Without Boxes
Ordinary people. Extraordinary stories.
Available to listen on Spotify, iTunes, Google Play.
Millions of people are out there chasing passions, starting projects, and saying no to the status quo. These people are our neighbors, friends, family: ordinary people doing extraordinary things. We enable folks to share their stories and advice, helping audiences around the world get inspired to chase their own passions. We’re breaking barriers and inspiring dreamers, one story at a time.
2019 · Season 3
Deal With Life's Messes
Interviews with people from all walks of life about how they break the status quo. Listen, learn, and be inspired to take action in your own life!
Migration and the Importance of Our Narratives
If there’s one thing we’re certain of, it’s that life gets messy. Megan Gesler joins us to talk about her experiences dealing with the wild variety of messes that come with life.
Care for Caregivers
Roxana Bendezú shares her perspective and story on the matter to shed light on the complex topic of migration. We encourage you to have a listen – you may be surprised at what you learn!
Manage Unconventional Success
Balance Intuition and Intellect
Mischa McGill, a.k.a. “MischaCrossing,” joins us to talk about her experience achieving and managing unconventional success, in her case, as a content creator. She proves it is possible to make a living pursuing non-traditional career paths, but also reminds us that even something you’re passionate
Build Your Career
Rio Holaday talks about balancing intuition with intellect in order to learn your fears, face yourself, and develop deeper connections with yourself and those you care most about.
Learn to Trust Yourself
Kate Schroeder shares her journey of self-discovery while building a career she loves as a counselor helping others. She reminds us that life holds a lot more happiness when you learn to connect with yourself, so as to make choices that align with who you are and what matters most to you.
Validate Your Experiences
Hayley Jane Turner shares her journey in self-trust. She reminds us the process looks different for everyone. It’s okay to be scared. At the end of the day what’s important is you learn to listen to clues and find confidence in your ability to deal with the outcomes of your decisions.
Look Past First Impressions
[TW: Sexual trauma.] Lena Chen shares her experiences in seeking validation for her traumatic experiences. She reminds us that we all innately have what we need to heal, and the state of distrust and feeling utterly lost will not last forever.
2018 · Season 2
Our first season was hectic, but we found such inspiration in the folks we were talking to, we knew we had to go a second round. So, we reached out to collect even more stories and life lessons from the people you’d least expect to hear about – and we were not disappointed.
From a trans-woman cycling the entire Pan-American highway alone to a woman who moved internationally solo on a cargo boat, Season 2 is full of twists and turns. We hope it sparks ideas for what is possible in your own life!
Season 2 Takeaways
The world tends to shove preset ideas at us about who we are supposed to be. But what happens when you don’t fit that mold?
It’s possible to dig deep and find your authentic self; identify your true essentials. You can contribute to a movement and build a strong community around you.
The time to start is now.
Fill Community Gaps
Gen Pintel joins Without Boxes to talk about her work helping remove the stigma around so-called scary animals, like bats and snakes. Her experience shines some light on the power of first impressions, and how it can limit our experiences in the world and impact how we treat each other.
Create Healthier Communities
Candice Digby talks about identifying gaps in Austin...and how she works alongside her fellow community members to design solutions.
Determine Life’s Essentials
Kaylin Werth explores the impact health care—or lack thereof—has on communities.
Grow a Movement
Tressa Sanders talks about the importance of time and trying new things, even when end results are uncertain.
Overdrive: Make Chaos Work
Dom Brassey chats about creating create a better world by combining personal passions and values with full-time careers.
Turn a Spark into Something Bigger
Natalie Corbett takes a break from the Pan-American Highway to share her strategies for dealing with life’s most unexpected moments.
Embrace Your Authentic Self
Audrey Johnson explores how to turn a personal passion into a multi-person movement.
Thrive in an Extroverted World
“Why not let people around you know who you really are?” It’s hard to figure out who you are, then reflect that discovery to the world around you. In this episode, Kat Franchino interviews Kelly Hughes about her experiences discovering her authentic self and learning how to stay true to that – espe
2017 · Season 1
Our pilot season launched in July 2017. Hitting publish was both terrifying and exciting – neither of us had run a podcast before.
The mission was simple: Highlight the stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things, in hopes to inspire others to do the same in their own lives.
In this season, you’ll hear about digital nomads, self-care in activism, and much more.
Season 1 Takeaways
Life is unpredictable. You can fight it, or learn to accept the unknown and learn to navigate the flow. By identifying your foundation and taking action, you’ll be presented with new opportunities and chances to build a life you love.
All the while, you’ll get the chance to improve the lives around you.
What are you waiting for?
Follow the Hero’s Journey
Janice Chaka confronts introvert stereotypes while offering tips on how to succeed in an extroverted world.
Empower Others, Empower Yourself
Learn how to find calmness in the midst of chaos with the hero’s journey with Julie Lewin.
Find Your Foundation
Monika ‘Nika’ Mundell offers advice on how to recover—and grow stronger—from failure.
Find and Balance Opportunities
Nicole Abramowski discusses building strong foundations and developing new perspectives when childhood ones shift and change.
Take Action in a Complex World
Ryan Slattery and Lane Coursen share how they learned to say yes and live out their nomadic lifestyles.
Find Meaning in Chaos
Thelio Sewell inspires others to stand up for what’s right, even when challenges get in the way.
Seize Chance Encounters
Kati Prather shares how to move forward in meaningful ways when presented with an abundance of choices.