Best Matthew Cunningham Podcasts (2025)

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How a Mistake Turned Jingle Bells into a Christmas Song 4:19

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7d ago4:19

4:19

Jingle Bells is one of the most recognizable Christmas songs ever written… except it wasn’t written for Christmas at all. In this week’s Mistake of the Week, we unpack one of America’s most enduring cultural misconceptions: the belief that Jingle Bells has anything to do with Christmas. Originally titled One Horse Open Sleigh, the song debuted at a…

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Hell and Gone Murder Line: Charity Beallis Pt. 1 35:00

6d ago35:00

35:00

On December 3 2025, at around 9:30 AM, deputies in Sebastian County, Arkansas were called to a home Bonanza, Arkansas to do a welfare check on a family. When law enforcement got there they were unable to get inside - they found two domestic workers to let them in - and it didn’t take them long to find a horrific scene - three bodies, Charity and he…

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From Medicare Fraud to Military Leadership: Learning Accountability After a Career-Defining Mistake (Dr. Josh McConkey) 42:16

10d ago42:16

42:16

In Episode #332 of My Favorite Mistake, Mark Graban talks with Dr. Josh McConkey — emergency physician, Air Force Reserve Commander, combat-deployed medevac leader, and Pulitzer Prize–nominated author. Known as the “MacGyver Doc,” Josh has spent his career solving problems in high-pressure environments where you rarely get a second chance. Episode …

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How a Lab Error Led to an Unnecessary Surgery 4:21

14d ago4:21

4:21

A 32-year-old woman in Switzerland underwent an unnecessary surgery after her lab sample was mixed up at Basel University Hospital. Doctors believed she had cervical cancer. She didn’t — but the procedure went ahead anyway, potentially affecting her ability to carry a pregnancy in the future. In this Mistake of the Week, Mark Graban unpacks how suc…

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Hell and Gone Murder Line: Triple Russellville Murder 35:11

14d ago35:11

35:11

On the night of December 2nd, 1976, three girls - 13 year old Teresa Williams, 14 year old Crystal Donita Parton, and 13 year old Cynthia Mabry were hanging out together at the Fairview Estates apartments in Russellville Arkansas. At some point that day, all three girls disappeared. The girls were planning to run away to Texas. The last person to s…

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Recovering from Workplace Bullying—and What Leaders Often Miss (Andy Regal) 57:28

17d ago57:28

57:28

My guest for Episode #331 of My Favorite Mistake is Andy Regal, a longtime media executive whose career has included leadership roles at The Wall Street Journal, MSNBC, Consumer Reports, Court TV, and CBS College Sports. He is also the author of the forthcoming book, “Surviving Bully Culture: A Career Spent Navigating Workplace Bullying and a Guide…

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How a Landing Gear Error Was Caught Before Disaster 4:36

21d ago4:36

4:36

In this Mistake of the Week, Mark Graban breaks down an incident involving an American Airlines A319 on final approach to Phoenix — captured on video with its landing gear still up. A cockpit alert sounded, the crew realized what was missing, and the pilots executed a safe go-around. Their explanation to air traffic control? A perfectly understated…

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Hell and Gone Murder Line: Amy Mihaljevic 32:16

21d ago32:16

32:16

On Friday, October 27, 1989, 10-year-old Amy Mihaljevic rode her bike to Bay Middle School in Bay Village, Ohio. She was excited about yearbook photo retakes, but after classes ended Amy’s mother expected a daily check-in call, and although Amy phoned her saying her choir tryout went well, she never came home. Investigators learned Amy had actually…

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Why Curiosity Drives Better Leadership (Debra Clary) 40:47

24d ago40:47

40:47

My guest for Episode #330 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Debra Clary, a leadership strategist, researcher, and executive coach with more than four decades of experience at organizations including Frito-Lay, Coca-Cola, Jack Daniel’s, and Humana. Episode page with video, transcript, and more She’s also a TEDx speaker, former off-Broadway perfo…

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[From the Archives] Hell and Gone Murder Line: Shannon Hercutt 31:09

28d ago31:09

31:09

On August 3, 2009, police found Shannon Hercutt dead inside her car, which had plunged off a cliff just off of Walker Trail in Sevier County, Tennessee. At first, the Tennessee highway patrol said Shannon had died in a car accident. But a few days later, Shannon Hercutt’s manner of death was changed to homicide. Who killed Shanoon Hercutt? If you h…

