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The Escape Pod Traumedy
A traumedy about the trials and tribulations of people in their journeys of “escape”.
Escape what, you ask? ALL the things!
From trauma, crime, and unhealthy family cycles, to traffic and good deeds not going unpunished.
Like we said—all the things!
(Just tune in…you’ll understand.)
Co-hosted by Charity Doyle and Karabeth Borresen --The Escape Pod aims to connect, educate, entertain, and humanize through the lens of lived experience.
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Charity
If there’s a challenge to tackle or a heart to lift, Charity Doyle is usually in the thick of it with an idea (or five) ready to roll. Engineer by degree, leader by nature, Charity’s career has been a whirlwind tour from building water systems to building up people. She didn’t just help create OneHeart—she project-managed it into existence, then turned around and became its first CEO, steering the mission with equal parts grit and grace.
When she’s not dreaming up new ways to make communities stronger, Charity is busy founding startups like FOQUS, designed to help employers and jobseekers alike cut through the hiring noise—because everyone deserves a shot at meaningful employment. Her resume reads like a playlist of “let’s make things better,” from tutoring youth detainees to serving on executive boards in the health, professional student life, and entertainment industries.
You’ll find her in the EscapePod studio, too—mixing big laughs with big ideas, and making even the heaviest topics a little lighter. Whether she’s wrangling chaos or building a better world one human at a time, Charity brings the heart, the hustle, and a healthy dose of “let’s do this.” Buckle up: when Charity’s around, ordinary is never on the agenda.
KB
Karabeth "KB" joins the EscapePod studio alongside Charity on Season 2 to navigate the weird, wild, and often wounded stories of life with heart, humor, and a healthy dose of awkwardness.
KB wears many hats (and sometimes a headset): she’s the Brand & Marketing Director for OneHeart and its family of mission-driven ventures—including this podcast, HomeBrew Coffee Shop, and FOQUS, a smarter hiring platform. She’s been with OneHeart since day one, helping to shape its voice, share its impact, and spotlight the resilience of the humans it serves.
Known for her thoughtful creativity, overflowing optimism, and knack for finding the funny—even in the messy stuff—Karabeth is a natural storyteller and a relentless cheerleader for the underdog. She believes laughter really is medicine (second only to coffee), and she’s here to ask the questions, make you smile, and maybe even cry-laugh along the way.
Episodes
Wednesday Mar 13, 2024
Wednesday Mar 13, 2024
A marijuana grower who calls the cops when kids steal from his illegal crop; a would-be supermarket robber who posts his plans on social media; a vain vandal doesn’t like the photo on his “Wanted” poster – so he sends law enforcement a better one.
What’s that saying? “You can’t make this stuff up?” You really can’t!
Escape into the Escape Pod with co-hosts Julie and Charity for a not-so-terrifying episode about not-so-smooth criminals. Plus, we welcome back popular podcast guest Chad, who offers his own commentary on these ridiculous attempts at criminal activity.
Bullet Points of Key Topics and Markers:
Topic #1 6:05 A man from the UK posts his plans to rob a supermarket on Facebook.
Topic #2 17:08 Hosts discuss how the prevalence of social media plays into these acts.
Topic #3 26:35 Stories from law enforcement about people trying to outsmart the police.
Topic #4 45:05 A shoplifter stops to flirt with the store clerk.
Resources & Links
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6991115/Man-calls-police-CANNABIS-plants-stolen-charged-officers-more.html
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-06-10/cannabis-theft-man-pleads-guilty-in-alice-springs/12338590
https://www.businessinsider.com/scottish-man-jailed-after-reporting-stolen-marijuana-to-police-2011-10
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-15259996
https://www.smh.com.au/national/man-calls-cops-about-cannabis-theft-is-arrested-himself-20031217-gdhzy2.html
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-35785834
https://metro.co.uk/2014/03/20/worst-burglar-ever-takes-selfie-at-crime-scene-sends-it-to-victims-colleagues-4667765/
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-norfolk-32256720
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/01/12/an-ohio-fugitive-sent-police-a-selfie-because-he-didnt-like-his-mug-shot/
https://www.police1.com/bizarre/articles/top-5-failed-attempts-to-beat-a-breathalyzer-FkOWtA57zyknSoCb/
https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/florida-man-tries-to-pawn-stolen-jewelry-at-store-managed-by-woman-whose-home-he-just-robbed-6523630
https://www.upi.com/Archives/1985/10/23/Dennis-Newton-was-on-trial-for-the-armed-robbery/7718498888000/
https://list25.com/25-dumbest-criminals-and-how-they-got-caught/
https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna23421960
Episode Link & Contact Information
Sign up to be a Patron today! Get access to the Patron-Only Facebook Group, Bonus Episodes, and more.
