Insights from recent episode analysis
Audience Interest
Podcast Focus
Publishing Consistency
Platform Reach
Insights are generated by CastFox AI using publicly available data, episode content, and proprietary models.
Total monthly reach
Estimated from 4 chart positions in 4 markets.
By chart position
- 🇺🇸US · Improv#1515K to 30K
- 🇮🇪IE · Improv#533K to 10K
- 🇵🇱PL · Improv#158500 to 3K
- 🇿🇦ZA · Improv#173500 to 3K
- Per-Episode Audience
Est. listeners per new episode within ~30 days
2.7K to 14K🎙 Daily cadence·382 episodes·Last published 5d ago - Monthly Reach
Unique listeners across all episodes (30 days)
9K to 46K🇺🇸65%🇮🇪22%🇵🇱7%+1 more - Active Followers
Loyal subscribers who consistently listen
3.6K to 18K
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Reach across major podcast platforms, updated hourly
Total Followers
—
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* Data sourced directly from platform APIs and aggregated hourly across all major podcast directories.
On the show
Recent episodes
End of Season 6: Balloons, Gratitude, and What’s Next
Jun 19, 2026
6m 57s
James Whitemore on the Story of Work | Indeed, AI Hiring, and Bringing More Than a Resume
Jun 16, 2026
13m 25s
3 Truths in 1 Life | Season 6 Finale
Jun 11, 2026
8m 41s
The Color of Hope is Orange
Jun 4, 2026
8m 34s
The Man Who Didn’t Speak for 17 Years | Short Stories of Hope
Jun 2, 2026
4m 04s
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| Date | Episode | Description | Length | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6/19/26 |  End of Season 6: Balloons, Gratitude, and What’s Next | Aaron closes out Season 6 of 7 Minute Stories with a check-in about gratitude, growth, and the small moment at home that helped him pause and take it all in. After his wife Cori surprised him with balloons to celebrate the end of the season, Aaron reflects on where Season 6 began, how the 7 Minute Stories community continues to expand it's programming, how to keep up, what is coming next, including summer “best of” episodes and an early preview of Season 7! This is a thank-you note to listeners, a look back at another season of stories, and a reminder to stop long enough to hold the balloons and appreciate the road behind you. | 6m 57s | ||||||
| 6/16/26 |  James Whitemore on the Story of Work | Indeed, AI Hiring, and Bringing More Than a Resume | In this episode of Storytelling University, Aaron sits down with James Whitemore, Chief Marketing Officer of Indeed, for a conversation about the stories we tell through work, resumes, interviews, and the future of hiring. James shares how early learning difficulties shaped the way he listens, communicates, and leads, and why storytelling is not separate from job seeking but deeply connected to it. Together, Aaron and James explore how the traditional resume often fails to capture the full human story: curiosity, adaptability, emotional intelligence, initiative, and the hidden genius people bring to their careers. They also discuss how AI is changing the job search, how Indeed is rethinking the way job seekers and employers connect, and why the future of hiring may depend less on simply uploading a resume and more on helping people show up as complete, authentic human beings. *Create your Indeed profile: https://www.indeed.com/ *Follow James on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jwhitemore Partner with Storytelling University: reach a global audience of thoughtful, highly engaged listeners across generations, from parents and professionals to creators, leaders, and lifelong learners, all connected by a deep appreciation for powerful stories, meaningful ideas, and human connection. Reach out to us for exclusive sponsorship opportunities TSU Team: Created & Hosted by: Aaron Calafato Produced and Edited by: Ken Wendt Editorial by Brooks Borden & Aaron Calafato Guest Coordinator: Dania Khalife Love 7MS & TSU? Here's how to support: *Follow the pod wherever you're listening *Tap 5 Stars *Text one person you love a link to your favorite episode. | 13m 25s | ||||||
| 6/11/26 |  3 Truths in 1 Life | Season 6 Finale | In the final episode of Season Six, Aaron tells a story in three parts. First, he remembers a boy from elementary school who seemed effortlessly ahead of the curve. The kind of kid who wore the right shoes before anyone knew they were cool, introduced him to Smashing Pumpkins, and left an impression that somehow lasted for decades. Then, Aaron tells another story of a young man searching for purpose who walked into a Byzantine Catholic church in Cleveland and eventually found himself pulled toward a monastic life at the Abbey of Gethsemani. The question is: how are these two stories connected? What follows is a reflection on memory, vocation, friendship, and the mystery of who we are in the eyes of others, who we become, and who we may have been called to be all along. *This episodes includes an adaptation and retelling of Brother Joseph's true story. You can read his original written story HERE. *Learn more about the Abbey of Gethsemani at monks.org 👇 📬 Be a part of the 7 Minute Stories Newsletter Once a month, you’ll receive a thoughtful note with storytelling insights, behind the scenes reflections, and exclusive bonus content. You’ll also have access to Stories in a Snap, his weekly short written adaptations of the 7 Minute Stories you love, reimagined for the page and delivered straight to your inbox via Substack with no algorithm in between. 