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From Toxic Culture to Empathic Leadership: Lessons in Empathy and Accountability (Dr. Melissa Robinson-Winemiller) 41:58

1M ago41:58

41:58

My guest for Episode #329 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Dr. Melissa Robinson-Winemiller, a TEDx speaker, empathy and leadership expert, and author of The Empathic Leader: How EQ via Empathy Transforms Leadership for Better Profit, Productivity, and Innovation. Episode page with video, transcript, and more Melissa shares the story of her “fa…

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Why Unlearning Old Habits Is Harder Than Learning New Ones 4:06

1M ago4:06

4:06

In this edition of Mistake of the Week, Mark Graban tells a story that didn’t appear in any safety report or headline — it happened on a pickleball court. Early in learning the sport, Mark found his old tennis instincts taking over, leading to a very incorrect serve and a moment of embarrassment. What followed was a small but meaningful lesson in f…

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Hell and Gone Murder Line: Jonelle Matthews 35:43

1M ago35:43

35:43

On December 20, 1984, 12-year-old Jonelle Matthews returned home from a Christmas choir concert in Greeley, Colorado, and appeared to settle in for the evening, leaving her shoes, clothes, and a note from a phone call before mysteriously disappearing. When her father and sister arrived home later and couldn’t find her, police were called and quickl…

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How 531 Living Patients Were Mistakenly Declared Dead 6:30

1M ago6:30

6:30

In this week’s Mistake of the Week, Mark Graban tells the story of a Maine hospital system that accidentally mailed condolence letters to 531 very-much-alive patients. The cause? A computer glitch — and a few missing fail-safes. Mark explores what this bizarre mix-up reveals about system design, automation, and trust in healthcare. Beyond the absur…

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Hell and Gone Murder Line: Karen Mitchell 33:49

1M ago33:49

33:49

On Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 1997, 16-year-old Karen Mitchell vanished in Eureka, California. Originally from Whittier near Long Beach, she had moved north a few months earlier to live with her aunt and uncle, hoping the rural setting would suit her nature-loving personality better than Southern California. That afternoon, Karen caught a ride …

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Hell and Gone Murder Line: Christopher Revak 34:06

2M ago34:06

34:06

On June 10, 2006, 21-year-old Deidre Harm was headed to a night out with friends. She had a four-month-old daughter, Vegas, and had hired a babysitter to watch her. She and her friends went out downtown in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. And then, she never came home. She never called her babysitter. She simply disappeared. For months, Deirdre’s frien…

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Hell and Gone Murder Line: Jay Slater (Archive Episode) 41:06

2M ago41:06

41:06

On Sunday June 17, 2024, Jay Slater, a 19-year-old bricklayer’s apprentice who lived in Lancashire, England was on his first ever foreign holiday. And he seemed to be having a blast. He had gone to the island of Tenerife in Spain with a female friend named Lucy and a guy named Brad. That night he and Lucy went out to a music festival called New Rav…

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Looking Back: Katie Anderson & Isao Yoshino on Learning, Leadership, and Mistakes 39:35

2M ago39:35

39:35

We’re going back to Episode 30 from January 2021, featuring Katie Anderson — author of Learning to Lead, Leading to Learn — and Isao Yoshino, the longtime Toyota leader whose career and lessons inspired her book. Episode page with video, transcript, and more It was such a privilege to talk with them then, and even more meaningful now, because I rec…

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Hell and Gone Murder Line: Brittany Phillips Part 2 33:12

2M ago33:12

33:12

On Monday September 30, 2004, 18-year-old college student Brittany Phillips was found dead in her apartment in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She was a student at Tulsa Community College, went to her evening chemistry class with her friend Lydia. She was found lying next to her bed. Clothing was found scattered all around her in a haphazard way, and the balcony …

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From the Wrong Business to the Right Voice: Finding Purpose Through Mistakes (Emily Aborn) 42:03

2M ago42:03

42:03

My guest for Episode #328 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Emily Aborn, a small business copywriter, speaker, and host of the Small Business Casual podcast. Episode page with video, transcript, and more Emily helps entrepreneurs bring clarity, creativity, and authenticity to their marketing. Before finding her true calling, she owned a brick-a…

