

What Was That Like - True Stories. Real People.
Scott Johnson & Glassbox Media.
A storytelling podcast, with first-hand amazing stories presented by Scott Johnson and Meredith Hackwith Edwards. Each storyteller tells their own personal true story, with all the details of what happened. Animal attacks, plane crashes, mass shootings, and more – you'll hear what happened directly from the person who experienced it, and the inspirational outcome of how they came out on the other side.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 16, 2025 • 37min
TQ46: What past job did you hate the most?
Every other Tuesday, we grab a past question from
the Facebook group, then Meredith and Scott answer it and read some of the
answers given by other listeners.
The question for this episode:
What past job did you hate the most?
Links for this episode:
No-tie shoelaces:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CTF79TGF?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title
Travel French Press mug:
https://www.amazon.com/Integrated-Leakproof-Insulated-Stainless-Hammertone/dp/B07L6N6JC4/ref=sr_1_9?th=1
Facebook group for people to complain about Enterprise car
rental service:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1351161114904309
Meredith’s foot fetish episode:
https://www.meredithforreal.com/podcast-episodes/episode/7cc267d5/ep-274-whats-up-with-foot-fetishes
Bendable neck light
https://a.co/d/7HZH1zk
Meredith’s podcast is Meredith For Real – the Curious
Introvert:
https://MeredithForReal.com
To check out the new Tuesday Question and get in the
discussion, join us at WhatWasThatLike.com/facebook.
Sponsor deals:
If you’re 21 or older, get 25% OFF your first order + free
shipping @IndaCloud with code [WHATWAS] at https://inda.shop/[WHATWAS]!
#indacloudpod
Go to ThriveMarket.com/WHATWAS
to get 30% off your first order, plus a FREE $60 gift just for signing up.
Go to Quince.com/whatwas
for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns!
Get 15% off OneSkin with the code [WHATWAS] at https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod
Try Mint Mobile for 3 months, for just 15 bucks a month - MintMobile.com/WHAT
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 12, 2025 • 40min
229: Raw Audio unlocked
I was traveling recently, and I got in this Uber and started
talking to the driver, and when I heard his voice I said, “Kevin, you need to
have a podcast!” I don’t know if he’ll do that, but he did graciously agree to
record that quick opener for me, just before I got out of his car.
438 – keep that
number in your head and I’ll come back to it in a minute.
By now you have probably figured out, this episode is not
going to be the typical type of episode where I talk with someone who has been
through some kind of unusual situation. I’ll be back here in a week with one of
those stories.
But today, you’re about to hear an episode from the Raw
Audio series. You may have heard me talk about the Raw Audio episodes in the
past, but you might not have actually heard one of these episodes unless you’re
a paid supporter of the podcast – which many of you are, and I appreciate that.
When you sign up to support the show, one of the benefits of
that subscription is the bonus content – these are the Raw Audio episodes.
They’re called that because they are truly raw, and real life. You’re gonna
hear actual 911 emergency calls, and the story that goes with that call. This
is about as authentic as it gets.
And you might notice that throughout this episode, you will
not hear any ad breaks. The Raw Audio episodes never have ads. And not just
that, but as a paid supporter, you won’t hear any ads on ANY of the What Was
That Like episodes.
If you enjoy this episode, I invite you to sign up to
support the show. Remember that number I mentioned a minute ago, 438? That’s
how many listeners are already supporters. They subscribe for a few dollars
each month, so they get to hear ALL the Raw Audio episodes and never any ads.
And right now there are 52 Raw Audio episodes live and ready for you to binge
when you sign up and become supporter number 439.
After you hear these three stories, I’ll come back in to let
you know exactly how you can subscribe, because there are a few different ways
you can do it, depending on what kind of phone you have and what app you use to
listen to podcasts. It’s really simple though. But for now, please enjoy this
ad-free episode of Raw Audio.
Graphics for this episode by Bob Bretz. Transcription was
done by James Lai.
Want to discuss this episode and other things with thousands
of other WWTL listeners? Join our podcast Facebook group at WhatWasThatLike.com/facebook
(many of the podcast guests are there as well)
Get every episode ad-free, AND get all the Raw Audio
exclusive episodes to binge, by joining the other listeners at What Was That
Like PLUS.
