(This episode originally aired on September 12, 2025.)

In case you missed it: Betsy Small grew up aware of both her privileged place in the world and her family's rapid rise from poverty and persecution. Both left a mark, resulting in decades of empathy and action--at home and in some of the most vulnerable places in the world.

Following the release of Betsy’s podcast episode, her book, 'Before Before: A Story of Discovery and Loss in Sierra Leone,' became a Forward INDIE finalist and received a Nautilus Silver Medal in the category of World Cultures Transformational Growth and Development.

'SoftPower/FulStories' uses first-person stories to explore why U.S. engagement in the world matters. Through conversations with diplomats, aid workers, Peace Corps volunteers, authors and artists, influencers, businesspeople, and more, SP/FS highlights how soft power and foreign aid and assistance strengthen America's security, prosperity, and global standing. But forget politics, policy, or punditry; this is all about the stories.