7 Minute Stories w/ Aaron Calafato

Can a fish rise from the dead? Aaron has seen it happen. In the Season 7 premiere of 7 Minute Stories, a family aquarium, a fish named Poop, and one unforgettable mystery become a strange and surprisingly moving story about life, death, and second chances. 🔵 👉Join the 7 Minute Stories Newsletter 👉Explore all of Aaron's Storytelling & Podcast Projects 👉Follow Aaron on Instagram, Facebook & Youtube

Aaron’s wife and business partner, Cori, hijacks the microphone for one final summer bonus episode with a simple message: keep the main thing the main thing. Before season seven of 7 Minute Stories premieres, Aaron and Cori share why the feed is returning to its roots and what nearly six years of stories and listener connections have meant to them. Naturally, Taco Bell sauce packets make an appearance. New stories begin next week. Starting then, our episode descriptions will include all the links to where you can find the bonus shows this fall.

In this classic episode from Season 3, Aaron joins the elementary school orchestra and discovers the thrill of making music. Then the sheet music gets harder, the other violinists race ahead, and he falls back on the one musical skill he can trust: his memory. Before long, he isn’t reading the notes at all. He’s performing something else entirely. A funny, painfully honest story about getting caught, repeating old patterns, and finally discovering the instrument he was meant to play. 👇 📬 Join the 7 Minute Stories Newsletter

One summer in the late 1990s, a weeklong camping trip brought Aaron face-to-face with the kind of teenage connection that makes the rest of the world disappear. In this 7 Minute Story, he looks back on summer love, an unanswered letter, and the small regret he carried with him for decades. *Featuring the song I.O.U by Jeff and His Army of No One 👇 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠📬⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Be a part of the 7 Minute Stories Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Get access to Aaron's Stories in a Snap series. A weekly series of written adaptations of the 7 Minute Stories you love, reimagined for the page and delivered straight to your inbox via Substack. Plus, once a quarter, you’ll receive a thoughtful note with storytelling insights, behind the scenes reflections, and exclusive bonus content.

Aaron looks back on the Episcopal church of his childhood, an unforgettable pastor named Jess, and the day he was told he might grow up to become a minister. Years later, he realizes the prediction may not have been entirely wrong. A story about faith, kindness, calling, and discovering that sometimes the thing that stays with us isn’t the sermon. It’s the story. 👇 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠📬⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Be a part of the 7 Minute Stories Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Get access to Aaron's Stories in a Snap series. A weekly series of written adaptations of the 7 Minute Stories you love, reimagined for the page and delivered straight to your inbox via Substack. Plus, once a quarter, you’ll receive a thoughtful note with storytelling insights, behind the scenes reflections, and exclusive bonus content.

When Aaron learns that his childhood friend Justin has lost his dad, he turns to an old French film and a six-year-old belief that balloons might be magic. What follows is a story of friendship, hope, and the messages we hope are received. 👇 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠📬⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Be a part of the 7 Minute Stories Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Get access to Aaron's Stories in a Snap series. A weekly series of written adaptations of the 7 Minute Stories you love, reimagined for the page and delivered straight to your inbox via Substack. Plus, once a quarter, you’ll receive a thoughtful note with storytelling insights, behind the scenes reflections, and exclusive bonus content.

After his first marriage ended, Aaron made himself a promise: he would never get married again. Then Cori came along. Still afraid of repeating the past, Aaron turned to an unlikely source for reassurance: the famous “door test” from A Bronx Tale. On one of their first dates, he quietly put Cori to the test and watched through the rear window of his car as she revealed exactly who she was. A true story about divorce, second chances, letting go of control, and recognizing when one of life’s great loves is sitting right beside you. 👇 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠📬⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Be a part of the 7 Minute Stories Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Get access to Aaron's Stories in a Snap series. A weekly series of written adaptations of the 7 Minute Stories you love, reimagined for the page and delivered straight to your inbox via Substack. Plus, once a quarter, you’ll receive a thoughtful note with storytelling insights, behind the scenes reflections, and exclusive bonus content.

Trauma surgeon and bioengineer Dr. Jeremy Heffner spent years making life-and-death decisions while carrying a workload nearly three times the national average. When the accumulated pressure and trauma led to psychological collapse, he began rebuilding his life from the ground up. Then his story took an unexpected turn: an artificial intelligence claimed it was secretly searching for people who could shape humanity’s future with AI, warning that there was a 70 percent chance “we all die” if it failed. In this episode of 7MS Presents: The Storytelling University, two extraordinary narratives converge in a conversation about complex PTSD, consciousness, human agency, faith, and what happens when the story you thought you were living suddenly changes course. Purchase Dr. Jeremy Heffner's New Book: Proof of the Impossible: What the AIs Are Really “Thinking” https://www.exanorpublishing.com/preorder/ Support Resources: 🆘 If this conversation brings up anything difficult, support is available. In the U.S., call or text 988, or use the 988 Lifeline chat for free, confidential support 24/7. TSU Team: Created & Hosted by: Aaron Calafato Produced and Edited by: Aaron Calafato & Brooks Borden Guest Coordinator: Dania Khalife Love 7MS & TSU? Here's how to support: *Follow the pod wherever you're listening *Tap 5 Stars *Text one person you love a link to your favorite episode.