📻 Listen to 7 Minute Stories Radio! With 7MS Radio you don’t have to choose an episode or wait a week for the next one to be released. You can tune in once and let it run in the background while you do chores, take a walk, work out, or wind down for the night. It’s designed to feel more like a small digital radio companion, No scrolling. No decision fatigue. Just press play and let the stories keep you company, 7 Minute Stories–style! The 7MS Team: Story created & performed by: Aaron Calafato Senior Audio Engineer: Ken Wendt Additional vocals: Cori Calafato Original Theme Music: thomas j. duke Additional Soundscape Design: Isaac Gehring Special thanks to Brooks Borden, Dania Khalife and Pete Whitehead | 8m 41s | ||||||
| 6/4/26 |  The Color of Hope is Orange | In this 7 Minute Stories episode, Aaron reflects on a season of life that felt like too many trains trying to squeeze through one tunnel, and the small decision that helped him step off the track for a moment. What he found at Roxboro Elementary School in Cleveland Heights was a young poet named Kody, an orange poem, and a reminder that some of the best stories are the ones we almost miss. 👇 📬 Be a part of the 7 Minute Stories Newsletter Once a month, you’ll receive a thoughtful note with storytelling insights, behind the scenes reflections, and exclusive bonus content. You’ll also have access to Stories in a Snap, his weekly short written adaptations of the 7 Minute Stories you love, reimagined for the page and delivered straight to your inbox via Substack with no algorithm in between. 📻 Listen to 7 Minute Stories Radio! With 7MS Radio you don’t have to choose an episode or wait a week for the next one to be released. You can tune in once and let it run in the background while you do chores, take a walk, work out, or wind down for the night. It’s designed to feel more like a small digital radio companion, No scrolling. No decision fatigue. Just press play and let the stories keep you company, 7 Minute Stories–style! The 7MS Team: Story created & performed by: Aaron Calafato Senior Audio Engineer: Ken Wendt Additional vocals: Cori Calafato Original Theme Music: thomas j. duke Additional Soundscape Design: Isaac Gehring Special thanks to Brooks Borden, Dania Khalife and Pete Whitehead | 8m 34s | ||||||
| 6/2/26 |  The Man Who Didn’t Speak for 17 Years | Short Stories of Hope | After witnessing the devastation of a 1971 oil spill in San Francisco Bay, one person made a simple decision: he would stop riding in cars. But when people kept arguing that one person’s choice could never change the world, he made an even stranger decision. He stopped talking. In this month’s Stories of Hope, Aaron shares the true story of a quiet act of conviction, and how 17 years of silence revealed something deeply hopeful about listening, understanding, and what it really means to communicate. Here’s some links to learn more about the person we’re highlighting for this month’s Stories of Hope: About Planetwalk | 4m 04s | ||||||
| 5/28/26 |  The Gift Bag, the Candle, and Rainn Wilson | After recording a conversation with Rainn Wilson for the 7MS bonus series: The Storytelling University, Aaron reveals the anxiety he felt before the interview: wanting to make a meaningful connection without making the moment feel transactional. That anxiety somehow got wrapped up in a gift bag from Aaron’s hometown of Medina, Ohio, and a candle he suddenly worried might be a strange thing to give someone he had just met. What follows is a reflection on hometown pride, human connection, and the quiet realization that where we come from has stories worth carrying into the room. 👇 📬 Be a part of the 7 Minute Stories Newsletter Once a month, you’ll receive a thoughtful note with storytelling insights, behind the scenes reflections, and exclusive bonus content. You’ll also have access to Stories in a Snap, his weekly short written adaptations of the 7 Minute Stories you love, reimagined for the page and delivered straight to your inbox via Substack with no algorithm in between. 📻 Listen to 7 Minute Stories Radio! With 7MS Radio you don’t have to choose an episode or wait a week for the next one to be released. You can tune in once and let it run in the background while you do chores, take a walk, work out, or wind down for the night. It’s designed to feel more like a small digital radio companion, No scrolling. No decision fatigue. Just press play and let the stories keep you company, 7 Minute Stories–style! The 7MS Team: Story created & performed by: Aaron Calafato Senior Audio Engineer: Ken Wendt Additional vocals: Cori Calafato Original Theme Music: thomas j. duke Additional Soundscape Design: Isaac Gehring Special thanks to Brooks Borden, Dania Khalife and Pete Whitehead | 8m 52s | ||||||
