Tell Me What It's Like

Understanding Medicare: Toni King on Navigating a Complex System

Toni King was at a Medicare workshop when she realized how easy it is for someone to misunderstand the system—and how difficult it can be to fix those misunderstandings once they happen.She’s spent years helping people navigate Medicare, a process shaped by rules, timelines, and decisions that aren’t always intuitive. She shares what it’s like to guide people through it, how the system works, and why it can be so challenging to understand from the outside."The whole thing is all about rules."Hear Toni talk about:How she got started helping people navigate MedicareWhy the system can be difficult for people to understandThe structure of Medicare and how the different parts fit togetherThe role of private insurance within MedicareWhat people need to think about as they approach enrollmentMentioned in this episode:Learn more about Toni KingMedicareSocial SecurityMedicare Advantage (Part C)Prescription Drug Plans (Part D)Support This Show:Follow Tell Me What It’s Like in your favorite podcast appLeave a rating & review — it helps others find the showShare the episode and tag @RaineMediaCo on social media

How Cities Are Designed: Creating Walkable Places with Jahnavi Kirtane

Cities don’t just develop over time — they’re shaped by decisions about transportation, where we build, and what gets prioritized.Urban planner Jahnavi Kirtane explains how those decisions come together, why so many places in the U.S. are built around cars, and how walkability affects independence, access, and everyday life in ways most people don’t realize."Walking is really good for you, both your physical health and your social health and emotional health."Hear Jahnavi talk about:The difference between growing up in a car-dependent suburb and navigating New York CityWhat “walkability” actually means and how it shows up in daily lifeWhy many U.S. communities are designed around carsThe kinds of decisions that shape how cities functionHow design influences independence, access, and connectionMentioned in this episode:Walkable City by Jeff SpeckSpeck Dempsey, the planning and design firm where Jahnavi worksJeff Speck's TED talk, The Walkable CitySupport This Show:Follow Tell Me What It’s Like in your favorite podcast appLeave a rating & review — it helps others find the showShare the episode and tag @RaineMediaCo on social media

Scaling Social Impact: Suzanne Smith on Helping Organizations Create Change

Suzanne Smith has spent her career working with nonprofits and has witnessed a reality many people outside the field don’t see: solving big social problems requires more than passion and good intentions. It requires organizations strong enough to grow and build long-term sustainability.In this episode, Suzanne shares what it’s like to work in the social impact world, and what she’s learned from working with organizations trying to turn big ideas for change into lasting results and stronger communities."One of the things I saw was the fact that the issues were scaling, but the organizations were not scaling along with them."Hear Suzanne talk about:Growing up in a family that talked about social issues at the dinner tableHer early career working in lobbying and the nonprofit sectorWhy many nonprofits struggle to scale their impactThe intersection of nonprofit, business, and government in creating changeWhy she believes social change work is a calling, not just a jobMentioned in this episode:Social Impact ArchitectsSuzanne Smith’s Substack blog, Social TrendspotterSupport This Show:Follow Tell Me What It’s Like in your favorite podcast appLeave a rating & review — it helps others find the showShare the episode and tag @RaineMediaCo on social media

22 Days in a Buddhist Monastery: Clarity That Comes From Silence

When Laurie Jacobson was 43, she found herself in a deeply unhappy marriage and increasingly isolated and depressed. After years of trying conventional therapies and self-help approaches without relief, she made a decision that felt radical at the time: she signed up for a silent retreat at a Buddhist monastery she’d discovered through a pamphlet in a coffee shop. Over the next 22 days of meditation and silence, Laurie experienced a profound shift in perspective that helped her see her life differently, and ultimately gave her the clarity she needed to make a difficult life decision."Don't be afraid to step outside your comfort zone, because sometimes it takes stepping outside your comfort zone to find a better place."Hear Laurie talk about:What daily life was like during a silent meditation retreatWhy she decided to go to a Buddhist monastery after trying many other forms of helpThe surprising mental clarity that can come from long periods of silence and meditationHow the experience changed the way she saw her marriage and gave her the strength to leave itThe lessons she carried forward about openness, desire, and letting goMentioned in this episode:Theravada BuddhismLaurie's book, Unexpected Awakening: 22 Days at a Buddhist Monastery Freed Me from AbuseSupport This Show:Follow Tell Me What It’s Like in your favorite podcast appLeave a rating & review — it helps others find the showShare the episode and tag @RaineMediaCo on social media

Parenting Tween Girls: Christina King on the Teenage Brain

As a teenager, Christina King looked like she was doing everything right — she had good grades, played sports, took advanced classes. But when her mom paused during an argument and asked, “Are you happy?” it changed the course of her life. Today, Christina is a therapist specializing in tween and teen girls, and she shares what’s really happening in the teenage brain, why emotional ups and downs are often developmentally normal, and how parents can stay connected during one of the most intense seasons of growing up."I say with teens that sometimes it's like all gas, no brakes."Note: This episode is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice. It includes discussion of teen mental health, including self-harm, in the context of helping parents understand and respond. Hear Christina talk about:The question that led her to therapy as a teenWhat "all gas, no brakes" means for the adolescent brainWhy emotional volatility can be a healthy signTween girl friendship dynamics and indirect aggressionSocial media, comparison culture, and feeling left outThe difference between venting mode and problem-solving modeWhy parents should depersonalize their teen's emotionsMentioned in this episode:Christina King Family TherapyFind Christina on InstagramInside Out 2 (when discussing adolescent emotions)Support This Show:Follow Tell Me What It’s Like in your favorite podcast appLeave a rating & review — it helps others find the showShare the episode and tag @RaineMediaCo on social media