Try What Was That Like PLUS free:
iPhone: at the top of the What Was That Like podcast
feed, click on “Try free”
Android: on your phone, go to
WhatWasThatLike.com/PLUS and click to try it free on any app
Sponsor deals:
If you’re 21 or older, get 25% OFF your first order + free
shipping @IndaCloud with code [WHATWAS] at https://inda.shop/[WHATWAS]!
#indacloudpod
Go to ThriveMarket.com/WHATWAS
to get 30% off your first order, plus a FREE $60 gift just for signing up.
Go to Quince.com/whatwas
for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns!
Get 15% off OneSkin with the code [WHATWAS] at https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod
Try Mint Mobile for 3 months, for just 15 bucks a month - MintMobile.com/WHAT
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 5, 2025 • 31min
228: September 11 hero Betty Ong
Do you know,
with certainty, how you would react in a time of extreme stress or crisis?
As a 22 year
old woman in San Francisco, Betty had not yet decided on a career path. So,
while she was figuring out what she wanted to do, she worked at the factory
owned by her parents. The factory produced beef jerky. It wasn’t really her
dream job, but it kept her busy at the time, and she also felt good about
helping her parents in their business.
One day,
Betty’s workplace suddenly became very dangerous. Some people came in to rob
the family business – and they were waving guns around. Betty was out front,
and one of the first employees to come in contact with the robbers. She never
panicked, even as one of the men held a gun to her head. Instead, she calmly
called her dad, who was in the back, and said, “Dad, we’re being robbed”. The robbers
got some money and left, and no one was physically injured.
Betty’s nerves
of steel would come into play again years later. She was one of the flight
attendants on American Airlines flight 11, on September 11, 2001. Today you’ll
hear her voice, and you’ll learn why the 9/11 Commission declared Betty a hero.
Full show notes
and pictures for this episode are here:
https://WhatWasThatLike.com/228
Graphics for
this episode by Bob Bretz. Transcription was done by James Lai.
Want to discuss
this episode and other things with thousands of other WWTL listeners? Join our
podcast Facebook group at WhatWasThatLike.com/facebook (many of the podcast guests are there
as well)
Get every
episode ad-free, AND get all the Raw Audio exclusive episodes to binge, by
joining the other listeners at What Was That Like PLUS.
Try What Was
That Like PLUS free:
iPhone: at the top of the What Was That Like
podcast feed, click on “Try free”
Android: on your phone, go to
WhatWasThatLike.com/PLUS and click to try it free on any app
Sponsor
deals:
If you’re 21 or
older, get 25% OFF your first order + free shipping @IndaCloud with code
[WHATWAS] at https://inda.shop/[WHATWAS]! #indacloudpod
Go to ThriveMarket.com/WHATWAS to get 30% off your first order, plus a
FREE $60 gift just for signing up.
Go to Quince.com/whatwas for free shipping on your order and
365-day returns!
Get 15% off
OneSkin with the code [WHATWAS] at https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod
Try Mint Mobile
for 3 months, for just 15 bucks a month - MintMobile.com/WHAT
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 2, 2025 • 34min
TQ45: What under-$100 item has been the best thing you've bought?
Every other Tuesday, we grab a past question from the
Facebook group, then Meredith and Scott answer it and read some of the answers
given by other listeners.
The question for this episode:
What under-$100 item has been the best thing you've bought?
Links for this episode:
Chris Moneymaker wins the 2003 World Series of Poker –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCkUImEGrMU
Meredith’s beach cruiser bike
https://www.walmart.com/ip/26-Huffy-Nel-Lusso-Cruiser-Bike-Adults-Ages-13-Years-Light-Blue/852840675?classType=VARIANT&from=%2Fsearch&sid=14eaec04-9668-412a-9777-6e7438b9a926
Scott’s Instant Pot:
https://instantpot.com/
Scott’s bidet:
https://hellotushy.com/
The Baker Creek Seed Catalog:
https://www.rareseeds.com/requestcat/catalog?srsltid=AfmBOopnFGgxfoSyi0sjMPgVvmwRnWFgKIXtAYfY5L8kYrWRQbo2-ufE
Finger toothbrushes for dogs:
https://www.amazon.com/dog-finger-toothbrush/s?k=dog+finger+toothbrush
Meredith’s neck reading light:
https://www.amazon.com/Gritin-Dimmable-Brightness-Comfortable-Lightweight/dp/B0CBMKLC84/ref=sr_1_6?th=1
The LockPicking Lawyer:
https://www.youtube.com/@lockpickinglawyer
Meredith’s foot fetish episode:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/6UinWG6euM0KCEK8L9wwbY?si=5QjEd_HJQNSIxaYjmVtWZQ
Travel french press
https://a.co/d/5s0BU8U
Meredith’s podcast is Meredith For Real – the Curious
Introvert:
https://MeredithForReal.com
To check out the new Tuesday Question and get in the
discussion, join us at WhatWasThatLike.com/facebook.
