In Episode 17 of What a Stranger Told Me, Jon meets Hugh, an 18-year-old industrial design student who’s found clever, practical ways of living with a stutter while chasing his creative dreams. Waiting three hours early for a uni tutorial (after dropping off his girlfriend), Hugh opens up about turning what many see as a limitation into a toolkit he controls. 

Ready for some stranger stories? Personal stories of love, resilience & daring unfold in this loveable podcast, as story-collectors Tim Reid & Jon Coghill wander the streets of Australia, microphone in hand, chatting to strangers. 

It's conversations... with everyday people.

Industrial design is perfect for him: he’s always loved drawing, taking things apart, and asking “why is it made like that?” Now in his third semester of a four-year course, he’s studying future technologies and human-centred design — making products that actually help people instead of planned obsolescence. He’s already hyper-aware of “evil design” tricks companies use to force repeat purchases, and he’s determined to be on the good side of that line.But the real heart of the chat is how he handles his stutter day-to-day. Hugh has built an impressive playbook:
He deliberately prolongs certain sounds (“sssssnake” instead of rushing “snake”) so the block never arrives.
He pre-records every uni presentation (thank you, post-COVID rules) and does dozens of takes until it flows perfectly.
When a word feels dangerous, he instantly swaps in a synonym he knows he can say smoothly.
He slows his speech, breathes, and reminds himself the listener doesn’t mind — most of the fear is in his own head.


Far from being embarrassed, Hugh sees his stutter as part of what makes him empathetic. “I know what it’s like to be stuck on a word, so when someone else trips up I just get it.” He’s matter-of-fact, funny, and completely unbothered by the occasional odd look when he uses his soft-S trick in conversation.At 18 he’s already romantic, thoughtful, and fiercely proactive — whether it’s driving across town for his girlfriend or designing a future where products respect people.

This short chat is packed with quiet confidence: a young man who refuses to let a stutter slow him down, and instead uses it as motivation to communicate better, design smarter, and live kinder.Press play for ten minutes of pure inspiration from a teenager who’s outsmarting his own brain every single day — and winning.

 

Chapters
00:00 – Three Hours Early & Already Winning at Life
01:20 – Why Industrial Design Chose Him
02:30 – Spotting “Evil Design” in Everyday Products
04:10 – The Stutter Tricks That Actually Work
06:40 – Turning Blocks Into Soft Snakes & Synonyms
08:00 – Recording Speeches 47 Times (And Why That’s Okay)
09:00 – Empathy, Romance, and Not Giving a Damn

 

Key Takeaways 
Prolong the sound on purpose — the block can’t hit if you never finish the risky letter
Pre-record everything — multiple takes beat live panic every time
Always have three synonym routes ready for danger words
Slow speech + breathing = instant control
Living with a stutter can make you a better, more empathetic designer and human

 

 

🎙️ Want more, Stranger?

Like the idea of story-collectors Tim Reid & Jon Coghill chatting to attendees at your next conference or event? Or maybe you'd like them to chat to strangers in your part of the world. Hit them up here.

📸  Join us behind-the-scenes

Follow the What a StrangerTold Me podcast madness on Instagram.

☎️  Got a story you'd love to share?

Call us +61 489 272 286. You've got a whopping 10-minutes, so sit back, take a big breath and go for gold.

👽  Don’t be a stranger

Got some feedback? Bring it on. Just be gentle. One of us has thin skin ;)

🤩  Who’s behind all this strangeness?

Made & Hosted by Tim Reid & Jon Coghill
Music Supervision by Dennis Feletto
Photography by Will Reid & Andy McColl

