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PODCAST

7 Minute Stories w/ Aaron Calafato

7 Minute Stories is the leading short-form autobiographical storytelling podcast in the world, reaching over 30 million listeners through weekly unscripted personal narratives. Each episode delivers a true story from Aaron Calafato’s extremely normal yet deeply relatable life in Ohio, told in about seven minutes with no script. This show is quick, immersive, and tinged with nostalgia. Each story feels deeply personal, fits into your day, and leaves you better than it found you. 7MS sounds like a

comedy improv

All Episodes

8:51

Pretending to Be Pacino or The Speech You Wish You’d...

7 Minute Stories w/ Aaron Calafato ·

2026/04/09

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

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8:54

Finding Success in Taco Bell Sauce Packets

7 Minute Stories w/ Aaron Calafato ·

2026/04/02

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

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8:45

The Receipts She Never Threw Away

7 Minute Stories w/ Aaron Calafato ·

2026/03/26

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

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7:51

The Meteor Nobody Saw Coming

7 Minute Stories w/ Aaron Calafato ·

2026/03/19

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

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13:14

Ani Zonneveld: Storytelling, Progressive Islam, and...

7 Minute Stories w/ Aaron Calafato ·

2026/03/15

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

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9:22

Coveralls, Coffee, and What His Dad Left Behind

7 Minute Stories w/ Aaron Calafato ·

2026/03/12

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 👇 📬⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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5:04

From Kidnapped Child to Olympic Flag Bearer | Short...

7 Minute Stories w/ Aaron Calafato ·

2026/03/08

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

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8:57

The Ritual of the Last Bar of Soap

7 Minute Stories w/ Aaron Calafato ·

2026/03/05

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...

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8:53

Are Aliens Real? Obama, UFOs, and the Night We...

7 Minute Stories w/ Aaron Calafato ·

2026/02/26

After Barack Obama recently clarified his comments about aliens, UFOs, UAPs, and Area 51, the question resurfaced: Are we alone in the universe?In this episode replay, Aaron shares a strange midnight encounter under the stars that, for a moment, felt like a UFO. Or maybe a UAP? What he and his wife saw in the sky sparked thoughts of alien life, pop culture fascination, and the mathematics of the cosmos before revealing what it actually was. 👇 📬⁠⁠⁠ Join the 7 Minute Stories Newsletter⁠⁠⁠

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11:51

Brad Roberts (Crash Test Dummies): “Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm,”...

7 Minute Stories w/ Aaron Calafato ·

2026/02/22

Brad Roberts, lead singer and songwriter of Crash Test Dummies, sits down with Aaron for a wide-ranging conversation about songwriting, philosophy, and the unexpected afterlife of a hit song. From the improvisational process behind “Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm” to the outsider themes that shaped his lyrics, Brad shares how studying philosophy and English literature influenced the questions embedded in his music. This bonus episode of 7MS Presents: The Storytelling University explores 90s alternative rock,

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7:19

Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust

7 Minute Stories w/ Aaron Calafato ·

2026/02/19

This week on 7 Minute Stories, Aaron reflects on loss, legacy, and the fragile weight of being human.From the passing of cultural icons like James Van Der Beek and Robert Duvall to the deeply personal grief of losing his uncle and cousin—both Cleveland firefighters who ran toward danger for a living—this episode explores the difference between distant loss and the kind that reshapes you. Recorded on Ash Wednesday, “Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust” wrestles with mortality, memory, and a question

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3:42

The Floating Hospital | Short Stories of Hope

7 Minute Stories w/ Aaron Calafato ·

2026/02/15

In a remote community along the Amazon River, a man lives for two years in quiet, crippling pain. The nearest hospital is not down the road. It is a journey away.Then one day, something white appears on the water. In this episode of 7MS Presents: Short Stories of Hope, Aaron tells the true story of a floating hospital that docks where roads do not reach, and of one Brazilian farmer whose life changed the morning he stood upright again. This is a story about dignity, skilled hands arriving by

