Podcast
Other People's Shoes
Hosted by Neil Matthews · EN
On my show, I intentionally create space for every voice and every point of view to be heard. Honest, constructive conversations have a way of opening our eyes to stories we might otherwise miss. After all, when you step into Other People’s Shoes, you gain what we’re all searching for… a different perspective on life.
44episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Twenty Twenty
Jan 2100:40:05Tap to summarize🎙 WHO’S THERE -“2020”Hindsight is 20/20… but only after everything changes🚪 SEASON THEME: WHO’S THERESeason 22 asks a simple but unsettling question:What happens when life knocks… and you answer?And just as powerfully what happens when you don’t?Some knocks are subtle.Some are disruptive.Some arrive without warning and change the direction of everything.This season explores the moments when life crosses the threshold not always politely and asks us to respond.👁️ WHY “HINDSIGHT IS 20/20”We hear the phrase “hindsight is 20/20” all the time.It means clarity only comes after the moment has passed.After the decision.After the accident.After the door has already been opened or slammed shut.You don’t see clearly in the moment.You see clearly looking back.This episode lives right there in the space between what we thought we knew and what life revealed later.👣 GUEST INTRODUCTIONToday’s guest is Danielle Matthews and yes, we share the same last name, though we are not related. That coincidence opens the door to a deeper conversation about perspective, meaning, and how clarity often comes after impact.Danielle talks about the importance of staying in your own lane focusing inward, doing your work, and not being pulled into chaos that isn’t yours.And then she shares this:At 23, a drunk driver crossed into her lane and hit her head-on.Not because she wasn’t paying attention.Not because she did anything wrong.But because life doesn’t always respect our lanes.Only later in hindsight did meaning begin to take shape.We even briefly touch on cultural ideas of irony, including Ironic, but what surfaces is something more honest than irony: the truth that wisdom doesn’t prevent life from knocking it shapes how we respond after.🌱 HER STORYDoctors told Danielle to accept permanent impairment as her new normal.She refused.What followed wasn’t just physical recovery it was an internal awakening.Despite being told she would never heal, Danielle restored her physical health through redox signaling. That internal shift opened the door to Eastern philosophy, Yoga Nidra, and Yoga Therapy practices that helped her reset her nervous system, release stored trauma, and find calm no matter what was happening externally.What happened to her didn’t make sense in the moment.It only began to make sense looking back.That’s hindsight.💡 POWERFUL POINTS FROM THIS EPISODEThese aren’t takeaways they’re reflections that come with time:If you feel like a victim, what if life isn’t conspiring against you, but awakening you?What is this challenge making possible?Who can I be when I am complete as I am?The best thing that ever happened to me was my accident.It’s not out there it’s inside me.When awareness shifts, you see fault differently.There is a blue sky somewhere… even when you can’t see it yet.🔗 CONNECT WITH DANIELLE📺 YouTube🎧 LISTEN & FOLLOW OTHER PEOPLE’S SHOES🩵 Instagram👍 Facebook🐦 X📺 YouTube👟 Website📣 LEAVE A REVIEWIf this episode helped you see something differently looking back, a review helps others find conversations that meet them right where they are.👉 Leave a review
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Rejected
Jan 1400:55:45Tap to summarize🎙 Episode Title: Rejected🧩 Season Theme: Who’s There? 🚪This season asks one haunting question: Who’s knocking at your life’s door?Some knocks invite healing. Others demand courage. And some… almost change everything.⚠️ Listener AdvisoryThis episode contains adult and mature subject matter.Listener discretion is strongly advised.This conversation includes honest discussions around addiction, recovery, suicide awareness, and life-altering trauma. These themes are shared with care and purpose, but they may be difficult for some listeners. Please take care of yourself and choose the right time and space before pressing play.👣 Guest Introduction:Some knocks don’t come gently.Some arrive loud, chaotic, and terrifying.This week’s guest, Tim Wessel, experienced an almost knock a moment so close to opening the door that it would have changed his life forever.At one of the darkest points in his life, Tim was on his way out the door to end his life when someone else was already there, about to knock.That interruption.That presence.That moment changed everything.Tim is an ordained pastor and certified Peer Recovery Coach with a deep background in business leadership, ministry, and recovery. After earning his BBA in Accounting Information Systems from Eastern Michigan University, Tim spent 12 years working in public accounting, serving everyone from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies across the United States.But Tim’s true calling has always been people.For more than a decade, he served as an Outreach and Recovery Pastor, building relationships and walking with individuals through addiction, loss, and rebuilding a life rooted in passion, purpose, prosperity, and peace. Tim is a powerful communicator whose story has reached state capitals, conferences, and awareness events focused on addiction, alcohol abuse, and suicide prevention.His testimony, known worldwide through The Tim Video, continues to deliver hope to those who feel stuck in survival mode—pointing the way toward thriving.This episode isn’t easy.It’s honest.And it’s exactly the kind of story this season exists to tell.💡 Episode Highlights:The almost knock that nearly changed Tim’s life forever.The moment someone showed up when Tim was ready to walk away.How does Tim forgive? Could you forgive?🔗 Connect with Tim Wessel:🎥 The Tim Video-most watchLearn more about Tim here📣 Share this episode with someone who may need hope today.🎧 Listen & Follow Other People’s Shoes:🩵 Instagram👍 Facebook🐦 X📺 YouTube👟 Website📣 Leave Us a Review:If this episode moved you, challenged you, or made you pause before answering the next knock don’t keep it to yourself.Leave a review and let us know how stepping into Tim’s shoes impacted you.
