Tales from the Shift

Inside the FBI Job That Put Him At 9/11, Waco, and OKC

Barry Black is affectionately known as the Forrest Gump of the FBI due to being at so many important events in US history. He spent 31 years as an FBI agent, was at the W

Marine Biology Career: The Real Costs of this Job They Don't Warn You About

Andrew Lewin is a marine biologist, science communicator, and host of the How to Protect the Ocean podcast with more than two decades of field experience, including resea

Race Car Driver Proves a Video Game Path to Real Motorsport Is Not a Fantasy | Truth About Jobs

Suellio Almeida is a professional race car driver and racing coach based in Dubai. Before he ever sat in a real car, he built his technical foundation entirely in simulat

Wildlife Biologist: The Best Day of My Career Looks Insane to Everyone Else | Real Truth About Jobs

Dillon Jones has spent 12 years studying wildlife across Texas, Belize, and beyond. He's done midnight frog surveys in flooded rivers, pulled bot fly larvae from his own

Firefighter Reveals the Real Cost of 24-Hour Shifts | The Truth About Jobs

Mark Andrew spent his career as a firefighter and paramedic with the Dearborn Fire Department in Michigan, a suburban department that runs both fire trucks and ambulances

The FBI Profiler Who Caught The Unabomber | Real Truth About Jobs

James R. Fitzgerald is a criminal profiler and forensic linguist. He began as a police officer near Philadelphia, joined the FBI, worked major crimes in New York, and lat

Stunt Performers Are Already Being Replaced By AI | Truth About Jobs

Adam Horwitz has spent decades in movies as a professional stunt performer, stunt actor, and stunt double. He has doubled for Andy Garcia, Jermaine Clement, and worked ac

She Knew the Odds and Bought the Restaurant Anyway | Truth About Jobs

Lesley Holloway bought back the small-town diner that raised her, turning it into a second job that swallows her weekends and any illusion that love alone could save it.

Mortician: The Truth About Working In A Funeral Home | Job Deep Dive

Kari Ickes has been a licensed funeral director and embalmer for 24 years. In this job, she carries other people's grief so they don't have to, embalms the people she lov

Water Utility Tech Reveals the Hidden System Behind Your Tap | Truth About Jobs

Steve Barnes explains the real job behind water utility work, from meter reading and shutoffs to smart meters, customer confrontations, water waste, and the hidden career

Vegas Dealer Shows How Gamblers Bet Their Own Homes! (The Truth About Being a Dealer)

Heather Ferris is back for her "overtime" episode after 25 years as a Las Vegas casino dealer, and this time the guardrails are off. She reveals what the eye in the sky r

Park Ranger Asks: Could You Leave This Life Behind? | Truth About Jobs

Jody Maberry spent eight years as a park ranger across Washington State—and the job was nothing like most people imagine. From a drowning victim on day one to dangerous w

Retired Cop Explains the Price of Surviving | Real Truth About Jobs

Mike Morgan shares the brutal reality of his career as a police officer in Atlanta and Long Island. He details the trauma of the job and his transformative path toward he

ICU Nurse: Could You Watch People Die Every Day Over 30 Years? | Truth About Jobs

Sharon Kent spent 38 years as a Critical Care Nurse caring for the sickest patients in the hospital. In this episode, Sharon explains what this ICU job is really like, fr

I Went Undercover At A 40,000-Person Rave | The Truth About Being a DEA Agent

Retired DEA Special Agent Brian Townsend returns to reveal to us what a career chasing fentanyl and cartel money actually costs. He walks through an undercover rave inves

Career Salesman: The Things They Don't Tell You About the Job | Real Truth About Jobs

Curt Tueffert reveals the real life of a Professional Salesman. His job is less about slick closing and more about curiosity, relationships, and solving customer problems

The Congressman Job That Made Him Ask, “How Did I Get Here?” | Truth About Jobs

Congressman Barry Loudermilk describes the reality of the job of an elected official at both the state and national levels. This job involves setting public policy and re

Prison Guard Reveals the Hidden World Behind the Walls | Real Truth About Jobs

This is the reality of being a Corrections Officer. Prison guard is an older term, but we're using it in the title as many people do not know that. Tom Casey spent his ca

Paramedic: How Many Lives Make My Death Worth It? | The Truth About Jobs

Paramedic Alex Bednar shares his career journey from ground ambulance to helicopter transport, revealing the intense training and split-second decisions that define emerg

Master Electrician Reveals What You Don't Understand About This Trade | The Real Truth About Jobs

Jeff Saufley shares his journey of building a successful career as an electrician. This episode explores the technical and social skills needed to thrive in this job, fro