In Episode 17 of What a Stranger Told Me, Jon meets Hugh, an 18-year-old industrial design student who&rsquo;s found clever, practical ways of living with a stutter while chasing his creative dreams. Waiting three hours early for a uni tutorial (after dropping off his girlfriend), Hugh opens up about turning what many see as a limitation into a toolkit he controls.&nbsp;
Ready for some stranger stories? Personal stories of love, resilience &amp; daring unfold in this loveable podcast, as story-collectors&nbsp;<a href="https://whatastrangertoldme.com/about/">Tim Reid &amp; Jon Coghill</a> wander the streets of Australia, microphone in hand, chatting to strangers.&nbsp;
It's conversations... with everyday people.
<hr>
Industrial design is perfect for him: he&rsquo;s always loved drawing, taking things apart, and asking &ldquo;why is it made like that?&rdquo; Now in his third semester of a four-year course, he&rsquo;s studying future technologies and human-centred design &mdash; making products that actually help people instead of planned obsolescence. He&rsquo;s already hyper-aware of &ldquo;evil design&rdquo; tricks companies use to force repeat purchases, and he&rsquo;s determined to be on the good side of that line.But the real heart of the chat is how he handles his stutter day-to-day. Hugh has built an impressive playbook:
<ul dir="ltr">
<li>He deliberately prolongs certain sounds (&ldquo;sssssnake&rdquo; instead of rushing &ldquo;snake&rdquo;) so the block never arrives.</li>
<li>He pre-records every uni presentation (thank you, post-COVID rules) and does dozens of takes until it flows perfectly.</li>
<li>When a word feels dangerous, he instantly swaps in a synonym he knows he can say smoothly.</li>
<li>He slows his speech, breathes, and reminds himself the listener doesn&rsquo;t mind &mdash; most of the fear is in his own head.</li>
</ul>
 Far from being embarrassed, Hugh sees his stutter as part of what makes him empathetic. &ldquo;I know what it&rsquo;s like to be stuck on a word, so when someone else trips up I just get it.&rdquo; He&rsquo;s matter-of-fact, funny, and completely unbothered by the occasional odd look when he uses his soft-S trick in conversation.At 18 he&rsquo;s already romantic, thoughtful, and fiercely proactive &mdash; whether it&rsquo;s driving across town for his girlfriend or designing a future where products respect people.
This short chat is packed with quiet confidence: a young man who refuses to let a stutter slow him down, and instead uses it as motivation to communicate better, design smarter, and live kinder.Press play for ten minutes of pure inspiration from a teenager who&rsquo;s outsmarting his own brain every single day &mdash; and winning.
&nbsp;
Chapters
<ul>
<li>00:00 &ndash; Three Hours Early &amp; Already Winning at Life</li>
<li>01:20 &ndash; Why Industrial Design Chose Him</li>
<li>02:30 &ndash; Spotting &ldquo;Evil Design&rdquo; in Everyday Products</li>
<li>04:10 &ndash; The Stutter Tricks That Actually Work</li>
<li>06:40 &ndash; Turning Blocks Into Soft Snakes &amp; Synonyms</li>
<li>08:00 &ndash; Recording Speeches 47 Times (And Why That&rsquo;s Okay)</li>
<li>09:00 &ndash; Empathy, Romance, and Not Giving a Damn</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
Key Takeaways&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Prolong the sound on purpose &mdash; the block can&rsquo;t hit if you never finish the risky letter</li>
<li>Pre-record everything &mdash; multiple takes beat live panic every time</li>
<li>Always have three synonym routes ready for danger words</li>
<li>Slow speech + breathing = instant control</li>
<li>Living with a stutter can make you a better, more empathetic designer and human</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
<hr>
&nbsp;
🎙️&nbsp;Want more, Stranger?
Like the idea of story-collectors Tim Reid &amp; Jon Coghill chatting to attendees at your next conference or event? Or maybe you'd like them to chat to strangers in your part of the world. Hit them up <a href="https://whatastrangertoldme.com/contact/">here</a>.
📸&nbsp; Join us behind-the-scenes
Follow the What a StrangerTold Me podcast madness on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/whatastrangertoldme">Instagram</a>.
☎️&nbsp; Got a story you'd love to share?
Call us +61 489 272 286. You've got a whopping 10-minutes, so sit back, take a big breath and go for gold.
👽&nbsp; Don&rsquo;t be a stranger
Got some feedback? <a href="https://whatastrangertoldme.com/contact/">Bring it on</a>. Just be gentle. One of us has thin skin ;)
🤩&nbsp; Who&rsquo;s behind all this strangeness?
Made &amp; Hosted by Tim Reid &amp; Jon Coghill Music Supervision by Dennis Feletto Photography by Will Reid &amp; Andy McColl

Storytelling meets human connection in this intriguing Australian podcast. Hosts Jon Coghill (Powderfinger) and Tim Reid (award-winning podcaster) travel around chatting with strangers of all ages & backgrounds - uncovering their raw, unique, and very personal stories. Take a break from the everyday, and dive into lives of people you’d never otherwise meet.