| 5/24/26 |  Rainn Wilson on The Stories We Tell Ourselves | From Nicaragua to The Office to Soul Boom | In this bonus episode of 7 Minute Stories Presents: The Storytelling University, Aaron sits down with Rainn Wilson, the award-winning actor, New York Times bestselling author, and host of the Soul Boom podcast, for a conversation about storytelling, spirituality, anxiety, faith, and the inner narratives that shape our lives. From vivid childhood memories in Nicaragua to Alice in Wonderland, The Office, the meaning of suffering, and the search for God, Rainn reflects on creativity, the soul, and whether storytelling might be one of humanity’s oldest ways of finding meaning. Team: Created & Hosted by: Aaron Calafato Audio Engineer & Lead Editorial: Ken Wendt Produced and Edited by Brooks Borden & Aaron Calafato Guest Coordinator: Dania Khalife Here’s the 7 Minute Stories Universe schedule, so you know what’s on the feed and when to expect new episodes! Love 7MS & TSU? Here's how to support: *Follow the pod wherever you're listening *Tap 5 Stars *Text one person you love a link to your favorite episode. Partner with us and reach millions! Become a sponsor of TSU. Reach out to us! | 34m 05s | ||||||
| 5/21/26 |  The Day I Became Batman to a Robin | When Aaron discovers a robin’s nest outside his sliding glass door, a simple backyard moment turns into a daily ritual of wonder, worry, and unexpected responsibility. But when a murder of crows attacks the nest, Aaron finds himself stepping into nature’s drama, becoming an unlikely defender of three baby robins and learning something funny, humbling, and strangely beautiful about parenthood, protection, and letting go. 👇 📬 Be a part of the 7 Minute Stories Newsletter Once a month, you’ll receive a thoughtful note with storytelling insights, behind the scenes reflections, and exclusive bonus content. You’ll also have access to Stories in a Snap, his weekly short written adaptations of the 7 Minute Stories you love, reimagined for the page and delivered straight to your inbox via Substack with no algorithm in between. 📻 Listen to 7 Minute Stories Radio! With 7MS Radio you don’t have to choose an episode or wait a week for the next one to be released. You can tune in once and let it run in the background while you do chores, take a walk, work out, or wind down for the night. It’s designed to feel more like a small digital radio companion, No scrolling. No decision fatigue. Just press play and let the stories keep you company, 7 Minute Stories–style! The 7MS Team: Story created & performed by: Aaron Calafato Senior Audio Engineer: Ken Wendt Additional vocals: Cori Calafato Original Theme Music: thomas j. duke Additional Soundscape Design: Isaac Gehring Special thanks to Brooks Borden, Dania Khalife and Pete Whitehead | 9m 17s | ||||||
| 5/14/26 |  He Still Sends Emails From Heaven | More than a decade after his grandfather passed away, Aaron still sees the green light appear next to his grandfather’s old Gmail account. What began years ago as one of the most beloved stories in 7 Minute Stories has evolved into an ongoing phenomenon and meditation on grief, memory, connection, and the invisible ways people continue to say hello long after they’re gone. It’s also a reminder of why making an impact while you’re alive on earth is something worth aspiring to. 👇 📬 Be a part of the 7 Minute Stories Newsletter Once a month, you’ll receive a thoughtful note with storytelling insights, behind the scenes reflections, and exclusive bonus content. You’ll also have access to Stories in a Snap, his weekly short written adaptations of the 7 Minute Stories you love, reimagined for the page and delivered straight to your inbox via Substack with no algorithm in between. *Dive deeper into the 7MS Universe and connect with Aaron on... Instagram Facebook YouTube The 7MS Team: Story created & performed by: Aaron Calafato Senior Audio Engineer: Ken Wendt Additional vocals: Cori Calafato Original Theme Music: thomas j. duke Additional Soundscape Design: Isaac Gehring Special thanks to Brooks Borden, Dania Khalife and Pete Whitehead | 7m 49s | ||||||