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Hell and Gone Murder Line: Brittany Phillips Part 1 27:06

2M ago27:06

27:06

On Monday September 27, 2004, 18-year-old Brittany Phillips, a student at Tulsa Community College, drove home from campus with her friend Lydia. They just took a chemistry test, and Brittany was looking forward to hanging out and celebrating her nineteenth birthday, which was coming up on October 4. But then as the week rolled on, Lydia didn't hear…

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When AI Tried to Do Too Much: Lessons on Creativity and Humble Technology — Maya Ackerman 43:16

2M ago43:16

43:16

My guest for Episode #327 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Dr. Maya Ackerman, AI pioneer, researcher, and CEO of WaveAI. She’s also an associate professor of Computer Science and Engineering at Santa Clara University and the author of the new book Creative Machines: AI, Art, and Us. EPISODE PAGE WITH VIDEO, TRANSCRIPT, AND MORE In this episode…

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Hell and Gone Murder Line: Jennifer Wix Part 2 28:51

3M ago28:51

28:51

This week, we continue with the disappearance of Jennifer Wix and her daughter Adrianna. Could Jennifer have left voluntarily and started a new life? Could she have left with someone in that white car and then that person harmed her or Adrianna? Or, could, as the Wix family suspects, the answers lie closer to where Jennifer was last seen on or arou…

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How a Leadership Mistake Taught William Harvey to Build Trust and Psychological Safety 47:24

3M ago47:24

47:24

My guest for Episode #326 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Dr. William Harvey, a manufacturing executive and university professor whose career is defined by developing people, strengthening systems, and driving organizational excellence. A proud U.S. Marine, William carries forward a deep tradition of service and leadership. He also serves as …

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Hell and Gone Murder Line: Jennifer Wix Part 1 35:45

3M ago35:45

35:45

On March 25, 2004, 21-year-old Jennifer Wix was in crisis. Jennifer lived in Robertson County, Tennessee and was a single mother to her two-year-old daughter, Adrianna, who she adored. She and Adrianna had moved in with her boyfriend, William Joseph “Joey” Benton, and his parents, Cynthia and Franklin Joseph Benton, a few months before in December.…

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Archives: From Shame to Self-Awareness — A Leadership Transformation with Sabrina Moon 36:13

3M ago36:13

36:13

In this bonus re-release, we revisit an important and timely conversation with Sabrina Moon, Founder and CEO of The Problem Solving Institute and a certified Dare to Lead™ facilitator. Originally aired as Episode #35 of My Favorite Mistake, this conversation remains one of the most powerful and honest reflections on leadership, shame, and transform…

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Hell and Gone Murder Line: Etan Patz 36:07

3M ago36:07

36:07

The morning of Friday May 25, 1979, started out like just another day for Julie Patz; her husband Stan, a photographer; and their children, eight-year-old Shira, six-year-old Etan and two-year-old Ari. It was a busy morning. Julie ran a daycare out of her Soho loft at 113 Prince Street in New York City, and she was getting her own kids ready for th…

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Failing My Way to Success: Phillip Cantrell on Scaling vs. Scrambling in Business 39:01

3M ago39:01

39:01

My guest for Episode #325 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Phillip Cantrell, EVP of Strategy at United Real Estate, founder of Benchmark Realty, and author of Failing My Way to Success: Lessons from 42 Years of Winning and Losing in Business. EPISODE PAGE WITH VIDEO, TRANSCRIPT, AND MORE Phillip reflects on more than four decades of entreprene…

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Hell and Gone Murder Line: Hannah Truelove 27:55

3M ago27:55

27:55

On August 24, 2012, a Vietnam veteran who had been staying at the Lake Lanier Club Apartments off Dawsonville Highway in Gainesville, Georgia with his daughter and grandchildren, was taking a walk through the woods behind the complex. The man liked taking nature walks, and he was also following up on a report that he had made to the apartment manag…

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Spinal Tap’s Greatest Mistakes — And Why They Still Matter 41 Years Later 13:40

3M ago13:40

13:40

In this very special solo episode of My Favorite Mistake, Mark Graban breaks down the gloriously ridiculous — and surprisingly instructive — mistakes made by the characters in his all-time favorite film, This Is Spinal Tap. With the long-awaited sequel, Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, now in theaters, Mark explores why Spinal Tap endures not just…

