Curveball with Scott Reich
Life confronts us with the unexpected. Curveball is about facing an unimaginable life event and the human experience of responding to it—and how we can all hit life’s curveballs. Host Scott Reich was dealt a huge curveball when his infant son, Eli, was diagnosed in 2019 with a rare brain disorder called FOXG1 syndrome. Eli cannot walk, talk, or do anything independently while suffering seizures and other medical challenges. In response to Eli's diagnosis, Scott immediately launched a global nonprofit, Believe in a Cure, which is changing the future landscape of this disease while supporting the broader rare disease community. Scott's journey with Eli inspired this journey as the host of Curveball where Scott speaks to people whose lives were upended by unexpected challenges. New episodes drop every Tuesday.
Episodes
Welcome to Curveball, a podcast that explores how we handle life’s most unimaginable challenges—and how some manage to turn adversity into hope. In this episode, host Scott Reich sits down with Liz Scott, co-founder of Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, and shares the remarkable story of her daughter, Alex Scott. Diagnosed with cancer just before her first birthday, Alex’s idea to set up a simple lemonade stand, at age four, sparked...
On this episode of Curveball, host Scott Reich is joined by Caryn Hershleifer and her daughter, Jenn Goldman, who share their extraordinary story of resilience in the face of life-altering trauma. Just before turning 31, Jenn suffered a massive brain bleed that left her comatose and on the brink of death—sending her family into an unimaginable world of uncertainty. Together, Jenn and Caryn recount their experiences as chronicled in...
On this episode of Curveball, host Scott Reich sits down with Dr. Brent Fields, CEO of Morgan’s—a groundbreaking nonprofit championing inclusion for the disability community. In an incredibly candid and moving conversation, Brent opens up about his journey as a nonprofit leader and, more intimately, as the father of Chloe, his teenage daughter who lives with an ultra-rare genetic disease. Together, Scott and Brent explore the heart...
On this episode of Curveball, host Scott Reich welcomes Linda Beigel Schulman, a mother who has transformed personal tragedy into lifelong purpose and advocacy. Linda’s son, Scott Beigel, was a beloved teacher and cross country coach who gave his life to save 31 students during the Parkland school shooting on February 14, 2018. Through powerful storytelling, Linda shares Scott’s journey—from his formative years at summer camp and h...
Welcome to another episode of Curveball, where host Scott Reich explores how we handle life’s unexpected challenges through the real stories of people who have overcome unimaginable obstacles. In today’s episode, Steph Wagner joins Scott Reich to share her remarkable journey.
A former Wall Street investment banker and private equity professional, Steph Wagner stepped away from a high-powered career to raise her children, never expec...
On this episode of Curveball, host Scott Reich welcomes Guillermo Söhnlein, co-founder of OceanGate and a trailblazer in extreme exploration. In the aftermath of the tragic Titan submersible disaster—which claimed five lives during a daring dive to the Titanic—headlines focused on blame and controversy. A U.S. Coast Guard Marine Board of Investigation later concluded that OceanGate’s safety procedures were “critically flawed,” citi...
Welcome to Curveball, where we dive deep into life's unexpected challenges and discover how to build resilience through real-life stories. In this episode, host Scott Reich sits down with Dave Aizer—television host, public speaking coach, writer, TEDx speaker, and survivor of stage three melanoma. Beyond his on-screen career, Dave Aizer shares the raw and transformative journey that cancer threw his way.
We hear about the anxiety an...
On this episode of Curveball, host Scott Reich welcomes Danielle Moss—mom of three, creative entrepreneur, and inspiring storyteller—for a powerful and deeply personal conversation. Danielle takes us back to spring 2020, when, in the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and just weeks away from giving birth to her second child, her oldest daughter Margot was diagnosed with leukemia. Danielle opens up about navigating unimaginable chall...
Welcome back to Curveball, the podcast where life’s toughest challenges meet profound stories of resilience. In this episode, host Scott Reich sits down with motivational speaker Corey Warren, whose remarkable journey through addiction, loss, and ultimately recovery offers a powerful lens into the human spirit’s capacity to reinvent itself. From a childhood shaped by family turbulence and a quest for acceptance, to hitting rock bot...