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Intruder
Jan 700:51:36Tap to summarize🎙 SEASON 22: WHO THERE 🚪 As we step into Season 22, I’m asking one big question:Who’s knocking at your life’s door?👤 Is it a long-lost friend… a past mistake… or an opportunity you never saw coming?💡 Is it joy, peace, and purpose… or fear, doubt, and bad habits?Some doors we throw open 🔓Some we keep locked 🔒Some knocks change everythingThis season is about the front-door moments the knock you can’t ignore.⚠️ LISTENER WARNINGListener discretion is advised. This episode includes discussion of abuse, physical assault, and gun violence.👣 GUEST INTRODUCTIONWhat if someone invaded your home and your life through physical, emotional, and sexual violence?Could you forgive them?Would you ever want to?My first guest of Season 22 is Kimberly Haar, a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), and author of Healing from Life’s Deepest Hurts.Kim doesn’t speak about forgiveness from theory she lives it. A survivor of domestic violence, she discovered firsthand what real healing looks like when faith meets trauma.💡 EPISODE TAKEAWAYSHave you ever danced with Jesus in the middle of pain?Can forgiveness be learned or is it a daily decision?How do you draw close to God after trauma?How do you find joy when the night has been long?📘 ABOUT THE BOOKKim’s work is a reminder that God can transform pain into joy. Her book offers:A gentle guide through healing from grief, loss, and traumaCompassionate biblical wisdom paired with practical mental-health toolsInsight from a survivor, counselor, and therapist with nearly two decades of experienceIf you’ve struggled with shame, guilt, anger, unforgiveness, or felt abandoned by God, this book may be exactly what you need to move toward restoration.🔗 CONNECT WITH KIMBERLY HAAR🌐 Website📕 Book🎧 LISTEN & FOLLOW OTHER PEOPLE’S SHOES🩵 Instagram👍 Facebook🐦 X📺 YouTube👟 Website📣 LEAVE A REVIEWIf this episode stayed with you, a quick review helps more people find stories that matter.👉 Leave a review
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Missing Piece
Aug 13, 202500:46:12Tap to summarize🎙 Episode Title: The Missing Piece🧩 Season Theme: UnmadeThe season theme 'Unmade' refers to the concept of an 'unmade bed' raw, honest, and messy moments in life when things fall apart, identities unravel, and people are confronted with the truth of who they really are.👣 Guest Introduction:Jordan Turbyfill has made a career in craftsmanship, but today he steps into a very different kind of work examining the heart behind our words. Known for his easy humor and quick wit, Jordan admits he’s guilty of tossing out the occasional “yo momma” joke. But what happens when a laugh cuts deeper than intended?For Jordan, conversations about motherhood carry weight. The raw honesty in NF’s song How Could You Leave Us resonates deeply with himits haunting story of love, loss, and longing for a mother who was physically present but emotionally absent. It’s a reminder that the mother child bond can be a source of comfort or of pain, and that its absence can leave a hole nothing else quite fills. Together, we explore how jokes can become mirrors, revealing both the beauty and brokenness in our relationships, and why missing that connection can feel like the missing piece in life’s puzzle.💡 Episode Highlights:The double-edged nature of humor and the jokes we think are harmless.Why motherhood whether experienced firsthand or longed for is one of life’s greatest gifts.How NF’s How Could You Leave Us captures the pain of a fractured parental bond.The lasting impact of losing or never having a healthy mother–child connection.How love, absence, and humor can all shape identity and belonging.🔗 Connect with Jordan Turbyfill:Instagram: @one.contract.flooring🎧 Listen & Follow Other People’s Shoes:👟 Website🩵 Instagram👍 Facebook🐦 X (Twitter)📺 YouTube📣 Leave Us a Review:If this episode moved you, challenged you, or gave you something to think about—don’t keep it to yourself! Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and let us know how stepping into the guest’s shoes impacted you.