https://www.escapepod.live
General mail: justbecause@escapepod.live
Submit listener stories: escapeartist@escapepod.live
Wednesday Mar 06, 2024
Wednesday Mar 06, 2024
Teen escape artist survives Aussie serial killers – Ep. 6
In 1986, four women go missing near Perth, Australia, in only a month’s time. But law enforcement doesn’t know there is a serial-killing couple in their midst until a very smart 17-year-old girl, realizing her captors have killed before, seizes an opportunity to make her escape. In doing so, she likely saved many other lives.
The 2016 psychological thriller “Hounds of Love” is a fictionalized portrayal of what the media referred to as the Moorhouse murders, the crimes having taken place on Moorhouse Street in a Perth suburb.
While the Escape Pod is a “No Excuse Zone,” we leave room for explanations – the factors that might cause people to do what they do. In this episode, co-hosts Charity and Julie go beyond the gory details of the Birnies’ behaviors in ‘86 and explore how these two people with deeply troubled pasts came to fall in love – and commit their crimes together.
TRIGGER WARNING: This episode includes discussions of rape and other forms of violence against women.
Bullet Points of Key Topics and Markers:
Topic #1 7:28 – Nov. 9, 1986: 17-year-old girl goes missing in Perth, Australia
Topic #2 13:33 – The teen successfully makes her escape
Topic #3 29:08 – The Birnies’ backgrounds examined
Topic #4 36:45 – A tired detective cracks the case with one simple question
Resources & Links
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_and_Catherine_Birnie
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4206264/How-Kate-Moir-escaped-notorious-serial-killers.html
https://au.news.yahoo.com/how-i-escaped-the-house-of-horrors-hostage-of-australia-s-most-evil-killers-tells-how-she-fled-david-and-catherine-birnie-34371633.html
https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/true-stories/catherine-birnie-the-parasite-serial-killer-who-now-wants-freedom/news-story/7dbb6c2671d66234fd63230e8e85fbc9
https://www.crimelibrary.org/serial_killers/partners/birnie/5.html
https://www.news.com.au/national/crime/david-and-catherine-birnie-the-macabre-and-sadistic-moorhouse-murderers/news-story/d1937accb6dfdbb6cc89074e7eb7c241
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_and_Catherine_Birnie
Movie: Hounds of Love (did not watch)
Episode Link & Contact Information
Sign up to be a Patron today! Get access to the Patron-Only Facebook Group, Bonus Episodes, and more.
https://www.escapepod.live
General mail: justbecause@escapepod.live
Listener stories: escapeartist@escapepod.live
Friday Mar 01, 2024
Friday Mar 01, 2024
Friday Mar 01, 2024
You’ve likely heard or used the phrase “problem child” in discussing a kid who creates challenges at home, school, or elsewhere, but in some families a parent (or two!) can be the kindling for chaos. In this episode, Escape Pod co-host Charity describes life in her household through her teenage years, how higher education (and her bedroom window) helped her escape those unhealthy cycles, and how it all influences the work she does now.
SPOILER ALERT: Thirty years after the violent altercation that turned her into the escape artist she is today, she still says nice things about her dad. Why? Listen to find out!