On today’s episode of Curveball, host Scott Reich welcomes Baratunde Thurston: best-selling author, comedian, and host of the podcast “How to Citizen.” Baratunde brings his signature blend of humor, honesty, and depth to conversations about race, democracy, and belonging, making tough topics feel both personal and urgent.
Together, Scott and Baratunde dive into the transformative power of humor, the complexities of “citizening,” and...
On this episode of Curveball, host Scott Reich sits down with Adam Greenberg, the former Major League Baseball player whose unforgettable journey redefines what it means to persevere through life’s biggest challenges. Adam shares his story growing up as one of five kids in Connecticut, dreaming of one day making it to the big leagues—and the pivotal moments that shaped his path, from competing at UNC to getting drafted by the Chica...
On this episode of Curveball, we’re joined by Wendy Sachs, an Emmy Award-winning journalist, author, and filmmaker whose life and career took a dramatic turn after the October 7th, 2023, Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel. As the world grappled with the tragic events and their aftermath, Wendy witnessed not only unimaginable violence, but also a disturbing surge in antisemitism across the United States—much of it hitting close to ho...
Welcome back to Curveball. In this episode, host Scott Reich sits down with Denise Woodard, the remarkable founder and CEO of Partake Foods—the company known for its delicious, allergy-friendly cookies and snacks found in stores nationwide. Denise, who became the first Black woman to raise over $1 million for a consumer packaged goods startup, opens up about the personal and professional journey that led her to launch Partake Foods...
Life is full of the unexpected—and building resilience is key to navigating it all. On this episode of Curveball, host Scott Reich sits down with Dr. Andrew Shatté, renowned psychologist, resilience expert, and co-author of "The Resilience Factor." Dr. Shatté shares his fascinating journey from philosophy major in Australia to one of the leading voices in resilience training for everyone from Fortune 500 executives to students and ...
In this thought-provoking episode of Curveball, host Scott Reich sits down with Dr. Aimie Apigian, a physician, trauma specialist, and author, to dive deep into the intersection of trauma and biology. Dr. Apigian brings her unique perspective—rooted in personal experience as a foster and adoptive parent, her Armenian heritage, and years of medical practice—to explore how trauma isn’t just something we experience emotionally or ment...
Welcome to another episode of Curveball, where life’s toughest challenges are met head-on by those who refuse to give up. In this episode, host Scott Reich sits down for a heartfelt conversation with Kerry Kennedy—human rights advocate, author, and president of RFK Human Rights. As the seventh child of Ethel and Robert F. Kennedy, Kerry offers a rare glimpse into what it was like to come of age in a family at the center of American...
On this episode of Curveball, host Scott Reich sits down with Lisa Sedlar, the visionary CEO and self-described “food justice warrior.” Lisa shares her remarkable journey—from leaving a comfortable CEO position at New Seasons Market, to founding Green Zebra Grocery, a healthy convenience store chain aiming to rethink how communities access food. But when COVID-19 and a cascade of personal crises hit, Lisa found herself facing failu...
On this episode of Curveball, host Scott Reich sits down with Austin Hatch, whose story defies every imaginable odd. Once a rising basketball star from Indiana, Austin survived not one, but two tragic plane crashes—claiming the lives of his parents and both of his siblings. But Austin’s journey is about so much more than survival. In this gripping conversation, he opens up about profound loss, the relentless road to recovery, and t...
On this episode of Curveball, host Scott Reich sits down with Shirin Behzadi, whose extraordinary life journey is nothing short of cinematic. As a teenager, Shirin fled post-revolution Iran alone, narrowly escaping imprisonment and persecution before arriving in the US with virtually nothing. Her early days were spent working at a gas station, but she held tight to a bold vision: to one day become the CEO of a major company—a dream...
On this episode of Curveball, host Scott Reich sits down with Carlin Isles, the man widely regarded as the fastest player in the history of rugby. But Carlin’s journey to the world stage is about so much more than speed. Growing up in Ohio, Carlin was confronted with unthinkable hardships: torn from his family at only six years old by law enforcement, he and his twin sister endured years in the foster care system, facing abuse, adv...
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