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Messy Prayers
Aug 6, 202500:42:59Tap to summarize🎙Messy Prayers🗝️ Praying for someone—especially your spouse—is like trying to plant seeds in rocky soil.You know growth is possible, but every time you kneel down, you hit something hard: past wounds, unmet expectations, pride, fear. It takes work to clear the ground. But if you stay with it, roots can take hold—and something beautiful can grow.👣 Guest Introduction:Amanda Hayhurst once looked at Christian women and thought they were fake—polished on the outside, probably polished on the inside too. But behind her own smile was a heart weighed down by shame, years of unhealthy coping, and ultimately, an affair that nearly destroyed her marriage.Just when things couldn’t feel more unmade, Amanda also faced one of the hardest chapters of her life walking through her young son’s leukemia diagnosis. And later, navigating her own health struggles. But instead of giving up, she began to press in. Amanda found herself surrendering the false identities she had clung to for years. Through therapy, community, and a growing relationship with Jesus, she uncovered something deeper than survival: healing.Now a seminary graduate, author of Pray for Him, and fierce advocate for honest, messy prayers, Amanda shares how God restored her life, her marriage, and continues to heal her heart day by day.💡 Episode Highlights:🛑 Why praying for your spouse can feel impossible and what’s really behind the resistance💔 Amanda’s journey through shame, false intimacy, an affair, and her own health struggles🩺 How her son’s leukemia diagnosis became a breaking and rebuilding point in her faith🧎♀️ Surrendering unhealthy coping tools, including alcohol, performance, and escapism📖 The difference between salvation and healing and why God wants both for us💬 The raw, unfiltered truth about finding intimacy with God through pain✨ What happens when we finally begin to pray not perfectly, but honestly🔗 Connect with Amanda Hayhurst:Website: https://amandahayhurst.comInstagram: @amandahayhurstwrites🎧 Listen & Follow Other People’s Shoes:👟 Website🩵 Instagram👍 Facebook🐦 X (Twitter)📺 YouTube📣 Leave Us a Review:If this episode moved you, challenged you, or gave you something to think about don’t keep it to yourself! Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and let us know how stepping into Amanda’s shoes impacted you.
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Dissonance
Jul 30, 202500:33:39Tap to summarize🎙 Dissonance👣 🌵 Picture this: you're walking through a vast, dry desert, sun scorching your back, lips cracked, feet aching with every step. But you keep going. Why? Because on the horizon, you think you see it: approval, notoriety, love, fulfillment. You’re desperate for a drop of something real. But what if all those mirages are just that mirages?🎶 The musical artist Plumb once wrote:"There’s a God-shaped hole in all of us,And the restless soul is searching.There’s a God-shaped hole in all of us,And it’s a void only He can fill."That’s the ache of dissonance—the tension between what we chase and what we truly need. 💔✨Today’s guest, Billy Byrd Sr., knows that desert well. 🏜 At 19, he found himself in federal prison, chasing things that never truly filled him. In the silence, the dissonance of his life, the clash between who he was and who he was created to be, became impossible to ignore. 🎤🙏What emerged wasn’t just a man with a microphone, but an artist and pastor whose music and message now echo with redemption, purpose, and praise. 🎵⛪️From early rhythms in R&B to a soul deeply rooted in worship, Billy’s upcoming album “I Trust You” is more than music; it’s a testimony. His life, once marked by chaos, now sings a new song: one of faith, healing, and divine harmony. 🌈🔥💡 Episode Highlights:💭 What “dissonance” really means in life, faith, and identity🎯 The false promises of fame, fortune, and approval🔐 How federal prison became a turning point for Billy🎶 The power of music to guide, heal, and lead us to truth🕳 The "God-shaped hole" and what finally fills it🙌 The message behind “I Trust You” and why it matters now🔗 Connect with Billy Byrd Sr..:📱 Instagram: @billybyrdsr1▶️ YouTube: Billy Byrd Sr. Music🎧 Listen & Follow Other People’s Shoes:👟 Website🩵 Instagram👍 Facebook🐦 X (Twitter)📺 YouTube📣 Leave Us a Review:If this episode moved you, challenged you, or gave you something to think about—don’t keep it to yourself! Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and let us know how stepping into the guest’s shoes impacted you. 💬📝
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Out Of Control