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Hell and Gone Murder Line: Fred New Jr. 33:03

3M ago33:03

33:03

At 1:40 AM on Saturday, September 28, 1974, police got a call about a traffic accident on State Highway 77 in Crittenden County Arkansas, three miles north of the Lake David Overpass. When they got there they found a 1964 Chevrolet which was stopped in the southbound lane of the highway. Near the abandoned car in a ditch, they found the body of 35-…

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How an MLM Failure Taught Trevor Schade to Lead, Grow, and Succeed in Real Estate 45:02

4M ago45:02

45:02

My guest for Episode #324 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Trevor Schade. Episode page with video, transcript, and more Trevor began his career as a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt with a strong background in coding and process improvement. He consulted on business efficiency and outsourcing before shifting into real estate in 2008. After earning hi…

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Hell and Gone Murder Line: Amanda Tusing (Archive Episode) 32:41

4M ago32:41

32:41

On June 14, 2000, there was a huge storm brewing in northeast Arkansas. It had been raining heavily all day and according to local weather data, tornados had hit. Over 100 trees were downed, power lines were down and homes were destroyed. Twenty year old Amanda Tusing was hanging out with her fiancé, Matt Ervin, at his apartment in Jonesboro. Amand…

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NFL Kickers on Mistakes, Pressure, Rejection, and How to Succeed in Football and Life 10:03

4M ago10:03

10:03

In this special episode of My Favorite Mistake, host Mark Graban celebrates the kickoff of football season with a unique perspective: five legendary kickers who know what it means to perform under pressure. Guests include former NFL kickers Jay Feely, Shane Graham, David Akers, Nick Lowry, and University of South Carolina’s all-time leading scorer …

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Hell and Gone Murder Line: Caroline Glachan 33:45

4M ago33:45

33:45

It was around midnight on Sunday August 25, 1996, and 14-year-old Caroline Glachan was out walking on a path by the River Leven in Bonhill, Scotland. She told a friend she was on her way to a date. Caroline's curfew was 2 am. But she never made it home. In the morning, her mother woke up, alarmed. She started calling Caroline’s friends, but no one …

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Mistakes in Houses and Hospitals: Grace Bourke on Trust, Verification, and Lasting Improvement 53:45

4M ago53:45

53:45

My guest for Episode #323 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Grace Bourke, Consulting Director of the Performance Excellence Practice at Baker Tilly. With nearly 40 years of experience in healthcare quality improvement and industrial engineering, Grace has worked in clinical care, biotech, global public health, and senior leadership roles at org…

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Hell and Gone Murder Line: Rex Terrell 37:37

4M ago37:37

37:37

In the early morning hours of n July 30 1977, Charles Boatwright was hanging out with his cousin Ronnie Lewis at the home of another cousin of theirs Loy Harriman in Wesley, Arkansas. According to police statements, the three cousins stayed up all night, and early in the morning, they decided to go fishing in an area called War Eagle. At around 5 A…

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Quitting My PhD: Rob Dorgan on Redefining Success, Beating Burnout, and Finding Purpose 43:32

4M ago43:32

43:32

My guest for Episode #322 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Rob Dorgan, a multi-talented professional whose career path has taken him from paralegal to college professor, retail store owner, manufacturing company president, and now licensed massage therapist, certified yoga educator, meditation teacher, and astrologer. Rob is also the author of…

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Hell and Gone Murder Line: Carol Morgan 35:33

4M ago35:33

35:33

It was around 7 pm on August 13, 1981, and 36-year-old Carol Morgan was working the till at her corner shop in a town called Leighton Buzzard in the county of Bedfordshire, England. This was a close knit community. Carol owned and ran the shop with her husband, Allen Morgan. Everyone in town knew and loved Carol, who was described by friends and fa…

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Why Listening to Yourself Is the First Step to Better Communication — Cynthia Kane on Learning to Pause 42:19

5M ago42:19

42:19

My guest for Episode #321 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Cynthia Kane, founder and CEO of the Kane Intentional Communication Institute and author of several books, including How to Communicate Like a Buddhist and The Pause: How to Keep Your Cool in Tough Situations. Episode page with video and more Cynthia shares a pivotal mistake from early…

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From Lab Work to Leadership: Dr. Jen Heemstra’s Guide to Thriving in Science Careers 11:39

