Story Sessions™: Where Your Story Matters is a podcast centered on lived experience and meaningful conversation. Previously published as In the Margins, the show now lives under the Story Sessions™ name—reflecting a clearer focus on intentional storytelling, personal insight, and the human experience beneath the surface. Each episode invites listeners into thoughtful dialogue where stories are honored, explored, and held with care.
Encore Episode: She Chose to Go Back
Part two of my conversation with Tiffany Baker Larnicol picks up where part one left off, and it is the harder half of the story. Tiffany talks about choosing to go back to a place most people spend their whole lives trying to leave, and what home actually means once you have seen what she has seen.
In this episode, Tiffany walks through what it was like living in Dubai when the missile and drone strikes began this year, the night she and her husband decided to evacuate with two hours' notice, crossing the Oman border alone as an American woman, and the decision that brought her back to Dubai on her own, weeks later, to stay.
Guest — Tiffany Baker Larnicol:
Instagram: @tiffanybakerlarnicol
Timestamps:
00:01 Why we're revisiting this conversation
01:13 Welcome to StorySessions
01:29 Why Dubai, and what surprised her most
10:09 Fast forward to February 28th
12:11 The first alert: "take shelter"
16:10 Evacuating her husband's team from Saudi
17:38 Trying and failing to reach the State Department
20:18 Her birthday, and the sound of her husband's voice
22:36 The drone that wasn't intercepted
23:52 "That's it, we're leaving"
24:16 Two hours to pack "like you're never coming back"
28:30 Crossing the Oman border alone
32:13 Five weeks in Paris, then choosing to go back
35:02 "This is not how the story's gonna end"
41:45 What she has learned about the people around her
45:05 The biggest lesson: "just be present and listen"
47:13 What's next
If this conversation moves you, share it. That is how StorySessions, the Podcast grows.
Listen and follow StorySessions™, the Podcast:
www.storysession.live/podcast (http://www.storysession.live/podcast)
www.storysessionsthepodcast.riverside.com (http://www.storysessionsthepodcast.riverside.com)
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StorySessionsthePodcast (https://www.youtube.com/@StorySessionsthePodcast)
Social: @storysessionsthepodcast
My book, Who Do You Think You Are?
Direct from the publisher: https://books.by/w-brand-publishing#who-do-you-think-you-are (https://books.by/w-brand-publishing#who-do-you-think-you-are)
Amazon: https://a.co/d/0etzONCV (https://a.co/d/0etzONCV)
Follow me: @lauralynauthor
22 Jul 2026
Encore Episode: The Other Side of the Mirror
This episode is a deeply personal reflection on one woman’s experience witnessing her daughter’s wedding dress journey, and how it illuminated her own transitions, mortality, and growth. It’s a raw, honest look at how we change as we watch others step into new chapters of life—and how those moments shape us for the future.
In this episode:
The emotional power of shopping for a wedding dress and the symbolism of generational heritage
The moment of realization, watching her daughter try on dresses, and seeing herself in her
The transformation from bride to mother of the bride and the shift in identity
Reflections on mortality, approaching 57, and the fleeting nature of time
The significance of doors opening and closing in life’s ongoing stories
How watching loved ones change can help us define who we are going forward
The importance of sharing your own stories and reflections to foster connection and growth
Timestamps:
00:00 - Opening and personal context of the episode
01:25 - The significance of sharing stories and life lessons
02:11 - A trip to Florida to help find her daughter’s wedding dress
03:52 - Exploring generational heirlooms and nostalgia in wedding dresses
04:40 - The emotional experience in the dress shops and expressing self
05:34 - Watching her daughter in the wedding dress, feeling her transformation
06:47 - The mirror moment and recognizing her own past as a bride
08:14 - Transitioning from the bride to the mother of the bride
09:05 - Contemplating mortality and the passing of time
10:34 - Facing the reality of aging and new roles
11:18 - The metaphor of doors opening and closing in life
12:21 - Reflecting on witnessing loved ones begin new chapters
13:53 - How stories evolve and our lives are forever intertwined with change
14:49 - Inviting listeners to reflect on their own transformational moments
15:34 - An open call for stories and reflections from the audience
16:51 - Expressing gratitude and encouraging sharing and community
17:21 - Final encouragement: Your story matters
Resources & Links:
StorySessions.live (http://StorySessions.live) — Join the community and explore more episodes
Book: Who Do You Think You Are? (https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Who+Do+You+Think+You+Are+book) by Laura Lyn Donahue — Dive deeper into the themes of identity and transformation
Connect with Laura Lyn Donahue:
LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauralyndonahue)
Twitter (https://twitter.com/LauraLyn)
Remember:
Your story isn’t finished. Every chapter, every shift, every farewell and new beginning shapes who we are meant to become. Share your story—because it matters.
1 Jul 2026
What Happens If Your Story Is Never Told? — with JuLee Brand
JuLee Brand has spent three decades helping people find their voice--first through graphic design and television, then as the founder of W. Brand Publishing, and now through StorySessions Live.
In this conversation, Laura Lyn sits down with her longtime friend and publisher to talk about the difference between traditional, hybrid, and independent publishing, why JuLee built a company around the conviction that stories deserve to exist, and the deeply personal loss that inspired StorySessions Live, a conversation-based way to capture stories for people who don't think of themselves as writers.
They talk about accessibility, memory care, veterans who never told their stories, and what it really means to listen. Because as JuLee says, "stories matter" isn't just a tagline, it's the whole mission.
Connect with JuLee Brand:
W Brand Publishing: wbrandpublishing.com (http://wbrandpublishing.com)
StorySessions Live: storysessions.live (http://storysessions.live)
StorySessions Live podcast page: storysessions.live/podcast (http://storysessions.live/podcast)
W Brand Publishing social: @wbrandpub
StorySessions Live social: @storysessions_live
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
3 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
7 ratings
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