Sponsor deals:
If you’re 21 or older, get 25% OFF your first order + free
shipping @IndaCloud with code [WHATWAS] at https://inda.shop/[WHATWAS]!
#indacloudpod
Go to ThriveMarket.com/WHATWAS
to get 30% off your first order, plus a FREE $60 gift just for signing up.
Go to Quince.com/whatwas
for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns!
Get 15% off OneSkin with the code [WHATWAS] at https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod
Try Mint Mobile for 3 months, for just 15 bucks a month - MintMobile.com/WHAT
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 29, 2025 • 23min
STAS 7: Geraldine Largay
Geraldine was alone on a 6-month Appalachian Trail hike,
with a poor sense of direction.
Sponsor deals:
If you’re 21 or older, get 25% OFF your first order + free
shipping @IndaCloud with code [WHATWAS] at https://inda.shop/[WHATWAS]!
#indacloudpod
Go to ThriveMarket.com/WHATWAS
to get 30% off your first order, plus a FREE $60 gift just for signing up.
Go to Quince.com/whatwas
for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns!
Get 15% off OneSkin with the code [WHATWAS] at https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 22, 2025 • 1h 6min
227: Bathroom emergencies
Quite a few of the episodes here on What Was That Like
involve emergencies. Today we’re talking about a different kind of emergency.
If you’re new to the podcast, this is definitely not a
typical episode. You might want to look through some of the past episode titles
and pick one out that looks interesting.
But today is a little different. I’m in Dallas this week,
hanging out with a bunch of my podcasting friends, so for this episode we’re
kind of taking a break from the normal interview format.
A little bit of background. About 10 years ago, I was
creating and hosting a different podcast. It was called Ultrafinishers. Each
episode, I would interview a runner who had just finished their first
ultramarathon. An ultramarathon is any race longer than a marathon, which is
26.2 miles. So an ultra usually ranges from 50k, which is a little more than 30
miles, up to 100 miles. Some are even longer than that.
But for one of those episodes, I asked people to call in and
tell their story of the nightmare that just about every runner has had to deal
with – you’re out on a run, and you have to poop, and there’s no bathroom in
sight. It’s not a fun thing when it’s happening – but as it turns out, it’s
pretty entertaining to hear about when it happens to other people.
So you’re about to hear a bunch of my ultra running friends
from 10 years ago, telling their poop stories. And all of these were called in
on a phone line, so the audio quality is not quite what you’d expect on a
modern podcast. But it’s listenable.
And don’t worry – I have lots of crazy What Was That Like
stories in the pipeline, and I’m looking forward to bringing those to you in
the near future.
Graphics for this episode by Bob Bretz. Transcription was
done by James Lai.
Want to discuss this episode and other things with thousands
of other WWTL listeners? Join our podcast Facebook group at WhatWasThatLike.com/facebook
(many of the podcast guests are there as well)
Get every episode ad-free, AND get all the Raw Audio
exclusive episodes to binge, by joining the other listeners at What Was That
Like PLUS.
Try What Was That Like PLUS free:
iPhone: at the top of the What Was That Like podcast
feed, click on “Try free”
Android: on your phone, go to WhatWasThatLike.com/PLUS and click
to try it free on any app
Sponsor deals:
If you’re 21 or older, get 25% OFF your first order + free
shipping @IndaCloud with code [WHATWAS] at https://inda.shop/[WHATWAS]!
#indacloudpod
Go to ThriveMarket.com/WHATWAS
to get 30% off your first order, plus a FREE $60 gift just for signing up.
Go to Quince.com/whatwas
for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns!