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8:30

An American Buffet and the Trouble with Nostalgia

7 Minute Stories w/ Aaron Calafato ·

2026/02/12

An American buffet leaves an impression on you. Sometimes good. Sometimes bad. Maybe it was a Chinese Buffet with your high school friends. Maybe it was Ponderosa. Maybe it was a frozen yogurt flavor you’ve been chasing for decades. But what happens when you go back? In this 7 Minute Story, Aaron revisits a core memory from the 90s and begins to question something deeper: Can you trust nostalgia? Does memory tell the truth? Or does time change the taste of everything? This is a story about

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8:51

A Lesson from the Gumball Philosopher

7 Minute Stories w/ Aaron Calafato ·

2026/02/05

In this episode of 7 Minute Stories, Aaron tells the story of a broken gumball machine, a chance driveway encounter, and a man who chose to live by an "unusual" philosophy... What begins as a simple attempt to clean out the garage turns into a conversation about boxes — the ones we live in, the ones we work in, and the ones we may spend our lives trying to escape. It’s a short story about freedom, sacrifice, and the unexpected teachers we meet when we think we’re just throwing something

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9:33

The Astronaut Who Couldn’t Live Alone

7 Minute Stories w/ Aaron Calafato ·

2026/01/29

What happens when survival means living your entire life in total isolation? Drawing from Interstellar, Aaron Calafato steps into the mind of Dr. Mann, an astronaut marooned on a frozen planet, and examines the fear, temptation, and moral cost of wanting to be saved. A personal story about loneliness, choice, and the human need for other people.👇 📻 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

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7:40

The GoFundMe He Never Asked For

7 Minute Stories w/ Aaron Calafato ·

2026/01/22

A GoFundMe is started for the actor Mickey Rourke, and the internet responds as it so often does. Reading the comments anonymously, Aaron discovers something rather unexpected, especially given the state of 2026. What unfolds isn’t really a story about a fundraiser or a public figure shaped by past and perception. It’s a meditation on people, and the quiet hope that lingers when someone is seen in need.*Poster Art Jim Harris Designs 📻 If you like 7MS, make sure you follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Night Stories

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6:12

The Restaurant With No Prices | Short Stories of Hope

7 Minute Stories w/ Aaron Calafato ·

2026/01/19

This is this January's bonus episode of Short Stories of Hope. In this story, Aaron shares a quiet and unexpected moment centered on a woman on the edge of hunger and a small restaurant in New Jersey that becomes an unlikely turning point. What makes the moment even more surprising is the person who helps set it in motion, someone you’d expect to see under arena lights at a rock concert, not connected to an act of everyday generosity. It is a story about dignity, timing, and the small human gestures

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9:59

I Tried to Prove My Pediatrician Wrong (and...

7 Minute Stories w/ Aaron Calafato ·

2026/01/15

In this episode of 7 Minute Stories, Aaron revisits the last conversation he ever had with his pediatrician, a moment that left him angry, insecure, and determined to prove someone else wrong. What follows is a teenage experiment fueled by insecurity, chocolate milkshakes, and the belief that changing the body might fix everything else. Years later, Aaron reflects on what actually changed and what didn’t. It’s a story about growth, certainty, and the quiet realization that some answers can’t be

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8:22

Christmas: The Man and the Birds | A Timeless...

7 Minute Stories w/ Aaron Calafato ·

2025/12/25

Every Christmas, a short story makes its return—one without a known author, but with a lasting impact. The Man and the Birds was famously shared each holiday season by Paul Harvey on the radio, and for years, it’s become an annual tradition on 7 Minute Stories.In this special holiday episode, Aaron revisits the quiet, timeless parable about belief, humility, and what it means to truly see one another. Recorded live during Night Stories Live! this retelling invites listeners to slow down, listen

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28:42

Sports Are Human Stories: John Telich on...

7 Minute Stories w/ Aaron Calafato ·

2025/12/21

In this Storytelling University bonus episode, Aaron sits down with John Telich, who spent four decades shaping how Northeast Ohio experienced sports on television. Together, they explore the quiet craft behind covering wins, losses, heartbreak, and hope—and why sports stories, at their best, are rarely just about the score.*Special thanks to the Medina UCC for hosting! *Learn more about the Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame *Follow John Telich on X The Storytelling University is part

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