#12: The Soldier That Read My Screenplays While at War by Lila McLaughlin

The release of her book, G.I. Hollywood, is a celebratory moment for author/screenwriter Lila McLaughlin, but it’s also a time to make sense of her unique relationship with the subject of her book, a war veteran, and a period in her life where she couldn’t write for several years. (Lila’s novel: G.I. Hollywood)

“As a writer, I know that a finished work is the result of a series of work-in-progress versions.  But sometimes, I forget that the author herself is the result of a life-in-progress.  Lila’s conversation was a refreshing reminder of this.  Though we were both celebrating the release of Lila’s first novel, Lila takes the conversation into a deeper space and examines her writing career from the time she couldn’t write for years until now.  It was a fantastic talk about writing and writers.  Also, we mention Suge Knight twice.” 

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#9: Key Lime Pie by Jin Yoo-Kim

Producer/Director Jin Yoo-Kim has never told anyone this story, even her husband, and it involves a Key Lime Pie, America, and personal connections.  

“Full disclosure, Jin is married to me.  I know I’m biased, but who cares, Jin can light up a room and hold court at a dinner party or any social gathering, really.  She is a fantastic storyteller, who is always able to catch someone’s attention through her words and expressions.  And I thought I’ve heard every story she’s ever told, so to hear one that she’s never told before, at my request, was a fun experience.  And it’s true, I never heard her Key Lime pie story before this episode, and it wasn’t what I was expecting.  It touched on America, life as an immigrant, and personal connections.  It was definitely more than a foodie story.” 

(Jin’s handles: Instagram @jykfilms, www.jinyookim.com)

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#7: The Buried Memory of a Gold Chain by Derek Dow

Actor/Director/Social Influencer/Pure Entertainer Derek Dow unearths a buried memory about dating from his college days in Chicago that involves a gold chain, and it unexpectedly impacts him during the taping of his episode.

“Derek is a born entertainer who is effortlessly engaging.   He is very much an open-book person, so to learn that Derek has ripped one page away is intriguing.  And once we started to peel the onion of his story, we both learned, unexpectedly, why Derek ripped this page out of his book of life, and I think it really shocked him.  It was like he didn’t even realize that he tore that page away from his book until now, but that missing story speaks volumes for who he is as a person.”  

(Derek’s Instagram @derekddow)

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#6: The Bolivian Ghost Motel by David Ngo

Our host David Ngo steps into the valley of the wolves with special guest Kevin Del Principe and discusses the first and last time he will stay in a Bolivian hotel 13,000 feet above sea level.

“I had done a few interviews prior to being interviewed myself by special guest Kevin Del Principe, so I kind of knew how the conservation would run to a degree.  That said, Kevin asked some really great questions and gave wonderful insight into an experience I was trying to make sense of.  Also, it’s one thing to know why you don’t tell a certain story publicly, but to actually then say it out loud definitely puts you in a vulnerable space.  I didn’t want to tell this story because it freaks me out, but I felt like I owed it to my guests because they were so open with me.  I will probably never listen to my own episode though.  It gives me goosebumps.”

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#5: My Name, Santa Claus, and Carson Daly by Dan McCarthy

Screenwriter, television development executive, and pizza enthusiast Dan McCarthy mirrors his triple threat identity by talking about his mysterious last name, the origin of Santa Claus, and TRL era Carson Daly.

“My buddy Dan McCarthy is gonna do what Dan McCarthy is gonna do.  That’s how he rolls.  That said, Dan is quite a generous guy.  For the taping of this episode, he gave me a really expensive ice cream sandwich to eat as a snack.  He didn’t care about the price.  He just wanted me to have the experience of eating a pricy ice cream sandwich.  Dan is generous.  So generous, in fact, that he is the only guest thus far to tell three separate untold stories back-to-back-to-back.  He three-peated like the Lakers during the Shaq/Kobe era.  Swish.” 

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#4: Fifth Grade Activism by Carlos Collard

Public servant, International Host, and Foster Youth advocate Carlos Collard pinpoints the trajectory of his professional career to one incident in fifth grade involving his mother and a textbook.  

“I’ve known Carlos for a long time, and I sort of forget that he is a foster youth.  We only talk about pro wrestling.  Foster youth is a topic Carlos didn’t start talking about until the last few years, so there’s a lot of stories related to his youth that I’ve never heard before, especially this one.  And on top of that, Carlos hasn’t revealed this particular foster youth story until now.  It’s a story that certainly shatters some myths about foster youth, while also allowing us to understand how this specific experience of a fifth grade book protest was a turning point in his life.” 

(Carlos’s handles: Instagram @los_collard, Facebook @carlos.collard.1)

www.beststoryinevertold.com

#2: That One Luther Vandross Song About Fathers by Allan Axibal-Cordero

Actor and professor Allan Axibal-Cordero doesn’t talk about his father publicly, until now, and chronicles his complicated history with him in Southern California, the Phillipines, and beyond.

“You think you know someone, and then they talk about their family in a way that opens your eyes up to them.  This was my conversation with Allan.  He’s a fantastic, all-around guy that you think nothing can possibly affect.  He’s rock solid.  So, when Allan talks about his history with his father, it caught me off-guard.  He goes deep into his rocky relationship with his father, one filled with all sorts of tough, funny, unexpected, and compelling moments.  Now knowing about Allan’s family history, he’s an even more stand-up guy to me now.” 

www.beststoryinevertold.com

Volume 1 Preview. Please Enjoy.

Volume One features some of the best storytellers I have the privilege of knowing, so for them to share a story that they’ve kept locked in their vaults is a treasure.  What are they holding back?  And why?  It is a true honor that this podcast is the chosen platform for these storytellers to share their untold tales.  You, the audience, is hearing the unveiling of these hidden experiences as I am for the very first time in these episodes.  The results, as you might discover, are surprising, cathartic, hilarious, scary, bittersweet, somber, heartwarming, unexplainable, relatable, and real.

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