What It's Like To...
"What It's Like To..." lets you vicariously experience intriguing things you may never get the chance to do. You can learn what it's like to summit Mt. Everest, attend the Academy Awards, and be a professional baseball player. Each week on our podcast, an insightful, accomplished guest shares personal stories and witty anecdotes with host Elizabeth Pearson Garr.
Episodes
84 episodes
What It's Like to Coach the Olympic Track and Field Team--Reprise
In celebration of the Summer Olympics, we're reprising some past episodes featuring guests who have been there! Sue Humphrey says she was a "not very good" athlete growing up--but she loved sports, and she found her niche early: a...
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Season 6
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Episode 18
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50:43
What It's Like to Be an Olympic Gymnast--Reprise
In celebration of the Summer Olympics, we're reprising some past episodes featuring guests who have been there! Justin Spring went from tumbling around his neighborhood to later winning NCAA gymnastics titles and eventually earnin...
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Season 6
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Episode 17
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50:51
What It's Like to Photograph the Olympics--Reprise
In celebration of the Summer Olympics, we're reprising some past episodes featuring guests who have been there! Photographer Jeff Cable has had a front-row seat at the past seven Olympic Games--although his seat is cluttered with ...
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Season 6
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Episode 16
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51:14
What It's Like To Embrace Tiny Living
Interest in "tiny living" is getting bigger. But what is it, really--what are the benefits, and what do you sacrifice by "going small"? Tiny house enthusiast Laura Lynch shares what inspired her to trade in her 2300-square-foot hous...
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Season 6
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Episode 15
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30:57
What It's Like To Summit Mt. Everest--Reprise
We're revisiting a popular episode from our archives this week! It's not easy to get to the top of the world. It takes a lot of training and determination, a willingness to endure pain and suffering--and no small amount of l...
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Season 6
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Episode 14
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36:58
What It's Like To Travel for a Living
Lots of people say they “like to travel”... but most probably can’t claim they're “travel addicts.” Karen Gershowitz has earned that title by visiting more than 95 countries–many of them numerous times! She’s worked her career around trav...
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Season 6
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Episode 13
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42:09
What It's Like to be on the Reality Show "Naked and Afraid" Six Times
EJ Snyder has spent 206 days in very tough, uncompromising environments, having to create his own shelters, forage for food, and keep warm in the elements--all in the nude. EJ--a.k.a. "Skull Crusher"--is an extreme survivalist, and has ...
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Season 6
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Episode 12
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37:38
What It's Like To Be a Stuntman and a Strongman
Todd Jones has crashed into walls, been punched in the face, flown through the air, tumbled down stairs, and fallen off high buildings, numerous times--willingly. He is a professional stuntman for movies and television shows. ...
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Season 6
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Episode 11
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38:06
What It's Like To Be a Solo RV Traveler
Jenell Jones has everything she owns with her at all times, and can travel wherever she chooses (as long as the destination is on this continent!). Jenell is a full-time RV (recreational vehicle) traveler. She spends her life on the road...
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Season 6
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Episode 10
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41:23
What It's Like To Be a Bikini Bodybuilder
Silja Paulus spent a year pounding weights in the gym, tailoring what she ate (and often massively restricting calories), and sculpting her body--all for a few short minutes posing in a bikini and high heels in front of a panel of judges. ...
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Season 6
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Episode 9
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33:15
What It's Like To Know--and Use--Your Superpowers
Everybody has a superpower--you don't have to be a superhero to have one or to know what it is. Mary Beth Robinson, a "superpower queen," helps us find out what our special talents are, and how we can best use them to help ourselves and o...
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Season 6
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Episode 8
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41:39
Holiday mini episode--with Elizabeth and her daughters
It's the holidays! So no full new episode this week. Instead, Elizabeth sat down with her daughters and asked them about their favorite Christmas traditions and what they'll be doing over Winter Break. Next new episode coming in the...
