Tag: Call Me Friend Podcast

Podcast

Ep 12: Author Kristin Harmel on losing identity, finding her voice again, and the life behind her latest bestseller

Bestselling author Kristin Harmel opens up about losing and rebuilding identity during breast cancer treatment, and the friendships that carried her through it. Daryn and Kristin chat about asking for help, receiving it without guilt, and letting friends hold your hope when you cannot. Kristin reflects on her comeback to writing, how community fuels creative recovery, and the small habits that kept her grounded as a parent and a writer. You will hear practical ways to support a friend in

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Podcast

Ep 11: Sobriety & Second Chances: Scottie Bowman’s Amazing Pay it Forward Story

Addiction recovery and second chances aren’t easy, but Scottie Bowman proves they’re possible. In this episode of Call Me Friend, Daryn Kagan calls her friend Scottie to share how she went from a 12-day drug and alcohol binge on the streets of Atlanta to 24 years of sobriety. Today, Scottie is not only a successful entrepreneur and restaurant owner in Chattanooga, but also the founder of The Launchpad, a nonprofit creating sober living houses for women in recovery. Her journey

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Podcast

Ep 10: Overcoming Tourette Syndrome, Trauma, & Triumph: CBS News’ David Begnaud on Friendship, Resilience, & Storytelling

What does it take to rise from childhood bullying, Tourette syndrome, and the fear of never making it to national television, to becoming one of the most beloved Contributor in America? In this episode of Call Me Friend, host Daryn Kagan sits down with CBS News contributor David Begnaud to explore his extraordinary journey of resilience, authenticity, and second chances. David opens up about growing up in Louisiana with Tourette syndrome, navigating the challenges of being gay in a conservative

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Podcast

Ep 9: Two Single Dads, One Powerful Friendship After Loss

Two dads share raw stories of grief, single fatherhood, and healing while building friendship and hope after loss. In this episode of Call Me Friend, host Daryn Kagan connects with David McClain and Jamal Jones, two fathers who each lost their wives to cancer and her husband Trent, who walked a similar path. Together, they open up about parenting through grief, rediscovering love, and starting their podcast Getting Back Up. Their conversation highlights resilience, fatherhood, and the importance of honest

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Podcast

Ep 8: From CNBC to Money Rehab: Nicole Lapin’s Story of Financial Resilience & Rebuilding After Loss

From CNBC to Money Rehab, Nicole Lapin brings a powerful story of financial resilience, personal finance mastery, and rebuilding after loss. In this episode of the Call Me Friend podcast, host Daryn Kagan sits down with Nicole to explore her journey from becoming the youngest anchor at CNBC to privately battling debt, making financial literacy accessible to all, and starting over after the devastating Palisades fire destroyed her home just two weeks after becoming a mom. What You’ll Learn in

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Love Stories, Podcast

Ep 3: How My Gay Boyfriends Found Me a Husband

What do gay boyfriends, heartbreak, and funnel cake have in common? They led to a real life love story about friendship, second chances, and finally finding a husband. Host Daryn Kagan reveals how her longtime friends Craig and Michael, a married couple who’d supported her through years of dating highs and lows, decided it was time to light a spark and took things into their own hands by introducing her to her future husband, Trent. What started as a tough

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Podcast

Ep 2: Young Widower Saves the Life of New Wife’s College Roommate

They were both widowed young, left to raise children alone, carry the weight of grief, and somehow start again. But through love and one selfless act set off a butterfly effect that would forever reshape three families. Kim and Steve, both widowed in their 30s and raising young kids, found love again after unthinkable loss. Just as they began building a new life together, a letter arrived from Kim’s college friend Melinda. She was in urgent need of a kidney

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Podcast

Ep 1: From TV Fame to Rock Bottom: Leon Harris on Addiction, Recovery & Redemption

In the powerful premiere of Call Me Friend, Emmy-winning anchor Leon Harris sits down with host and former CNN co-anchor Daryn Kagan for his first interview since the very public incident last November that ended his TV news career. This raw, redemptive conversation dives deep into what it means to fall hard, heal deeply, and be truly seen by a friend who doesn’t flinch. From their days breaking national news together—including 9/11 coverage—to Leon’s spiral into alcoholism and his very

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