Best Nonlinear Storytelling Podcasts (2025)

1
Alan Lazaros on Social Courage, the “Out-” Playbook, and Building Your Next Level You 38:39

Play Pause

10h ago38:39

38:39

I invited Alan Lazaros on Experience Over Expectation because his story hits the heartbeat of this project: when life veers off script, you can either cling tighter to the plan—or you can build something truer. At 26, Alan survived a car crash that forced a reckoning. He was already “successful” by the world’s measures, but the inner story didn’t m…

1
Luxury Meets Spirituality: Neeti Keswani on Inner Luxury, AI & Brand Storytelling 22:15

10h ago22:15

22:15

Welcome back to Experience Over Expectation. Today’s episode sits right at the intersection I love most: purpose, creativity, and the courage to pivot. I’m joined by Neeti Keswani—host of Luxury Unplugged, brand/story coach, and author of the bestselling Live Your Dreams, Be You. We talk about “inner luxury,” the spirituality of work, and how to te…

1
From Addiction, Near-death Experience, Cartel Prison, to Inner Freedom 43:33

10h ago43:33

43:33

We talk a lot about “taking control” of our lives. Jeff Sorensen took something deeper: radical ownership. After a near-death experience, years of addiction, and a cartel prison cell in Mexico, he discovered a quiet power inside the chaos—the breath, the pause, the choice. This isn’t a redemption cliché. Jeff maps the very human path from reaction …

1
Be the Renegade: Strategy, Risk & Real Leadership 27:51

10h ago27:51

27:51

What if the key to success isn’t more planning—but better strategy and bold execution? In this episode of Experience Over Expectation, Mary McCorvey sits down with Thom Boharsik—Air Force veteran, former Google and Accenture leader, and co-founder of Outlaw Star Collective—to explore what it means to be a strategic renegade in life and business. Th…

1
Stand-Up Truths, Smart Networking, and 1,000+ Interviews 33:30

10h ago33:30

33:30

Do you want tighter interviews, sharper jokes, and a real plan for building relationships that actually open doors? This episode is for you. Steve Cooper—stand-up comic, host of Cooper Talk and Coop’s Comedy Corner, and the mind behind Cocktails/Coffee with Cooper—joins me to share what most people miss about comedy, conversation, and connection. W…

1
Two-Time Emmy Winner Theresa H.K.: The Playbook to Beat a Cold Job Market 31:37

10h ago31:37

31:37

You are not your job title. That’s where this conversation begins. Today on Experience Over Expectation, I sit down with Theresa Hummel-Krallinger (Theresa H.K.)—two-time Emmy winner, author of Make Waves, President & Chief People Officer at High Five Performance, university professor, and a stand-up comic of 20+ years. She’s helped job seekers sin…

1
Karen Kaufman on Presence, Image, and the Quiet Power of Reinvention 25:35

18h ago25:35

25:35

First impressions are stubborn—research suggests it can take 8–10 new interactions to change them. Executive coach and author Karen Kaufman (K Partners) joins me to unpack personal presence, relationship management, and what golf reveals about leadership: pace, temperament, and trust. We talk brand vs. reputation, updating self-image, women in busi…

1
When the System Overlooks You, Build a Better One — with Rebecca Lyons 28:07

22d ago28:07

28:07

What happens when your pain is dismissed and your symptoms ignored? If you're Rebecca Lyons, you turn your story into a solution for millions. In this powerful episode of Experience Over Expectation, Mary McCorvey sits down with Rebecca Lyons, founder and CEO of HerSay, an AI-powered health companion that helps women advocate for their own care. Di…

1
How Following Your Own Path Leads to Success | Lauren Perez 32:01

1M ago32:01

32:01

What if the perfect resume isn’t the real key to success? In this inspiring episode of Experience Over Expectation, Mary McCorvey sits down with Lauren Perez—IP consultant, self-made founder, and living proof that belief in yourself can take you further than any title ever could. From having dinner with President Obama to testifying before Congress…

1
Karrie Shao & Ros Dachtler 1:31:52

2M ago1:31:52

1:31:52

We're over halfway through 2025 and we've got Karrie (Lead Writer and Lead Narrative Designer of Pacific Drive, previously wrote and designed on League of Legends for Riot Games, Totemic for Collage Games, and Not Tonight 2 for Panic Barn. Also worked as a Director of Marketing at Strangely Compelling Multimedia, a Producer at tinyBuild Games, a Le…

