Story Swap

Story Swap is a live storytelling podcast that travels the Midwest, capturing true-life stories told on stage in theaters, back rooms, bars, and community spaces. Each episode brings you real people sharing real experiences — raw, funny, heartbreaking, and deeply human — exactly as they were told live, in front of an audience.Hosted by Jackie Andrews, Story Swap goes behind the scenes with the producers who create these storytelling stages and features powerful stories from both seasoned tellers and first-time voices. From small towns to major cities across the Rust Belt, Story Swap highlights the communities, moments, and connections that make live storytelling unforgettable.This is a show about listening, courage, and the stories we carry — and what happens when we finally tell them out loud.🎙️ Real people. Real stories. Real connection.🌾 Recorded live across the Midwest.

Story Swap is a arts podcast hosted by Jackie Andrews, with 12 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Jackie Andrews hosts Story Swap, a arts show with 12 episodes published.

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  Episode #1

  Surviving War- Dayton, Ohio

  May 30, 202628 minS1

  <p >In this episode of Story Swap, host Jackie Andrews visits Dayton, Ohio, to explore LORE Storytelling, an organization dedicated to teaching people how to craft and share true-life stories on stage. Founder Bridget Flaherty explains how LORE's workshops empower first-time tellers, business leaders, and community members to find their voice—and why education is at the heart of their work.</p> <p >The episode features two powerful stories shaped through LORE's coaching process. Megan Garrison recounts a terrifying encounter with gunfire and terrorism while teaching students in Somaliland, confronting the reality of living without safety. Anastasia shares a multigenerational st...

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  Episode #4

  Hatred and Healing- Dayton, Ohio

  May 30, 202628 minS1

  <p >In this episode of Story Swap, we visit Dayton, Ohio and collaborate with LORE Storytelling to explore stories rooted in hatred, vulnerability, and healing. Host Jackie Andrews sits down with LORE founder Bridget Flaherty to discuss how storytelling education helps people reclaim their voices and tell difficult truths from the stage.<br /> <br /> The episode features two unforgettable live stories. Scott Ley shares a deeply personal journey of coming out, finding love, and navigating public acts of hate while choosing courage and pride. Dar reflects on her childhood as a Sikh immigrant in post‑9/11 America, tracing the long emotional ar...

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  Episode #9

  Beauty and the Beast- Cincinnati, Ohio

  May 30, 202628 minS1

  <p >In this episode, host Jackie Andrews sits down from Cincinnati with Dave Levy of True Theatre to explore what makes curated storytelling different: story gathering, pitch nights, rehearsals, and the craft of telling from memory without sounding memorized.</p> <p >Then we share "Beauty and the Beast," two true stories that reveal transformation in very different forms. In "Beauty," Colleen Herman follows a passion for hair, makeup, and stagecraft all the way to Cirque du Soleil in Macau—only to discover that outer beauty can't substitute for inner well-being. Her journey becomes a powerful reminder that healing, balance, and se...

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  Episode #5

  Unexpected Kindness- Columbus, Ohio

  May 30, 202628 minS1

  <p >Welcome to Story Swap, the program where true-life stories take center stage. In this episode, we travel to Columbus, Ohio, to visit Speak Easy, a live storytelling series known for an open mic that produces spontaneous, unexpected stories.</p> <p >Host Jackie Andrews is joined by Speak Easy producer Heidi Shapiro, who introduces the evening's theme: Unexpected Kindness. The episode features two moving stories told live on stage. Susan, a longtime storyteller and Ohio State University employee, weaves together science, family, and grief as she reflects on the loss of her father and the small acts of kindness that...

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  Episode #12

  Carpe Diam- Columbus, Ohio

  May 30, 202628 minS1

  <p >In this episode of Story Swap, we head to Columbus, Ohio, for a  Storytelling show produced by Heidi Shapiro around the theme Carpe Diem. The stories invite us to consider what happens when we stop waiting for certainty and start saying yes—to curiosity, connection, and change.<br /> <br /> Sarah Fulmer shares a sharply observed and funny childhood story that turns fear on its head. Steve recounts a teenage summer transformed by Bruce Springsteen's Thunder Road, a song that taught him the power of seizing opportunity. Chad closes the episode with a thoughtful reflection on marriage, divorce, and the des...

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