Proud Stutter

Joe Saul-Sehy is the creator and co-host of The Stacking Benjamins Show. Joe has a successful career in finance and podcasting while living with a covert stutter.

In this episode

02:32 Who is Joe Saul-Sehy?

03:03 Joe's Stuttering Journey

09:46 Overcoming Challenges in Public Speaking

16:49 Transition to Podcasting

20:26 The Stacking Benjamins Show

29:52 Embracing Vulnerability

We’re grateful to Joe Saul-Sehy for sharing hi...

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda is a bilingual poet who stutters. His latest book is 'La Lengua Inside Me.'

Adrian turned to writing at a young age as a form of expression. His bilingual poetry is inspired by his Colombian heritage, experience as a person who stutters, and Sylvia Plath's work.

In this episode

Follow Adrian on IG

Get a copy of Adrian's book(s)

Big thanks to Proud Stutter's recurring supporters: Jennifer Bol...

Ty Ellis, a person who stutters, wears many hats. He is an optimal performance coach, a public speaker, and a former professional basketball coach.

Ty talks about the mental challenges he faced growing up and the pivotal role of his grandmother played in building his confidence as a stutterer.

How did his stutter contribute to his success in sports and coaching?

Big thanks to Proud Stutter's recurring supporters: Jennifer B...

What's it like to balance the identities of stuttering and cerebral palsy?

In this episode, Dom and Sean Kelly of New Disabled South discuss how they view their stuttering experience is different than their experience with CP. They also touch on the importance of cross-disability solidarity and the differing societal perceptions of their disabilities.

We’re grateful to Dom and Sean Kelly for sharing their stories with us.  

Hilary Utaegbulam is a Nigerian-born physics student and teacher who stutters. He recently gave his first ever public presentation on his research, which went extremely well.

Hilary offers advice on preparing for public speaking and how to give a confident presentation as a person who stutters. He also talks about how he got through his first stuttering encounter at a conference and the mental and physical hurdles of stuttering, how...

Carol Labov is the author of “The Cave Boy Who Would Be President,” a children’s book inspired by her own experience with her grandson Cooper. Where did the idea of the book come from and why did she write it?

This book is built on the love of a grandmother to her grandson and is meant to be helpful for other parents going through similar experiences.

You can get a copy here.

In this episode

There still time to support the ROCK OF HOPE...

This episode celebrates Mental Health Awareness Month and Stuttering Awareness Week. Casey Combs is an attorney. She's also a new mother. How did motherhood change her relationship with her stutter? What was it like going to law school with a stutter and how did she land a job that accepted her speech? From dark thoughts to becoming more accepting, Casey explains why it's okay to have big feelings around stuttering.

In t...

John Finn is Chief Scientific Officer at Tome Biosciences. John opens about his personal and professional journey as a person who stutters, including how it shaped his career in science, approach to public speaking, and interactions with his colleagues. He also talks about the science behind how genetics and stuttering connect.

Episode breakdown

00:00 “Rock of Hope” Sneak Preview 

02:47 John Finn's Journey: From Stuttering to ...

John Stossel, renowned TV personality and reporter, shares the challenges he faced in his broadcast journalism career and what led him to seek help with his fluency.

03:09 John Stossel's Broadcast Journalism Career Journey & Facing His Stutter

06:07 His Time At Hollins Communication Reconstruction Center

09:47 Stuttering in Pop Culture

12:48 John's Reflections and Advice

Swathi grew up in India speaking multiple languages. She talks with Maya about how her stuttering influenced interactions, often prompting language shifts. Transitioning into her career as a software engineer, Swathi finds solace in a supportive workplace environment, sharing her experiences through writing to advocate for inclusivity.

In this episode

Swathy's blog post

Jayne Amelia Larson is an actor, voiceover artist, bestselling author and podcaster. Jayne shares with Maya her journey of covert stuttering and her struggle with being open about her stutter over the course of her career.

They also talk about Jayne's family dynamics, acting in Judging Amy, and her difficult experience with recording the audio version of her bestselling book, 'Driving the Saudis.'

Episode breakdown

0...

This episode is Part 2 of Proud Stutter's official launch party and reading in Los Angeles to celebrate its comic book, MY STUTTER: LIFE OF VERBAL TURBULENCE.

Episode breakdown

06:05 The Power of Stuttering Communities

08:16 Discussion on the Creation of the Comic Book

08:51 Visual Representation in Stuttering

10:25 Making the Comic Book

13:26 Stuttering and Perso...

Proud Stutter celebrated the official launch of its comic book, MY STUTTER: LIFE OF VERBAL TURBULENCE, on February 12, 2024. Proud Stutter hit the road and went to Pasadena, California to bring the Los Angeles stuttering community together to talk about the comic book and stuttering stories. We were also joined by some special guest speakers from the Los Angeles stuttering community.

Episode breakdown

02:32 Event ...

Lorenzo Becerra is a college freshman who stutters. He is studying to be a speech pathologist. When he thinks about his future, he envisions a happy life. But, he didn’t always see his stutter as something to be proud of. 

“I put some of my self worth in speaking. And since I couldn't speak that well, my self worth was down.”

How do you find self-worth with a stutter? 

Episode breakdown

02:39 Lorenzo and Maya’s Stutter...

Sammar Farooqi is a person who stutters based in Dubai. He’s an executive at SAP where he explains complex technology to people on a daily basis. Sammar shares his experiences with stuttering starting from his childhood, the mocking he faced, and how he used a traumatic event to motivate himself to become a successful communicator in the technology space. 

He offers some communication techniques that have helped him navigate the...

David Mayan, aka emcdouble, is a professional recording artist based in Queens, New York. He also stutters. 

David shares how he initially used music as a form of therapy to manage his stuttering and how this later formed the basis for his versatile musical style, melding elements of hip hop, Spanish music, and electronic fusions.

Episode breakdown

02:56 Stuttering and Music

03:46 Growing Up with Stuttering

08:01 Stuttering and Pare...

Host of Proud Stutter Maya recaps Proud Stutter’s annual gala with some clips from the evening, featuring special guests Senator Scott Wiener and San Francisco Supervisor Dean Preston. She also looks back on some of Proud Stutter’s biggest moments from 2023 and more!

Part 1: Proud Stutter's Gala

01:33 Julian's Speech: The Silence of Stuttering

06:12 Sarah's Story: Overcoming Fear and Embracing Stuttering

10:40 Johnny...

Keegan Murphy thought he outgrew his childhood stutter, until a traumatic event triggered its return.

Not only does Keegan share his experience with his stuttering popping back up unexpectedly, but he also talks about the challenges and frustrations of stuttering in corporate America and how seeking professional help transformed his view on his stutter and helped get him out of his deep depression.

Keegan is now doing stuttering advo...

Isaac Bailey is a stutterer, author, and professor. His book, 'My Brother Moochie', details his family's struggles after his eldest brother was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Isaac talks about growing up poor, black, and with a stutter in the South, his traumatic family history, and his realization that being a stutterer is a part of his identity rather than an impediment. He also opens up about how he turned to writing...