| 5/11/26 |  Randall Kenneth Jones: Pat Benatar, Storytelling as Purpose, and Why You Should “Save the Turtle” | 7MS Presents: The Storytelling University returns with a heartfelt and deeply human conversation about storytelling, purpose, creativity, and the moments that quietly shape our lives. This week, Randall Kenneth Jones joins Aaron Calafato for a special dual-release episode shared across both podcast feeds. Randall is the host of On the Knows and the author of books including Show Me and Ruby. Together, Aaron and Randall explore the deeper architecture of story through unforgettable encounters with icons like Pat Benatar, Norman Lear, Erin Brockovich, Stedman Graham, Jenifer Lewis, Suze Orman, and more. You’ll hear: The unbelievable story of how Randall met Pat Benatar in 1982 Why a former Ringling Bros. clown performing for 20 people changed Randall’s life Aaron’s story about nearly canceling a performance for an audience of two Lessons from Olympia Dukakis on reverence, teaching, and receiving knowledge Why the smallest stories often carry the greatest meaning Reflections on aging, reinvention, authenticity, and creative purpose At its heart, this episode is about paying attention. To stories. To people. To moments that could easily pass us by. *The Storytelling University is part of the 7 Minute Stories Universe Team:Created & Hosted by: Aaron Calafato Produced and Edited by Aaron Calafato & Brooks BordenAudio Engineer: Ken Wendt Guest Coordinator: Dania Khalife Love 7MS & TSU? Here's how to support: *Follow the pod wherever you're listening *Tap 5 Stars *Text one person you love a link to your favorite episode. Want to become a sponsor of TSU? Reach out to us! | 25m 51s | ||||||
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| 5/7/26 |  A Wish I Regret | An exhausting night in the emergency room pushes Aaron to make an impulsive wish: what if healthcare workers were replaced by AI? But when a quiet moment with a triage nurse changes everything, he’s forced to reconsider what efficiency might cost us. A story about frustration, humanity, technology, and the unexpected comfort of being cared for by another person. 👇 📬 Be a part of the 7 Minute Stories Newsletter Once a month, you’ll receive a thoughtful note with storytelling insights, behind the scenes reflections, and exclusive bonus content. You’ll also have access to Stories in a Snap, his weekly short written adaptations of the 7 Minute Stories you love, reimagined for the page and delivered straight to your inbox via Substack with no algorithm in between. *Dive deeper into the 7MS Universe and connect with Aaron on... Instagram Facebook YouTube The 7MS Team: Story created & performed by: Aaron Calafato Senior Audio Engineer: Ken Wendt Additional vocals: Cori Calafato Original Theme Music: thomas j. duke Additional Soundscape Design: Isaac Gehring Special thanks to Brooks Borden, Dania Khalife and Pete Whitehead | 9m 11s | ||||||
| 5/4/26 |  She Buried Their Names in a Jar | Short Stories of Hope | In this month’s 7MS Presents: Stories of Hope, Aaron tells the true story of one woman risked everything to smuggle children out of the Warsaw Ghetto during WWII—keeping their real identities buried in jars beneath an apple tree. This is a true story of courage, loss, and the quiet hope that survived. *Learn more about the heroic woman who inspired this month's short story of hope | 4m 52s | ||||||
| 4/30/26 |  Hey Dad, Wanna Have a Catch? (A Field of Dreams Story) | Aaron reflects on the enduring power of Field of Dreams, weaving together baseball, memory, and the quiet bond between fathers and sons. As listener stories echo a universal longing for one more "catch", this nostalgic 7 Minute Story from years past explores why some scenes, movies and dreams never leave us. 👇 📬 Be a part of the 7 Minute Stories Newsletter Once a month, you’ll receive a thoughtful note with storytelling insights, behind the scenes reflections, and exclusive bonus content. You’ll also have access to Stories in a Snap, his weekly short written adaptations of the 7 Minute Stories you love, reimagined for the page and delivered straight to your inbox with no algorithm in between. *Dive deeper into the 7MS Universe and connect with Aaron on... Instagram Facebook YouTube The 7MS Team: Story created & performed by: Aaron Calafato Senior Audio Engineer: Ken Wendt Additional vocals: Cori Calafato Original Theme Music: thomas j. duke Additional Soundscape Design: Isaac Gehring Special thanks to Brooks Borden, Dania Khalife and Pete Whitehead | 10m 25s | ||||||