And if you’ve got a story you’d love the world to hear, then call us on +61 489 272 286.

Or maybe you'd like us to chat to strangers in your town, or maybe you’ve got a conference you’d like us to podcast from, then contact us at What a Stranger Told Me.

Credits ...

Made & Hosted by Tim Reid & Jon Coghill

Music Supervision by Dennis Feletto

Photography by Andy McColl & Will Reid

 

Storytelling meets human connection in this intriguing Australian podcast. Hosts Jon Coghill (Powderfinger) and Tim Reid (award-winning podcaster) travel around chatting with strangers of all ages &amp; backgrounds - uncovering their raw, unique, and very personal stories. Take a break from the everyday, and dive into lives of people you&rsquo;d never otherwise meet.
And if you&rsquo;ve got a story you&rsquo;d love the world to hear, then call us on +61 489 272 286.
Or maybe you'd like us to chat to strangers in your town, or maybe you&rsquo;ve got a conference you&rsquo;d like us to podcast from, then contact us at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.whatastrangertoldme.com">What a Stranger Told Me</a>.
Credits ...
Made &amp; Hosted by Tim Reid &amp; Jon Coghill
Music Supervision by Dennis Feletto
Photography by Andy McColl &amp; Will Reid
&nbsp;

Storytelling meets human connection in this intriguing Australian podcast. Hosts Jon Coghill (Powderfinger) and Tim Reid (award-winning podcaster) travel around chatting with strangers of all ages & backgrounds - uncovering their raw, unique, and very personal stories. Take a break from the everyday, and dive into lives of people you’d never otherwise meet.

What a Stranger Told Me

Storytelling meets human connection in this intriguing Australian podcast. Hosts Jon Coghill (Powderfinger) and Tim Reid (award-winning podcaster) travel around chatting with strangers of all ages & backgrounds - uncovering their raw, unique, and very personal stories. Take a break from the everyday, and dive into lives of people you’d never otherwise meet.

Take a break from the everyday, and dive into the lives of people you’d never otherwise meet.

And if you’ve got a story you’d love the world to hear, then call us on +61 489 272 286.

Or maybe you'd like us to chat to strangers in your town, or maybe you’ve got a conference you’d like us to podcast from, then contact us at What a Stranger Told Me.

Credits ...

Made & Hosted by Tim Reid & Jon Coghill

Music Supervision by Denis Feletto

Photography by Andy McColl & Will Reid

Storytelling meets human connection in this intriguing Australian podcast. Hosts Jon Coghill (Powderfinger) and Tim Reid (award-winning podcaster) travel around chatting with strangers of all ages &amp; backgrounds - uncovering their raw, unique, and very personal stories. Take a break from the everyday, and dive into lives of people you&rsquo;d never otherwise meet.
Take a break from the everyday, and dive into the lives of people you&rsquo;d never otherwise meet.
And if you&rsquo;ve got a story you&rsquo;d love the world to hear, then call us on +61 489 272 286.
Or maybe you'd like us to chat to strangers in your town, or maybe you&rsquo;ve got a conference you&rsquo;d like us to podcast from, then contact us at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.whatastrangertoldme.com">What a Stranger Told Me</a>.
Credits ...
Made &amp; Hosted by Tim Reid &amp; Jon Coghill
Music Supervision by Denis Feletto
Photography by Andy McColl &amp; Will Reid

In Episode 17 of What a Stranger Told Me, Jon meets Hugh, an 18-year-old industrial design student who’s found clever, practical ways of living with a stutter while chasing his creative dreams. Waiting three hours early for a uni tutorial (after dropping off his girlfriend), Hugh opens up about turning what many see as a limitation into a toolkit he controls.