Cookin' Up A Story - TopPodcast.com

Latest Episodes:

COOKIN' UP A STORY: Untethered - Mark Holaway Nov 17, 2025

Show notes

When Mark Holaway found himself struggling to get out the dark places, he decided to give less conventional options a try. This led him down a path of natural medicine, a path which isn't always legal. The success that route have offered him, though, can be replicated in others who are suffering similarly. In this episode, we dive deep into natural medicine, where trauma is held, and ways to move forward. Give it a listen, it's a good one.

#ptsd #trauma #ketamine #psilocybin #mushrooms #plantmedicine

COOKIN' UP A STORY: More Mexican Than Martinez - Mark Holaway Nov 13, 2025

Show notes

We thought we were going to discuss PTSD and psychedelics, and eventually we did, but first, we finally found a cult member. Words cannot describe it. Give it a listen, it's a good one.

#ptsd #emt #ibogaine #psylocibin #lsd #mdma #medecine #holistic #therapy

COOKIN' UP A STORY: Veterans Day, Part 2 - Glover, White, Wright Nov 10, 2025

Show notes

In part two of our conversation with Justin Glover, Merrill White, and Duane Wright, we move beyond boot camp and into active service, occupation vs. conquering, trying to restart wars, and what comes after. Give it a listen, it's a good one.

#army #marines #desertstorm #waronterror #crayons #veterans #gwot

COOKIN' UP A STORY: Veterans Day - Part One Nov 06, 2025

Show notes

In honor of Veterans Day, we hosted three for this week's show: Justin Glover, Merle White, and Duane Wright. Justin and Duane were Marines and Merle was in the Army. Hear them discuss their decision to join, what boot camp was like, and the difficulties of getting trained for combat before being sent to occupy a foreign country. Give it a listen, it's a good one.

#army #marines #VeteransDay #bootcamp #rulesofengagement

COOKIN' UP A STORY: You Can't Let the Downs Get You Down - John Bentley Nov 03, 2025

Show notes

John Bentley has seen some downs, but he didn't let that define him. Instead, he used those struggles to find success, though he went down a few rabbit holes along the way. In this one, hear him discuss his road from the asylum to trucking to construction to helping build a legendary camp out in the woods. Give it a listen, it's a good one.

#trucking #construction #land #storytelling #chisel

COOKIN' UP A STORY: 0.77 - John Bentley Oct 30, 2025

Show notes

John Bentley's early life was simple and rural, focused on his family's farm. Once he became a teenager, though, he started finding trouble. Initially, it was typical teenage trouble, but it soon escalated to the point where he was transporting large amounts and contraband over several states in order to feed his appetite. As a result, he found himself in a facility with a Nurse Ratched, but he used that experience to turn his life around. In this one, hear John discuss his wild early years and how they helped shape him into a productive and relatively calm man. Give it a listen, it's a good one.

#farming #countryliving #prison #coldturkey #addiction

COOKIN' UP A STORY: Continuing Service - Tim Shepard Oct 27, 2025

Show notes

In part two of our discussion with Tim Shepard, we get into his decision to run for county judge, why we need collaboration, and why there's more to roads than just roads. We also remember hippies living in trees and go down a few rabbit holes. Give it a listen, it's a good one.

#timshepard #countyjudge #roads #elections #community

COOKIN' UP A STORY: Not Your Authority - Tim Shepard Oct 23, 2025

Show notes

Those who end up enforcement were rarely choir boys, but instead those who spent some time running from the law. Tim Shepard didn't spend much time running from the police. He didn't spend zero time running, either. In this episode, listen to him discuss his upbringing, his career thus far, and why he's deciced to keep running, this time for office. Give it a listen, it's a good one.

#police #hazing #lawenforcement #Countyjudge

COOKIN' UP A STORY: The Epitome of Now - John Connors Oct 20, 2025

Show notes

Meditation, SpongeBob, colon cancer, and the quest for peace. In part two of our discussion with John Connors, we discuss those things and many, many more. Give it a listen, it's a good one.

#downsyndrome #Cancer #meditation #spongebob #peace

COOKIN' UP A STORY: Keeping Pace - John Connors Oct 16, 2025

Show notes

For this week's episode, we met our match in John Connors. Whether he is a rabbit hole in human form or just the rabbit is open for debate, but to say this one meanders around is a bit of an understatement. From St. Louis to Madison to Mexico, John veered around the first few decades of his life, offering anecdotes, lessons, and observations from his time as a high school seminarian. Give it a listen, it's a good one.

#seminary #stlouis #madison #mexico #volkswagen #crosscountry #rabbitholes