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5:04
What It's Like To Be Deaf and Advocate for the Deaf Community
At age 10, Rachel Zemach lost her her hearing in an accident. That obviously changed her life--but, she says, becoming deaf was one of her life's greatest gifts. In this episode, Rachel shares her experiences going through the world...
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Season 6
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Episode 7
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40:06
What It's Like to Approach Climate Change with Humor
For most of us, climate change is a heavy topic. Ethan Brown has made it his mission to make environmental issues more approachable and understandable--by using humor. His website and podcast, aptly titled "The Sweaty Penguin," is able to...
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Season 6
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Episode 6
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33:46
What It's Like to Start an Award-Winning Global Organization
In 2008, Celeste Mergens was volunteering at an orphanage in Kenya when she saw an issue that she couldn't ignore, and decided to try to help improve it. Through some trial and error, and lots of listening, humility and determination, she...
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Season 6
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Episode 5
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38:53
What It's Like to Compete in a Cross-Country Bike Race
Andrew Backer decided to enter his first-ever bicycle race--but not just any old competition: the Trans Am Bike Race, a self-supported, ultra-distance ride that takes weeks to complete (21 days, for Andrew). Not only did Andrew do it, and...
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Season 6
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Episode 4
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48:17
What It's Like to Be on a Reality Baking Show
When Adesuwa Elaiho was a little girl, she pretended to be a contestant on cooking shows; now, she actually is one! Adesuwa is one of the 12 bakers competing on the Food Network's "Halloween Baking Championship." On this episode, sh...
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Season 6
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Episode 3
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38:57
What It's Like to Endure Your Child's Suicide
Barbara Legere experienced every parent's ultimate nightmare: her child died. Her son took his own life, after years of struggling with mental health issues and addiction. After an intense period of feeling "in a fog," Barbara start...
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Season 6
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Episode 2
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43:28
What It's Like to Be a Member of the NYPD
Movies and TV shows often take us behind the scenes of the New York Police Department--but the truth is often stranger than fiction. Vic Ferrari spent 20 memorable years as a member of the NYPD, most of them as a detective. In this ...
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Season 6
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Episode 1
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40:52
What It's Like to Create a Podcast
Making a podcast requires a lot more than just sitting in front of a microphone, hitting "record," and talking with a guest--as I've learned over the past few years. To find out what it takes to make a good podcast, and make it g...
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Season 5
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Episode 14
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48:17
What It's Like to Be Betrayed
Debi Silber experienced two major betrayals: first by her family, and then by her husband. What did she do next? She didn't just sit on her couch and wallow. She used her story as her own case study as she embarked on a PhD about betrayal...
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Season 5
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Episode 13
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41:04
What It's Like to Find Joy in the Midst of a Serious Illness
Eleven years ago, Terry Tucker learned he had an extremely unusual form of melanoma. Since then he has had two amputations, one of his foot and later of his leg above the knee. He recently learned he also has tumors in his lungs.&nb...
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Season 5
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Episode 12
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50:17
What It's Like to Walk on Fire
Dave Albin knows all the reasons you don't want to walk with bare feet on 1000 degree hot coals--after all, he didn't want to do it either! He was first presented with the opportunity at a Tony Robbins seminar many years ago. But he...
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Season 5
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Episode 11
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44:15
John Malone episode encore + where is Elizabeth now?
Elizabeth explains why she's replaying the episode, "What It's Like to be a Voice Actor" with John Malone (hint: she's away on vacation--but there's more to it than that); and gives a behind-the-scenes look at what went on during the taping of ...
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Season 5
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Episode 10
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39:31
What It's Like to Be in the Secret Service
For 24 years, Daniel Dluzneski's job required him to be in the White House and attend events with the President--often with a large, very well-trained dog: Daniel was a lieutenant in the U.S. Secret Service. In this episode he shares behi...
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Season 5
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Episode 9
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43:41