| 4/27/26 |  Rev. James Martin: Why Stories Change Everything, What Points to the Resurrection, and the Story That Blew His Mind | Today on 7MS Presents: The Storytelling University, Aaron talks with Rev. James Martin, Jesuit priest, New York Times bestselling author, an editor at large at America Magazine, consultant to the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication and host of The Spiritual Life Podcast. Martin’s new memoir, Work in Progress, praised by Stephen Colbert as “funny, charming, inspiring, and wise,” becomes the doorway into a deeper conversation about storytelling, faith, and the search for meaning. They explore Martin’s journey from corporate America to the priesthood, sparked by a moment of unexpected clarity through the story of a Trappist monk. Along the way, this episode examines what it means to see life not just as a series of decisions, but as a story unfolding with purpose. This conversation also dives into: • How storytelling shapes belief, identity, and transformation • Why stories open minds where arguments often fail • Martin’s advocacy for LGBTQ Catholics and the power of elevating lived experiences • The idea that storytelling is not just communication, but ministry The episode opens with a compelling reflection on the Resurrection, viewed not through doctrine, but through the radical transformation in the behavior of those who witnessed it. If you’ve ever wondered how stories influence faith, purpose, and the direction of a life, this is a conversation that stays with you. Link to Buy Work in Progress Follow The Spiritual Life Podcast American Magazine Creator and Host: Aaron Calafato Audio Engineer: Ken Wendt Producer: Brooks Borden Guest Coordinator: Dania Khalife | 19m 58s | ||||||
| 4/23/26 |  Somewhere Between Here and There: Sliding Crepes | One afternoon, Aaron and his wife Cori drive to their favorite café… and it’s gone. No sign. No trace. Just a completely different place where it used to be. But days later, they return and everything has changed again. The café is back. The sign is there. As if nothing ever happened. This is a true story about a moment that didn’t make sense, a shared memory Aaron and Cori can’t explain, and the unsettling possibility that, for a brief second, they may have slipped into another version of their lives. *In Northeast Ohio? Stop by Kelly's Cafe, It's 100% open and part of this Universe! 👇 *Dive deeper into the 7MS Universe and connect with Aaron on... Instagram Facebook YouTube IG Threads 📬 Join the 7 Minute Stories Newsletter Each month, Aaron shares a select edition of Stories in a Snap — a written short story adapted from this 7 Minute Stories podcast and thoughtfully reimagined for the page. Subscribers also receive storytelling insights, behind-the-scenes reflections, and exclusive bonus content. All delivered straight to their inbox. 📻 If you like 7 Minute Stories, you’ll love 7 Minute Stories Radio — a 24/7 stream of Aaron’s stories you can tune into anytime. Let it run in the background while you walk, work, cook, or wind down. It’s not an episode feed. It’s a digital storytelling radio companion with an analog feel, built to keep you company. The 7MS Team: Story created & performed by: Aaron Calafato Senior Audio Engineer: Ken Wendt Additional vocals: Cori Calafato Artist in Residence: Pete Whitehead Original Theme Music: thomas j. duke Additional Soundscape Design: Isaac Gehring & Story Sounds Media LLC | 8m 46s | ||||||
| 4/16/26 |  Walter: The Story of an Elegant Man | On a routine trip to a Northeast Ohio institution, a simple checkout line becomes something more... In this story, Aaron reflects on the quiet shift from living transactionally to truly seeing the people around us, sparked by his daughter’s instinct to imagine a life behind a stranger’s eyes. What begins as a quick stop at Discount Drug Mart turns into a meditation on dignity, attention, and the small stories we almost miss. *Dive deeper into the 7MS Universe and connect with Aaron on... Instagram Facebook YouTube IG Threads 📬 Join the 7 Minute Stories Newsletter Each month, Aaron shares a select edition of Stories in a Snap — a written short story adapted from this 7 Minute Stories podcast and thoughtfully reimagined for the page. Subscribers also receive storytelling insights, behind-the-scenes reflections, and exclusive bonus content. All delivered straight to their inbox. 📻 If you like 7 Minute Stories, you’ll love 7 Minute Stories Radio — a 24/7 stream of Aaron’s stories you can tune into anytime. Let it run in the background while you walk, work, cook, or wind down. It’s not an episode feed. It’s a digital storytelling radio companion with an analog feel, built to keep you company. The 7MS Team: Story created & performed by: Aaron Calafato Senior Audio Engineer: Ken Wendt Additional vocals: Cori Calafato Artist in Residence: Pete Whitehead Original Theme Music: thomas j. duke Additional Soundscape Design: Isaac Gehring & Story Sounds Media LLC | 8m 43s | ||||||
