01/15/2026
Parents: What would you do if your child wanted to give a speech... but could barely get the words out?
"My heart broke every single time I listened to Michael speak."
That's Barry, talking about his 13-year-old son Mike, who had one of the most severe stutters we'd ever seen.
Mike decided to give his bar mitzvah speech anyway. As he struggled to get the words out, he pushed his speech therapist off the stage.
Then he delivered a message that still resonates:
"All of us have challenges. This is mine, and this is what I'm doing about it. What's yours, and what are you doing about it?"
Today, Mike Liben is the founder and CEO of Chai Travel and a former prosecuting attorney.
Barry realized in that moment: "There was no doubt in my mind that Michael's success or failure in life had nothing to do with stuttering."
Mike's mom Sindy: "If he's going to be brave enough and courageous enough to do these things, then why should I worry? He frees me from the worry."
Sometimes, the people we doubt become our greatest teachers.
Mike teaches us courage. Resilience. What truly matters.
This is Mike's story, from our Transcending X Podcast and our PBS documentary "Transcending Stuttering: The Inside Story."
When he was 13, Mike asked this question. Now I'm asking you:
What's YOUR challenge? And what are you doing about it?
ποΈ See full podcast episode #89
π¬ Watch the documentary (25 min)
Link in comment below.