From the Playground to the Foreground

About From the Playground to the Foreground

Heart of It is a heart-focused conversation series born from Scott Bennett’s life-saving heart transplant in the spring of 2023. After surviving that experience, Scott was inspired to seek out meaningful conversations, moments he calls “heartbeat moments” that allow his new heart to shine a spotlight on extraordinary guests. Each episode features people he knows well and others he’s meeting for the first time, diving into pop culture, sports, education, and mission-driven work. Together, they explore what inspires them, the impact of their journeys, and the experiences shaping their lives. Along the way, listeners also learn a little more about what makes Scott’s new heart beat...authenticity, curiosity, and deep gratitude at the center of every conversation. The episodes will leave you smiling and sometimes crying. The conversations are real, the exchanges filled with connection, and the topics vary; you never know what you might learn, but one thing is certain: there is a whole lot of heart that drives this series.

Publisher

Scott Bennett

Category

society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

17 Jun 2024

Latest episode

17 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

40 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   17 Sept 2026

   Heart to Heart

   In this special episode of Heart of It, Scott sits down with Alison Conklin, Editor-in-Chief of Bonus Days Magazine, who recently interviewed Scott for a story in the magazine’s latest issue. What began as an interview quickly became something much more personal. Alison and Scott discovered that they share an extraordinary connection: both are heart transplant recipients who were diagnosed with cardiomyopathy and given a second chance at life through the generosity of an organ donor. Two peop...

2. 

   2 Sept 2026

   Talk Talk

   The next episode of Heart Of It is a really fun conversation between two friends who go way back. Ben Rogers and I grew up in Richardson, attending different schools in RISD, and this conversation brought back a lot of memories from those e years and the unlikely path that eventually led Ben to becoming one of the most recognizable voices in Dallas sports radio. We talk about growing up in North Texas, and the twists and turns that shaped Ben’s journey—including his experience at the Universi...

3. 

   19 Aug 2026

   Effort Worthy Of A Crown

   This episode of Heart of It is an unexpected conversation between two people who had never met, but quickly discovered they were connected by a shared mission: shining a bright light on organ donation and transplantation. Elle Rylee, a Miss Texas Volunteer nominee, shares why she chose to get involved with organ donation advocacy and how her service initiative, A Hopeful Heart, was inspired by the memory of her cousin Birdie, who passed away at just three years old. Elle and her family have t...

Who has been a guest on From the Playground to the Foreground

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

• Jamey Newberg
• Matt Nalker
• Samantha "Sam" Erger
• Rolando Blackman

Reach and audience

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

YouTube views

3,217

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

5 ratings

Spotify

3.7 / 5

3 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 39 / 100

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

Quality

19

Social presence

91

YouTube

68

Engagement

32