Bullet Points of Key Topics and Markers:
Topic #1 4:40 – “Not everybody’s cut out for parenthood”; Charity’s teen parents
Topic #2 23:00 – Charity describes Dad’s “unique” way of expressing disapproval
Topic #3 34:15 – Charity makes her escape
Topic #4 1:04:30 – A Lighter Note: Escape to a good night’s sleep
Episode Link & Contact Information
Sign up to be a Patron today! Get access to the Patron-Only Facebook Group, Bonus Episodes, and more.
https://www.escapepod.live
General mail: justbecause@escapepod.live
Submit listener stories: escapeartist@escapepod.live
Friday Feb 23, 2024
Friday Feb 23, 2024
Poop Duty: Shart Art on display and the people who have to deal with it – Ep. 4
We’re heavy on the “aumedy” of traumedy in this episode of the Escape Pod! People “unload” their problems in a variety of ways. Podcast guest Chad, a veteran of the human services sector, brings some humor to the Escape Pod with true tales of bad bathroom behavior taken to new lows – sometimes even to public spaces. We consider the “whys” behind such acts and laugh a lot along the way because – as the saying goes – if you don’t laugh, you’ll cry!
*DISCLAIMER: The behaviors of the (anonymous) individuals discussed in this episode are not reflective of the majority of people who struggle with poverty, homelessness, and mental health issues. These are special cases that, in hindsight, give us a good chuckle.
Bullet Points of Key Topics and Markers:
Topic #1 4:58 – Trigger warning: feces.
Topic #2 7:02 – First time a “parting gift” included poo
Topic #3 27:22 – Chad provides some insight into his tumultuous early years
Topic #4 38:58 – Possible “whys” behind this bad behavior
Resources & Links
Sign up to be a Patron today! Get access to the Patron-Only Facebook Group, Bonus Episodes, and more.
https://www.escapepod.live
General mail: justbecause@escapepod.live
Submit listener stories: escapeartist@escapepod.live
Friday Feb 16, 2024
Friday Feb 16, 2024
Summary of Episode
April 2014: The “bubble” that is Murrysville, PA, bursts when a 16-year-old student goes on a mass stabbing rampage at a local high school, injuring nearly two dozen people but traumatizing many more in the school and community. On this episode, co-hosts Charity and Julie welcome a guest into the Escape Pod – a mom whose son witnessed and escaped the horror in the hallways that day.
Bullet Points of Key Topics and Markers:
Topic #1 4:50 - Charity sets the scene at Franklin Regional H.S. on April 9, 2014
Topic #2 11:25 - Podcast guest Teresa talks about her son Drew’s experience as a student and witness to the events of that day
Topic #3 28:20 – Many months later, a movie about 9/11 sparks an unexpected reaction from Drew
Topic #4 35:11 – Teresa explains how, as a mom, she dealt with Drew’s trauma
Resources & Links
https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/multiple-students-reported-stabbed-at-franklin-regional-high-school/
https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/nine-years-marked-since-franklin-regional-high-school-stabbings/
https://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/10/us/stabbings-franklin-regional-high-school-murrysville.html
Sign up to be a Patron today! Get access to the Patron-Only Facebook Group, Bonus Episodes, and more.
https://www.escapepod.live
General mail: justbecause@escapepod.live
Submit listener stories: escapeartist@escapepod.live
Friday Feb 09, 2024
Friday Feb 09, 2024
Summary of Episode
An estimated 1 in 12 teens are victims of dating violence. In this episode, Escape Pod co-host Charity shares her own experience with a high school boyfriend who, on their first (and last) anniversary, made her fear for her life; plus, a Pennsylvania teen tries to end a relationship but meets a tragic end at a train station; and we offer a few tips to help people, regardless of age, avoid and – if needed – escape these difficult situations.
