Podcast
7 Minute Stories w/ Aaron Calafato
Hosted by Aaron Calafato · EN
7 Minute Stories is the leading short-form autobiographical storytelling podcast in the world, reaching over 30 million listeners through weekly unscripted personal narratives.
Each episode delivers a true story from Aaron Calafato’s extremely normal yet deeply relatable life in Ohio, told in about seven minutes with no script.
This show is quick, immersive, and tinged with nostalgia. Each story feels deeply personal, fits into your day, and leaves you better than it found you.
7MS sounds like a Millennial swapping stories with Jean Shepherd, Spalding Gray, and Paul Harvey at a Midwestern diner.
New episodes every week.
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Monthly Program Schedule:
7 Minute Stories
Real, short-form personal stories told by Aaron Calafato, in about seven minutes.*Stories drop every single Thursday.
7MS Presents: Short Stories of Hope
Monthly true stories about people, moments, and unlikely turns that remind us hope still finds a way. *Releases monthly on the 1st Monday.
The Storytelling University
Conversations with great storytellers, artists, thinkers, and creatives about how stories shape the way we see the world.*Releases twice a month on the 2nd & 4th Monday.
Square Stories
Local stories from Aaron’s hometown of Medina, Ohio, told with the heart and texture of everyday life.*Releases monthly on the 3rd Monday.
Night Stories Live!
Aaron’s late-night radio show featuring co-hosts Cori and Lisa. They tackle: nostalgia, strange headlines, humor & listener moments.*Bi-Weekly episodes release on 2nd & 4th Saturdays of the month.
53episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Glynn Washington: What Do Our Stories Make of Us?
1w ago00:17:39Tap to summarizeSnap 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! 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: 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.
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Why Local Stories Matter with Filmmaker Brittany Dobish
2w ago00:16:18Tap to summarizeDocumentary 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. 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: 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.
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It's Fall in July
2w ago00:10:21Tap to summarizeIn 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.
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That’s Why They Call It “Stairway to Heaven”
3w ago00:09:54Tap to summarizeAt 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.
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How Trains Tell a Story of Connection with Bill Moyer of Solutionary Rail
3w ago00:10:16Tap to summarizeIn 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.
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When Frogs Fell From the Sky, Cedar Point Trauma and More | Night Stories LIVE
3w ago02:23:24Tap to summarizeOn 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
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The Reunion I Was Afraid Of
4w ago00:08:48Tap to summarizeAaron 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.
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An Unexpected Gift in Fort Worth | Short Stories of Hope
4w ago00:03:55Tap to summarizeThis 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.
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The Turkey Sandwich That Nearly Broke Me
Jul 300:09:04Tap to summarizeThis 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.
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Tricia Rose Burt on Finding the Story Inside You | The Moth, Courage, and No Time To Be Timid
Jun 3000:21:41Tap to summarizeTricia 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.
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