7 Minute Stories w/ Aaron Calafato
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7 Minute Stories w/ Aaron Calafato
7 Minute Stories is Aaron Calafato’s extemporaneous, autobiographical storytelling podcast. This top award-winning story podcast is quick, immersive, and tinged with nostalgia. Each story feels deeply personal and always leaves you with something to chew on—7MS sounds like if a Millennial swapped no...
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351 episodi
The Case for AI Fast-Food Drive-Thrus
In 1993, five bucks at a drive-thru could feed a family. Today, it barely covers a soda. In this story, Aaron Calafato takes us through the chaos of t...
Memories from Grandpa’s House
In this episode of 7 Minute Stories, Aaron takes listeners back to one unforgettable day at his Grandpa Joe’s house. From a roadside McMuffin breakfas...
The Fortune Teller at Bob Evans
In this episode of 7MS, Storyteller Aaron Calafato shares an encounter with a "fortune teller" at a Bob Evans that reshaped how he saw his future. At...
The Barbershop Echo | Season 6 Premiere
Season 6 of 7 Minute Stories opens in an empty Medina, Ohio barbershop where Saturday morning memories still linger in the air. Aaron Calafato reflect...
Evan Bartels: Songs, Stories, and the Art of Noticing
In this Storytelling University conversation, Aaron sits down with songwriter Evan Bartels to explore the craft of turning life into song. From the ha...
The Summer I Tried to Keep Everyone
Aaron remembers the summer he spent in Washington, D.C.—a time of new independence, fast friendships, and an address book filled with names he swore h...
Job or Sales Pitch? When Door-to-Door Collides with Boundaries
In this episode of 7 Minute Stories, storyteller Aaron Calafato reflects on his lifelong clash with door-to-door salespeople—and the one unforgettable...
The Blue Plastic Bag | Paper, Plastic, and Control
In this episode of 7 Minute Stories, Aaron Calafato takes a simple grocery store choice—paper or plastic—and spins it into a meditation on control, re...
Soledad O’Brien: From Covering Katrina to Shaping Stories for Netflix
Award-winning journalist and producer Soledad O’Brien — known from CNN, NBC, and HBO, and now the CEO of Soledad O’Brien Productions — joins Aaron to...
Learning Left from Right at a Funeral
At a funeral, Aaron froze in the aisle, unsure whether to go right or left. That moment carried him back to first grade, when Mrs. Brown—his teacher d...
When You Know It’s Too Much: A Warheads Story
A childhood without candy turned into an all-out Warheads binge — and a tongue injury Aaron Calafato kept secret just to eat them again. In this sweet...
The Last Blockbuster and the Death of Movie Night
Aaron reflects on his growing inability to choose and enjoy movies in the age of endless streaming—and the unexpected documentary that finally broke h...
The Missing Person, Mozzarella Sticks & an Ending You Won’t Believe
When a missing person case hit Aaron’s community, he didn’t expect to get involved—until mozzarella sticks at Arby’s made it personal. In this story,...
The Prayer: What I Heard in the Hospital Changed Me Forever
While sitting beside his grandmother before heart surgery, Aaron witnesses a moment of prayer that transforms his understanding of vulnerability, fait...
Angus Fletcher (Story Scientist, OSU): Why Storytelling Is More Powerful Than Data, AI, or Logic
What if storytelling isn’t just communication—but the original form of intelligence?
Angus Fletcher, story scientist and Ohio State prof...
They Called Me “America” — But They Were the Dream
After college, Aaron spent a quiet summer in rural Ohio, preparing for a new life in New York. But one Saturday on a sunbaked soccer field, he joined...
I Raced Shamu at SeaWorld—and Missed the Real Story Unfolding
In 1993, a 10-year-old Aaron Calafato got the opportunity of a lifetime: to race a killer whale named Shamu at SeaWorld in front of a roaring crowd. W...
The Sandlot Star Who Changed Our Lives: A College Story About Art LaFleur
In 2005, Aaron and his college friend Jon were just two undergrads trying to pull off a film festival with a $3,000 budget. Their goal? Land a special...
My Olivia Newton‑John Moment
At a Holiday Inn off the Garden State Parkway (or as Aaron mistakenly called it, “the Jersey Parkway” — what can we say, he’s from Ohio), a late‑night...