1
The Entrepreneur Gene — Sid Mohasseb on Redefining Risk, Failure, and Change 41:46

2M ago41:46

41:46

What if entrepreneurship isn’t just a profession—it’s part of your DNA? In this powerful episode of Experience Over Expectation, Mary McCorvey sits down with Sid Mohasseb, globally respected entrepreneur, author, investor, and founder of Anabasis Academy—often called the Entrepreneur Philosopher. From curing his own genetic disorder at age 7 to mov…

1
You’re Not Broken: The Truth About Healing with Randy Taylor 43:04

2M ago43:04

43:04

If you’ve ever thought, “I’ve done everything right—so why do I still feel stuck?” this episode is for you. In this powerful conversation, Mary McCorvey sits down with Randy Taylor, founder of Taylormade Leadership and the creator of There~Apy—a revolutionary science-based alternative to traditional therapy. Drawing from 35 years of studying human …

1
A Life in Harmony — The Discipline, Beauty, and Mystery of Music with Jonathan Taylor 37:22

2M ago37:22

37:22

In this soul-stirring episode of Experience Over Expectation, host Mary McCorvey is joined by acclaimed classical guitarist Jonathan Taylor, whose career spans decades, continents, and more than 300 recorded tracks—a musical output that rivals The Beatles in volume and surpasses many in-depth. From being raised by two powerful women—his vaudevillia…

1
Building a Legacy: George Leone and the Homecoming 250 Celebration 26:51

3M ago26:51

26:51

In this episode of Experience Over Expectation, host Mary McCorvey sits down with George Leone—former judge, federal prosecutor, and founder of Homecoming 250—to explore what it takes to turn a deeply personal mission into a national movement. George shares the origin story behind Homecoming 250, a once-in-a-generation celebration honoring the 250t…

1
From 5,000 Sq. Ft. to Freedom: Rita Wilkins on the Power of Downsizing 40:34

3M ago40:34

40:34

What happens when your dream home starts to feel like a prison? In this episode of Experience Over Expectation, Mary McCorvey sits down with TEDx speaker and bestselling author Rita Wilkins, also known as The Downsizing Designer. Rita shares her surprising journey from a lavish 5,000 sq. ft. home to an 867 sq. ft. apartment—and how that radical shi…

1
Brendon Chung & Laura Michet 1:17:58

4M ago1:17:58

1:17:58

Hello hello! We're back with returning guests Brendon Chung (founder of Blendo Games and creator of such games as Gravity Bone, Flotilla, Atom Zombie Smasher, Thirty Flights of Loving, Quadrilateral Cowboy, and the recently released Skin Deep) and Laura Michet (writer and editor who's worked on such games as Where the Water Tastes Like Wine, Frog F…

1
The GDC 2025 Grab Bag Episode 1:08:41

6M ago1:08:41

1:08:41

We return with another grab bag episode for GDC 2025! Like last year, we brought a bunch of simple questions to ask folks, and in these three groups you get to hear how their answers differed. In our first group we had Chase Dodge (NYU student), Ruari Root (NYU student), Calliope Ryder (prev Lead Producer on Tales of the Shire at Weta Workshop), Ch…

1
Adam Dolin & Jolie Menzel 1:35:14

7M ago1:35:14

1:35:14

It’s been an embarrassingly long time but we are BACK! Again!!! And this time we’ve brought returning guests Adam Dolin and Jolie Menzel to discuss breaking in, how they define narrative design, the differences between creative directors who come from narrative versus other displiclines, the three c’s, can game writers exist without knowing narrati…

1
Jaclyn Seto & Christal Rose Hazelton 1:20:15

1y ago1:20:15

1:20:15

Moving on from our GDC episodes, we're back with Jaclyn (Writer at Respawn Entertainment on Apex Legends, instructor & student mentor at Vancouver Film School. Previously a Writer on RPG Puzzle Legends and Merge Tales for Microfun) and Christal Rose (previously a Writer at Respawn Entertainment on Apex Legends and an Associate Writer on Hogwarts Le…

