What Was That Like - a storytelling podcast with amazing stories from real people
281 episodes - English - Latest episode: 24 days ago - ★★★★★ - 1.2K ratingsA storytelling podcast, with first-hand amazing stories presented by Scott Johnson and Meredith Hackwith Edwards. Each storyteller tells their own personal true story, with all the details of what happened. Animal attacks, plane crashes, mass shootings, and more – you'll hear what happened directly from the person who experienced it, and the inspirational outcome of how they came out on the other side.
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Episodes
Brandon was dragged by a horse WWTL 65
November 20, 2020 08:00 - 1 hour - 48.8 MBBrandon spent 17 years working as an equestrian stuntman. But he didn’t grow up on a farm, and he didn’t spend his youth around horses. Back then, he was more interested in playing hockey. But he and his family did enjoy visiting Renaissance Fairs, and he met the right person at the right time. He got the opportunity to start learning how to be a stuntman – first working on the ground as a “squire”, then later helping to train the horses, and eventually to work as a stunt rider. But his...
Monika's life was destroyed by a stranger WWTL 64
November 06, 2020 08:00 - 1 hour - 61.1 MBDo you worry about your privacy on the internet? Do you ever think about how much someone could find out about you, if they wanted to? Have you wondered if your life could be destroyed, over the internet, by a stranger? Maybe you should. Monika was happy. She was a successful real estate agent. She used social media to connect with friends, and family, and clients. Just like everyone else does. But one day, without realizing it, she made a mistake. And she had no idea what was abou...
64: Monika's life was destroyed by a stranger
November 06, 2020 08:00 - 1 hourDo you worry about your privacy on the internet? Do you ever think about how much someone could find out about you, if they wanted to? Have you wondered if your life could be destroyed, over the internet, by a stranger? Maybe you should. Monika was happy. She was a successful real estate agent. She used social media to connect with friends, and family, and clients. Just like everyone else does. But one day, without realizing it, she made a mistake. And she had no idea what was about to happen...
63: Liz discovered a suicide
October 23, 2020 07:00 - 1 hourVery few things in life could be more traumatic or horrifying than discovering a suicide. Remember how shocked we all were back in August of 2014, when police announced that legendary actor and comedian Robin Williams was found by his personal assistant, having committed suicide. There are so many factors to consider in that case, but I remember that when this happened, I kept thinking about how that person, his assistant, felt as she entered that room and discovered him on that Monday mornin...
Liz discovered a suicide WWTL 63
October 23, 2020 07:00 - 57 minutes - 46.5 MBVery few things in life could be more traumatic or horrifying than discovering a suicide. Remember how shocked we all were back in August of 2014, when police announced that legendary actor and comedian Robin Williams was found by his personal assistant, having committed suicide. There are so many factors to consider in that case, but I remember that when this happened, I kept thinking about how that person, his assistant, felt as she entered that room and discovered him on that Monday m...
Terri witnessed a murder WWTL 62
October 09, 2020 07:00 - 45 minutes - 37 MBDo you remember when you were young, and going through your teenage years? Didn’t time seem to go by a lot more slowly back then? All those years, waiting, and looking forward to that one big day when you’re finally out on your own. Now that was something to be excited about, right? You’d have your own car, your own place, you could come and go whenever, you could stay up as late as want, it would be like heaven on earth! Of course, now that we’re past that stage in life, we know that bein...
62: Terri witnessed a murder
October 09, 2020 07:00 - 49 minutesDo you remember when you were young, and going through your teenage years? Didn’t time seem to go by a lot more slowly back then? All those years, waiting, and looking forward to that one big day when you’re finally out on your own. Now that was something to be excited about, right? You’d have your own car, your own place, you could come and go whenever, you could stay up as late as want, it would be like heaven on earth! Of course, now that we’re past that stage in life, we know that being o...
61: Robin drove the Wienermobile
September 25, 2020 07:00 - 1 hourToday, we have a really fun episode that is going to make you smile. My guest today is Robin, and Robin likes to have fun. She’s different. And she’s on today’s show to tell us about an experience she had – she was hired by the Oscar Mayer hot dog company to drive the Wienermobile. And I realize some people might not be familiar with the Wienermobile, especially those outside the US. What we’re talking about here is a large vehicle that is designed to look like a giant hot dog. Yes, this is a...
