Podcast Amplifies Voices Of People Living With Stuttering Impediments

September 30, 2025 Ninette Portero podcast, Stutter Chats

Ten years ago, Matthew Perez was a timid student at Kendall Campus. He avoided social encounters and lacked self-confidence because of a stuttering impediment.

Few understood the isolation his lifelong battle caused. Eventually, he found refuge on the baseball diamond, as a right-handed pitcher for the Miami Dade College baseball team

His athletic prowess allowed him to pursue his academic passion in sports management and recreation at Florida International University.

Despite the progress, Perez continued to struggle, but toward the end of his undergraduate studies, he had a breakthrough.

“I realized everybody has their own flaws, their own weaknesses and their own trauma…I asked myself, ‘why am I hiding behind the books? Why am I letting this hold me back?’” the 30-year-old said.

Determined to embrace his identity and find his place in the professional world, Perez joined the National Stutter Association—an organization founded in 1977 that offers a network of support to families, children and adults who have stutters.

He discovered the local chapter at FIU and met Brandon Davis, a peer who also had a stuttering impediment. The two instantly bonded.

In October of 2024, Perez and Davis founded Stutter Chats—a biweekly podcast that raises awareness and recognizes the achievements of people who stutter. It has more than 300 subscribers on YouTube.

“I created this platform to help the next generation, to help people from all ages… to give them the voice I never had growing up,” Perez said.

Since launching, Stutter Chats has welcomed 20 guests including Curtis Blaydes, a UFC fighter, Dylan Laube, a running back with the Las Vegas Raiders, Eddie Lack, a former National Hockey League goaltender, and Travis Althaus, a speech language pathologist.

Each episode features honest discussion about the guests’ experiences and how they overcame challenges related to stuttering. The hope is that each guest’s testimony serves as an inspiration to listeners.

The same type of inspiration that Perez, who is program manager for the non-profit organization Hope For Miami and who previously worked as a program coordinator at the School of Continuing Education and Professional Development at Kendall Campus for more than five years, has been.

“I was privileged to meet him, to see his improvement in every aspect,” said Ada Rosa, a senior clerk at the School of Continuing Education and Professional Development at Kendall Campus.

In the near future, Perez and Davis, who manages the podcast’s logistics and narrative development, would like to interview former President Joe Biden, who has faced a lifelong struggle with stuttering. They also want to continue expanding the podcast’s reach to wider audiences.

“We started with a blank slate, but with a vision and teamwork we’ve built something meaningful,” Davis said.

Stutter Chats is available on Instagram, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and TikTok. For more information, visit https://www.stutterchats.com/home.