Jul 23, 202500:47:54Tap to summarize🎙 Out of Control👣 You’ve probably heard the phrase “members only,” a special club with exclusive access. Think Costco, country clubs, and elite lounges at the airport. But there’s one membership no one ever wants, one that June Kraholik found herself part of in the most gut-wrenching way possible: the invisible club of grieving mothers.In 2012, June lost her two-year-old son Kaleb, and life as she knew it stopped making sense. Grief didn’t just knock on the door; it overtook her. But out of that devastation, June slowly found a way to transform her pain into purpose. Her debut nonfiction book, Momma, You Don’t Heal, offers an honest, raw, and deeply personal look at what it means to lose a child and live beyond the unthinkable.💡 Episode Highlights:🎟 Why grief can feel like a “membership club” no one ever signs up for💔 What happens when grief becomes something you live with instead of healing from🧠 The emotional and psychological toll of unresolved grief backed by startling statistics🗣 The social stigma surrounding child loss and why many grieving mothers feel invisible✍️ How June used storytelling as a lifeline and why writing helped her process the unimaginable🕊 A message to mothers who’ve lost children: You’re not alone, and your story still matters📊 Did you know? Studies show that unresolved grief can lead to serious health issues, including depression, anxiety, immune dysfunction, and even heart disease. One survey found that nearly 1 in 4 bereaved parents experience symptoms of PTSD. (Source: NIH, American Psychological Association)🔗 Connect with June Kraholik:Website: authorjunekraholik.comInstagram: @authorjunekraholikBook: Momma, You Don’t Heal on Amazon🎧 Listen & Follow Other People’s Shoes:👟 Website🩵 Instagram👍 Facebook🐦 X (Twitter)📺 YouTube📣 Leave Us a Review:If this episode moved you, challenged you, or gave you something to think about, don’t keep it to yourself! Please leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and let us know how stepping into the guest’s shoes impacted you.
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The Change
Jul 19, 202500:58:09Tap to summarize🎙BONUS: The Change🧩 Unmade:🛏️ Like an unmade bed, this season leans into the raw, honest, and often messy moments of life—the ones where everything we thought we knew unravels. It’s in these unmade spaces that we begin to see what’s real, what matters, and who we truly are becoming.🩵💔 What if the worst moment of your life didn’t destroy you, but instead uncovered your calling?🔥 In the wake of an unthinkable tragedy, Kathy Sanders did something few would dare: she stepped closer to the pain, asked the hardest questions, and refused to be silenced.👣 This isn’t just a story about grief. It’s about uncovering the truth, no matter where it leads—and choosing to remain unchanged by a broken world.👣 Kathy Sanders never intended to become an advocate, author, or investigator. But when the Oklahoma City bombing claimed the lives of her two young grandsons on April 19, 1995, everything in her life came unmade. 💥👼👼As she mourned, a deeper question haunted her: Was the story we were told the whole truth?📖 Nearly thirty years later, Kathy’s relentless pursuit of answers has uncovered disturbing evidence of a broader conspiracy—connecting domestic terrorism to far-right extremists, militia groups, and possible government failures. Her book, Shadows of Conspiracy, and her appearance in the Max documentary An American Bombing: The Road to April 19th, challenge us to look beyond the headlines and confront the truths we might rather ignore.🎶 This bonus episode takes its name from the Garth Brooks song “The Change,” which reminds us that sometimes our actions aren’t about changing the world, but about refusing to let the world change us:🎵 And I hear them saying,"You'll never change thingsAnd no matter what you doIt's still the same thing."But it's not the world that I am changingI do this so, this world we knowNever changes meWhat I do is so, this world will knowThat it will not change me"🕊️ Previously on Other People’s Shoes, we spoke with David Thibodeau, one of the survivors of the Waco standoff, another event closely tied to the timeline that led to April 19th.👉 Listen to that powerful conversation here: Season Finale: Waco💡 Episode Highlights:👩👦 Kathy’s deeply personal story of loss and how it led to a life of uncovering the truth🕵️♀️ The disturbing patterns and overlooked evidence that challenge the official narrative🕊️ What it means to pursue justice without bitterness🎤 The power of staying grounded in your convictions—even when the world says, "You’ll never change things"🪞 How does this story fit into the larger theme of living through the “unmade” moments🔗 Connect with Kathy Sanders:📘 Book: Shadows of Conspiracy📱 Facebook: facebook.com/kathy.sanders.90🎧 Listen & Follow Other People’s Shoes:👟 Website🩵 Instagram👍 Facebook🐦 X (Twitter)📺 YouTube📣 Leave Us a Review:⭐ If this episode moved you, challenged you, or gave you something to think about, don’t keep it to yourself! Please leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and let us know how stepping into Kathy’s shoes impacted you.
