Episode 4 – From the Ruins: Finding Strength in What Remains

What do we do when life as we know it crumbles?

In From the Ruins, host Matthew R. O. Brown takes The Open Booth to a location marked by history, loss, and resilience. It’s more than a backdrop — it’s a mirror to the story you’re about to hear: one of picking up the pieces after devastation, and learning to build again with what’s left.

The guest’s journey begins in the shadow of loss — a season when the familiar was stripped away and the path forward was unclear. Yet, in that space, unexpected lessons emerged: the value of community, the power of perspective, and the quiet but unshakable strength that can grow in the aftermath of hardship.

This is not just about tragedy — it’s about transformation. About how the very places and moments that seem broken beyond repair can become the foundation for something new.

🎙 In this episode, you’ll discover:

• How to find hope when everything feels lost

• The first steps to rebuilding after a setback

• Why your perspective can determine your outcome

• The role of community in healing and restoration

Through open, unfiltered conversation, From the Ruins invites you to see that while life may never go back to the way it was, it can still move forward — and sometimes, the new chapter is even more beautiful than the one before.

Pull up a seat in The Open Booth and join a conversation that might just change how you see your own challenges.

🎥 Watch the full video episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheOpenBooth
📘 Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theopenboothpodcast
📸 Learn more about Created Photography: https://www.CreatedPhotography.com
💬 Are you in Virginia with a powerful story to share? Schedule a time to talk: https://calendly.com/createdphotography/30-minute-introductory-call-or-zoom

Episode 3 – Hope for Homecoming: Youth, Education, and Faith in the Face of Adversity

What does it take to rise above the circumstances you’re born into?

In this heartfelt episode of The Open Booth, host Matthew R. O. Brown sets up outside Thomas Jefferson High School to capture a powerful story about overcoming challenges tied to youth, education, and faith. It’s a conversation about choices, resilience, and the mentors who can change the trajectory of a young person’s life.

The guest shares candidly about navigating difficult environments, the turning points that shaped their path, and the hope that kept them moving forward. From early struggles to personal victories, this is a story about the power of belief — both in yourself and in something greater.

Filmed on location in The Open Booth, the conversation unfolds in a space designed for honesty and connection, allowing real stories to be told without filters or scripts.

Through personal reflection and shared experiences, you’ll hear:

• The unique pressures facing today’s youth and how they can be overcome

• How education — both inside and outside the classroom — shapes identity

• The role of faith and values in navigating life’s hardest seasons

• Why community support can be the difference between giving up and pressing on

This isn’t just about one person’s journey. It’s about the universal need for hope, guidance, and the courage to envision a better future — no matter where you start.

🎙 In this episode, you’ll discover:

• How positive role models can redirect a young person’s path

• Why faith can be a source of strength in difficult times

• The impact of education beyond grades and diplomas

• Practical ways to support youth in your community

Pull up a seat in The Open Booth and join a conversation that’s both deeply personal and universally inspiring.

🎥 Watch the full video episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheOpenBooth
📘 Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theopenboothpodcast
📸 Learn more about Created Photography: https://www.CreatedPhotography.com
💬 Are you in Virginia with a powerful story to share? Schedule a time to talk: https://calendly.com/createdphotography/30-minute-introductory-call-or-zoom

Episode 2 – From the Grave: A Death Doula’s Guide to Living Fully

What if facing death could teach you how to truly live?

In this powerful episode of The Open Booth, host Matthew R. O. Brown sets up his mobile interview booth inside Richmond’s historic Hollywood Cemetery — a location as thought-provoking as the story you’re about to hear. Surrounded by the skyline and the silence of weathered gravestones, Matthew sits down with a Death Doula, a guide who supports individuals and families through the final chapter of life.

This is not a morbid conversation. It’s raw, honest, and surprisingly uplifting. Through deeply personal stories, the Death Doula reveals:

• What her role looks like day-to-day and why it matters

• The common fears people have at the end of life — and how to ease them

• The unexpected lessons that the dying often pass on to the living

• How facing mortality can strip away the unimportant and bring clarity to what really matters

The conversation challenges us to stop avoiding the topic of death and instead embrace it as a way to live more intentionally. Whether you’ve experienced loss, work in caregiving, or are simply curious about what truly matters when time is short, this episode will stay with you long after it ends.

🎙 In this episode, you’ll discover:

• How a Death Doula brings peace in life’s final days

• The most common regrets shared in the last moments

• Why talking about death can deepen relationships

• How to start your own conversations about mortality without fear

Pull up a seat in The Open Booth and join a conversation that’s as real as it gets — one that may just change the way you see your own life.

🎥 Watch the full video episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheOpenBooth
📘 Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theopenboothpodcast
📸 Learn more about Created Photography: https://www.CreatedPhotography.com
💬 Are you in Virginia with a story to share? Schedule a time to talk: https://calendly.com/createdphotography/30-minute-introductory-call-or-zoom

Episode 1 – The Way Home: A Soldier’s Story of Survival and Coming Back to Life

One moment, life was normal. The next, a suicide bomber changed everything.

In this gripping debut of The Open Booth, host Matthew R. O. Brown sits down with a close friend whose deployment to Afghanistan took a harrowing turn when his army unit was attacked. The blast from a suicide bomber left scars that went far beyond the battlefield — and began a long, complicated journey back home, both physically and emotionally.

Filmed inside The Open Booth — a traveling, on-location interview space designed for open and unfiltered conversation — this episode dives into what it truly means to serve, survive, and find your way back to yourself after war.

Through vivid storytelling and raw honesty, you’ll hear:

• The split-second decisions that meant life or death in combat

• The emotional weight of surviving when others didn’t

• The unseen struggles of adjusting to civilian life

• How faith, resilience, and purpose can guide recovery

This isn’t just a story about war. It’s about finding hope after unimaginable loss, and about the people and moments that can light the way home when everything feels broken. Whether you have a personal connection to military service or you’ve never met someone in uniform, this conversation will change the way you think about sacrifice, resilience, and the human spirit.

🎙 In this episode, you’ll discover:

• What it’s like to face the unimaginable in combat

• The hardest challenges of coming home from war

• How to support someone who has served

• Why hope is often the most powerful survival tool

Pull up a seat in The Open Booth and join a conversation that will stay with you long after the final words are spoken.

🎥 Watch the full video episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheOpenBooth
📘 Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theopenboothpodcast
📸 Learn more about Created Photography: https://www.CreatedPhotography.com
💬 Are you in Virginia with a powerful story to share? Schedule a time to talk: https://calendly.com/createdphotography/30-minute-introductory-call-or-zoom