The Stuttering Springboard

This podcast with David Potts is rich with takeaways.  David, a Phd. chemical engineer who stutters, brings a refreshing and much needed perspective to stuttering. David shares with us his journey from college to graduate school and earning his doctorate, all while facing the daily challenges of being a person who stutters.  Brian and David dive into preparing and giving presentations, focusing on what you want to say instead of how you say it and being on your own team!  Taking the power away from your stutter means not putting life decisions through a stuttering lens.  This is a powerful podcast for people who stutter and an education for those who don't!  Enjoy the listen!

David Potts is a research scientist at the Dow Chemical Company. He is originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma, and is a lifelong stutterer. He received his Bachelor's Degree from the University of Oklahoma in 2018 and his PhD from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2024, both in chemical engineering. His work focuses on developing catalysts to speed up and make chemical reactions more environmentally friendly. David moved to Michigan in 2024 and is a member of the National Stuttering Association East Lansing Chapter. He is passionate about mentorship, outreach, and making scientific fields more accessible to others who stutter.

Aidan, who often goes by "Crunch", is a highly successful young musician from Phoenixville PA who stutters. He found amazing professional success at the age of 15 and has followed his dream as a music producer for some of today's top artists. In this highly introspective podcast, Aidan shares his journey and the intersection of his stutter and his high profile career. Brian and Aidan explore the dichotomy of being frustrated by your stutter while also embracing it and....  not trading it in if asked by a Genie. 

More about Aidan Cullen:

He is an LA-based producer, songwriter, and programmer from Philadelphia who currently attends UCLA. He most recently co-produced “VUELVE CANDY B” off Bad Bunny’s newest release, “nadie sabe lo que va a pasar mañana”, which debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200.
His first major-label release was with Tory Lanez and Kevin Gates on the Fast and Furious 9 movie soundtrack. Crunch then continued his collaboration with Tory Lanez, releasing three additional songs/productions with him.

Meet Megan Lynch, a young speech and language pathology graduate student. In this deeply person podcast, Megan tells her story of growing up as a person who stutters and her decision to become an SLP.  
She shares how she uses mindfulness techniques in the moments when she awaiting her turn to speak. Megan also shares the speech trauma she experienced as a middle school student and even a few years ago.
What’s really cool are the affirmations and self talk she practices to help her become her authentic self. This podcast gave me so much hope for stuttering therapy!
Enjoy the episode!

Megan Lynch is an SLP graduate student at Gwynedd Mercy University and an SLPA with the Bucks County Intermediate Unit. A native of Langhorne, Pennsylvania, she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Speech, Language, and Hearing Science from Temple University in 2020. As a person who stutters, Megan is interested in creating more open conversations around stuttering as she continues her path in the field

Meet Vince Vawter, renowned author, former newspaper editor and a person who stutters. In this podcast Vince shares his wisdom from his lifelong journey as a person who stutters, much of which he captures in his four books, starting with Paperboy, the story of an 11 year old paperboy and his challenges as a boy who stutters.  This podcast dives deep into his  most recent book: The Stuttering Stoic, where Vince shares the philosophy that has shaped his and Brian's adult lives for the better. Brian and Vince dive deep into Marcus Aurelius and Seneca and how the messages from ancient philosophers can help us today.  Vince's favorite Marcus quote, "Be indifferent to the things that make no difference" speaks to why we shouldn't worry about the things we can't control. Seneca's quote: "we suffer more in our imagination about the future than the event itself" likely resonates with all people who stutter.  This podcast is about overcoming, not curing, your stutter by finding your voice.
 
Vince Vawter, a native of Memphis and a person who stutters, retired after a 40-year career in newspapers, most recently as the president and publisher of the Evansville (Ind.) Courier & Press.
He attended Louisiana State University, Rhodes College of Memphis, the University of Memphis and the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.
Books:
• Paperboy
• Copyboy
• Manboy
• The Stuttering Stoic

Meet Luke McCann, a Vice President at Valuation Research Corporation and a person who stutters. Luke performs a wide range of financial advisory work in the business valuation sector.
In this educational, high energy and yes, at times emotional (that's Brian!) podcast, Luke shapes how:
He moved from just focusing on tools to focusing on tools and acceptance. 
His powerful experience working with his speech pathologist
How voluntary stuttering helped him with desensitization 
How disclosure makes him feel more authentic.
And most importantly...  how his stutter makes him unforgettable!
Luke Graduated from Baylor University, holds both a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) designation and an Accredited in Business Valuation (ABV) credential. He is passionate about staying active and engaged in my community.