RISK! Podcast – Episode: "Sweet Sixteen"

Date: October 6, 2025
Host: Kevin Allison
Featured Guests: Sean Mallon, Risk Listeners, Jill Carliner, Axel Lundstrom

Episode Overview

The "Sweet Sixteen" episode celebrates a milestone—the 16th anniversary of the RISK! podcast. Host Kevin Allison, now settling into a new life in Thailand, revisits the show's legacy, shares fan reflections, and gives the floor to both new and classic true stories that capture RISK!’s trademark blend of hilarity, vulnerability, and the unexpected. Special focus is given to what the show means to the community, storytelling as connection, and how uncensored truth-telling continues to break new ground in podcasting. The episode closes with an in-depth chat with Sean Mallon, author of "Podcast Pantheon: 101 Podcasts That Changed the Way We Listen," recognizing RISK!’s impact on audio storytelling.

Key Discussion Points & Notable Segments

1. Setting the Stage: 16 Years of RISK!

• [04:28] Kevin Allison reflects on the show's birthday and proud inclusion in Sean Mallon’s new book.

  "We’re calling this week's episode Sweet Sixteen because this episode just happens to be dropping on October 6, the actual 16th birthday of this podcast."

• Acknowledgment of the podcast’s evolution and its lasting influence.
• Announcement: Video version of Kevin’s chat with Sean Mallon will be available on YouTube.

2. Listener Testimonies: The Podcast’s Personal Impact

a. Sam's Nostalgic Reflections

[06:23] Sam – Longtime listener since the 2000s.

• RISK! stood out among the earliest podcasts for discussing topics seldomly touched by mainstream media.

  "I loved Kevin’s show Risk because it, you know, it talked about things you would never hear on NPR, which I think was one of his taglines."

• Early episodes like "Kevin Goes to King Camp" and "the guy who was stung by a scorpion" were especially memorable.
• Appreciation for Kevin’s bravery in hosting honest, revealing stories.

b. Bridget’s Story: Solace in Shared Stories

[07:24] Bridget – Listener since 2009, post-breakup.

• Podcasting comforted her during a lonely period; Risk made her feel "less alone, less broken, and more hopeful."

  "Hearing other people tell their stories at a time when I couldn't tell my own gave me so much solace that I wasn't alone."

• RISK!’s authenticity resonated during her personal reinvention.

c. Marie’s New Beginnings

[32:33] Marie shares how leaving a ten-year marriage and restarting her life coincided with discovering RISK!

• The podcast’s early episodes helped her through insomnia and dramatic life change.

  “Listening to those early shows, I laughed when people laughed. I cried when people cried. And I knew that I wasn’t alone, and I knew that I was going to be okay. All I needed to do was learn to take more risks.”

d. Scott Howell on Community & Comfort

[34:33] Scott Howell – Reflects on finding his tribe through RISK!

• Listening to the show during his father's cancer diagnosis brought catharsis and connection.

  “The more stories I heard, the more comfort I felt, the more at ease I felt... it started helping with things like anxiety and stuff. And that’s what truly I love about the podcast…”

• Praises Kevin’s humility and genuine connection with his audience.

e. Margaret’s Anniversary Message

[52:21] Margaret – Salutes the show’s range and diversity of storytellers.

• Recalls being especially moved by Lily Taylor’s story about her father’s bipolar disorder.
• Fondly remembers Kevin’s quirky ads:

  “I especially recall with fondness the stamps.com ads... he would sing RISK!... I have loved the podcast dearly, and I’m so glad you’re here. And again, happy 16th anniversary, RISK.”

3. Feature Story: “Save a Prayer for Jill”

[10:18] Jill Carliner recounts an intensely relatable coming-of-age story from 1983.

• At 16, Jill struggled with feeling left out as her best friends obsessed over Rick Springfield and Duran Duran.
• Peer pressure leads Jill to her first rock concert at Nassau Coliseum, surrounded by teenage hysteria and her friends' musical passions she doesn't share.
  • Vivid description:

    “My experience of hearing live music was you sit in your seat, you listen to the music with your program on your lap, and you politely clap when it’s over. And here they are talking about like running around this arena.” [Approx. 13:56]

  • Left alone during the show, Jill spirals into adolescent angst, imagining a life forever friendless and alone.
  • The catharsis comes during an encore of "Hungry like the Wolf," as Jill decides to join in, dance, and basks in her friends' affection moments later.

    “I realize it doesn’t matter what music I listen to, doesn’t matter what music they listen to. My friends love me for who I am.”

  • Reflection on adulthood and dancing uninhibited at concerts now, regardless of what others think.
• [28:45] Axel Lundstrom:

  “Music. Music can totally do that to you. I mean, yeah, it just brings you back. And I gotta tell you, I don’t listen to Duran Duran. If it comes on the radio, I have to turn it off. Like that’s how traumatizing it was.”