Robin drove the Wienermobile WWTL 61
September 25, 2020 07:00 - 1 hour - 52.6 MBToday, we have a really fun episode that is going to make you smile. My guest today is Robin, and Robin likes to have fun. She’s different. And she’s on today’s show to tell us about an experience she had – she was hired by the Oscar Mayer hot dog company to drive the Wienermobile. And I realize some people might not be familiar with the Wienermobile, especially those outside the US. What we’re talking about here is a large vehicle that is designed to look like a giant hot dog. Yes, this...
60: Two first-hand stories from 9/11
September 11, 2020 07:00 - 55 minutesToday is September 11. Today is the day we remember and honor those who lost their lives here in America on September 11, 2001. 246 innocent people aboard the four planes that were hijacked. 2,606 people in the World Trade Center and the surrounding area. 343 of these were firefighters, and 71 were law enforcement officers. 125 people in the Pentagon. In today’s episode, we’re going to hear from two people who were there. Lori Brody and her brother, Scott, both worked at the World Trade Cente...
Two first-hand stories from 9/11 WWTL 60
September 11, 2020 07:00 - 51 minutes - 41.6 MBToday is September 11. Today is the day we remember and honor those who lost their lives here in America on September 11, 2001. 246 innocent people aboard the four planes that were hijacked. 2,606 people in the World Trade Center and the surrounding area. 343 of these were firefighters, and 71 were law enforcement officers. 125 people in the Pentagon. In today’s episode, we’re going to hear from two people who were there. Lori Brody and her brother, Scott, both worked at the World ...
59: Eric saved a crashed skydiver
August 28, 2020 07:00 - 42 minutesEvery sporting activity involves some degree of risk. Risk of injury or even risk of death. I bike about 10 miles each morning and I’m pretty careful. And I record video with a GoPro mounted on my helmet for every ride, which was inspired by my interview with William, episode 20 of this podcast if you want to check that out. But I know that no matter how careful I am, there is still the small possibility that something could happen. Same with almost anything else – running, playing tennis, sw...
Eric saved a crashed skydiver WWTL 59
August 28, 2020 07:00 - 38 minutes - 31.5 MBEvery sporting activity involves some degree of risk. Risk of injury or even risk of death. I bike about 10 miles each morning and I’m pretty careful. And I record video with a GoPro mounted on my helmet for every ride, which was inspired by my interview with William, episode 20 of this podcast if you want to check that out. But I know that no matter how careful I am, there is still the small possibility that something could happen. Same with almost anything else – running, playing tennis,...
James was crushed by a tree WWTL 58
August 14, 2020 07:00 - 34 minutes - 28.1 MBToday you are going to hear from James. He’s a young man who lives in England, and he has quite a scary story about something that happened to him one day at work, in 2019. He and his partner were cutting down a huge tree, and things did not go as planned. I’ll let James fill in the details. And at the end of today’s episode: A new podcast for you to check out – Minds of Madness You can sign up for my email newsletter Raw Audio episode 4 is live
58: James was crushed by a tree
August 14, 2020 07:00 - 38 minutesToday you are going to hear from James. He’s a young man who lives in England, and he has quite a scary story about something that happened to him one day at work, in 2019. He and his partner were cutting down a huge tree, and things did not go as planned. I’ll let James fill in the details. And at the end of today’s episode: A new podcast for you to check out – Minds of Madness You can sign up for my email newsletter Raw Audio episode 4 is live Learn more about your ad choices. Visit meg...
Gael crashed into a river WWTL 57
July 31, 2020 07:00 - 29 minutes - 24.3 MBIt gets pretty cold in Mason City, Iowa in the winter. Just ask Gael - he lives there. Gael is 18 years old. One day last December, on a particularly freezing day, he was on his way to a class. Just a routine day, driving along, and he’s approaching a bridge that goes over a big river. Except he doesn’t make it to the bridge. Instead, he finds himself in the middle of the river, and the water is rising in the car. And somehow, during the crash, his phone got lost. But a young lady named ...
