Society & Culture Episodes

What happens when your life takes a turn you never saw coming? In this fascinating episode of Travel Time Stories with Shannon, I sit down with Eric Robinson, a recently retired FBI Special Agent whose journey is anything but ordinary. Before spending 24 years in the FBI—working cases involving counterterrorism, crimes against children, gangs, drugs, and public corruption—Eric spent 12 years in Christian ministry, including pastoring a church. From the pulpit… to SWAT operations. From savi...

Paralyzed at 20… and yet, this is not a story about loss. It’s a story about what’s still possible. In this powerful episode of Travel Time Stories with Shannon, Ann sits down with Ken Kunken—whose life changed forever during a college football game at Cornell University. A single moment left him almost completely paralyzed from the shoulders down. But what came next… is what makes this story unforgettable. Ken went on to: ✔ Return to Cornell and complete his degree ✔ Earn mult...

What if the problem… was never you? In this powerful episode of Travel Time Stories, Shannon and Ann sit down with Russell Van Brocklen, known as The Dyslexia Professor, to talk about what it really means to grow up with dyslexia—and how one shift in understanding can change everything. For years, Russell believed the message so many struggling learners hear: You’re not smart enough. But that story wasn’t true. And it’s not true for the millions of children and adults navigating dyslexi...

What if your success was built on survival mode? In this deeply honest episode of Travel Time Stories, Shannon and Ann sit down with trauma-informed therapist, emotional regulation coach, and self-trust expert Felicia Brown to talk about burnout, people-pleasing, nervous system survival, emotional exhaustion, and the pressure many women feel to constantly “hold it all together.” Before becoming a licensed professional counselor, Felicia spent 15 years in education while privately battling anx...

What happens when the life you built with someone you love suddenly changes forever? In this deeply moving episode of Travel Time Stories, Shannon and Ann sit down with Derrik Dyka, author of Good Grief Travel, to discuss grief, healing, loneliness, reinvention, and the unexpected ways travel helped him rebuild life after losing his wife of 24 years. Through journeys across Thailand, China, and beyond, Derrik discovered that healing often happens in the quietest moments—through conversations ...

What happens when desire fades… but the relationship is still there? In this honest and deeply needed conversation, Shannon and Ann sit down with Dr. Lori Davis, a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner and Certified Sex Counselor, to talk about something so many people experience—but few feel comfortable discussing. From mismatched desire to emotional disconnection to the very real impact of menopause on intimacy, this episode creates space for a conversation that is often avoided—but inc...

He's back—and the conversation goes even deeper. In his first appearance on Travel Time Stories, Dr. Stephen Paul Edwards challenged the way we think about love, toxic relationships, vulnerability, and emotional healing. Now he's back to discuss his newest novel, The Venus Fly Trap 2: Enough Is Never Enough. But this isn't a traditional author interview. It's three friends around the table talking honestly about relationships, boundaries, heartbreak, self-worth, and the mome...

At 72 years old, Rand Timmerman set out to hike the entire 2,200-mile Appalachian Trail with his younger brother, Ron. But they weren't simply climbing mountains. Both brothers were Vietnam combat veterans carrying experiences from the war that had followed them for decades. Rand was also walking a path of recovery from alcoholism, while Ron was grieving the loss of his wife. What began as an extraordinary physical challenge became something much deeper—a journey through grief, addiction r...

Today, Deana and Lizzie host the award-winning podcast Surviving Toxic Relationships with the Matadoras, where they use what they've experienced to educate, support, and empower others. Deana and Lizzie have an extraordinary story. They were married to the same man at different times. In Part 1 of this powerful two-part conversation, Deana and Lizzie join Shannon and Ann to talk about their extraordinary story and what they've learned about toxic relationships, manipulation, emotional a...

Deana and Lizzie, hosts of the award-winning podcast Surviving Toxic Relationships with the Matadoras, return for Part 2 of our powerful conversation about toxic relationships, emotional and financial abuse, healing, and starting over. In Part 1, they shared their extraordinary story of discovering they had been married to the same man at different times—and how that shared experience ultimately turned them from strangers into best friends with a mission to help others. Now we're talking a...

What if success isn't making you happy? In this powerful episode of Travel Time Stories, Shannon and Ann sit down with Dr. Carla Caturia, Elite Mindset Coach and founder of The House of Rise, to discuss burnout, perfectionism, identity, emotional resilience, and the hidden cost of achievement. After experiencing her own major life reset in her 40s, Dr. Carla developed the RISE Method to help high-achieving individuals break free from what she calls the Success Without Self Cycle—the pattern o...

In this episode of Travel Time Stories: The Author Spotlight Series, Ann welcomes author Oliver Mann to explore his book, Shadow Journaling, and the hidden parts of ourselves that may be keeping us stuck. We've all heard that self-awareness is the key to personal growth. But Oliver challenges that idea with a powerful message: “More self-awareness won't get you unstuck. Self-acceptance is the precursor to change.” Drawing inspiration from the work of Carl Jung and other influential thinker...

In this episode of The Author Spotlight Series, Shannon welcomes NaKeesa Marie, author, entrepreneur, and Self-Care Strategist, to discuss her book, 100 Days of Gentle Accountability for Black Women. They talk about the importance of Self Care for Black Women and how it needs to be made a priority in their lives. For generations, Black women have often been expected to carry enormous responsibilities—caring for their families, supporting their communities, succeeding professionally, and remai...

For anyone trying to move past fear and trust themselves again, Kelly Keefe shares how to reclaim confidence and live in alignment. In this episode of Travel Time Stories, Shannon and Ann welcome Kelly Keefe, author, speaker, Reiki Master Teacher, and transformational coach, for a conversation about overcoming fear, reclaiming confidence, spiritual awakening, and discovering what it means to live authentically. For more than a decade, Kelly has helped individuals navigate personal transfor...