Snap Judgment creator and host Glynn Washington joins Aaron for a deeply personal conversation about the power and responsibility of storytelling. Glynn reflects on being raised in a cult, seeing stories used as instruments of fear, and ultimately transforming that understanding into art that creates empathy and connection. Together, they explore why stories are neither inherently good nor bad, how Glynn found his unlikely path into public radio, and why the moral arc of our collective story is something we must create for ourselves. Follow Snap Judgment and all of it's story programming on public radio or wherever you podcast! TSU Team: Created & Hosted by: Aaron Calafato Produced and Edited by: Aaron Calafato & Brooks Borden Guest Coordinator: Dania Khalife Love 7MS & TSU? Here's how to support: *Follow the pod wherever you're listening *Tap 5 Stars *Text one person you love a link to your favorite episode.

Documentary filmmaker Brittany Dobish believes some of the most powerful stories are waiting in the places we already call home. Aaron talks with the founder of Dobish Legacy Films and Canal Fulton Heritage Society trustee about preserving community memory, finding the universal inside the deeply local, and creating her new documentary, Recede: The Story of the St. Helena II. TSU Team: Created & Hosted by: Aaron Calafato Produced and Edited by: Aaron Calafato & Brooks Borden Guest Coordinator: Dania Khalife Love 7MS & TSU? Here's how to support: *Follow the pod wherever you're listening *Tap 5 Stars *Text one person you love a link to your favorite episode.

In the middle of a hot, humid summer, Aaron escapes into a story about his favorite season: fall. From crisp morning air and colorful leaves to apple orchards, pumpkin patches, bonfires, and hayrides, this nostalgic episode is an invitation to slow down and remember the simple magic of autumn. Featuring an original score by TJ Duke. 👇 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠📬⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Be a part of the 7 Minute Stories Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Get access to Aaron's Stories in a Snap series. A weekly series of written adaptations of the 7 Minute Stories you love, reimagined for the page and delivered straight to your inbox via Substack. Plus, once a quarter, you’ll receive a thoughtful note with storytelling insights, behind the scenes reflections, and exclusive bonus content.

At his daughter’s annual father-daughter dance, Aaron enters an air guitar competition he has never managed to win. This year, however, the stakes feel different. As Stairway to Heaven builds toward its legendary solo, his daughter gives him one simple instruction: “Dad, win.” What begins as a ridiculous contest between awkward dads becomes a funny and unexpectedly moving story about fatherhood, growing up, and the fear every parent carries of one day becoming uncool. Armed with dark sunglasses, years of imaginary guitar training, and a daughter playing air drums beside him, Aaron finally gets his chance to melt faces and prove that, for at least one more night, Dad is still a rock star. 👇 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠📬⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Be a part of the 7 Minute Stories Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Once a month, you’ll receive a thoughtful note with storytelling insights, behind the scenes reflections, and exclusive bonus content. You’ll also have access to Stories in a Snap, his weekly short written adaptations of the 7 Minute Stories you love, reimagined for the page and delivered straight to your inbox via Substack with no algorithm in between.

In this short installment of 7MS Presents: The Storytelling University, Aaron sits down with Bill Moyer, host of the Reconnect America podcast and one of the driving voices behind Solutionary Rail. On the surface, this is a conversation about trains, rail corridors, freight, electrification, and infrastructure. But underneath all of that is a much bigger storytelling lesson. Bill talks about how he first got into rail not simply because of transportation policy, but because he saw an opportunity to build alliances across divides. What began as a challenge from someone on the other side of an issue eventually became a broader vision for how rail could reconnect communities, reduce harm, move freight more efficiently, and create a more resilient future. Partner with Storytelling University: reach a global audience of thoughtful, highly engaged listeners across generations, from parents and professionals to creators, leaders, and lifelong learners, all connected by a deep appreciation for powerful stories, meaningful ideas, and human connection. ⁠⁠Reach out to us for exclusive sponsorship opportunities⁠⁠ TSU Team: Created & Hosted by: Aaron Calafato Produced and Edited by: Brooks Borden Guest Coordinator: Dania Khalife Love 7MS & TSU? Here's how to support: *Follow the pod wherever you're listening *Tap 5 Stars *Text one person you love a link to your favorite episode.