57: Gael crashed into a river
July 31, 2020 07:00 - 32 minutesIt gets pretty cold in Mason City, Iowa in the winter. Just ask Gael - he lives there. Gael is 18 years old. One day last December, on a particularly freezing day, he was on his way to a class. Just a routine day, driving along, and he’s approaching a bridge that goes over a big river. Except he doesn’t make it to the bridge. Instead, he finds himself in the middle of the river, and the water is rising in the car. And somehow, during the crash, his phone got lost. But a young lady named Siri ...
56: Lesli's house exploded
July 17, 2020 07:00 - 53 minutesThere’s something that you and I do every day, all day. We make decisions. That’s something that we literally do all day. In fact, some sources say the average person makes 35,000 decisions every day. I don’t know how accurate that number is, but I’m sure it’s a lot. Most of them we don’t really even think about consciously. Which shoe to put on first, how much toothpaste to put on the toothbrush, which checkout line at the grocery store – those are all kind of subconscious. The bigger decisi...
Lesli's house exploded WWTL 56
July 17, 2020 07:00 - 49 minutes - 39.8 MBThere’s something that you and I do every day, all day. We make decisions. That’s something that we literally do all day. In fact, some sources say the average person makes 35,000 decisions every day. I don’t know how accurate that number is, but I’m sure it’s a lot. Most of them we don’t really even think about consciously. Which shoe to put on first, how much toothpaste to put on the toothbrush, which checkout line at the grocery store – those are all kind of subconscious. The bigger d...
55: Michael survived an avalanche
July 03, 2020 07:00 - 1 hourKatmandu, the capital city of Nepal. April 25, 2015. A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck without warning. In the end, nearly 9,000 people lost their lives, and close to 22,000 were injured. Entire villages were destroyed, leaving hundreds of thousands homeless. And not far from the epicenter was Mt Everest. There were a lot of people on the mountain that day, and 19 climbers were killed. Michael Churton is an adventure filmmaker based out of New York City. He’s done work for National Geographic...
Michael survived an avalanche WWTL 55
July 03, 2020 07:00 - 1 hour - 52.5 MBKatmandu, the capital city of Nepal. April 25, 2015. A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck without warning. In the end, nearly 9,000 people lost their lives, and close to 22,000 were injured. Entire villages were destroyed, leaving hundreds of thousands homeless. And not far from the epicenter was Mt Everest. There were a lot of people on the mountain that day, and 19 climbers were killed. Michael Churton is an adventure filmmaker based out of New York City. He’s done work for National Geo...
54: Bonus episode - Raw Audio
June 26, 2020 07:00 - 20 minutesThis is an off week for the What Was That Like podcast, but I’m here to introduce you to something new for the show that I’m pretty excited about. Today you’re going to hear a bonus episode to kick off a new, ongoing series. These episodes are called Raw Audio. One of the most popular features in some of the episodes for this podcast have been the 911 calls. When you hear the voice of a person calling the 911 emergency number and describing what’s going on, it can feel like you’re right there...
Bonus episode - Raw Audio WWTL 54
June 26, 2020 07:00 - 17 minutes - 14.8 MBThis is an off week for the What Was That Like podcast, but I’m here to introduce you to something new for the show that I’m pretty excited about. Today you’re going to hear a bonus episode to kick off a new, ongoing series. These episodes are called Raw Audio. One of the most popular features in some of the episodes for this podcast have been the 911 calls. When you hear the voice of a person calling the 911 emergency number and describing what’s going on, it can feel like you’re right ...
Dave won $113k on a game show
June 19, 2020 07:00 - 43 minutes - 35.5 MBOur guest for this episode is Dave, and Dave recently found himself $113,000 richer, and he attributes that to some practice, some luck, and a pretty good talent for solving word puzzles. He won that money by being a contestant on Wheel of Fortune. We discussed: How he prepared for the game How he actually got on the show as a contestant The special instructions he was given What Pat Sajak and Vanna White are REALLY like How he’s handling taxes on his winnings And there’s a bonus...
