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Guest Jason Falcone joins host Kevin Shook on Life Unscripted for a raw and unfiltered look at what everyday survival really means in America right now. It starts with an image burned into memory, a line wrapped around the block for food while local restaurants stepped up, feeding hundreds in hours as the government system sputtered. That moment sets the tone for a ground-level conversation about how broken the safety net has become, especially within the SNAP and EBT programs. Healthcare feels like catastrophe-only coverage, self-pay visits cost less than in-network care, and the rising cost of living punishes those working hardest to get by. Together, they unpack who truly holds communities together, small businesses and neighbors, and why supporting them isn’t charity, it’s strategy.

Jason and Kevin go deep on mental health, addiction, and the moment when everything almost ended. Faith plays its part, but so do small, stubborn steps. Micro-wins over manifestos. Promise yourself one thing each morning and keep it. Use the phone in your hand, AI tools, YouTube, and simple prompts to learn, create, and trade your way into something better. Expect rejection. Keep receipts. Let momentum stack until it starts to carry you forward.

They also break down the traps that keep people stuck, stagnant wages, benefit cliffs, childcare math, and taxes that hit the wrong people hardest. Most aren’t gaming the system, they’re surviving the rules they were given. Policy reform takes time, but community doesn’t have to wait. Eat where your neighbors eat. Share their posts. Tip well. Mentor a teen. Hold onto something solid on the worst days, faith, family, or a friend who answers the phone at 2 a.m.

If this conversation resonates, follow Life Unscripted, share it with someone who needs to hear it, and leave a review with the one small win you’ll stack today. Your story might be the breadcrumb someone else needs to find their way out.

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Chapters

1. Trucks, Toys, And Rising Costs (00:00:00)

2. Private Insurance Pain And Deductibles (00:02:10)

3. Self-Pay Surprises And Price Games (00:05:10)

4. Catastrophic Coverage And Avoiding Care (00:08:45)

5. Greed, Claims Denied, And A Tragedy (00:11:10)

6. Faith, Rock Bottom, And A Way Back (00:13:30)

7. Costs Up, Wages Stuck, Hope Thin (00:16:10)

8. Mentors, Parenting, And Youth (00:19:20)

9. Adapting, Social Media, And Brand (00:23:00)

10. SNAP Lines, Shutdowns, And Small Biz (00:26:00)

11. Who Pays For The Gap? (00:29:20)

12. Minimum Wage Math And Incentives (00:32:00)

13. Seniors, Social Security, And Traps (00:35:10)

14. Entrepreneurship As An Exit (00:38:10)

15. Addiction, Near-Death, And Recovery (00:41:40)

16. One Promise A Day, Micro-Wins (00:45:00)

17. Phones, Free Knowledge, Real Skills (00:48:00)

18. Keep Trying, Ignore The Noise (00:51:00)

19. Community First While Systems Stall (00:54:00)

27 episodes