5M ago11:39

11:39

🎙️ In this bonus episode of My Favorite Mistake, Mark Graban welcomes back Dr. Jen Heemstra, Charles Allen Thomas Professor and Chair of Chemistry at Washington University in St. Louis. Jen joins us to talk about her new book, Lab Work to Leadership: A Concise Guide to Thriving in the Science Job You Weren’t Trained For. She shares how the book was…

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Hell and Gone Murder Line: Lauren Johansen 34:13

5M ago34:13

34:13

On Monday, December 11, 2023 22-year-old Lauren Johansen and her boyfriend, Bricen Rivers, were on vacation in Nashville and out at a bar. Bricen and Lauren had known each other for years. They had dated on and off since high school and on the surface, seemed happy. But behind the scenes, the relationship was violent. Lauren’s father later told pol…

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The Costly Expansion Mistake That Made Damon Lembi a Better 'Learn it All' CEO 43:53

5M ago43:53

43:53

My guest for Episode #320 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Damon Lembi, CEO of Learnit, a live learning and development platform that has helped upskill over 2 million professionals. Episode page with video, transcript, and more A former college baseball player and now a two-time bestselling author, Damon shares the story of how youthful ambit…

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Hell and Gone Murder Line: Molly Bish 34:14

5M ago34:14

34:14

On June 27, 2000, Magi Bish drove her 16-year-old daughter, Molly Bish, to her summer lifeguarding job at Comins Pond in Warren, Massachusetts. Molly, the youngest in a close-knit family with her parents Magi and John, sister Heather, and brother John Jr., had started her new job eight days prior. A bright, athletic, and social teen, Molly had just…

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Your Work Won’t Speak for Itself: Mistakes & Branding Lessons from Sapna Pieroux 44:46

5M ago44:46

44:46

My guest for Episode #319 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Sapna Pieroux, award-winning author of Let’s Get Visible!, a branding consultant, and the founder of Inner Visions ID. Episode page with video, transcript, and more With a background spanning 20 years in media and experience working with major brands like Toyota, Sony, and L’Oréal, Sap…

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Hell and Gone Murder Line: Dannarriah Finley 34:02

5M ago34:02

34:02

In the early morning hours of July 4, 2002, 4-year-old Dannarriah Finley was sleeping in her bedroom in her home in Orange, Texas. Orange is the easternmost city in Texas, and it’s right across the border from Louisiana on the Sabine River. It feels like a small town. The population was only about 19,000. Dannarriah lived with her mother, 26-year-o…

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The Art of Preventing Stupid: Lawyer and Author Matthew Davis on Business Mistakes and Growth 45:12

5M ago45:12

45:12

My guest for Episode #318 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Matthew Neal Davis, an attorney, entrepreneur, and author of the provocative book The Art of Preventing Stupid. Episode page with video and more Matthew is the founder and managing partner of Davis Business Law, which has grown more than 1,000% in six years, earning a spot on the Inc. …

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Hell and Gone Murder Line: Barbara Bryan (Archive Episode) 29:56

5M ago29:56

29:56

On Friday, December 12, 1980 at approximately 6:45 in the morning, the Mississippi County Sheriff’s Department got a call about a female body lying on the side of Highway 181, just south of Highway 158. The woman was dressed in a striped red colored dress and velveteen jacket and was five foot five. She weighed around 115 pounds. It wasn’t hard to …

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Why Going to Law School Was Her Favorite Mistake – Davina Frederick of Wealthy Woman Lawyer 44:47

5M ago44:47

44:47

My guest for Episode #316 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Davina Frederick, founder of Wealthy Woman Lawyer, host of the Wealthy Woman Lawyer Podcast, and a business coach who has helped women law firm owners scale their practices to seven figures and beyond. Episode page with video, transcript, and more In our conversation, Davina shares why…

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Hell and Gone Murder Line: Dardeen Family Murders 32:51

6M ago32:51

32:51

On November 18, 1987 29-year-old Russell Dardeen, who went by his middle name Keith, did not show up to his 7 a.m. shift at a local water plant. This was very unlike Keith, who lived in a mobile home in the tiny town of Ina, Illinois. The area back then had a population of just 460. He lived with his family: his wife 30-year-old Ruby Elaine, who al…