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Permission
Jul 16, 202500:45:50Tap to summarize🎙️ "Permission," featuring the incredible James Epps Jr., is live now! 👟 From a childhood marked by trauma, poverty, and pain 🌪️ to earning one of the highest ranks in the U.S. Marine Corps 🇺🇸, James has lived through what most only read about—and came out stronger, sharper, and unshakably purpose-driven 💥. Now he’s using his voice to inspire students, educators, and nonprofits across the country 🌟. His message? 👉 Greatness does not need approval. As Geno Smith put it best: “They wrote me off—I ain’t write back though.” 🗣️🔥 🎧 In this powerful conversation, you’ll hear: 🎒 His journey through trauma and perseverance ✅ How to rise above the labels others place on you 🧭 What 22 years in the Marine Corps taught him about leadership 🎤 Why your voice matters more than their opinions 🚫 And how to stop waiting for permission to live your purpose.👣 🎙️: "Permission"!My guest today is James Epps Jr.—a man who’s walked through pain most never see and came out stronger on the other side 💥.From surviving sexual assault and suicidal thoughts to rising through the ranks of the U.S. Marine Corps 🇺🇸, James’ story is one of raw resilience, unshakable purpose, and leadership forged in fire 🔥.Now retired, he’s inspiring students, educators, and nonprofits with this truth:👉 ✅ Key 1: Greatness does not need approval.👉 ✅ Key 2 Geno Smith said: “They wrote me off—I ain’t write back though.” 🗣️🎧 Tap in to hear:🎒 Overcoming trauma and poverty✅ Breaking the labels others place on you🧭 22 years of leadership wisdom🎤 Finding your voice after the silence🚫 And why don’t you need anyone’s permission to walk in your purpose📲 Listen now at opspodcast.com or wherever you get your podcasts!#OtherPeoplesShoes #PermissionPodcast #LeadershipJourney #JamesEppsJr #GreatnessDoesNotNeedApproval #Resilience #MilitaryLeadership #MotivationalSpeaker #GenoSmithQuote #PodcastSeason #Unmade #StepIntoTheirShoes #InspirationDaily #PodcastDrop
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Trapped
Jul 9, 202500:37:02Tap to summarize⚠️ TRIGGER WARNING: ⚠️This episode contains sensitive content, including references to sexual violence and trauma. Listener discretion is advised.🎙 Trapped👣 This week’s guest, Tam Lawrence, has lived through unimaginable darkness—but her story doesn’t end there. Raped at 14 and put in a cage for two years at the age of 17, Tam's journey is one of extraordinary resilience. Today, she stands as a powerful voice in media, advocacy, and entrepreneurship. Her spirit is unbreakable, her voice unwavering, and her story—one of unmaking and remaking—is unforgettable.The vivacious Tam Lawrence has owned and operated multiple businesses for over three decades. Refusing to let corporate America define her path, she carved out her own destiny—becoming a celebrated entrepreneur, author, media mogul, and activist.From a degree in Human Services to a BA in Communication and Psychology at Marquette, and later a Master’s in Journalism from Kent University, Tam’s academic achievements are just the beginning. She toured the world as a stand-up comic, appeared on BET Comic View, and shared stages with Jamie Foxx and Sommore.Tam founded Exposure Magazine, Exposure Plus TV, and Keynote Magazine, and formed the Urban Media Union to amplify the voices of underrepresented individuals in media. Her career also includes work as a Wisconsin State Lobbyist fighting for vulnerable aging populations.But beyond titles and accolades, Tam is a mother, a survivor, and a fierce advocate for change—proof that even the most unmade stories can be rewritten into ones of impact and empowerment.🔗 Connect with Tam Lawrence:Website: https://www.exposure-magazine.comInstagram: @iamtamlawrenceYouTube: @ExposurePlusTV🎧 Listen & Follow Other People’s Shoes:👟 Website🩵 Instagram👍 Facebook🐦 X (Twitter)📺 YouTube📣 Leave Us a Review:If this episode moved you, challenged you, or gave you something to think about, don’t keep it to yourself! Please leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and let us know how stepping into Tam’s shoes impacted you.
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