| 4/13/26 |  David Moulton: On Storytelling, Cybersecurity, and Why Story Moves Business Forward | In this bonus episode of 7 Minute Stories Presents: Storytelling University, Aaron Calafato sits down with David Moulton to explore the unexpected intersection of storytelling and cybersecurity. At first glance, cybersecurity feels purely technical. But underneath it? It is a story as old as time. As Senior Director of Content and Thought Leadership at Palo Alto Networks and host of the Threat Vector podcast, David works at the center of how complex cybersecurity ideas are translated into stories that leaders, teams, and organizations can actually understand and act on. He breaks down how storytelling transforms invisible threats into something tangible, helping influence decisions from the SOC to the C suite. From product strategy to executive communication, this conversation reveals how narrative becomes the bridge between technical reality and human behavior. You will hear: Why cybersecurity is fundamentally a human story, not just a technical one How storytelling helps organizations make better decisions under pressure The difference between facts that inform and stories that move people A powerful framework for telling effective stories in business Special Guest: David Moulton | https://www.davidrmoulton.com/ Team: *Audio Engineer: Ken Wendt *The Storytelling University is part of the 7 Minute Stories Universe Created, Produced and Edited by Aaron Calafato & Brooks Borden Love 7MS & TSU? Here's how to support: *Follow the pod wherever you're listening *Tap 5 Stars *Text one person you love a link to your favorite episode. | 29m 05s | ||||||
| 4/9/26 |  Pretending to Be Pacino or The Speech You Wish You’d Given | What if the words you never said still have somewhere to go? In this episode, Aaron revisits one of the most powerful monologues in film and turns it into something unexpected, a way to process the moments in life where we stayed silent but wish we hadn’t. Excerpt from Scent of a Woman (1992)Produced and distributed by Universal PicturesDirected by Martin BrestScreenplay by Bo GoldmanBased on the novel Il buio e il miele by Giovanni ArpinoColonel Frank Slade portrayed by Al Pacino 👇 * Aaron on Instagram 📬 Join the 7 Minute Stories Newsletter Each month, Aaron shares a select edition of Stories in a Snap — a written short story adapted from this 7 Minute Stories podcast and thoughtfully reimagined for the page. Subscribers also receive storytelling insights, behind-the-scenes reflections, and exclusive bonus content. All delivered straight to their inbox. 📰 Stories in a Snap (Weekly Edition) is the weekly written adaptation of 7 Minute Stories. A distilled short story you can read in just a few quiet minutes, delivered straight to your inbox every week. 📻 If you like 7 Minute Stories, you’ll love 7 Minute Stories Radio — a 24/7 stream of Aaron’s stories you can tune into anytime. Let it run in the background while you walk, work, cook, or wind down. It’s not an episode feed. It’s a digital storytelling radio companion with an analog feel, built to keep you company. The 7MS Team: Story created & performed by: Aaron Calafato Senior Audio Engineer: Ken Wendt Additional vocals: Cori Calafato Artist in Residence: Pete Whitehead Original Theme Music: thomas j. duke Additional Soundscape Design: Isaac Gehring & Story Sounds Media LLC | 8m 51s | ||||||
| 4/2/26 |  Finding Success in Taco Bell Sauce Packets | A strange package shows up at Aaron’s door, filled with Taco Bell hot sauce and a message that didn’t quite survive the journey. But what starts as a bizarre delivery turns into something else entirely: a reflection on memory, connection, and the unexpected ways we measure success. Want to hear the story that inspired Taco Bell Sauce - Gate? LISTEN HERE 📬 Join the 7 Minute Stories Newsletter Each month, Aaron shares a select edition of Stories in a Snap — a written short story adapted from this 7 Minute Stories podcast and thoughtfully reimagined for the page. Subscribers also receive storytelling insights, behind-the-scenes reflections, and exclusive bonus content. All delivered straight to their inbox. 📰 Stories in a Snap (Weekly Edition) is the weekly written adaptation of 7 Minute Stories. A distilled short story you can read in just a few quiet minutes, delivered straight to your inbox every week. 📻 If you like 7 Minute Stories, you’ll love 7 Minute Stories Radio — a 24/7 stream of Aaron’s stories you can tune into anytime. Let it run in the background while you walk, work, cook, or wind down. It’s not an episode feed. It’s a digital storytelling radio companion with an analog feel, built to keep you company. 🌙 If you like 7MS, make sure you follow Night Stories LIVE! — Aaron’s late-night radio show where he shares stories and talks with special guests in real time. Streamed live Thursdays at 9:30PM EST on YouTube and delivered as a podcast on-demand! The 7MS Team: Story created & performed by: Aaron Calafato Senior Audio Engineer: Ken Wendt Additional vocals: Cori Calafato Artist in Residence: Pete Whitehead Original Theme Music: thomas j. duke Additional Soundscape Design: Isaac Gehring & Story Sounds Media LLC | 8m 54s | ||||||
