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SoftPower/FulStories

Christopher Wurst
Peace Corps
U.S. Disaster Relief
Hello Alice
Financial Technology
American Red Cross
Entrepreneurship
Sierra Leone
World War I
USAID
HIV/AIDS
Bolivia
Women's Empowerment
Haiti
Cold War
Julia Irwin
Micronesia
Guatemala
The Gambia
Yokohama
Tokyo

Epic weekly tales from every corner of the globe. Forget politics, academia, or the office, these are "soft, powerful stories" told by those who lived them. Is what happens in Kinshasa really important in Kansas? Should an Idahoan care about the problems of an Indonesian? (The answer is yes, but...) SP/FS gives the human story center stage. People can debate the virtues of global soft power, but n... more

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes49Founded10 months ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Society & CulturePlaces & Travel

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Latest Episodes

"Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced." - James Baldwin

Ka Vang was born in Laos and raised in Minnesota, in a world shaped by memory, migration, and the quiet weight of what is carried across gen... more

Less than 24 hours after he graduated from college, Paul Barker was on a plane, en route to Iran, where he would spend the next five years as a Peace Corps volunteer, immersed in Iranian culture and history. And though he followed that with three dec... more

YouTube

John Dinkelman--or "Dink" as he is known to countless current and former U.S. Foreign Service Officers--is something of a legend. He spent nearly four decades serving his country as a diplomat--and now he serves those same diplomats as the President ... more

YouTube

As a child, growing up in South Minneapolis, Medaria Arradondo--or, "Rondo"-- was aware that the adults in his neighborhood were watching. They had the kids' backs, but their expectations were very high. Flash forward. After more than three decades w... more

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Recent Guests

Fred de Sam Lazaro
Executive Director of the Undertold Stories Project
PBS NewsHour
Episode: SP/FS BONUS: Soft Powerful (Under-Told) Stories (Fred de Sam Lazaro)
Dr. Julia Irwin
T. Harry Williams Professor of History at Louisiana State University, expert in U.S. disaster relief
Louisiana State University
Episode: SP/FS BONUS: Catastrophic Diplomacy (Dr. Julia Irwin)
Roland Merullo
Bestselling novelist and author of 28 books of fiction and non-fiction
Episode: SP/FS BONUS: Merullo's Island
Betsy Small
Served in the Peace Corps in Sierra Leone and has over 30 years of experience working with divided communities.
Author of Before Before
Episode: #5 - Betsy Small
Elizabeth Gore
Co-founder and president of Hello Alice, focused on empowering entrepreneurs.
Hello Alice
Episode: #2 - Elizabeth Gore

Host

Christopher Wurst
Host and creator/producer with a focus on Soft Power, Ful Stories, and global human-interest narratives.

Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars from 28 ratings
  • Inspiring and Informative

    A font of amazing, true stories! A joy to listen to and learn from.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Bachri M.
    United States2 months ago
  • A Glimmer of Good

    Today when so much of what we hear and see is heartbreaking, it is a relief to have heartwarming truths available. It provides the hope of better times to come.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Fly Moscow
    United States4 months ago
  • Stories with implications

    It’s wonderful to listen to these stories through the voice of those that had impact and represent the goodwill of the American people, guided by Chris’ masterful story arch. This podcast is preservation of history and a constant reminder of the importance of engaging in the world and of the human connection.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Wacuncius
    United States6 months ago
  • Real power at many levels

    Great stories from Roland Merullo showing the value of cultural interaction, both at the individual level and the national level. More please!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    dataylor1
    United States6 months ago
  • Eye opening tales

    I have found these stories fascinating, charming, poignant, heroic and disarming (and at times humorous.) The podcasts are professionally done with the soothing voice of Christopher Wurst providing context for each episode. I get teary thinking about what we lose when we gut programs such as USAID and the Peace Corps. Listen and be enthralled!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    D Deneaux
    United States6 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Stories feel human and globally aware, with a hopeful view of cross-cultural impact.
The host's storytelling arc makes complex international topics accessible and emotionally engaging.
Guests consistently bring diverse perspectives on humanitarian work, diplomacy, and personal journeys.

Chart Rankings

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

SP/FS BONUS: Catastrophic Diplomacy (Dr. Julia Irwin)
Q: The notion of the transactional quality of disaster relief, what are your thoughts about that?
Disaster relief has humanitarian motivations but is also recognized as a national interest for the United States.
SP/FS BONUS: Catastrophic Diplomacy (Dr. Julia Irwin)
Q: In the evolution of our disaster relief, was there a moment where that kind of became the template?
There was learning and knowledge, with references to historical disasters informing more systematic responses starting after World War II.
SP/FS BONUS: Catastrophic Diplomacy (Dr. Julia Irwin)
Q: When you said there were arguments about foreign assistance, what were the arguments back then against foreign assistance?
Many believed the U.S. had too many problems at home and should focus on domestic issues rather than aid abroad.
SP/FS BONUS: Catastrophic Diplomacy (Dr. Julia Irwin)
Q: Was there ever a sense that this was a message for the American people to be proud about using our wealth and our influence?
Yes, many Americans saw this as a way to define the United States as a new type of world power, good world power on the international stage.
#4 - Ambassador Pamela White
Q: Shouldn't the United States fix its own house before trying to fix the world?
AID is the face of America around the world. And Soft Power means it's a part of our national defense system.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About SoftPower/FulStories

What is SoftPower/FulStories about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This program centers human-level storytelling from global encounters, focusing on soft power, cultural diplomacy, humanitarian work, and personal journeys. Episodes highlight real people—journalists, Peace Corps volunteers, diplomats, entrepreneurs, and activists—sharing first-hand experiences that connect distant places to everyday life in the U.S. Through intimate narratives about resilience, cultural exchange, and community impact, it aims to illuminate how individual actions ripple across nations. Notable throughlines include the importance of empathy, long-form storytelling, and the belief that understanding stories from around the world enriches American perspectives and policy conversations. Potential listeners will likely be drawn t... more

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Which podcasts are similar to SoftPower/FulStories?

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1. The Intelligence from The Economist
2. Radio Atlantic
3. Fareed Zakaria GPS
4. Freakonomics Radio
5. This Week with George Stephanopoulos

How many episodes of SoftPower/FulStories are there?

SoftPower/FulStories launched 10 months ago and published 49 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on SoftPower/FulStories?

Recent guests on SoftPower/FulStories include:

1. Fred de Sam Lazaro
2. Dr. Julia Irwin
3. Roland Merullo
4. Betsy Small
5. Elizabeth Gore

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