Noraly Schoenmaker (Itchy Boots): Storytelling, Travel, and Her New NYT Bestselling Book
Noraly Schoenmaker—creator of Itchy Boots—joins Aaron Calafato on 7MS Presents: The Storytelling University for a deep dive into the art of storytelli...
Elvis Has Left the Building...
What happens when you meet someone pretending to be Elvis… in a small-town restaurant? In this Season 5 Finale of 7 Minute Stories, Aaron shares a sto...
Housekeeping, Where to Find Aaron Between Seasons & Storytelling University Sneak Peek
With the Season 5 finale of 7 Minute Stories just around the corner, Aaron shares a special housekeeping update. In this episode, listeners get a rund...
WWF and Shawn Michaels Taught Me About Trust—Then My Best Friend Betrayed Me
Was it Shawn Michaels’ infamous superkick through the barbershop window? Or generations of Sicilian family wisdom that taught Aaron the true meaning o...
Why She Tried to Grab My Arm Every Sunday
As a kid, Aaron was terrified of the trembling old woman who reached for him at church every Sunday. Years later, a simple handshake revealed the hear...
The Day I Met My Daughter (I Love You, Brosephina)
On this deeply personal episode of 7 Minute Stories, Aaron reflects on the life-changing events of May 22nd—the day his daughter was born. From migrai...
Big Updates, New Season, and What’s Next for 7 Minute Stories
In this special Sunday Leftovers episode, Aaron shares exciting updates about the future of 7 Minute Stories—including a brand-new app, a weekly live...
The Problem with Using '90s Commercials as a Sleep Aid
Aaron Calafato thought he’d finally cracked the code on curing his late-night insomnia—with the help of a few nostalgic commercials from the 1980s and...
Statue of Limitations
A few days before Valentine’s Day, Aaron realizes he still hasn’t found a gift for his wife. Not for lack of effort—he’s been looking. But what she wa...
The Scooter Man Incident (Or: How I Became Larry David)
When a fast-talking salesman on a motorized scooter invades Aaron's Saturday peace, things spiral into a hilarious—and nearly hostile—driveway showdow...
How to Plan for Everything (Except a Paper Cut)
Aaron has been preaching the same piece of advice to his kids for years: give a gift to your future self. It’s great advice—until it isn’t. In this ep...
Sunday at Nonna's
Aaron shares the story of his great-grandmother—“Little Grandma”—and the Sunday tradition she passed down that became the heartbeat of his family. Thi...
Spring Fever (And Why I Don’t Have It) | 7MS Cinema
As the rest of the world thaws out and rushes outside to soak in the first rays of spring, Aaron heads the opposite direction—back into the basement....
A Man, a Sunset, and the Cleanest Hands in Ohio
Aaron finds himself stuck in a suburban parking lot, overwhelmed by logistics and burnout after a long weekend of supporting his daughter's performanc...
Gene Hackman's Final Days: The Story We’ll Never Know
When Aaron learns of Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy’s tragic deaths, he can’t stop thinking about what really happened in those final days. In this i...
The Death of Super Kmart… But What About the Seagull Zoo? (7MS Cinema)
This special 7 Minute Stories Cinema collaboration takes you to a small-town Super Kmart, a once-thriving hub that slowly faded into obscurity—only to...
Trapped in Nostalgia: When Loving the Past Goes Too Far
Aaron reflects on the fine line between nostalgia and delusion, questioning whether his love for the past is keeping him grounded or pulling him into...
Can You Be Ruthless? A Rent-A-Center Story by Shannon Cason
What really happens behind the scenes at a Rent-A-Center? In this 7 Minute Stories: Sunday Leftovers episode, Aaron features master storyteller Shanno...
The Face That Reminded Me to Reach Out
This episode features a 7MS Cinema collaboration with audio producer Isaac Gehring.
After years of chasing a dream in New York, Aaron loo...
How Many Trash Cans Does It Take to Save the World?
On a freezing winter morning, Aaron stepped outside to complete the simplest of tasks—bringing in his trash cans. But what started as a mundane chore...
The Fixer: From School Detention in Venezuela to Disrupting AI for Everyone (7MS Sunday Leftovers)
In Venezuela, when something breaks, you don’t just replace it—you figure out how to fix it with whatever you have. That’s the mindset Julio Viera (CE...