1
The GDC 2024 Grab Bag Episode 2:02:29

1+ y ago2:02:29

2:02:29

Hey hey! We're back with our second episode that we recorded at this year's GDC, and it's a doozy! In a switch from how we normally do things, we brought a grab bag of simple questions to the conference and hit up people who were free, and so y'all get to see how everyone's answers differed. In our first group, we had Ben Starr (actor, Final Fantas…

1
Duncan Crabtree-Ireland & Sarah Elmaleh 41:54

1+ y ago41:54

41:54

Coming to you NOT LIVE from GDC, we've got a special episode of the podcast covering SAG-AFTRA's negotiations with game studios! Duncan Crabtree-Ireland (National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator for SAG-AFTRA) and Sarah Elmaleh (Chair of the SAG-AFTRA Interactive Media (IMA) Negotiating Committee, as well as actor in titles like Helldivers …

1
Stephen Rhodes & Danny Homan 1:13:41

1+ y ago1:13:41

1:13:41

First ep of 2024! We've got Stephen (scriptwriter and narrative designer, currently Narrative Director on Motive's untitled Iron Man project in collaboration with Marvel Games. Previously a Senior Writer on Vampyr and Greedfall, Associate Narrative Director/Lead Narrative Designer on Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3, Lead Narrative Designer/Senior Sto…

1
Alexa Ray Corriea & Ben Starr 2:01:08

2y ago2:01:08

2:01:08

Happy Holidays! We're closing out this year with the absolutely amazing Alexa Ray Corriea (Writer and narrative designer currently working on Black Panther in partnership with Marvel Games and EA, serving as both a writer and systems designer. Previously she worked on Aztech: Forgotten Cods, Call of Duty: Vanguard and the Call of Duty: Warzone Pafc…

1
Saraswathi “Vani” Balgam on Women in Animation and Global Storytelling 45:07

2y ago45:07

45:07

We have the pleasure of sharing the adventures of Saraswathi “Vani” Balgam -- from pioneering visual effects in India to founding her studio, Dancing Atoms, and mentoring future talents. From her early beginnings in the visual effects industry in India, Vani's drive and curiosity propelled her into careers at Rhythm & Hues and DreamWorks. Vani foun…

1
A Creative Maestro - Mark Brymer Talks Show Production and Choral Arranging 37:05

2y ago37:05

37:05

I'm joined by the multitalented Mark Brymer, a creative entrepreneur with hands-on expertise in turning musical concepts into spectacular shows. Mark brings a wealth of experience — from arranging a vast collection (400,000) of choral pieces with Hal Leonard to producing dazzling shows in theme parks. We’ll get a deeper look at his journey from hig…

1
From Immersive Theater to VR Innovation: Deirdre V. Lyons' Journey 47:50

2y ago47:50

47:50

Today's guest is a true pioneer in the burgeoning field of virtual reality theater: Deirdre V. Lyons. She'll share her groundbreaking work in VR at the Ferryman Collective, such as her innovative productions like "Welcome to Respite" and "Gumball Dreams," and discuss the intricacies of producing entertainment ranging from films to webisodes. Deirdr…

1
Risk, Reward, and Representation in Hollywood with Harry Abrams 34:38

2y ago34:38

34:38

In this conversation, we are joined by a long-time innovator and entrepreneur in talent management — Harry Abrams. At the venerable age of 88, Harry reflects on a career where passion eclipsed paychecks, taking a step into adventure from lawnmower manufacturing in Indiana and instead taking a gutsy $40/week step into the glitz and competitiveness o…

1
Creating New Musical Instruments . . . with Mike Butera 50:46

2y ago50:46

50:46

Mike Butera has gone on some intriguing journeys, connecting music performance passions, philosophy and sound studies, and tech in creating new musical instruments for regular people to get into music. He shares his path to launching Artiphon after years in academic circles, ways he learned how to market new devices and thrive with Kickstarter, and…

1
Discovering New Artists and Building Your Own Path . . . with Jason Kramer 56:58

2y ago56:58

56:58

Jason Kramer shares his journey to being an EMT during the AIDS Epidemic, LA Riots, and Northridge Earthquake to Fox Sports to KLOS and KCRW. He talks about the magic of Sunday nights, how he created and drove his own luck through persistent work, asking for opportunities, and taking on new challenges. He shares a bit of his experience being presen…

