What Was That Like - True Stories. Real People.

What Was That Like - True Stories. Real People.

A storytelling podcast, with first-hand amazing stories presented by Scott Johnson and Meredith Hackwith Edwards. Each storyteller tells their own personal true story, with all the details of what happened. Animal attacks, plane crashes, mass shootings, and more – you'll hear what happened directly from the person who experienced it, and the inspirational outcome of how they came out on the other side.

Episodes

To Build a Fire

September 26, 2025 • 63 mins
When I started this podcast more than seven years ago, the primary factor was based on just one fundamental concept: the impact of a good story.   For each What Was That Like main episode, you hear a story. The guest is telling the story of what happened. Many of the stories are traumatic, many include loss and grief, and there are those that are happy as well. Even the heavy stories often end on a positive note. But the common f...
Mark as Played

230: Vanessa lost her voice

September 19, 2025 • 70 mins
How scary would it be, if you suddenly lost your ability to speak?   There was a story in the news about a man named Peter. When Peter was 73 years old, he had a stroke. He survived the stroke, but he found that he could no longer speak. And it looked like that condition was permanent, because after 4 years, he still had no voice.   But then, Peter was on vacation with his wife Carol, and their son Jonathan. And one day Peter j...
Mark as Played

TQ46: What past job did you hate the most?

September 16, 2025 • 37 mins
Every other Tuesday, we grab a past question from the Facebook group, then Meredith and Scott answer it and read some of the answers given by other listeners.   The question for this episode: What past job did you hate the most?     Links for this episode:   No-tie shoelaces: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CTF79TGF?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title   Travel French Press mug: https://www.amazon.com/Integrated-Leakproof-Ins...
Mark as Played

229: Raw Audio unlocked

September 12, 2025 • 40 mins
I was traveling recently, and I got in this Uber and started talking to the driver, and when I heard his voice I said, “Kevin, you need to have a podcast!” I don’t know if he’ll do that, but he did graciously agree to record that quick opener for me, just before I got out of his car.   438 – keep  that number in your head and I’ll come back to it in a minute.   By now you have probably figured out, this episode is not going to ...
Mark as Played

228: September 11 hero Betty Ong

September 5, 2025 • 31 mins
Do you know, with certainty, how you would react in a time of extreme stress or crisis?   As a 22 year old woman in San Francisco, Betty had not yet decided on a career path. So, while she was figuring out what she wanted to do, she worked at the factory owned by her parents. The factory produced beef jerky. It wasn’t really her dream job, but it kept her busy at the time, and she also felt good about helping her parents in their...
Mark as Played

TQ45: What under-$100 item has been the best thing you've bought?

September 2, 2025 • 34 mins
Every other Tuesday, we grab a past question from the Facebook group, then Meredith and Scott answer it and read some of the answers given by other listeners.   The question for this episode: What under-$100 item has been the best thing you've bought?   Links for this episode:   Chris Moneymaker wins the 2003 World Series of Poker – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCkUImEGrMU   Meredith’s beach cruiser bike  https://ww...
Mark as Played

STAS 7: Geraldine Largay

August 29, 2025 • 22 mins
Geraldine was alone on a 6-month Appalachian Trail hike, with a poor sense of direction.   Sponsor deals: If you’re 21 or older, get 25% OFF your first order + free shipping @IndaCloud with code [WHATWAS] at https://inda.shop/[WHATWAS]! #indacloudpod   Go to ThriveMarket.com/WHATWAS to get 30% off your first order, plus a FREE $60 gift just for signing up.   Go to Quince.com/whatwas for free shipping on your order and 365-da...
Mark as Played

227: Bathroom emergencies

August 22, 2025 • 66 mins
Quite a few of the episodes here on What Was That Like involve emergencies. Today we’re talking about a different kind of emergency.   If you’re new to the podcast, this is definitely not a typical episode. You might want to look through some of the past episode titles and pick one out that looks interesting.   But today is a little different. I’m in Dallas this week, hanging out with a bunch of my podcasting friends, so for th...
Mark as Played

TQ44: Who was your celebrity crush when you were young?

August 19, 2025 • 38 mins
Every Tuesday, we grab a past question from the Facebook group, then Meredith and Scott answer it and read some of the answers given by other listeners.   The question for this episode: Who was your celebrity crush when you were young?   Links for this episode:   How Deep Will You Go card game: https://howdeepwillyougo.com/   Jonathan Taylor Thomas https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Taylor_Thomas   Valerie Bertin...
Mark as Played

226: Bill's daughter was murdered

August 15, 2025 • 89 mins
Sometimes, you see a phone call coming in and you just know that something bad has happened.   I remember back several years ago, when my dad was still alive. He was in pretty poor health. He could still walk around, sort of, but it was with a walker, and it was very slowly. I’m the oldest of three sons, and of the three, I live the closest. It’s only about a 5 or 6 minute drive for me to get to my parents’ place, so if something...
Mark as Played

225: David couldn't find the cabin

August 8, 2025 • 96 mins
My favorite author is Jack London. His style of writing paints a very vivid picture in my mind. As I read his stories, it feels like I’m right there in the middle of it. One of his most well-known works is titled To Build A Fire. This is the opening paragraph of that story.   Day had dawned cold and gray when the man turned aside from the main Yukon trail. He climbed the high earth-bank where a little-traveled trail led east thro...
Mark as Played

