RISK!

Tori Weston revisits her story about surviving childhood sexual abuse from 2014 called “The Power” with Kevin Allison. Tori has many new insights eleven years later. You can also watch this episode on YouTube! 🎤Radio Story: The Power by Tori Weston (Content note: child sexual abuse, suicidal ideation) At 12, going on 13, Tori was raped by her stepfather. When she came out about it, the situation pitted family member against family member.  🌈 Support RISK! & Get Involved • 🎟 See RISK! live⁠ in NYC (September 25 or December 11) • ✍️ Pitch your story⁠ • ❤️ Support us on Patreon⁠ or ⁠make a one-time PayPal donation⁠ • 📚 Shop merch or the RISK! book⁠ • 🎓 Take storytelling classes with us⁠ • 🎥 Hire Kevin as a coach or get personalized videos To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Chelsea Dalsey tells Kevin Allison about her journey with addiction and the process of truly coming to terms with her experience.   Check out all of our Conversation Stories! 🎙️Conversation Story: Post Mortem by Chelsea Dalsey While working on cadavers in med school, Chelsea desperately hides her addiction to heroin and cocaine. Now, decades later, she has a realization about why she was finally able to quit the drugs. keywords: med school, addiction, recovery 🌈 Support RISK! & Get Involved • 🎟 See RISK! live⁠ in New York on 9/25 • ✍️ Pitch your story⁠ • ❤️ Support us on Patreon⁠ or ⁠make a one-time PayPal donation⁠ • 📚 Shop merch or the RISK! book⁠ • 🎓 Take storytelling classes with us⁠ • 🎥 Hire Kevin as a coach or get personalized videos To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A compilation of some of the best school related stories from the podcast.  🎤Live Story: Taking A Long Time by Angie Chatman At age 8 Angie is in 2nd grade. A policeman visits and when he asks for a volunteer he hand shoots up. He handcuffs her in front of the classroom and refuses to let her go until she says "please." The fright causes her to pee, until the teacher finally insists he let her go. Angie's mom does nothing about it, but tells her, "Change is going to come."   🎤Live Story: Found In Translation by Eli Reiter Eli is an Orthodox Jewish Kid who becomes friends with a Muslim student at school. When the conflict in Israel heightens and his friend is there, Eli worries about his safety – discovering that friendship crosses boundaries.  🌈 Support RISK! & Get Involved • 🎟 See RISK! live⁠ in NYC September 25th • ✍️ Pitch your story⁠ • ❤️ Support us on Patreon⁠ or ⁠make a one-time PayPal donation⁠ • 📚 Shop merch or the RISK! book⁠ • 🎓 Take storytelling classes with us⁠ • 🎥 Hire Kevin as a coach or get personalized videos To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Bill, Brad, and Dominic recall the strange circumstances surrounding their broken or missing digits, with guest host John LaSala. 🎤Live Story: Just the Tip by Bill Worley Bill reveals how he lost the tip of his finger—knife fights, dive bars, a guy losing an eye—before revealing something even stranger: the truth. keywords: funny injury story, unreliable narrator, severed finger, missing finger, story slam  🎤Live Story: The Pillowfighter by Dominic Dierkes Dominic breaks his finger doing jiu-jitsu without health insurance, then bites through his own tongue under anesthesia and gets a personal follow-up call from the panicked anesthesiologist. keywords: broken finger, jiu-jitsu injury, no health insurance, ER horror story, medical bill anxiety, hospital surgery gone wrong, biting tongue during surgery 🎤Radio Story: A Perfect Night by Brad Lawrence Brad drunkenly breaks his finger during a dumb, hypothetical bar fight in a Brooklyn blizzard, but he refuses to leave, determined not to ruin a perfect night. keywords: bar life, New York City blizzard, broken finger, drunken injury, barfight fantasy, Brooklyn nightlife, dating a bartender 🌈 Support RISK! & Get Involved • 🎟 See RISK! live⁠ in NYC (September 25th and/or December 11th) • ✍️ Pitch your story⁠ • ❤️ Support us on Patreon⁠ or ⁠make a one-time PayPal donation⁠ • 📚 Shop merch or the RISK! book⁠ • 🎓 Take storytelling classes with us⁠ • 🎥 Hire Kevin as a coach or get personalized videos To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A Classic RISK! episode from our early years that first ran in July of 2013, when Trevor Noah and Robin Gelfenbien shared about scars they've healed from. 