1
Building VR Community through Learning . . . with Dominique Wu 48:11

2y ago48:11

48:11

Dominique Wu is a real leader in bringing together education and VR for regular people. She's created the XReality Pro program. She'll talk about what it's like to be an immigrant in the United States as a creative, a different story than we've had a lot of guests share. And she'll also talk about how an early out-of-body experience in some ways se…

1
Ally Hennessy & Natalie Watson 1:35:57

2y ago1:35:57

1:35:57

We've got Ally (producer at The Voxel Agents, game director at Lemonade Games on Mystiques, Production Director at League of Geeks on Solium Infernum and the recent Jumplight Odyssey. Previously was a senior producer and development manager at Mighty Kingdom, expert product manager at Wargaming, and gamerunner on Rumu at Robot House) and Natalie (p…

1
If I’m Going to Keep Evolving with Peter Kiesewalter, The Moth Project 55:30

2y ago55:30

55:30

Peter Kiesewalter creates at the divergent edge -- at the intersection of art and science. In this case, he's working at the edge of ecology and biology along with music and location-based entertainment with The Moth Project. It's a live experience in beautiful places with the stories of moths and their lives to music. Over his varied career in mus…

1
Ask the Right Questions with Isaac Saldana, CEO, Memo 40:36

2y ago40:36

40:36

Isaac Saldana leans on two core values: asking the right questions and humility. Along with a good friend, he launched several companies. And several failed -- until he launched SendGrid in 2009. After learning to hire up with strong CEOs, the company went public in 2018. Since then, he has gotten an Executive MBA, launched Joy Labs, and now is a f…

1
New Markets, Bold Choices . . . with Miki Agrawal, Serial Founder & Musician 43:54

2y ago43:54

43:54

Some guests have a LOT of gumption and energy to create new. Miki is releasing her first album now. But over time, she has launched new companies and created new spaces. Some of the road has been bumpy and some has developed whole new categories that help people's lives. Guest: Miki Agrawal, Co-founder and former CEO of THINX and founder of TUSHY a…

1
Jennifer Hale & Debra Wilson 1:21:18

2y ago1:21:18

1:21:18

Everyone said it’d be impossible, but we managed to find another pair of twins to come onto this podcast. That’s right. The incredible Jennifer Hale (Has acted in the original Mass Effect trilogy, the Metal Gear Solid series, Overwatch, Star Wars: The Knights of the Old Republic, Bioshock Infinite, Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, and many many many …

1
Chris Garbutt & Rikke Asbjoern 1:02:04

2+ y ago1:02:04

1:02:04

Apologies for the wait, but we're back! We don't often do episodes focused around one specific thing, but we're making an exception to talk about Netflix's newest interactive special: We Lost Our Human, and we're joined by its two co-creators, Chris and Rikke! (They also co-created the Nickelodeon series Pinky Malinky, and both have worked on many,…

1
Seek Out Creative Opportunities . . . with Mark Harper 48:05

2+ y ago48:05

48:05

"I had no idea what I was doing." Mark Harper shares his story of going from ROTC to Combat Camera (leading teams of combat photographers) to Technicolor to high-end headphones to joining a startup military channel. He talked about each time where he sought out creative opportunities, the advice given to him by Sargeant Logan from his hometown (who…

1
Creativity, Branding, Muppets, Yo Gabba Gabba, and other Career Adventures . . . with Mike Polis 1:02:21

2+ y ago1:02:21

1:02:21

Mike Polis started and ended with animation and graphic novels and cool creative content. In between, he has run marketing for Yo Gabba Gabba, Jim Henson, and other adventures. Mike shares his stories of how he moved from desktop publishing after college to food marketing, to DVDs for Universal Studios, and into adventures with Kermit and other cre…

1
George Lockett & Mary Goodden 1:28:48

3y ago1:28:48

1:28:48

It's the end of the year, which means it's time for us to put out a new episode and feel guilty for not releasing more this year! (We were busy, but we got lots more planned for next year!) Our guests this month are George Lockett (Senior Writer at Failbetter Games and a Narrative Consultant, Writer, and Designer at Bear Wolf Narrative. Previously …

1
I didn’t just have one thing . . . with Lafiya Watson Ramirez 37:52

3y ago37:52

37:52

From photography to musician websites to Flash to now AR, Lafiya Watson Ramirez combines visual and experience creation with storytelling. She tells her own story about how she moved from photography to web and interactive design into being inspired by Pokemon Go to pursue Augmented Reality (AR) through Snap Studios and a residency there. She share…