Get 15% off OneSkin with the code [WHATWAS] at https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 19, 2025 • 38min
TQ44: Who was your celebrity crush when you were young?
Every Tuesday, we grab a past question from the
Facebook group, then Meredith and Scott answer it and read some of the answers
given by other listeners.
The question for this episode:
Who was your celebrity crush when you were young?
Links for this episode:
How Deep Will You Go card game:
https://howdeepwillyougo.com/
Jonathan Taylor Thomas
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Taylor_Thomas
Valerie Bertinelli
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valerie_Bertinelli
MacGyver
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacGyver
Get Smart
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Get_Smart
Don Adams
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Adams
Andy Gibb
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Gibb
Princess Diana
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diana,_Princess_of_Wales
Anthony Bourdain
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Bourdain
Robin Williams
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_Williams
Selena
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selena
Jack Lemmon
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Lemmon
Jason Priestley
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_Priestley
Jayna Marie
https://www.hellojayna.com/
Justin Timberlake
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Timberlake
James Taylor
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Taylor
Jim Carrey
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Carrey
Jaws
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073195/
Tom Hanks
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Hanks
Duck Duck Go
https://duckduckgo.com/
LibreOffice
https://www.libreoffice.org/
Meredith’s podcast is Meredith For Real – the Curious
Introvert:
https://MeredithForReal.com
To check out the new Tuesday Question and get in the
discussion, join us at WhatWasThatLike.com/facebook.
Sponsor deals:
If you’re 21 or older, get 25% OFF your first order + free
shipping @IndaCloud with code [WHATWAS] at https://inda.shop/[WHATWAS]!
#indacloudpod
Go to ThriveMarket.com/WHATWAS
to get 30% off your first order, plus a FREE $60 gift just for signing up.
Go to Quince.com/whatwas
for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns!
Get 15% off OneSkin with the code [WHATWAS] at https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod
Try Mint Mobile for 3 months, for just 15 bucks a month - MintMobile.com/WHAT
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 15, 2025 • 1h 29min
226: Bill's daughter was murdered
Sometimes, you see a phone call coming in and you just know
that something bad has happened.
I remember back several years ago, when my dad was still
alive. He was in pretty poor health. He could still walk around, sort of, but
it was with a walker, and it was very slowly. I’m the oldest of three sons, and
of the three, I live the closest. It’s only about a 5 or 6 minute drive for me
to get to my parents’ place, so if something happened, I’d be the one to get
that call. Lots of times my phone would ring, and it would be my mom calling,
quite upset and worried, because my dad had fallen and she couldn’t get him up.
And you know, when a call comes in the middle of the night,
it’s almost never going to be good news. We’ve had a few of those as well.
For my guest today, Bill, life was good. He and his wife had
two children – David, in high school, and Kristin, who had just graduated from
college and was about to start a career.
But then, Bill got a phone call. It was from a woman who
identified herself as a police detective. And she was calling with news about
Bill’s daughter.
Bill told this story on the podcast a little over 3 years
ago, and it’s one of the episodes that had a big impact on people. Some of the
elements of this story are just incredible. And you’ll also hear a recent
conversation I had with Bill, about what’s happened since then.
If you’d like to contact Bill, you can do that through his
website:
https://www.whendatinghurts.com/
Full show notes and pictures for this episode are here:
https://WhatWasThatLike.com/226
Graphics for this episode by Bob Bretz. Transcription was
done by James Lai.
Want to discuss this episode and other things with thousands
of other WWTL listeners? Join our podcast Facebook group at WhatWasThatLike.com/facebook
(many of the podcast guests are there as well)
Get every episode ad-free, AND get all the Raw Audio
exclusive episodes to binge, by joining the other listeners at What Was That
Like PLUS.
Try What Was That Like PLUS free:
iPhone: at the top of the What Was That Like podcast
feed, click on “Try free”
Android: on your phone, go to WhatWasThatLike.com/PLUS and click
to try it free on any app
Sponsor deals:
If you’re 21 or older, get 25% OFF your first order + free
shipping @IndaCloud with code [WHATWAS] at https://inda.shop/[WHATWAS]!
#indacloudpod
Go to ThriveMarket.com/WHATWAS
to get 30% off your first order, plus a FREE $60 gift just for signing up.
Go to Quince.com/whatwas
for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns!