| 3/26/26 |  The Receipts She Never Threw Away | In this 7 Minute Stories, Aaron shares a story that was passed down to him about a boy who grows up believing his mother chose work over him. Years later, a quiet Thanksgiving visit reveals the truth behind those early mornings, and what she was holding onto all along. 📬 Join the 7 Minute Stories Newsletter Each month, Aaron shares a select edition of Stories in a Snap — a written short story adapted from this 7 Minute Stories podcast and thoughtfully reimagined for the page. Subscribers also receive storytelling insights, behind-the-scenes reflections, and exclusive bonus content. All delivered straight to their inbox. 📰 Stories in a Snap (Weekly Edition) is the weekly written adaptation of 7 Minute Stories. A distilled short story you can read in just a few quiet minutes, delivered straight to your inbox every week. 📻 If you like 7 Minute Stories, you’ll love 7 Minute Stories Radio — a 24/7 stream of Aaron’s stories you can tune into anytime. Let it run in the background while you walk, work, cook, or wind down. It’s not an episode feed. It’s a digital storytelling radio companion with an analog feel, built to keep you company. 🌙 If you like 7MS, make sure you follow Night Stories LIVE! — Aaron’s late-night radio show where he shares stories and talks with special guests in real time. Streamed live Thursdays at 9:30PM EST on YouTube and delivered as a podcast on-demand! The 7MS Team: Story created & performed by: Aaron Calafato Senior Audio Engineer: Ken Wendt Additional vocals: Cori Calafato Artist in Residence: Pete Whitehead Original Theme Music: thomas j. duke Additional Soundscape Design: Isaac Gehring & Story Sounds Media LLC | 8m 45s | ||||||
| 3/19/26 |  The Meteor Nobody Saw Coming | A meteor explodes over Medina, Ohio—shaking homes, lighting up the sky, and turning an ordinary morning into something unforgettable. As Aaron retraces the moment and the story behind it, a deeper question begins to surface about the systems we trust and the assumptions we carry. In this episode of 7 Minute Stories, a once-in-a-lifetime event points toward a realization you might not expect. 👇 📬 Join the 7 Minute Stories Newsletter Each month, Aaron shares a select edition of Stories in a Snap — a written short story adapted from this 7 Minute Stories podcast and thoughtfully reimagined for the page. Subscribers also receive storytelling insights, behind-the-scenes reflections, and exclusive bonus content. All delivered straight to their inbox. 📰 Stories in a Snap (Weekly Edition) is the weekly written adaptation of 7 Minute Stories. A distilled short story you can read in just a few quiet minutes, delivered straight to your inbox every week. 📻 If you like 7 Minute Stories, you’ll love 7 Minute Stories Radio — a 24/7 stream of Aaron’s stories you can tune into anytime. Let it run in the background while you walk, work, cook, or wind down. It’s not an episode feed. It’s a digital storytelling radio companion with an analog feel, built to keep you company. 🌙 If you like 7MS, make sure you follow Night Stories LIVE! — Aaron’s late-night radio show where he shares stories and talks with special guests in real time. Streamed live Thursdays at 9:30PM EST on YouTube and delivered as a podcast on-demand! The 7MS Team: Story created & performed by: Aaron Calafato Senior Audio Engineer: Ken Wendt Additional vocals: Cori Calafato Artist in Residence: Pete Whitehead Original Theme Music: thomas j. duke Additional Soundscape Design: Isaac Gehring & Story Sounds Media LLC | 7m 51s | ||||||
| 3/15/26 |  Ani Zonneveld: Storytelling, Progressive Islam, and the Power of Music to Change Hearts | In this episode of 7MS Presents: The Storytelling University, Aaron sits down with writer, activist, and Grammy-certified songwriter Ani Zonneveld, founder of Muslims for Progressive Values, an international human rights organization advocating for equality, freedom of expression, and inclusive interpretations of Islam. Ani shares the remarkable story of a moment that changed someone’s heart at a music festival, revealing how storytelling, music, and human connection can dissolve fear and misunderstanding. The conversation explores Ani’s global upbringing as the daughter of a Malaysian ambassador, the spiritual power of music, and how storytelling can create empathy across cultures, religions, and political divides. Along the way, Ani reflects on how narrative shapes faith, identity, and social change, and why stories often reach people in ways arguments never can. Ani is also the author of the memoir An Unlikely Social Justice Warrior: Making My Life Count as a Muslim Feminist. *The Storytelling University is part of the 7 Minute Stories Universe Created & Produced by Aaron Calafato & Brooks Borden Love 7MS & TSU? Here's how to support: *Follow the pod wherever you're listening *Tap 5 Stars *Text one person you love a link to your favorite episode. | 13m 14s | ||||||