1
Bonus: Postcard Moments . . . with Gigi Johnson 5:11

3y ago5:11

5:11

We are in post-production on new episodes, so our host, Gigi Johnson, shared a story about "Postcards" and Postcard Moments that has come up in prior episodes and in many recent conversations. She shares how a single postcard created a pivot that changed her direction when a TA offered the suggestion that she apply for USC Film School after a singl…

1
Simplifying Complexity for Indie Labels . . .with Bruno Guez 35:29

3y ago35:29

35:29

Bruno shares his saga from playing the drums and enjoying international music, mixing songs and culture from Tunisia, France, and LA. Those facets led to studying at UCLA Ethnomusicology, becoming a DJ at KCRW, and building a record label in his living room. He shared work in place-based music and compilation records, in building the sonic architec…

1
Educated Luck and Building Digital Bridges . . . with Dick Huey 1:01:29

3y ago1:01:29

1:01:29

[Enjoy our podcast this week that we share with our sister Maremel Network podcast, Innovating Music, that has just launched its fifth year.] Dick Huey claims that his career jumps have been "educated luck." "Because they they are luck. And I'm, I'm I don't ever pretend that I have more information than everybody else does. But I think I'm good at …

1
Rob Forman & Andrew Walsh 1:35:54

3y ago1:35:54

1:35:54

We've got a unionization-heavy episode for y'all as we've got Rob (additional writer on Indivisible for Lab Zero Games, writer on Spider-Man 2 for Insomniac Games, and current co-chair of the WGAW's LGBTQ+ Writers Committee) and Andrew (writer, narrative designer, narrative director, story consultant, and more on games like Horizon Forbidden West, …

1
Sarah Baylus & Mike Laidlaw 1:26:23

3y ago1:26:23

1:26:23

Somehow we're over halfway through the year, but this podcast is still going! Our guests this month are Sarah Baylus (Principal Writer at Larian Studios where she’s currently working on Baldur’s Gate III, and previously she wrote on Divinity: Original Sin, and its sequel Divinity: Original Sin II) and Mike Laidlaw (Chief Creative Officer at Yellow …

1
Corey Brotherson & Kelsie Mhoon 59:47

3y ago59:47

59:47

Back in the throes of summer, we've got Corey (lead narrative designer at Silver Rain Games, writer and narrative designer on WindRush Tales, editor and social media manager of Butterfly Books, and a journalist, critic and content producer for companies such as PlayStation, Yahoo! and the Eurogamer Network) and Kelsie (narrative designer at Obsidia…

1
Architecture, Mars, and VR . . . with Alfredo Muñoz 50:15

3+ y ago50:15

50:15

Questions: How do we design for extreme conditions and resource challenges? Is that for Mars or Earth? Guest: Alfredo Muñoz, Architect; Founder; Onteco; Founder, ABIBOO Studio; Chair for Memberships of the Technical Committee of Space Architecture at the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Digital twins? Space architecture? Alfredo M…

1
Out on a Limb . . . with Darryl Hurs 46:43

3+ y ago46:43

46:43

Question: How can you build a rich creative life based on referrals and going out on a limb? Guest: Darryl Hurs, Owner/CEO, Indie Week; Managing Director, Downtown Canada; Director, Market Development, Canada, CD Baby; Educator, Harris Institute In this episode, Darryl Hurs shares his journey from studying music, working in retail at HMV, and being…

1
Zoe Franznick & Franciska Csongrady 1:31:19

3+ y ago1:31:19

1:31:19

It’s time to get MEDIEVAL with our guests Zoe (currently an Associate Narrative Designer at Obsidian Games working on unannounced projects, and she is also the cohost of the Maniculum Podcast) and Franciska (currently the Narrative Lead on Around for Primal Game Studios, and also the Senior Narrative Designer on Ayna: Shattered Truth for Designmati…

1
Music + India . . . .plus Ritnika Nayan 28:39

3+ y ago28:39

28:39

Question: How do you connect independent artists and music business in India as a young woman? Guest: Ritnika Nayan, Managing Director, Downtown India; Owner: Music Gets Me High Ritnika Nayan shares stories about her passion: helping indie artists succeed and make money through various avenues that they might have been neglecting. She does that in …