Proud Stutter

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

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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...

Steven Anthopoulos is the director and writer of “Voice Activated,” a short film that has won 11 awards, a Tribeca selected film, and is eligible for an Academy Award.

Steven talks about how he got the idea for his film, which revolves around a florist with a stutter interacting with a voice-activated car, and how filmmaking has helped him accept his stutter and face it head on.

Watch Voice Activated, Steven's award-winning ...

Julian Benabides is Proud Stutter’s special guest, and he just happens to be Maya’s neighbor.

Julian talks about his experience stuttering in foreign countries and what it’s been like collaborating on Proud Stutter’s comic book called "My Stutter: Life of Verbal Turbulence."

Maya and Julian also talk about their experience door knocking in their neighborhood to spread the word about Proud Stutter’s annual gala.

Buy Tickets<...

Steven Tallas might stutter in the human world, but in the dog world, he is completely fluent.

Maya speaks with Steven about his journey to becoming a professional dog trainer and how he never let his stutter get in the way of his dreams.

Jay Feinstein, the co-host for this episode, is a Senior Podcast Producer for WBUR, Boston's public radio station.

Learn more about Steven and his dog training practice

Donate to Fund The ...

Kai Caragenis is a father of a young girl. In this bonus episode of Proud Stutter, he shares his feelings around being adequate enough to be a father, how the King’s Speech changed his relationship with his stutter, and how breathing techniques helped his speech.

Host & Producer: Maya Chupkov

Save the date (12/7/2023) for Proud Stutter’s 1st Annual Gala + Community Comedy Event in San Francisco

Support Proud Stutter’s Mini Se...

Maya is back to answer your questions ranging from TV shows, public speaking tips, navigating her stutter, and more. 

Host & Producer: Maya Chupkov

Editor: Quinn Greenhaus

Save the date (12/6/2023) for Proud Stutter’s 1st Annual Gala + Community Comedy Event in San Francisco

Support Proud Stutter by becoming a recurring donor via Flipcause

Vote for Proud Stutter to win a Signal Award for ‘Most Inspirational Podcast’

Listen to Maya t...

Jay Jordan and Jesse Vasquez are back on the pod this week. Jay talks about how his identity as a person who stutters intersects with his criminal record identity. Jesse and Jay both share a passion for de-stigmatizing the narrative surrounding people who are incarcerated and those that have come out of prison.

You can listen to Part 1 of this episode here.

Host: Maya Chupkov

Guest Co-Host: Jesse Vasquez

Guest: Jay Jordan

Sound Designer...

Jay Jordan, a person who stutters, has devoted his life after incarceration to challenging the stigma surrounding criminal records. For the first time ever, Jay opens up publicly about what it was like serving seven-years in prison with a stutter. He talks about a life changing experience that led him to coming to terms with his stutter and his purpose. 

Post-incarceration, Jay faced rejection when it came to jobs and getting an apa...

For this special bonus episode of Proud Stutter, Maya is rebroadcasting an episode from the Beyond Awareness podcast.

Host Diana Pastora Carson interviews Maya and they talk about the intersections between inclusive education and supporting people who stutter in and outside the classroom.

In this episode:

• Diana's TedTalk, "Walking with Joaquin," chronicles her family's journey to bring home her brother after living...