Baggage

About Baggage

Baggage brings together the personal, reflective storytelling of "This American Life" with the conversational, often humorous vibe of "SmartLess," delivering compelling, raw narratives from people from all walks of life, offering an intimate and honest look into the weight we carry. Led by an unlikely foursome—a doctor, a prosecutor, a comedian, and a writer—the hosts bring their vastly different backgrounds to the table, unpacking these stories with a unique blend of empathy, wit, and curiosity. The show is a unique vehicle to highlight and donate to charities who contribute to trauma and mental needs. Collaborating charities include the Dear Jack Foundation (https://www.dearjackfoundation.org/ ) and Canine Companions (https://canine.org/ ), among others. The ultimate goal of the show is to donate profits directly to these charities, as well as give them a platform to get their message out. If you are interested in helping the show achieve this goal, please donate to help with marketing and growth. To share your story or ask a question, email us at thebaggagepodcast@gmail.com.

Publisher

The Baggage Podcast

Category

education · health & fitness · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

1 Jan 2024

Latest episode

13 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

4 of 71 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   13 Oct 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Air Traffic Controller (Landon)

   Air Traffic Controller Landon shares the realities of his profession, discussing staffing, public perception, and technology in this interview.

2. 

   29 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Remastered - Paramedic & EMT (Eric)

   Host Eric Shaw shares his early experiences as an EMT and Paramedic, detailing the challenges and personal growth from high-stress emergency situations.

3. 

   15 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Pediatric Doctors (Sarah & Mike)

   Pediatric doctors Sarah and Mike Northrop discuss child abuse diagnosis, abusive head trauma, and misinformation's impact on medical and legal practices in this interview.

Inside a recent episode

Air Traffic Controller (Landon)

Published 13 Oct 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] They're they're participating in the classwork at Oklahoma. And then they're getting graded. And they're really just. getting to choose based off seniority of how well you did in the class. And honestly, it literally may come down to a fraction of a point that the guy ahead of you was able to pick Atlanta center. And that was the only one slot there. And then you had to pick something else, you know, like, It's crazy. And at the end of it, they've been opportunities where it's like, hey, the top seven, eight people get their choice. The bottom three don't get their choice. If you guys don't pick Oakland Center by the top seven, the bottom three is going Oakland Center. […]

Who has been a guest on Baggage

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Landon
• Sarah Northrop
• Mike Northrop
• Brandon Maahs
• Charlie

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

5,635,771

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.8 / 5

32 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

10 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 57 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

56

Social presence

0

YouTube

93

Engagement

51

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