53: Dave won $113k on a game show
June 19, 2020 07:00 - 47 minutesOur guest for this episode is Dave, and Dave recently found himself $113,000 richer, and he attributes that to some practice, some luck, and a pretty good talent for solving word puzzles. He won that money by being a contestant on Wheel of Fortune. We discussed: How he prepared for the game How he actually got on the show as a contestant The special instructions he was given What Pat Sajak and Vanna White are REALLY like How he’s handling taxes on his winnings And there’s a bonus story ...
52: These 3 people died
June 05, 2020 07:00 - 20 minutesIf this is your first time listening to this podcast, you need to know this is not a typical episode. Usually, each episode is a conversation with someone who has been through some type of extremely unusual situation, and that person comes on the show and tells what happened, first hand. Not this week. This week our country is in turmoil because a black man in Minneapolis died at the hands of the police. The video of that happening in broad daylight has – again – shown that racism in America ...
These 3 people died WWTL 52
June 05, 2020 07:00 - 17 minutes - 16.7 MBIf this is your first time listening to this podcast, you need to know this is not a typical episode. Usually, each episode is a conversation with someone who has been through some type of extremely unusual situation, and that person comes on the show and tells what happened, first hand. Not this week. This week our country is in turmoil because a black man in Minneapolis died at the hands of the police. The video of that happening in broad daylight has – again – shown that racism in Ame...
51: Dan preps people for prison
May 22, 2020 07:00 - 1 hourWhat’s your biggest fear? As humans, we have found that there are a lot of things we’re afraid of. Spiders, needles, flying in an airplane, thunderstorms, public speaking. Or death, that’s a big one. For some people, one of their biggest fears is having to go to prison. Of course, no one wants to go to prison. And most people don’t expect that they would ever have to spend time there. But consider this scenario. You’re a model citizen. You’ve never been arrested. Your worst run-in with the la...
Dan preps people for prison WWTL 51
May 22, 2020 07:00 - 1 hour - 66.3 MBWhat’s your biggest fear? As humans, we have found that there are a lot of things we’re afraid of. Spiders, needles, flying in an airplane, thunderstorms, public speaking. Or death, that’s a big one. For some people, one of their biggest fears is having to go to prison. Of course, no one wants to go to prison. And most people don’t expect that they would ever have to spend time there. But consider this scenario. You’re a model citizen. You’ve never been arrested. Your worst run-in with...
Deb suddenly stopped skiing WWTL 50
May 08, 2020 07:00 - 35 minutes - 28.9 MBHave you ever found yourself in some kind of weird situation or predicament, and you actually have no idea how you got there? And you’re asking yourself, “What just happened?” This is something I find really fascinating – when our brain is trying to figure out the reality of what is going on, but it just doesn’t have enough information to make sense of it. So the end result is usually confusion. But in some cases, it can be terrifying. Our guest today is Deb, and that’s what happened to ...
50: Deb suddenly stopped skiing
May 08, 2020 07:00 - 39 minutesHave you ever found yourself in some kind of weird situation or predicament, and you actually have no idea how you got there? And you’re asking yourself, “What just happened?” This is something I find really fascinating – when our brain is trying to figure out the reality of what is going on, but it just doesn’t have enough information to make sense of it. So the end result is usually confusion. But in some cases, it can be terrifying. Our guest today is Deb, and that’s what happened to her o...
Struck by lightning WWTL 49
May 01, 2020 07:00 - 44 minutes - 36.4 MBToday’s bonus podcast episode is being released in an “off week”, outside of the regular every-other-Friday schedule. This is being done to introduce you to the podcast called This Is Actually Happening. The host of This Is Actually Happening is Whit Missildine. He and I recently connected after realizing that our two podcasts are very similar – people telling their stories of unusual experiences, first hand. This week, we are trading episodes. He recently published my episode “Tyson was A...
49: Struck by lightning
May 01, 2020 07:00 - 48 minutesToday’s bonus podcast episode is being released in an “off week”, outside of the regular every-other-Friday schedule. This is being done to introduce you to the podcast called This Is Actually Happening. The host of This Is Actually Happening is Whit Missildine. He and I recently connected after realizing that our two podcasts are very similar – people telling their stories of unusual experiences, first hand. This week, we are trading episodes. He recently published my episode “Tyson was Abdu...