🎤Live Story: Vargas by Robin Gelfenbien In college, Robin is bullied by a whole pack of frat brothers who call her "Vargas," after a character in Fast Times at Ridgemont High. In the end, she gets to confront the leader of the group about it.   keywords: bullying, frat life, hazing, sexism 🎤Live Story: The Best Looking Person in the Family by Trevor Noah Growing up in South Africa during Apartheid, Trevor watched his mother deal not only with the prejudice they were facing, but with an abusive boyfriend who shot her in the head.  keywords: celebrity storyteller, South Africa, apartheid, prejudice, abuse, violence 🌈 Support RISK! & Get Involved • 🎟 See RISK! live⁠ in NY: September 25th and December 11th • ✍️ Pitch your story⁠ • ❤️ Support us on Patreon⁠ or ⁠make a one-time PayPal donation⁠ • 📚 Shop merch or the RISK! book⁠ • 🎓 Take storytelling classes with us⁠ • 🎥 Hire Kevin as a coach or get personalized videos To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kevin hears C. J. Guy’s “My Secret Career” story from The Secret Room for the first time and gives you his hot takes. You can also watch this episode on YouTube! This is part of our RISK! Reacts series, where we listen to a story told on another show and give our first reactions. 🎙️ Story: My Secret Career by C.J. Guy CJ reveals his secret career path that started with dropping out of law school without informing his family and becoming a flight attendant. He maintained the lie for eight months until his sister discovered the secret.  keywords: flight attendant, law school, german, hogans heroes, lie, secret 🌈 Support RISK! & Get Involved • 🎟 See RISK! live⁠ in NYC (December 11th, 2025) • ✍️ Pitch your story⁠ • ❤️ Support us on Patreon⁠ or ⁠make a one-time PayPal donation⁠ • 📚 Shop merch or the RISK! book⁠ • 🎓 Take storytelling classes with us⁠ • 🎥 Hire Kevin as a coach or get personalized videos To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Join Ethan Ullman, a comedic storyteller known for his antics, as he shares a hilarious tale about high school pranks gone awry. Katy Frame dives into her childhood explorations with an eye-opening take on curiosity and vibrators. Ben Lerman hilariously recounts an embarrassing moment involving a forgotten VHS tape, while Rob Lathan reveals a harrowing fraternity hazing experience that nearly cost him his life. Together, they weave a tapestry of youthful indiscretion, laughter, and the lessons learned along the way.

In this captivating discussion, comedian John F. O'Donnell, who rose through New York's vibrant comedy scene, shares his experience of getting kicked out of his favorite club. He candidly addresses his struggles with bipolar disorder and the chaotic yet creative journey that shaped him. O'Donnell reflects on the importance of community in mental health, the impact of medication, and his triumphant return to laughter, all while destigmatizing mental illness through his art. A true testament to resilience and creativity!

Tommy Galan, a storyteller who overcame alcohol addiction, shares his moving journey to sobriety. He humorously reflects on the chaos of his drinking days and the pivotal moment when a mentor advised him to 'just commit' to a better path. Marc Amigone recounts his adventurous trip to Thailand for rock climbing, defying his parents' wishes. His story takes a dramatic turn during a climbing accident that nearly paralyzed him, leading to insights about healing and the importance of taking risks in life.

Valerie Ward, a storyteller and Instagram influencer, recounts her childhood near-drowning experience under a dock, sharing her complex feelings about vulnerability and asking for help. David Patteson, known for engaging tales on his website, reflects on being rescued from drowning by his brother Mike, who stepped in as a surrogate parent. They both emphasize the significance of support during perilous moments, exploring themes of isolation, connection, and the transformative power of storytelling.