Get 15% off OneSkin with the code [WHATWAS] at https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 8, 2025 • 1h 37min
225: David couldn't find the cabin
My favorite author is Jack London. His style of writing
paints a very vivid picture in my mind. As I read his stories, it feels like
I’m right there in the middle of it. One of his most well-known works is titled
To Build A Fire. This is the opening paragraph of that story.
Day had dawned cold and gray when the man turned aside
from the main Yukon trail. He climbed the high earth-bank where a
little-traveled trail led east through the pine forest. It was a high bank, and
he paused to breathe at the top. He excused the act to himself by looking at
his watch. It was nine o’clock in the morning. There was no sun or promise of
sun, although there was not a cloud in the sky. It was a clear day. However,
there seemed to be an indescribable darkness over the face of things. That was because
the sun was absent from the sky. This fact did not worry the man. He was not
alarmed by the lack of sun. It had been days since he had seen the sun.
There’s something about the quiet, dark, biting cold of
northern Canada that really fascinates me. I’ve lived in cold climates, but
nothing like that. When the outside temperature gets to be well below zero, the
constant thought is just what you have to do in order to survive.
My guest today is David. He and his partner in this
adventure, Scott, dreamed of spending time in those conditions. But what they
encountered just in the first few days had them - from one hour to the next –
wondering, what else could go wrong?
Video of David and Scott returning to cabin site in 2014:
https://youtu.be/NOuuCS0oAYU
Website about David and Scott's experience:
https://paradisecreekcabin.com
David’s book, Paradise Creek: A True Story of Adventure
and Survival –
https://www.amazon.com/Paradise-Creek-Adventure-Canadian-Wilderness-ebook/dp/B08KTXZ4S6/ref=sr_1_1
David’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidrscott/
Full show notes and pictures for this episode are here:
https://WhatWasThatLike.com/225
Scott’s podcast: https://notrealart.com/
Graphics for this episode by Bob Bretz. Transcription was
done by James Lai.
Want to discuss this episode and other things with thousands
of other WWTL listeners? Join our podcast Facebook group at WhatWasThatLike.com/facebook
(many of the podcast guests are there as well)
Get every episode ad-free, AND get all the Raw Audio
exclusive episodes to binge, by joining the other listeners at What Was That
Like PLUS.
Try What Was That Like PLUS free:
iPhone: at the top of the What Was That Like podcast
feed, click on “Try free”
Android: on your phone, go to
WhatWasThatLike.com/PLUS and click to try it free on any app
Sponsor deals:
If you’re 21 or older, get 25% OFF your first order + free
shipping @IndaCloud with code [WHATWAS] at https://inda.shop/[WHATWAS]!
#indacloudpod
Go to ThriveMarket.com/WHATWAS
to get 30% off your first order, plus a FREE $60 gift just for signing up.
Go to Quince.com/whatwas
for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns!
Get 15% off OneSkin with the code [WHATWAS] at https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 5, 2025 • 30min
TQ43: Describe one of your most memorable birthdays
Every other Tuesday, we grab a past question from
the Facebook group, then Meredith and Scott answer it and read some of the
answers given by other listeners.
The question for this episode:
Describe one of your most memorable birthdays
Links for this episode:
Big thanks to Kiona for filling in for Meredith on this
episode! Kiona’s podcast is Birth As We Know It, and you can get all of her
information here:
https://BirthAsWeKnowItPodcast.com
Airtags:
https://www.amazon.com/Apple-MX532LL-A-AirTag/dp/B0CWXNS552/ref=sr_1_3_pp
Bike bell designed to hide an airtag:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BZD2V7JJ?th=1
Postpartum Support International:
https://postpartum.net/
Meredith’s podcast is Meredith For Real – the Curious
Introvert:
https://MeredithForReal.com
To check out the new Tuesday Question and get in the
discussion, join us at WhatWasThatLike.com/facebook.
Sponsor deals:
If you’re 21 or older, get 25% OFF your first order + free
shipping @IndaCloud with code [WHATWAS] at https://inda.shop/[WHATWAS]!
#indacloudpod
Go to ThriveMarket.com/WHATWAS
to get 30% off your first order, plus a FREE $60 gift just for signing up.
Go to Quince.com/whatwas
for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns!
Get 15% off OneSkin with the code [WHATWAS] at https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices