barton is a TEDx speaker and author who stutters. What events in his life led him to becoming a confidence public speaker? They also talk about the importance of representation and share personal anecdotes about dating and disclosing their stutters in professional settings. We’re grateful to LeRon for sharing his story with us.   Big thanks to Proud Stutter's recurring supporters: Jennifer Bolen, Jerry Slaff, Josh Compton, Pablo Meza, Dustin Wells, Alexandra Mosby, Ingo Helbig,...

Joe Saul-Sehy is the creator and co-host of The Stacking Benjamins Show. Joe has a successful career in finance and podcasting while living with a covert stutter. In this episode02:32 Who is Joe Saul-Sehy? 03:03 Joe's Stuttering Journey 09:46 Overcoming Challenges in Public Speaking 16:49 Transition to Podcasting 20:26 The Stacking Benjamins Show 29:52 Embracing Vulnerability We’re grateful to Joe Saul-Sehy for sharing his story with us.   Big thanks to Proud Stutter's recurring supporters:...

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda is a bilingual poet who stutters. His latest book is 'La Lengua Inside Me.' Adrian turned to writing at a young age as a form of expression. His bilingual poetry is inspired by his Colombian heritage, experience as a person who stutters, and Sylvia Plath's work. In this episode Follow Adrian on IG Get a copy of Adrian's book(s) Big thanks to Proud Stutter's recurring supporters: Jennifer Bolen, Jerry Slaff, Josh Compton, Pablo Meza, Dustin Wells, Alexandra Mosby, Ingo...

Ty Ellis, a person who stutters, wears many hats. He is an optimal performance coach, a public speaker, and a former professional basketball coach. Ty talks about the mental challenges he faced growing up and the pivotal role of his grandmother played in building his confidence as a stutterer. How did his stutter contribute to his success in sports and coaching? Big thanks to Proud Stutter's recurring supporters: Jennifer Bolen, Jerry Slaff, Josh Compton, Pablo Meza, Dustin Wells,...

What's it like to balance the identities of stuttering and cerebral palsy? In this episode, Dom and Sean Kelly of New Disabled South discuss how they view their stuttering experience is different than their experience with CP. They also touch on the importance of cross-disability solidarity and the differing societal perceptions of their disabilities. We’re grateful to Dom and Sean Kelly for sharing their stories with us.   Big thanks to Proud Stutter's recurring supporters: Jennifer Bolen,...

Hilary Utaegbulam is a Nigerian-born physics student and teacher who stutters. He recently gave his first ever public presentation on his research, which went extremely well. Hilary offers advice on preparing for public speaking and how to give a confident presentation as a person who stutters. He also talks about how he got through his first stuttering encounter at a conference and the mental and physical hurdles of stuttering, how it influenced his career choices, and the importance of...

Carol Labov is the author of “The Cave Boy Who Would Be President,” a children’s book inspired by her own experience with her grandson Cooper. Where did the idea of the book come from and why did she write it? This book is built on the love of a grandmother to her grandson and is meant to be helpful for other parents going through similar experiences. You can get a copy here. In this episode There still time to support the ROCK OF HOPE film crowdfunding campaign. Support Maya and her team of...

This episode celebrates Mental Health Awareness Month and Stuttering Awareness Week. Casey Combs is an attorney. She's also a new mother. How did motherhood change her relationship with her stutter? What was it like going to law school with a stutter and how did she land a job that accepted her speech? From dark thoughts to becoming more accepting, Casey explains why it's okay to have big feelings around stuttering. In this episode Today also marks the launch of the ROCK OF HOPE film...

John Finn is Chief Scientific Officer at Tome Biosciences. John opens about his personal and professional journey as a person who stutters, including how it shaped his career in science, approach to public speaking, and interactions with his colleagues. He also talks about the science behind how genetics and stuttering connect. Episode breakdown 00:00 “Rock of Hope” Sneak Preview  02:47 John Finn's Journey: From Stuttering to Scientific Breakthroughs 12:24 The Challenges and Triumphs of...

John Stossel, renowned TV personality and reporter, shares the challenges he faced in his broadcast journalism career and what led him to seek help with his fluency. 03:09 John Stossel's Broadcast Journalism Career Journey & Facing His Stutter 06:07 His Time At Hollins Communication Reconstruction Center 09:47 Stuttering in Pop Culture 12:48 John's Reflections and Advice Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/proud-stutter/exclusive-content

Swathi grew up in India speaking multiple languages. She talks with Maya about how her stuttering influenced interactions, often prompting language shifts. Transitioning into her career as a software engineer, Swathi finds solace in a supportive workplace environment, sharing her experiences through writing to advocate for inclusivity. In this episode Swathy's blog post Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/proud-stutter/exclusive-content

Jayne Amelia Larson is an actor, voiceover artist, bestselling author and podcaster. Jayne shares with Maya her journey of covert stuttering and her struggle with being open about her stutter over the course of her career. They also talk about Jayne's family dynamics, acting in Judging Amy, and her difficult experience with recording the audio version of her bestselling book, 'Driving the Saudis.' Episode breakdown 00:50 Jayne's Journey with Stuttering and Covert Stuttering 02:12 The...

This episode is Part 2 of Proud Stutter's official launch party and reading in Los Angeles to celebrate its comic book, MY STUTTER: LIFE OF VERBAL TURBULENCE. Episode breakdown06:05 The Power of Stuttering Communities 08:16 Discussion on the Creation of the Comic Book 08:51 Visual Representation in Stuttering 10:25 Making the Comic Book 13:26 Stuttering and Personal Growth 16:04 The Role of Speech Therapy in Stuttering 19:12 The Concept of Speech Diversity 27:47 The Evolution of Personal...

Proud Stutter celebrated the official launch of its comic book, MY STUTTER: LIFE OF VERBAL TURBULENCE, on February 12, 2024. Proud Stutter hit the road and went to Pasadena, California to bring the Los Angeles stuttering community together to talk about the comic book and stuttering stories. We were also joined by some special guest speakers from the Los Angeles stuttering community. Episode breakdown02:32 Event reflections with Julian 12:23 Part 1 of the event with guest speakers from the...

Lorenzo Becerra is a college freshman who stutters. He is studying to be a speech pathologist. When he thinks about his future, he envisions a happy life. But, he didn’t always see his stutter as something to be proud of.  “I put some of my self worth in speaking. And since I couldn't speak that well, my self worth was down.” How do you find self-worth with a stutter?  Episode breakdown02:39 Lorenzo and Maya’s Stuttering Experiences 04:12 The Power Behind Stepping Out of Your Comfort...

Sammar Farooqi is a person who stutters based in Dubai. He’s an executive at SAP where he explains complex technology to people on a daily basis. Sammar shares his experiences with stuttering starting from his childhood, the mocking he faced, and how he used a traumatic event to motivate himself to become a successful communicator in the technology space.  He offers some communication techniques that have helped him navigate the corporate world and how he adapted to a new communication...

David Mayan, aka emcdouble, is a professional recording artist based in Queens, New York. He also stutters.  David shares how he initially used music as a form of therapy to manage his stuttering and how this later formed the basis for his versatile musical style, melding elements of hip hop, Spanish music, and electronic fusions. Episode breakdown 02:56 Stuttering and Music 03:46 Growing Up with Stuttering 08:01 Stuttering and Parenting 09:24 Stuttering and Language Learning 13:09 Music,...

Host of Proud Stutter Maya recaps Proud Stutter’s annual gala with some clips from the evening, featuring special guests Senator Scott Wiener and San Francisco Supervisor Dean Preston. She also looks back on some of Proud Stutter’s biggest moments from 2023 and more! Part 1: Proud Stutter's Gala 01:33 Julian's Speech: The Silence of Stuttering 06:12 Sarah's Story: Overcoming Fear and Embracing Stuttering 10:40 Johnny's Journey: Finding Community and Advocacy 15:12 Zainab's Poetry: Expressing...