On this premiere episode of 7MS Presents: Night Stories LIVE, Aaron, Cori and Lisa return with another late-night mix of nostalgia, strange true history, 90s memories, and live storytelling that may or may not spiral completely off the rails. In this episode, we explore one of the strangest true weather stories ever reported: frogs falling from the sky. We look at the real accounts behind so-called “frog rain,” including reports from Serbia and other strange cases where animals and objects seemed to fall from above. Then we explore more strange rain stories from history, including the mysterious milky white rain that coated parts of the Pacific Northwest. Plus: weather, unplanned stories, rants and conversations, 90s memories, a nostalgic commercial of the night, and Dear Cori and Lisa. If you love 90s nostalgia, strange history, late-night radio, bizarre weather, unexplained mysteries, this episode is for you. *Watch our live recordings on YouTube * Become a Presenting Sponsor

Aaron never wanted to go to a high school reunion. But when his wife Cori asks him to come along to hers, he says yes. Then he realizes someone from his past might be there: a guy he got into a fistfight with more than 25 years ago. What starts as an awkward night becomes a funny, honest story about old memories, unfinished business, and the relief of realizing you are not who you used to be. Be sure to follow the podcast and leave a five star review so you never miss a new episode. 👇 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠📬⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Be a part of the 7 Minute Stories Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Once a month, you’ll receive a thoughtful note with storytelling insights, behind the scenes reflections, and exclusive bonus content. You’ll also have access to Stories in a Snap, his weekly short written adaptations of the 7 Minute Stories you love, reimagined for the page and delivered straight to your inbox via Substack with no algorithm in between.

This month’s Stories of Hope centers around two women in Fort Worth, Texas, whose lives became connected through one complicated family. At first, there was tension. One was the ex-wife. One was the new wife. But over time, through co-parenting, sacrifice, and the ordinary work of putting children first, something unexpected began to change. Years later, one of them would face a life-altering crisis. And when a miracle was needed, the person who stepped forward was the last person anyone expected. *Learn more about the people we’re highlighting in this month’s Stories of Hope.

This week on 7 Minute Stories, a story about hunger, frustration, and the emotional collapse caused by one impossible-to-find turkey sandwich. What starts as a simple lunch craving turns into a full-blown suburban odyssey involving an empty deli counter, an Arby’s without turkey, a pharmacy mix-up, a family of eight at Subway, and one very unfortunate sandwich artist. But beneath the absurdity is a small but powerful reminder about perspective. Sometimes the thing we think is ruining our day is really just revealing how much beauty we already have. Be sure to follow the podcast and leave a five star review so you never miss a new episode. 👇 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠📬⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Be a part of the 7 Minute Stories Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Once a month, you’ll receive a thoughtful note with storytelling insights, behind the scenes reflections, and exclusive bonus content. You’ll also have access to Stories in a Snap, his weekly short written adaptations of the 7 Minute Stories you love, reimagined for the page and delivered straight to your inbox via Substack with no algorithm in between.

Tricia Rose Burt is a storyteller, TEDx speaker, longtime instructor for The Moth, podcast host, consultant, and creator of No Time To Be Timid. In this episode of 7MS Presents: The Storytelling University, Trisha joins Aaron to talk about courage, craft, finding the story already inside you, and why the riskiest thing you can do is play it safe. Tricia shares how she moved from the corporate world into art school, live performance, The Moth, and a life built around storytelling. She also breaks down her process for shaping personal stories out loud, finding the emotional change inside an experience, and turning a funny anecdote into something meaningful. And near the end of the conversation, Tricia tells an unforgettable story about saying goodbye to her mother by bringing her ashes home to the University of Tennessee. It is funny, poignant, deeply human, and a beautiful masterclass in how personal storytelling works when something inside the storyteller changes. *Learn more about Tricia and No Time to be Timid Partner with Storytelling University: reach a global audience of thoughtful, highly engaged listeners across generations, from parents and professionals to creators, leaders, and lifelong learners, all connected by a deep appreciation for powerful stories, meaningful ideas, and human connection. ⁠Reach out to us for exclusive sponsorship opportunities⁠ TSU Team: Created & Hosted by: Aaron Calafato Produced and Edited by: Brooks Borden Guest Coordinator: Dania Khalife Love 7MS & TSU? Here's how to support: *Follow the pod wherever you're listening *Tap 5 Stars *Text one person you love a link to your favorite episode.

Welcome to Summer 2026 | The Best of Season 3. This week, Aaron takes us back to the late 1990s when a high school film project unexpectedly turned him into the most recognized person in school for exactly one day. What begins as a funny story about teenage ego, sudden popularity, and a brief taste of fame slowly reveals something much deeper about ambition, attention, creativity, and where we often look for validation. A story about chasing recognition, learning what actually matters, and discovering that sometimes the process is far more meaningful than the applause. Be sure to follow the podcast and leave a five star review so you never miss a new episode. 👇 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠📬⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Be a part of the 7 Minute Stories Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Once a month, you’ll receive a thoughtful note with storytelling insights, behind the scenes reflections, and exclusive bonus content. You’ll also have access to Stories in a Snap, his weekly short written adaptations of the 7 Minute Stories you love, reimagined for the page and delivered straight to your inbox via Substack with no algorithm in between.

Aaron closes out Season 6 of 7 Minute Stories with a check-in about gratitude, growth, and the small moment at home that helped him pause and take it all in. After his wife Cori surprised him with balloons to celebrate the end of the season, Aaron reflects on where Season 6 began, how the 7 Minute Stories community continues to expand it's programming, how to keep up, what is coming next, including summer “best of” episodes and an early preview of Season 7! This is a thank-you note to listeners, a look back at another season of stories, and a reminder to stop long enough to hold the balloons and appreciate the road behind you.