Photography by Michelle Kilfeather

In this episode, Dale picks up where he left off in Part 1, with his college years in Santa Clara. After he graduated, he moved to LA where he worked in shipping. He had a few other jobs, mostly in data systems.

Dale was living in Scottsdale, Arizona, and his then-girlfriend/now wife was taking care of her father, who was ill, while also going to SF State. So, in 2010, Dale moved back to the Bay Area to help her out, and the couple has been living in Ingleside ever since.

He goes on to talk about discovering polo. All we'll say is that the story involves Argentina and boots. And if you wanna learn more about the sport, please listen in.

Dale ends his episode telling us about Heels Down, Fists Up, a Bay Area equestrian protest group that arose this summer after the murder of George Floyd.

Special thanks to Liz Beeson of Caring Cowgirl for connecting us with Dale and Sunny.

We recorded this podcast at Madonna Creek Ranch in September 2020.

Photography by Michelle Kilfeather

Dale Johnson is the descendent of Black cowboys.

In this podcast, Dale traces the history of his family, from New York state and a Black settlement in Texas called High Prairie to the Bay Area. His parents met at a park in the East Bay and Dale was born seven years later.

He grew up in "deep" East Oakland. He touches on some of the changes that he remembers, with industrial jobs being off-shored and drugs coming into previously prosperous, Black neighborhoods, comparing that to some of what has been happening in the so-called Rust Belt of the US and the different responses to each situation.

Special thanks to Liz Beeson of Caring Cowgirl for connecting us with Dale.

We recorded this podcast at Madonna Creek Ranch in September 2020.

Photography by Michelle Kilfeather

In this podcast, Ricky Rat picks up where he left off in Part 1, with his return to San Francisco after college. He talks about a few jobs he had leading up to the pandemic, when he started taking his cartoon art back to the streets. Ricky ends this podcast by sharing his hopes for the future of San Francisco.

Special shoutout to Uncle Damien for connecting us with Ricky.

We recorded this podcast at Fly Bar on Divisadero in September 2020.

Photography by Michelle KIlfeather

There's a battle going on in the world of San Francisco street art.

In this episode, we get to know street artist Ricky Rat. Ricky's grandparents come from many different heritages. His parents moved to San Francisco, separately, in the '80s and met at a Halloween party in the Mission. Ricky spent some time with his dad (also a comic artist) in the Mission in the 1990s (fun fact—his dad took him to see Josiah Luis Alderete read poetry back in the day), but they moved up to Marin. In the podcast, Ricky shares what it was like to grow up there.

He went to UC Davis and graduated before returning to The City earlier this decade. Check back Thursday for Part 2, when Ricky will tell us how he took his cartoon art to the streets.

We recorded this podcast at Fly Bar in September 2020.

Photography by Michelle Kilfeather

In this podcast, Michelle and Alex pick up where they left off in Part 1, discussing how the sale of 111 Minna that left them as co-owners went down. The original owner, Ei Ming, left Michelle in charge, and there was a lot of stuff she had to figure out how to do. A few years down the road, she brought Alex in to help, and soon enough, the two ended up buying the place from Ei Ming.

111 Minna Gallery is still closed to the public due to COVID-19 restrictions. But they're fundraising and hosting virtual events from time to time. Please follow them on Twitter and Instagram and check their website for more info.

This episode concludes our Small Business September promotions. That doesn't mean we'll stop introducing you to small business owners all over The City. And please, do your part to ensure that these businesses survive these strange times.

We recorded this podcast at 111 Minna in September 2020.

Photography by Michelle Kilfeather

Ready your SF bingo card: Michelle Delaney is a punk rock mom who runs an art gallery in The City.

In this podcast, we get to know Michelle and 111 Minna co-owner Alex Kivelstadt. The two talk about their lives leading up to the moment they purchased the art bar/cafe from its previous owner.

Check back Thursday for Part 2, when we'll hear the story of Michelle and Alex taking over 111 Minna, and what they've been doing with the place since shelter-in-place took effect in March this year.

Sadly, the gallery is still closed due to the COVID-19 restrictions. But they're still fundraising and doing virtual shows from time to time. Follow them on Twitter and Instagram or check their website for details.

We recorded this podcast at 111 Minna Gallery in September 2020.

Steph (right) and her husband, Alan. Photography by Michelle Kilfeather

Steph Miller got her first dog in New Orleans.

In this podcast, Steph picks up where she left off in Part 1. She returned home from New Orleans with her dog, Ruby, who joined two other dogs at Steph's parents' house. You could say that the pack ... got into some trouble. But luck related to Steph's adopting Ruby eventually led her to a career training and working with dogs.

She got a job at Mission Pet Hospital, and a vet there turned her on to a dog-training program at the SPCA. The rest is history.

Bernal Beast's shop is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day. For info on their weekend puppy classes, follow them on Twitter and Instagram.

We recorded this podcast at Bernal Beast in August 2020.

Photography by Michelle Kilfeather

Steph Miller used to have dreams of playing professional baseball.

Her parents met out east, where they're from. But their families weren't so keen on their respective different backgrounds, so the young couple came to the West Coast. Steph's dad got a job in a San Francisco law firm while her mom taught French.

Steph talks about her childhood, and she and Jeff start to realize how much they have in common. She goes on to describe her life in Atherton in the 1980s, before tech really took over the Peninsula culture. She was a latchkey kid who played a lot of baseball.

She shares stories of her family dogs and going to Giants games at Candlestick Park. Then Steph ends this episode with a recount of her college days in New Orleans and eventual return to the Bay Area.

We're excited to announce the launch of the BFF.fm Podcast Network! Storied: SF joins a handful of shows as the network gets off the ground. Please visit BFF.fm/podcasts to learn more.

We recorded this podcast at Bernal Beast in Bernal Heights in August 2020.

Photography by Michelle Kilfeather

Del Seymour's arrival in San Francisco was one wild ride.

In this podcast, Del describes his literal first hours in The City. He touches on nearly two decades of drug addiction and sets the scene at a park in the Tenderloin where he was inspired to sober up a little more than a decade ago.

Around that time, he started Tenderloin Walking Tours, inspired in part by Del's time driving cabs in San Francisco. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they've shifted their focus to developing a virtual version of the tour, which they hope to have ready for folks soon. Please see the clip below.

Del also talks about launching Code Tenderloin, and lets us know ways to get involved.

He ends this episode with his love letter, not to San Francisco, but to the Tenderloin.

We recorded this podcast on Zoom during quarantine in San Francisco in August 2020.

Photography by Michelle KIlfeather

Del Seymour got interested in politics early in his life, in the 1960s in Chicago.

In this podcast, Del walks us through the early years of his life. He attended a Catholic school in Chicago and went to seminary to be a priest. But that didn't last long, and he soon became a medic in the military.

After that, he moved to Los Angeles to get away from the snow and cold weather. Within his first year, he became a firefighter/paramedic with LAFD, one of the first several dozen in a program that was new at the time.

When he became a single parent, his sister in Oakland helped with his kids, and Del soon moved up to the Bay Area to be with them.

Del ends this episode with a strange twist, at least for this podcast.

Please join us Thursday for Part 2, when Del will describe his move to San Francisco and what he's done here since then, especially in and around the Tenderloin.

This podcast was produced in partnership with an exciting new project that launches today. It's called Represent Collaborative, and it's a storytelling platform that covers issues of racial and social justice.

We recorded this episode on Zoom during quarantine in San Francisco in August 2020.