48: Kimberly got the Coronavirus (COVID-19)
April 24, 2020 07:00 - 1 hourToday’s guest is Kimberly. Recently, Kimberly tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, also known as Coronavirus. She is a doctor. Note: No information on this website or this podcast should be construed as medical advice. The host is not a doctor. The guest for this episode is in fact a doctor, but she is in no way offering any medical advice here. If you have any questions concerning your health, you should consult your own physician. Kimberly was aware early on of how the COVID-19 virus was...
Kimberly got the Coronavirus (COVID-19) WWTL 48
April 24, 2020 07:00 - 1 hour - 65 MBToday’s guest is Kimberly. Recently, Kimberly tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, also known as Coronavirus. She is a doctor. Note: No information on this website or this podcast should be construed as medical advice. The host is not a doctor. The guest for this episode is in fact a doctor, but she is in no way offering any medical advice here. If you have any questions concerning your health, you should consult your own physician. Kimberly was aware early on of how the COVID-19 viru...
William was on American Idol WWTL 47
April 10, 2020 07:00 - 34 minutes - 28.1 MBWe’ve all experienced embarrassment at some point. It’s not something anyone enjoys or wants to go through. But there’s another level of embarrassment: humiliation. I think it’s safe to say to say that very few people have experienced the level of embarrassment or humiliation that William has. Imagine being on the most popular talent show in the country – American Idol – and failing badly. The judges laugh at you and send you home. One of them even calls your singing “grotesque”. Then th...
47: William Hung was on American Idol
April 10, 2020 07:00 - 38 minutesWe’ve all experienced embarrassment at some point. It’s not something anyone enjoys or wants to go through. But there’s another level of embarrassment: humiliation. I think it’s safe to say to say that very few people have experienced the level of embarrassment or humiliation that William has. Imagine being on the most popular talent show in the country – American Idol – and failing badly. The judges laugh at you and send you home. One of them even calls your singing “grotesque”. Then the vid...
James spent 35 years in prison WWTL 46
March 27, 2020 07:00 - 50 minutes - 40.9 MBDavid Tyler lives here in the Tampa Bay area of Florida. David is the person who introduced me to James Bain. James was arrested at age 19 as a suspect in a horrible crime, which you’ll learn about in a few minutes. He was convicted for that crime, and sentenced to prison. He spent 35 years in prison as part of his punishment for that crime. James was released from prison on December 17, 2009. David figured out how to get in touch with him, and invited him to a Tampa Bay Buccaneers footbal...
46: James spent 35 years in prison
March 27, 2020 07:00 - 54 minutesDavid Tyler lives here in the Tampa Bay area of Florida. David is the person who introduced me to James Bain. James was arrested at age 19 as a suspect in a horrible crime, which you’ll learn about in a few minutes. He was convicted for that crime, and sentenced to prison. He spent 35 years in prison as part of his punishment for that crime. James was released from prison on December 17, 2009. David figured out how to get in touch with him, and invited him to a Tampa Bay Buccaneers football g...
45: Eric killed an intruder
March 13, 2020 07:00 - 55 minutesWhat would you do if you were asleep with your spouse, and it was the middle of the night, and suddenly you heard loud noises like someone banging on your door? What about when you got up and before turning on any lights, you could see the figure of a man standing there on the other side of your sliding glass doors? And when you turn on the lights, and you see him, and he sees you, and he explodes with anger and starts trying to break through the door? What would you do? None of wants to be p...
Eric killed an intruder WWTL 45
March 13, 2020 07:00 - 51 minutes - 41.7 MBWhat would you do if you were asleep with your spouse, and it was the middle of the night, and suddenly you heard loud noises like someone banging on your door? What about when you got up and before turning on any lights, you could see the figure of a man standing there on the other side of your sliding glass doors? And when you turn on the lights, and you see him, and he sees you, and he explodes with anger and starts trying to break through the door? What would you do? None of want...
44: Lynsey's mom stole her identity
February 28, 2020 08:00 - 38 minutesIn 2018, the Federal Trade Commission processed 1.4 million reports of fraud. The total losses for all those fraud reports came to almost a billion and a half dollars. And that’s for a single 12-month period. The FTC publishes statistics, and they have said that the most common types of fraud complaints were fake debt collections, imposter scams, and the traditional identity theft. And in the category of identity theft, the most common one was credit card fraud – someone opening a new credit ...