TQ43: Describe one of your most memorable birthdays

August 5, 2025 • 29 mins
Every other Tuesday, we grab a past question from the Facebook group, then Meredith and Scott answer it and read some of the answers given by other listeners.   The question for this episode: Describe one of your most memorable birthdays   Links for this episode:   Big thanks to Kiona for filling in for Meredith on this episode! Kiona’s podcast is Birth As We Know It, and you can get all of her information here: https://Bir...
Mark as Played

STAS 6: Marlene Warren

August 1, 2025 • 16 mins
Marlene answered the door, and there was a clown holding a gun.   Get every episode ad-free, AND get all the Raw Audio exclusive episodes to binge, by joining the other listeners at What Was That Like PLUS.   Try What Was That Like PLUS free: iPhone: at the top of the What Was That Like podcast feed, click on “Try free” Android: on your phone, go to WhatWasThatLike.com/PLUS and click to try it free on any app   Sponsor deal...
Mark as Played

224: Naseem was run over 3 times

July 25, 2025 • 83 mins
If you have children, you’ve probably thought at some point, “Am I a good parent?”   It’s natural to question our own abilities sometimes. Do I spend enough time with my kids? Do they feel safe? Do they feel loved? Are they comfortable talking with me about anything that’s going on in their life?   My kids are adults now. When I think back to when they were growing up, there are things I would have done differently if I knew ba...
Mark as Played

TQ42: What crazy thing have you seen happen at a wedding?

July 22, 2025 • 35 mins
Every other Tuesday, we grab a past question from the Facebook group, then Meredith and Scott answer it and read some of the answers given by other listeners.   The question for this episode: What crazy thing have you seen happen at a wedding?   Links for this episode:   Purchasing an AED from the Red Cross: https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/organizations/purchase-aeds   AED on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Defibril...
Mark as Played

223: Ross was shot while sleeping

July 18, 2025 • 97 mins
In an ideal world, children should be able to trust their parents. After all, it’s the grown-ups in the family who are responsible for the kids. No child should ever have to worry about safety when mom and dad are around for protection - in an ideal world.   That’s the world Ross thought he was living in when he was 8 years old, with his older brother Ryan, who was 10. They were happy kids with no reason to be afraid. Until one n...
Mark as Played

222: Scott was locked up in a foreign jail

July 11, 2025 • 103 mins
As human beings, we are often very protective of our own sense of personal justice – and injustice.   When I was a child, I had a teacher who – to me – seemed very unfair. If one of the kids in the class did something like write a bad word on the chalkboard, she would ask the entire class who did it. She really did her best to find the culprit, and carry out punishment.   But sometimes she just couldn’t figure it out. No one wo...
Mark as Played

TQ41: What movie traumatized you as a kid?

July 8, 2025 • 30 mins
Every Tuesday, we grab a past question from the Facebook group, then Meredith and Scott answer it and read some of the answers given by other listeners.   The question for this episode: What movie traumatized you as a kid?   Links for this episode:   Costco figs: https://www.costcobusinessdelivery.com/sunny-fruit-organic-sun-dried-figs%2C-40-oz.product.100362726.html   Blade Runner: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083658/ ...
Mark as Played

STAS 5: Amanda Eller

July 4, 2025 • 14 mins
Amanda just wanted to go for a short trail run. Life had something else in store for her.   Get every episode ad-free, AND get all the Raw Audio exclusive episodes to binge, by joining the other listeners at What Was That Like PLUS.   Try What Was That Like PLUS free: iPhone: at the top of the What Was That Like podcast feed, click on “Try free” Android: on your phone, go to WhatWasThatLike.com/PLUS and click to try it free o...
Mark as Played

221: Brandon is a 911 dispatcher

June 27, 2025 • 75 mins
What do heart attacks, car accidents, and murder usually have in common? Most of the time, when any of these things happen, someone calls 911.   It’s one of the most reliable things we have – whenever there’s any kind of emergency, here in the US, we know we can just pick up any phone and dial 911 and get help. Even if it’s a phone that has no service.   This is an episode where I talk with someone who has an unusual job. My gu...
Mark as Played

Popular Podcasts

    On Purpose with Jay Shetty

    On Purpose with Jay Shetty

    I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!

    Stuff You Should Know

    Stuff You Should Know

    If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

    The Joe Rogan Experience

    The Joe Rogan Experience

    The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.

    True Crime Tonight

    True Crime Tonight

    If you eat, sleep, and breathe true crime, TRUE CRIME TONIGHT is serving up your nightly fix. Five nights a week, KT STUDIOS & iHEART RADIO invite listeners to pull up a seat for an unfiltered look at the biggest cases making headlines, celebrity scandals, and the trials everyone is watching. With a mix of expert analysis, hot takes, and listener call-ins, TRUE CRIME TONIGHT goes beyond the headlines to uncover the twists, turns, and unanswered questions that keep us all obsessed—because, at TRUE CRIME TONIGHT, there’s a seat for everyone. Whether breaking down crime scene forensics, scrutinizing serial killers, or debating the most binge-worthy true crime docs, True Crime Tonight is the fresh, fast-paced, and slightly addictive home for true crime lovers.

    The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

    The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

    The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.

Advertise With Us
Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

Explore

iHeart

Live Radio

Podcasts

Artist Radio

Exclusives

News

Features

Events

Contests

Photos

Information

About

Advertise

Blog

Brand Guidelines

Contest Guidelines

Subscription Offers

Jobs

Get the App

Automotive

Home

Mobile

Wearables

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.