| 3/12/26 |  Coveralls, Coffee, and What His Dad Left Behind | One night, Chad Baxter heard a knock at the door and saw his mother standing in the hallway. In this listener-submitted 7 Minute Stories episode, Chad reflects on the man who raised him: early mornings riding home from the midnight shift, the smell of coffee and coveralls, lessons in the garage, and the complicated love between a father and son. A deeply personal story about memory, loss, and the quiet ways fathers live on through the lives of their children. *Story by Chad Baxter 👇 📬 Join the 7 Minute Stories Newsletter Each month, Aaron shares a select edition of Stories in a Snap — a written short story adapted from this 7 Minute Stories podcast and thoughtfully reimagined for the page. Subscribers also receive storytelling insights, behind-the-scenes reflections, and exclusive bonus content. All delivered straight to their inbox. 📰 Stories in a Snap (Weekly Edition) is the weekly written adaptation of 7 Minute Stories. A distilled short story you can read in just a few quiet minutes, delivered straight to your inbox every week. 📻 If you like 7 Minute Stories, you’ll love 7 Minute Stories Radio — a 24/7 stream of Aaron’s stories you can tune into anytime. Let it run in the background while you walk, work, cook, or wind down. It’s not an episode feed. It’s a digital storytelling radio companion with an analog feel, built to keep you company. 🌙 If you like 7MS, make sure you follow Night Stories LIVE! — Aaron’s late-night radio show where he shares stories and talks with special guests in real time. Streamed live Thursdays at 9:30PM EST on YouTube and delivered as a podcast on-demand! The 7MS Team: Story created & performed by: Aaron Calafato Senior Audio Engineer: Ken Wendt Additional vocals: Cori Calafato Artist in Residence: Pete Whitehead Original Theme Music: thomas j. duke Additional Soundscape Design: Isaac Gehring & Story Sounds Media LLC | 9m 22s | ||||||
| 3/8/26 |  From Kidnapped Child to Olympic Flag Bearer | Short Stories of Hope | In this month’s 7MS Presents: Stories of Hope, Aaron Calafato tells the true story of a six year old boy taken during a church gathering in a small village in southern Sudan. Torn from his mother and thrown into the chaos of civil war, the boy would eventually escape and spend years growing up in a refugee camp far from home. But through everything, he kept running. Years later, that same boy would walk into the Olympic Stadium carrying the flag of the United States. Sometimes hope is something we find. Sometimes it is something we run toward. *Read the story form the man himself: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/running-for-my-life-lopez-lomong/1110791822 | 5m 04s | ||||||
| 3/6/26 |  The Ritual of the Last Bar of Soap | In this episode of 7 Minute Stories, Aaron has a strange ritual he’s a little embarrassed to admit. It happens quietly at the end of every season. A small moment that most people would overlook, but one he’s come to treat with surprising care. At first it seems odd. Maybe even a little obsessive. But the deeper you go, the more it begins to feel familiar. Because beneath the surface is something deeply human... 👇 📬 Join the 7 Minute Stories Newsletter Each month, Aaron shares a select edition of Stories in a Snap — a written short story adapted from this 7 Minute Stories podcast and thoughtfully reimagined for the page. Subscribers also receive storytelling insights, behind-the-scenes reflections, and exclusive bonus content. All delivered straight to their inbox. 📰 Stories in a Snap (Weekly Edition) is the weekly written adaptation of 7 Minute Stories. A distilled short story you can read in just a few quiet minutes, delivered straight to your inbox every week. 📻 If you like 7 Minute Stories, you’ll love 7 Minute Stories Radio — a 24/7 stream of Aaron’s stories you can tune into anytime. Let it run in the background while you walk, work, cook, or wind down. It’s not an episode feed. It’s a digital storytelling radio companion with an analog feel, built to keep you company. 🌙 If you like 7MS, make sure you follow Night Stories LIVE! — Aaron’s late-night radio show where he shares stories and talks with special guests in real time. Streamed live Thursdays at 9:30PM EST on YouTube and delivered as a podcast on-demand! The 7MS Team: Story created & performed by: Aaron Calafato Senior Audio Engineer: Ken Wendt Additional vocals: Cori Calafato Artist in Residence: Pete Whitehead Original Theme Music: thomas j. duke Additional Soundscape Design: Isaac Gehring & Story Sounds Media LLC | 8m 57s | ||||||
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Chart Positions
4 placements across 4 markets.
Chart Positions
4 placements across 4 markets.