Lynsey's mom stole her identity WWTL 44
February 28, 2020 08:00 - 34 minutes - 28 MBIn 2018, the Federal Trade Commission processed 1.4 million reports of fraud. The total losses for all those fraud reports came to almost a billion and a half dollars. And that’s for a single 12-month period. The FTC publishes statistics, and they have said that the most common types of fraud complaints were fake debt collections, imposter scams, and the traditional identity theft. And in the category of identity theft, the most common one was credit card fraud – someone opening a new cred...
43: Matt proposed with a movie trailer
February 14, 2020 08:00 - 1 hourToday is February 14 and in most places around the world that means a special holiday – Valentine’s Day. If you didn’t realize that’s what today is, you might be in a bit of trouble with your special someone by the end of the day. And since I knew I would have a new episode coming out on Valentine’s Day, I wanted to find a story that is related to love and romance, but would still be unusual and interesting enough to be an episode here on What Was That Like. Then I came across Matt’s story of...
Matt proposed with a movie trailer WWTL 43
February 14, 2020 08:00 - 59 minutes - 48.5 MBToday is February 14 and in most places around the world that means a special holiday – Valentine’s Day. If you didn’t realize that’s what today is, you might be in a bit of trouble with your special someone by the end of the day. And since I knew I would have a new episode coming out on Valentine’s Day, I wanted to find a story that is related to love and romance, but would still be unusual and interesting enough to be an episode here on What Was That Like. Then I came across Matt’s sto...
42: Jami found a stranger in her bedroom
January 31, 2020 08:00 - 52 minutesToday we’re going to hear from Jami. Jami had something happen to her when she was a teenager, and it clearly had a huge effect because she still thinks about it to this day. One night she came back home from a trip to the grocery store. She parked her car, and before she got out she saw a strange man standing on the sidewalk, right in front of her car. He stood there looking at her, through the windshield. Less than 10 minutes later, that man was in her bedroom. Yeah, this is a creepy one. A...
Jami found a stranger in her bedroom WWTL 42
January 31, 2020 08:00 - 48 minutes - 39.3 MBToday we’re going to hear from Jami. Jami had something happen to her when she was a teenager, and it clearly had a huge effect because she still thinks about it to this day. One night she came back home from a trip to the grocery store. She parked her car, and before she got out she saw a strange man standing on the sidewalk, right in front of her car. He stood there looking at her, through the windshield. Less than 10 minutes later, that man was in her bedroom. Yeah, this is a creepy o...
Lauren was attacked by a monkey WWTL 41
January 17, 2020 08:00 - 39 minutes - 32.1 MBToday’s conversation is with Lauren. A few years ago, Lauren worked at a private zoo here in the United States. And one of her jobs was to take care of the monkeys. But these weren’t just any monkeys – these were howler monkeys. You want to guess how howler monkeys earned that name? You got it, because they howl. But it’s probably not the kind of sound you expect to hear when you think of howling. You know, you kind of think of a dog with that kind of high-pitched noise, that’s kind of c...
41: Lauren was attacked by a monkey
January 17, 2020 08:00 - 43 minutesToday’s conversation is with Lauren. A few years ago, Lauren worked at a private zoo here in the United States. And one of her jobs was to take care of the monkeys. But these weren’t just any monkeys – these were howler monkeys. You want to guess how howler monkeys earned that name? You got it, because they howl. But it’s probably not the kind of sound you expect to hear when you think of howling. You know, you kind of think of a dog with that kind of high-pitched noise, that’s kind of charmi...
Spence is a lighthouse keeper WWTL 40
January 03, 2020 08:00 - 54 minutes - 44.2 MBCan you imagine having a job that required you to live on an island, and your primary purpose there was to make sure ships avoid running into the land? It’s definitely not a job for everyone, but for some people it’s perfect. Spence is one of those people. He’s a modern day lighthouse keeper. This is a bit of a different type of episode for this podcast. Sometimes when I come across opportunities like this, I think, okay, I would find this really interesting, but would other people find ...