Bullet Points of Key Topics and Markers:
Topic #1 6:33 – Charity discusses “craving” the attention of men
Topic #2 12:12 – Warning signs! Prince Charming becomes way too possessive
Topic #3 29:45 – A teenage relationship in Pennsylvania turns fatal
Topic #4 33:00 – Tips to avoid and/or escape when a relationship needs to end
Resources & Links
https://www.nsvrc.org/blogs/teen-dating-violence-prevention-resources-2022#:~:text=Over%2071%25%20of%20women%20and,under%20the%20age%20of%2025.
https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/intimatepartnerviolence/teendatingviolence/fastfact.html
https://www.fox29.com/news/philadelphia-man-convicted-of-first-degree-murder-in-ex-girlfriends-slaying-outside-train-station
https://www.inquirer.com/news/morgan-mccaffery-teen-dating-violence-philadelphia-montgomery-county-20200827.html
https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/murder-trial-stabbing-gilbert-newton-iii-morgan-mccaffery-guilty/
Call to Action, Episode Link & Contact Information
Sign up to be a Patron today! Get access to the Patron-Only Facebook Group, Bonus Episodes, and more.
Share this episode: https://escapepodtraumedy.podbean.com/e/notpuppylove
General email: justbecause@escapepod.live
Submit listener stories: escapeartist@escapepod.live
Friday Feb 02, 2024
Friday Feb 02, 2024
The Gist of It: Podcast co-host Charity wants to escape her 13-year-old self, a girl who – in trying to gain the attention of her father and friends – tested a theory involving a bottle rocket and a school bus. Find out if her experiment worked and hear about other tales of true crime on the premier episode of the Escape Pod, “The Wheels on the Bus Go Bang, Bang, Bang”.
Resources & Links
Aldine, TX Sexual Assault on School Bus:
https://abc13.com/aldine-isd-elementary-student-raped-juvenile-sexually-assault-6-year-old-boy-abused-on-school-bus-child-protective-services/12778804/
https://www.insideedition.com/texas-11-year-old-charged-after-bus-footage-allegedly-reveals-sexual-assault-of-6-year-old-report
https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/criminal-justice/2023/02/16/443938/aldine-isd-bus-sexual-assault-11-year-old-charged-in-attack-six-year-old/
Oakland, CA Student Set on Fire:
https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/sasha-fleischman-suspect-richard-thomas-pleads-no-contest-sentenced-to-7-years/70810/
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/01/magazine/the-fire-on-the-57-bus-in-oakland.html
Sign up to be a Patron today! Get access to the Patron-Only Facebook Group, Bonus Episodes, and more.
Share this episode: https://escapepodtraumedy.podbean.com/e/wheelsonbus
GET IN TOUCH WITH US!
General email: justbecause@escapepod.live
Submit listener stories: escapeartist@escapepod.live
EscapePod
Join co-hosts Charity and KB, along with occasional guests, as they laugh (and cry) their way through past traumas and give tips to getting through tough times.
Life is full of ups and downs and it takes you to crazy places and we need each other to make it through.
Are you an escape artist? Consider becoming a patron and supporting the show!
Your support will help our small 3-person podcast team offset the costs associated with writing, producing, and promoting the show. Any amount is sincerely appreciated. What's more, your support will help us do what we do best: help others escape and break unhealthy cycles on their way to better lives.
Choose from the options below:
Escape Pod BFF!
$10per month
This patron level is for supporters who are all-in!
~Get a special shout-out on the show.
~Receive a hand-written thank you from the hosts with a special Escape Pod sticker.
~Gain access to gated patron-only bonus content and ad-free episodes.
~Participate in our patrons-only Facebook page.
~Vote on future show topics.
GIVE $10
I LOVE Escape Pod!
$5per month
This patron level is for supporters who are willing to give the monetary equivalent of a cup of coffee each month to support the costs associated with producing the show.
~Get a special shout-out on the show.
~Receive a hand-written thank you from the hosts with a special Escape Pod sticker.
~Gain access to gated patron-only bonus content and ad-free episodes.
~Participate in our patrons-only Facebook page.
GIVE $5
Escape Pod Fan
$2per month
This patron level is in honor of people struggling in the crisis of poverty and who feel moved to support the show and our mission to help people just like them.
~Get a special shout-out on the show.
~Receive a thank-you email from the hosts.
GIVE $2
Disclaimer
The EscapePod podcast and content posted is presented solely for general information, educational, and entertainment purposes.