[58:26] Jill’s Follow-up:

• After sharing this story in Kevin's workshop, her friends learned of her decades-old feelings of abandonment and apologized, highlighting the extended impact of teenage experiences.

4. Host Story: “What’s in the Box?”

[36:00] Kevin Allison tells a raw, hilarious, and cringe-inducing tale from his own youth.

• At 16, deeply closeted and love-struck at his all-boys Jesuit school, Kevin becomes infatuated with Jason, a sweet, athletic student.
  • Over-the-top puppy-love results in playful bullying (calling Jason "Sputum"), which Jason counters with “stupid human tricks” (spitting minuscule droplets at Kevin during lunch).

    “If you spit at me one more time, I’ll mail you my poop.” [Approx. 41:02]

  • True to his word, Kevin concocts an outrageous prank: mailing Jason a Tupperware container of his own feces, labeled “enjoy the cookies.”
  • Jason opens the package in front of his mother, cementing the prank—and Kevin’s legend—at school.
• Kevin’s later reflection in therapy weighs the motivations for his actions, ultimately attributing it to longing, embarrassment, and the desperate swing between vulnerability and defense so common in adolescence.

  “I had overshot revenge. You know, it was no eye for an eye. I’d given him like a whole torso.”

• In classic RISK! fashion, the story blends the mortifying with the heartwarming, ending on a note of self-acceptance and humor.

5. RISK! Workshops and Community Building

[08:41] Kevin Allison shares updates about expanding RISK! storytelling workshops into new levels and time zones, aiming to grow community and encourage more stories globally.
> “Once I’m settled in Bangkok, I’ve decided I’m going to start planning on expanding those into three levels... Level 0, Level 1, Level advanced... and create social events where people can continue making friends and checking in.”

6. Special Feature: Interview with Sean Mallon

The Podcast's Place in History

[59:23 onward]

• Sean Mallon, author of "Podcast Pantheon," highlights how RISK! stands as a pillar of audio storytelling and why it was chosen for his book.

  “It was like a no brainer because when people ask for things, of course they want to hear what’s the new show. But I go, oh no, you should go back and listen to this episode of Risk.” [61:22]

• Kevin affirms the show’s indie credentials and enduring innovation.

  “It has always felt like the kind of punk...the redheaded step cousin of shows like This American Life and The Moth.” [69:20]

• They discuss RISK!’s commitment to unvarnished storytelling unconstrained by traditional broadcast rules:

  “Here is a show where we don’t have to do what storytelling shows that are looking to get on NPR would have to do because of standards and practices and everything else.” [64:56]

• Mallon marvels at RISK!’s ability to continually surprise its audience, avoid formula, and maintain a space for discomfort and delight.

  “My true blue belief is that people will never stop being surprised by it, which is why it’s a worthy art project.” [73:01]

• Kevin shares how international expansion (Thailand) will spark creative renewal for the show.

  “I’m really hoping that some very new stuff happens because of it, you know, me being on the other side of the world.” [75:41]

• Sean notes podcasting’s global boom and predicts future success for RISK!’s new phase:

  “I predict that not only will this be a successful venture for you and for Risk, but I think...it’s going to be creatively really invigorating for the show.” [78:54]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Take a risk.” — Kevin Allison’s closing note, echoing the show's ethos. [54:50]
• “If you spit at me one more time, I’ll mail you my poop.” — Kevin Allison, summing up the absurdity and honesty of teenage years. [41:02]
• “Music. Music can totally do that to you. I mean, yeah, it just brings you back.” — Axel Lundstrom [28:45]
• “Risk made me feel less alone, less broken, and more hopeful about my future.” — Bridget [07:24]
• "Only one person on earth: Kevin Allison." — Jason's reply to his bewildered mother after opening the infamous package. [45:20 approx.]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [04:28] Kevin Allison intro & Sean Mallon’s book mention
• [06:23] Listener feedback: Sam’s call
• [07:24] Listener feedback: Bridget’s call
• [08:41] Kevin on workshops/community
• [10:18] Jill Carliner’s “Save a Prayer for Jill”
• [25:42] Jill’s concert follow-up
• [32:33] Listener: Marie’s call
• [34:33] Listener: Scott Howell’s call
• [36:00] Kevin Allison’s story: “What’s in the Box?”
• [52:21] Listener: Margaret’s anniversary wishes
• [54:50] Kevin invitation to watch YouTube chat
• [58:26] Jill’s story follow-up
• [59:23] Begin Kevin & Sean Mallon’s interview
• [79:28] Episode close with optimism for the future

Tone & Style

The episode maintains RISK!’s signature warmth, wit, and authenticity—a balance of humor, candid confession, and emotional depth. Kevin’s voice comes through as inclusive, vulnerable, and ever enthusiastic for the thrill (and healing) of storytelling.

Conclusion

The “Sweet Sixteen” episode of RISK! serves as both a retrospective and a lively, loving celebration. It honors how storytelling can connect, heal, and surprise us—and marks not the end, but an exciting new chapter, as Kevin and the show continue to “take a risk.”