Grown, a podcast from The Moth

The Moth is famous for its live storytelling events where regular people stand on a stage and share true, personal stories without notes. Grown takes that formula and aims it squarely at the messy, confusing space between being a teenager and becoming an adult. Co-hosts Aleeza Kazmi and Alfonso "Fonzo" Lacayo, both graduates of The Moth's Education program, guide listeners through stories about first crushes, identity crises, family secrets, cultural clashes, and all the other chaos of figuring out who you are. What separates Grown from typical coming-of-age content is the storytelling craft. These are not rambling anecdotes. The stories told at Moth events are shaped, practiced, and performed with real dramatic skill, and they hit different because of it. The hosts add context through their own conversations, street interviews with young people, and audio diaries that capture unfiltered moments. Kazmi and Lacayo bring their own perspectives as young people on the cusp of adulthood, which keeps the show grounded in authenticity rather than nostalgia. Named one of the most anticipated podcasts of 2023 by Vulture, Lifehacker, and Forbes, Grown has released 45 episodes across two seasons. The show updates biweekly, holds a 4.3 star rating from 181 reviews, and the content is clean. For teens and young adults who love a well-told story and want to hear people their age talk about real experiences with honesty and vulnerability, Grown is something special.